We treated a steel roof for cut edge corrosion recently which had already started leaking and was sure to fail in the very near future!
Located in North Manchester, the 3rd wettest city in the UK, this roof has been subjected to challenging conditions since it was constructed. Situated at the foot of the moors and subjected to high winds also makes this area a harsh environment for a steel roof. Rain and wind combined with extreme variations in temperature throughout the year had accelerated its decline.
The owners of the building had contacted us some time ago with a view to refurbishing the roof. Following a discussion about project lead times and costs they decided to postpone the project for 18 months. However just 9 months later following torrential rainfall, to their horror, the roof started to leak in several different sections.
Hoping this was a one off event they decided to have a look at the rooftop and investigate the leaks. What they discovered was beyond belief. The roof structure was riddled with rust. Almost all areas were affected. The sheet ends were corroded from the gutters, to the skylights and the up to the ridge at the top. Drastic action was required!
From below and inside the warehouse the roof seemed ok. Yes it was slightly discoloured in places along the roof sheet ends, purlins and fixings, but it appeared to be no worse than any of the neighboring buildings. They simply didn’t realise the extent and severity of the corrosion.
The owners contacted us immediately and explained the situation. We arranged a roof inspection that same week to assess the extent of the problem. We were equally shocked at what we discovered during our roof inspection. We realised this was an emergency that needed urgent attention. Winter was on the way and the weather was only going to get worse.
Our teams are normally booked on projects for up to 6 months in advance. Luckily for this client we had a project, which we were due start in 3 weeks, put back by a month. This allowed us to divert that team to this job at short notice, something we’re not often able to do.
Fast forward 1 month, the project was completed, without any issues, ahead of schedule and on budget. We treated the roof with our Seamsil system to full specification, extending the roof’s lifespan by at least another 10 years, probably more.