When do you totally replace a roof?+metal ?

[DCDiva]

Our budget is tight--the roof has some drips but we think we can fix it and recoat it with something first---what is the best to recoat it with? We used @20 yrs ago in our 1st mh a stuff that was silver--worked really good?? name? We currently can not go up on the roof but what do we look for it to see if coating it would be a waste of time??? how do we know?
The plan is to add metal roof --but hope to wait a few years to see if we want to add on or not--- metal roof? we can get 2 diff ones has a 20yr gaurantee and one has 40 yr--the price diff is 2.04 ft and 2.14 ft lol I assume one is thicker--will this make a diff if install directly on the roof like the MH repair book direction say to do--the cost will be @400 for the metal plus a little more for the insulation and screws--I guess I can always reuse the metal if I change the roof line hate to do that--choices lol

[JD]

One of the old time popular coatings was/is called Aluma-Seal or something like that. These are asphalt based productts and might be a good choice of sealant if you are going over a lot of "Blackjack" type sealants. I find that this stuff dries and cracks after a while though.

The better the product and the better the prep work, the longer a roof repair will last. I think most roofs are resealed with Kool Seal or similar home store product. I use Ames Research Roof Coatings for spot repairs and re-coats. I also use Liquid Roof, a much better but more expensive product. For both coatings I will use a soft polyester seam tape or Eternabond Web Seal tape.

For prep, The area being coated must be clean and any large accumulations of sealants removed. This is where many people go wrong. It you see cracks in your old sealants, your new sealant will crack there very soon. I often use a roofing primer as well as thoroughly cleaning. Kool Seal sells one. I use Ames Super Primer.

Most leaks on metal roofs can be patched up, provided they can be found. Leaks on roofs with peeling or cracked coatings can be hard to find. With proper prep work and a good roof surface, Kool Seal could last 3-8 years. As you buy better products, that life span increases. By adding additional coats you can increase the life significantly. Here are some links.

http://www.koolseal.com/
http://www.amesresearch.com/
http://www.liquid-roof.com/liquidroof.html
http://www.eternabond.com/

JD

[dalepres]

I hope you don't mind me jumping in on this thread but I have a related question. Would it be reasonable to replace the metal roof with a stronger style metal roof? It looks like the sheet metal on the roof is made from long rolled thin sheetmetal. I was wondering if I could put ribbed sheet metal on instead.

[JD]

Yes, corrugated roof panels are a very popular way to install a new roof. Elastomerics and seam tape is just a way to seal up an existing rolled metal roof, at least that is how I use those materials. There are many types and brands of corrugated type metal panels available. Panels that are designed to be installed with hidden fasteners are the best but most expensive bet. Exposed fasteners will eventually leak without frequent maintenance.

Marks sells his Mobile/Manufactured Home Repair Manual on this web site, through the following link.
http://www.mobilehomerepair.com/manual.htm
One of the sections covers installing a new roof using the corrugated panels. It also shows how to build an overhang for you new roof.
There is also an instruction book available for just the roof at the "Books & Parts" link at the top of this page.

JD