Leak in my metal roof

[IMaDad]

I have a metal roof over a sunroom that is leaking. It has painted plywood for the ceiling in the interior.
I was thinking i need to pull down the plywood, and find the exact spots of the leak.

Then i was thinking I should just get a big bucket of kool-seal or something like it and coat the whole roof.

thoughts? suggestions? new first time home owner. I have always been a renter. Also, replacing the roof is pretty much out of the question right now. I am a house poor single dad, lol.

 

[FbodTrek]

Go onto roof. Check for ALL flashing ABOVE the leak area. Bathroom heat risers, septic risers, skylights, etc.
Roofs don't generally "leak" on the flat surfaces, especially not corrugated steel. A tube of roofing tar a and a caulking gun, maybe a few fastners. Now, if the steel has rust holes, that's a bit different, replace whole panel and tar it in. Easymode. Steel roofs MUCH easier to repair than shingles.

 

[renagadeinjun]

Geo-cell maybe still in purple and silver can.......CRS, or Humphreys roofing supply carries it . Dang good stuff you can brush it on and forget it. When it dry's it is like rubber and uv rays don't hurt it. donot use tar base sealers on metal roofs unless it was made for it silver coat is good they use it on trailers to reflect heat the more aluminum in it is better but price gos up if it has rust no problem this stuff will seal it check around all penetrations on roof

 

[IMaDad]

any experience with those buckets of roof sealer? I was thinking the old "more is better" mentality might be good here. I thought there may be added value in sealing all the screws and seams. Am I wrong?

 

[FbodTrek]

think it's purple/gold/black now. i've never had much luck sealing with RTV vinyl myself, know an old timer who swears by that stuff back home.

 

[mountainpass]

I'm not a fan of just smearing sealer up there.

Is it only leaking in one place?
Is it tied to the roof of the house or does it butt into the side of the house?
What is the slope?
What type of metal? Is it screwed down?(if so it could be as simple as tightening or replacing)

 

[Grub Master]

Look for screws that are not tight.
Is there a sky light? Make sure the flashing is sealed.
More is not better. You should be able to find the leak easily if not get a real roofer to fix it.
If you don't know what you are doing and are not comfortable with walking on a roof get a roofer.
Falling off a roof isn't a good way to end the year.

 

[edzackley]

If it's an exposed fastener metal roof, (which it sounds like) the neoprene washers that seal the screws to the roof do tend to dry rot and split over time. How much water is it leaking, how old is the roof? What is the length of the metal from the tie in with the house (or ridge) to the eve?

NP-1 is a good sealant for metal roofs. CRS in Doraville should be able to supply you with that..

 

[IMaDad]

Ok I clearly need to give y'all new info. Thanks for the help. I'll post pictures tonight.

 

[georgia357]

Another thing to look at is where the fasteners are. They should all be on the raised part of the metal and not the flat part.