If you’re up there anyway, I always check the screws too—sometimes hail works them loose and you won’t spot it till water finds its way in. Learned that the hard way after a spring storm last year. Silicone sealant’s been my go-to, but if there’s more than a couple dings, I just call my roofer. The noise is brutal during hail, but at least you don’t end up picking shingle bits out of your gutters for weeks...
“sometimes hail works them loose and you won’t spot it till water finds its way in. Learned that the hard way after a spring storm last year.”
That’s exactly why I’m always a bit skeptical about just using sealant and calling it good. I’ve seen too many “quick fixes” turn into bigger headaches when the next storm rolls through. Metal roofs are tough, but if you miss even one loose fastener, you’re asking for leaks. I usually do a walk-around after any big hail—sometimes you can spot dents or popped screws from the ground if you know what to look for. Still, nothing beats getting up there, even if it’s a pain. The noise is wild, but at least you don’t have to deal with shingle granules clogging everything up... silver lining, I guess.
I hear you on the sealant—seen too many folks slap some on and hope for the best, only to end up with a soggy attic. I’ve had storms where the screws looked fine from below, but once I got up there, half were barely hanging on. Ever tried those fasteners with the rubber washers? Curious if they actually hold up better long-term or just another gimmick...
Those rubber washer fasteners aren’t just hype, at least in my experience. I swapped out a bunch of the old screws on my shed roof after a hailstorm last year—half of them were loose or rusted, and water was definitely getting in. The new ones with the washers have held up through two nasty storms so far. No leaks, and they’re still tight when I check from above.
I will say, though, you’ve got to make sure you don’t overtighten them or the washer gets squished and doesn’t seal right. Seen a neighbor do that and it actually made things worse for him. Also, if your panels are older or a bit warped, sometimes the washers don’t sit flush and you’ll still get drips.
Honestly, nothing’s perfect, but I’d take those over plain screws any day. Just takes a little more time to do it right. And yeah, sealant alone never did much for me either—always felt like a temporary fix at best.
I’ve had similar luck with the rubber washer screws, but I’ll admit I messed up a few at first by cranking them down too hard. It’s easy to think tighter is better, but like you said, that just ruins the seal. What’s worked for me is using a cordless drill with the clutch set low, so it stops before crushing the washer. Also, if the metal’s warped, I’ll sometimes back out the screw and add a dab of butyl tape under the washer—seems to help it seat better. Not perfect, but definitely better than plain screws or just slapping on more sealant.