DIY Roof Repair

2023 Author: Philip Bishop | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-08-25 07:54

• Preparing to paint the roof
• We paint the roof in 2-3 layers with our own hands
• Painting the inside of the roof

To protect the roof from early destruction, it is painted. But the paint itself collapses over time from the effects of atmospheric phenomena, sand and dust, the sun. The destruction of the paint layer is significantly accelerated by carbon dioxide, which is quite abundant in the air. Hydrogen sulphide will discolor most paints. Dust and sand, periodically carried by the wind, abrade the paint mechanically. The smoke simply contaminates the painted surface. In addition, when cleaning the roof, for example from snow, the paint is damaged by a cleaning tool (for example, a broom). The sun also actively discolors the layer of finishing material, therefore, if possible, lightfast paint should be used.

If the roof surface is painted smoothly, then it does not retain dust on itself. The paint may lose elasticity due to its poor quality, with uneven application or from the inclusion of large fragments of pigment in a mixture with drying oil. Sometimes, in the absence of thickly grated paint, they prepare it with their own hands, mixing dry pigment with drying oil. This can result in extremely poor quality paint. Bubbles may appear on the surface if the paint is applied to a poorly dried or dirty surface after puttying. Cracking occurs when paint is applied in a thick or uneven layer. If the paint is prepared on high-quality drying oil and applied in a thin layer, after drying it has a shiny surface.

When heated by the sun's rays, the steel roof of the house roof expands. Since the coefficient of thermal expansion of steel is greater than that of paint, layers of old paint that have lost their elasticity are torn apart. As a result, the surface is covered with a network of small cracks through which moisture penetrates, the steel rusts, and the roof must be painted again.

Preparing to paint the roof

To paint the roof correctly, you need to do it in two, or preferably three times. A single stain does not give a good result and only leads to unnecessary costs.

The roof of the roof of the house must be carefully prepared for painting. A properly prepared surface will ensure reliable material adhesion. Preparation consists in cleaning the surface from dust, dirt and rust. Strongly rusted areas are brushed to metal with a steel brush. After that, dust is swept away and the first coat of paint is immediately applied. Then the presence of cracks in the roof or punched places formed when cleaning the snow with steel scrapers is checked. It is best to inspect the roof on a clear sunny day to identify the smallest holes. It is better to inspect it together - one with a long stick examines the roof from below from the attic and shows the holes with a stick, the other marks these holes with chalk. After that, defects can be eliminated. With your own hands, this will be done better and more reliably than with the involvement of third parties.

Roof repairs should be started by covering the holes on the ridge, carefully smoothing the putty with a knife. The putty is made from crushed chalk mixed with drying oil. The putty obtained in this way turns out to be strong and elastic, adheres well to the surface, and does not crack when dry. The same putty can be used to close small holes in the plane. You can put a cloth patch on the putty layer and then paint over.

The holes in the roof are sealed with patches made of dense fabric or tarpaulin. The patch cut to the size of the hole is impregnated with liquid paint from red lead on drying oil and, squeezing out excess paint, is applied to the hole, smoothing well with a hard brush. After the patches have dried, you can proceed to the complete painting of the roof.

We paint the roof in 2-3 layers with our own hands

The paint should be thinner for the first coat than for subsequent coats. Liquid paint penetrates into all pores and adheres well to the surface. The first coat of paint should dry for about five to seven days, depending on the season and weather, after which a second coat is applied.

For the second layer and subsequent ones, about 0.5 kilograms of drying oil is taken per kilogram of thickly grated paint. The consumption of pigments depends on their grade and the desired color saturation. For example, 180 to 200 grams of ocher, or 250 to 280 grams of copperhead, is consumed per square meter of roofing. The paint on the copperhead lasts the longest.

The third time the paint is applied after 5-10 days. On average, oil paint dries completely within 10 days. This drying-painting mode guarantees high quality work. The second painting is practiced after two days of drying of the first layer, but this practice does not give the proper quality. Roofing is painted using the same technology as when painting walls or ceilings. The wear of the brushes when painting a new roof is less than when painting an old coating.

In the process of painting the roof, the paint is shaded along the slope. First, the roof descent is painted, then work continues from the ridge to the descent. A little paint is collected on the brush, which is shaded with a thin layer.

It is recommended to work on the roof in shoes with felt soles or felt boots. You can tie a felt sole to your regular shoes. Felt does not slip on steel and does not destroy the fresh paint layer.

If there are no fencing gratings on the roof, you should insure yourself with a rope tied to the rafters, battens or beam. It is unacceptable to tie the rope to stove or other pipes!

Painting the inside of the roof

The steel roof covering not only rusts from the outside, but also from the inside. The most likely places for rust to appear are between the crate. The part of the roof lying on the battens cannot rust, as it is protected by boards. Rust occurs due to the penetration of warm air into the attic through the ceiling. Practice shows that rusted places are often found between the battens, but they can also be under the battens. To protect the roof from rust, clean the steel between the crate with a steel brush and paint it twice. Double painting will extend the life of the metal roof. If rust is found on a galvanized steel roof, immediately remove the rust, prime the cleaned area with liquid paint and cover with two coats of paint.

Especially for the site self-repair of the apartment.