PERSONAL SAFETY
WALKING ON ANY ROOF IS DANGEROUS.
SAFETY MUST ALWAYS BE TOP PRIORITY WHEN PERFORMING MAINTENANCE ON YOUR ROOF
SYSTEM. ALWAYS USE ALL FALL PROTECTION AND PERSONAL SAFETY EQUIPMENT REQUIRED
BY OSHA AND OTHER REGULATORY AGENCIES. FAILURE TO FOLLOW THESE REGULATIONS CAN
RESULT IN SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH. YOU MAY ALSO BE SUBJECT TO SUBSTANTIAL FINES
FOR NON-COMPLIANCE.
Always use extreme caution when walking on roofs
with steep slopes, near roof edges, or on roofs that are wet or covered with
ice or snow. Insure that all maintenance personnel are adequately trained in
safety procedures and that all safety equipment is in proper working condition.
When performing roof maintenance, always take the following
precautions:
- Use fall protection and other
safety equipment as required.
- Do not walk on roof flashings
such as gutter, rake, hip or ridge flash.
- Do not walk on Light
Transmitting Panels (LTPs). They will not support a person's weight.
- Guard all LTPs and roof
openings.
- Step only in the panel flat
directly on or in close proximity to a supporting roof structural.
Your new standing seam roof (SSR) is designed to provide years of protection
with very little maintenance. However, no roof is immune to severe weather or
completely maintenance free. To keep your roof performing as it should, a
comprehensive maintenance program must be implemented.
ROOF MAINTENANCE
Your SSR
should be inspected periodically and whenever any of the following conditions
occur:
- After a fire, vandalism or
known damage to an adjacent roof area.
- Exposure to severe weather
conditions, including high winds, hail or abnormally heavy rains or ice and
snow. Items to check for after high winds include: Debris from nearby
trees, loose flashing or other roof components, punctures from falling limbs or
loose flashing, and loose fasteners. After a hail storm, check roof for
punctures, damaged trim and loose fasteners. After abnormally heavy rains,
check roof and gutters for ponding water. Also check all roof curbs, roof
penetrations and any special trim conditions to insure that water is not
ponding up slope from these areas. Check trim and plumbing pipes for damage
from moving ice. Check for loose fasteners at trim and end laps. Replace
stripped-out fasteners by removing existing fastener; apply urethane sealant
into hole; install an oversize, long-life fastener into hole.
- After other Trades have
been on the roof for any reason. Inspect the roof for damage caused by
workers including chemical or solvent spills, scratches in the paint or
Galvalume coating, excessive foot traffic and punctures. Make sure that any
debris or scrap left behind by the workers is removed from the roof
immediately. Avoid using cutoff saws and welding equipment over the roof. In
cases where this is not possible, the roof must be adequately protected. A fire
cloth is recommended. Items such as drill shavings, wire, metal scrap and other
debris can corrode and damage the roof. Sharp pieces of metal, such as those
left by a nibbler, can stick in a worker's shoes and scratch the paint as they
walk on the roof.
Mortar or concrete will etch the paint or Galvalume coating. Roof panels in
areas where there is a possibility of any masonry product being spilled on them
should be protected .In the event that the panels do have a masonry product
spilled on them, they should be cleaned and the panels rinsed. Should any
solvent or chemical be spilled on the roof, clean up immediately and thoroughly
rinse the affected area. Panels should be cleaned with mild detergent.
Leak Repair
Never allow workers to "fix" leaks by
applying caulk, elastomeric membranes, plastic roof cement, etc to the roof
surface. This is never a long term solution for repairing a leak. Surface
applied caulks and compounds will eventually lose their bond to the metal. This
will allow water to become trapped between the repair material and the roof
panel, which will cause severe corrosion. Leaks at panel or trim joints, should
be repaired by disassembling the metal joint and reinstalling the proper
sealant between the metal layers. Leaks caused by roof punctures must be
evaluated on an individual basis. In some cases, the affected roof panel may
need to be replaced.
PROTECT YOUR
ROOF INVESTMENT
Always consult the roof manufacturer before initiating repair
work. The manufacturer can give you helpful information as to how to make the
repair and can give you a list of "Certified Installers" in your area that you
can contact about performing the repair work.
Foot Traffic
Keep foot traffic to a minimum. Heavy foot
traffic can cause ponding on low pitched roofs. This is particularly true just
upslope from the eave and at end laps. Always walk in the flat of the panel
near a supporting roof structural. Do not walk on trim or in gutters. On bare
Galvalume roofs, excessive foot traffic may cause black burnish marks. lf
regular foot traffic is planned for a roof, provisions should be made for a
properly designed and installed roof walkway system.
In order to limit
access to the roof, roof hatches or access ladders should be locked at all
times. A sign should be posted at the point of access, stating that only
authorized personnel are allowed onto the roof .In addition, a log book should
be kept of all visits to the roof and the reason for such
visits.
Drainage
In order for your roof to perform as intended, water must
properly drain from the roof. Following are things to avoid:
- Do not allow anything to be
installed on your roof that will cause water to pond.
- Keep roof free of debris and
keep debris out of gutter to allow water to quickly drain from roof.
- Do not use wood blocking to
hold equipment off of panel seams. This blocks the flow of water and holds
moisture. Also, if the wood is treated, it may contain salts or copper sulfate
which will deteriorate the roof, and void warranty coverage.
- Do not allow water to cascade
on to the roof from an adjacent roof.
- Do not allow roof top AC
units or evaporative coolers to drain onto the roof. The condensate from AC
units contains dissolved copper ions with will cause galvanic corrosion. The
water from evaporative coolers contains high salt concentrations which will
cause severe corrosion. Use PVC pipe to carry the condensate to the gutter.
- Anything that traps or holds
moisture on a roof will cause premature corrosion.
Ice and Snow
Removal
Excessive ice and snow should be
removed from roof immediately to prevent damage to roof and possible collapse.
Do not use metal tools to remove the ice or snow as this can damage the paint
and /or Galvalume coatings. Also, be careful around plumbing pipes and
flashings.
Be extremely careful if your roof has Light Transmitting
Panels. THESE PANELS WILL NOT SUPPORT A PERSON'S WEIGHT AND WILL BE DIFFICULT
TO SEE IF THEYARE COVERED OR IMPOSSIBLE WITH ICE AND SNOW.
Additions to Roof
All additions to the roof, including but not limited to, roof
curbs, pipe penetrations and HVAC units must be approved in writing by Miller
before work commences. All work must be performed by a Miller “Certified
Installer".
Dissimilar Metals
Never allow your roof to come in contact with,
or water run off from, any dissimilar metal including but not limited to:
copper, lead or graphite. Failure to adhere to this requirement will cause your
roof to rapidly deteriorate due to galvanic corrosion and will void all
warranties. Common abuses of this requirement include: lead hats for plumbing
vents, copper lightning rods and/or cable, copper trim, existing copper gutter
that drains water onto your new roof, and condensate from rooftop AC units
draining onto roof.
Paint and Coating
lnformation
Remove smudge marks from bare
Galvalume. Formula 409 has proven to be somewhat effective. Lightly rub with a
clean cloth and rinse with water. Do not rub more than required to remove
smudge. No product will remove all smudge marks.
Remove rust stains.
Soft Scrub has proven to be somewhat effective. Lightly rub with a soft cloth
and rinse with water. Do not rub more than required to remove stain. No product
will completely remove rust stains.
To touch-up scratches in paint
(not to bare metal), clean area to be painted with mineral spirits. Rinse
thoroughly and dry.
Using a small artist's brush, lightly apply the
absolute minimum amount of touch-up paint required to fill the scratch. Use
only touch-up paint supplied by manufacturer.
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- Inspect your roof
regularly.
- Walk in the flat
of the panels near the structural supports.
- Keep roof,
gutters and downspouts free of debris.
- Inspect roof for
damage after heavy storms.
- Caution workers
on roof to protect against roof punctures.
- Remove excessive
ice and snow accumulations as necessary.
- Inspect and
reseal as necessary all roof curbs and other penetrations with urethane
sealant.
- Always use long
life fasteners and stainless steel rivets on the roof and trim.
- Always get
manufacturer approval before making any or modifications to the roof.
- Repaint any areas
that are susceptible to rust as required.
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- Allow your roof
to be neglected
- Walk on the panel
ribs or on flashings.
- Allow debris of
any kind to collect on roof.
- Allow damage from
storms to go undetected and cause ancillary damage.
- Drop sharp or
heavy objects on roof.
- Use metal shovels
or other tools that can scratch the paint or Galvalume coating on the
panels.
- Use plastic roof
cement or butyl or silicone caulks any where on the roof.
- Assume that minor
additions or modifications will not cause any problems.
- Use zinc plated
fasteners or carbon steel rivets.
- Allow rust or
rust stains to build up on roof.
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