What materials to buy and guideliness to repair the carport roof that is very dirty after 20 years? Im not a tradesman.
Clean up the roof?
replace the loosen rusty nails?
replace broken rusty metal sheet?
Hi @Honest52,
Before doing anything, please be extremely cautious about working on the roof. Metal roofing can be slippery, particularly when wet, and lightweight carport roofs may not be designed to support your weight. If you can't safely access the roof without standing on the sheets, I'd recommend having a roofing professional carry out the work.
From the photos, the roofing sheets themselves don't actually look too bad to me. I don't think I'd be looking at replacing them at this stage. I'd start by giving the roof a thorough clean with a pressure washer so you can get a better idea of the condition underneath the dirt and surface corrosion. Obviously, this should be done from a safe position rather than standing on the wet roof.
Once it is clean, have a read through How to treat a rusted metal shed roof. The general process is to remove loose and flaky rust with a wire brush or sanding, treat the remaining rust where required, then prime and protect the affected areas.
The other thing I'd be looking closely at is the existing fixings. A number of them appear fairly weathered, and replacing old or rusted fixings can be a relatively straightforward way of extending the life of the roof. You would use appropriate roofing screws with seals. The rubber sealing washer compresses against the roofing sheet to seal around the fixing.
When replacing them, avoid overtightening the screws. You want the washer compressed enough to form a seal, but not squashed excessively or distorted, as this can compromise the seal.
After a good clean, some attention to the rusted areas and replacement of any deteriorated fixings, I suspect you'll find the roof still has plenty of life left in it.
Let me know what you think and if you have further questions, please don't hesitate to ask.
Jacob
