Ridgeline Roofing & Solar recently completed a commercial roof inspection in Columbia, Missouri, evaluating an older metal roofing system that has clearly stood the test of time—but is now showing signs of wear from years of exposure.
With multiple panel types, hail damage, and aging materials, this roof tells a story that’s common across many commercial properties: durable doesn’t mean permanent.
A Tough Roof Showing Its Age
This metal roof has performed well over the years, but several issues are now impacting its performance:
- Widespread hail damage, affecting panel integrity
- Surface wear and coating breakdown, exposing the metal beneath
- Rust formation, beginning where the galvanized coating has deteriorated
- Panel discoloration, especially in sun-exposed areas
Interestingly, shaded sections of the building still show significantly less wear, highlighting just how much UV exposure accelerates roof aging.
Skylights: A Hidden Risk
The inspection also revealed multiple skylights—both fiberglass and plastic—with varying levels of deterioration.
One major concern was a painted fiberglass skylight. While it may seem like a cosmetic fix, painting skylights creates a serious hazard:
- It reduces visibility, increasing the risk of someone stepping through it
- It does not restore structural integrity
- UV exposure continues to weaken the material underneath
Over time, fiberglass skylights become brittle, and without proper replacement or reinforcement, they can become a safety liability.
Improper Details and Fabricated Components
Additional findings included:
- Custom-fabricated closures, which may not provide proper sealing
- Mixed fastening methods, including screws and rivets
- Wall flashing transitions that require attention
These types of inconsistencies are common on older or modified roofs and can lead to ongoing maintenance issues.
Recommended Solution: Restore with Silicone
Rather than a full replacement, Ridgeline is proposing a restoration system designed to extend the life of this roof while addressing its current issues.
The plan includes:
- Applying a rust inhibitor to stabilize affected metal panels
- Repairing damaged areas and sealing penetrations
- Installing a high-performance silicone coating system for long-term waterproofing
Silicone coatings are ideal for metal roofing systems, providing a seamless membrane that resists UV damage, ponding water, and future corrosion.
Extend the Life of Your Metal Roof
Even heavily worn metal roofs can often be restored when addressed at the right time. With proper preparation and the right coating system, property owners can avoid costly replacement and gain decades of additional performance.
Not sure if your metal roof can be restored? Let’s find out. Contact us today!
Hear Tim’s Thoughts
Video Transcript: "Hey, it's Tim Yates with Ridgeline Roofing and Solar. I'm in Columbia right now doing a roof inspection on a metal roof.
This is an old panel, definitely one you don't see every day. It's got a lot of hail damage.
It's worn. It's a tough roof. I'll give it that. I don't know what gauge it is. I'm going to say it's probably a 29 by walking on it, something like that.
But it looks like it's pop riveted on and it's got some screws. I see all the hail damage on it.
And the discoloration on it coming from the roof up here, we'll talk about that in a second.
But it's got a skylight right here that's fiberglass. And those fiberglass skylights, the more UV they get on them, the weaker they become, just like anything.
But somebody's painted it, which is a bad idea because once you paint a skylight like that, somebody gets up here and doesn't see it, then you've got a problem.
And if you ever hear about paint warranty on a metal roof, that's got a lifetime warranty on the metal. That's just your paint.
So this has a coating, a galvanized coating from the factory. And once that coating starts getting wore off, this is what you get. It starts rusting the panel itself.
And if you look at the part that's not in the sun, which is on this wall right here, same age metal, it's a big difference. And that tells you what the sun does to your roof right there.
This has some closures underneath it that were kind of fabricated with, I don't know, whoever installed it. And then it's got them under here as well, under the wall flashing. And it's got a couple of metal, I'm sorry, plastic skylights over there.
You can see them. They actually have worn better than the fiberglass skylights. So we're going to bid this for silicone. We're going to bid it to put a rust inhibitor everywhere. And then we're going to bid it for fixing everything and then installing silicone on it. So if you have any questions about your roof, commercial or residential, please give us a call. Thank you."