Corrigated roof leaking

[Norm.Mareeba]

Hi All;

With the above normal wet season we’ve had up in FNQ, my roof leaked in a few places. In one spot, the ceiling actually sagged. Other spots now have mildew on them.

I’ve got a low-set house built in the mid 1960s. The roof is corrugated iron (galvanised, I believe, rather than the Zincalume), nailed on with spiral nails that have what looks like a blob of lead on the head.

The roof metal is in good condition. All the leaks seemed to occur near the nails or on an overlapped channel.

It’s been suggested that I should replace the nails with roofing screws if I want to permanently stop this leaking.

Ok, so do I use standard roofing screws with the rubber "O" ring or do I need special screws for my roof?
Secondly, is there a special tool or procedure to pull out the old nails?

Finally, I read somewhere that there is a membrane that one can paint on the roof to seal it. Any thoughts on this?

Any other advice would be appreciated…

Thanks, Norm

[Barry_White]

Hi All;

With the above normal wet season we’ve had up in FNQ, my roof leaked in a few places. In one spot, the ceiling actually sagged. Other spots now have mildew on them.

I’ve got a low-set house built in the mid 1960s. The roof is corrugated iron (galvanised, I believe, rather than the Zincalume), nailed on with spiral nails that have what looks like a blob of lead on the head.

The roof metal is in good condition. All the leaks seemed to occur near the nails or on an overlapped channel.

It’s been suggested that I should replace the nails with roofing screws if I want to permanently stop this leaking.

Ok, so do I use standard roofing screws with the rubber "O" ring or do I need special screws for my roof?
Secondly, is there a special tool or procedure to pull out the old nails?

Finally, I read somewhere that there is a membrane that one can paint on the roof to seal it. Any thoughts on this?

Any other advice would be appreciated…

Thanks, Norm

Hi Norm

The screws you require are Buildex Climaseal Hex Head 14gauge x 35mm with neoprene seals. To remove the nails you require two elcheapo claw hammers and a short piece of 40mm dia waterpipe. You drive one claw hammer under the nail with the other hammer and then use the piece of pipe in the corrugate along side the the nail to lever the nail out.

If the nails are into hard wood they may be very tight.

[journeyman Mick]

Norm,
what Barry said is pretty much spot on - for down south, non-cyclonic areas. Go to TGT or Tablelands hardware and ask for a box of 50mm roofing screws (with neo washers). Barry, up here we use 50mm for custom orb sheeting and 65mm for trimdek. You may be lucky and have silky oak battens in which case the nails will come out easy-ish but most likely they will be hardwood. I use a large pinch bar, hammer and a scrap of timber which will fit into the corrugations. Use the hammer to drive the claw of the pinch bar under the nail then lever up, pivotting on the block of timber in the corrugation. The pinch bar gives you more leverage and means you don't need to bend over as much. I use a pinch bar that's about 700mm long which gives heaps of leverage for those stubborn nails. When you drive the screws in you want the neo washer to just compress slightly, you don't want it tearing or the screw pushing the tin down.

Mick

[Barry_White]

Norm,
what Barry said is pretty much spot on - for down south, non-cyclonic areas. Go to TGT or Tablelands hardware and ask for a box of 50mm roofing screws (with neo washers). Barry, up here we use 50mm for custom orb sheeting and 65mm for trimdek.
Mick

Sorry Mick I was having a brain hemorrhage and was thinking of fixing to steel but instead should have said Type 17 screws for timber fixing.