I’ve had butyl tape fail on my garage roof after a couple nasty winters—exact same issue, north side, and by spring the screws were rusting out. Switched over to a tube of that clear silicone (the stuff that smells awful) and it’s held up way better, even with all the temp swings we get here. It’s messier, sure, but I’d rather deal with cleanup than leaks. Funny how the “old school” caulks still seem to outlast the fancy tapes sometimes... at least in our neck of the woods.
- Seen this a lot after hail—north-facing metal roofs just take a beating.
- Tried butyl tape on a couple of our sheds. Looked fine at first, but after two freeze-thaw cycles, it peeled up and the screws started rusting underneath. Not great.
- Switched to that same clear silicone (the kind that stinks up the whole garage). It’s messy, but honestly, it’s held up through three winters now.
- Only downside: cleanup is a pain if you ever need to redo it, but I’ll take that over water stains on the ceiling any day.
- Funny how sometimes the “old school” stuff just works better in these wild Midwest seasons...
I get what you’re saying about “old school” stuff sometimes working better, but I’ve actually had the opposite luck with silicone on a few jobs. That clear stuff does last, but when it fails, it’s a nightmare to remove—especially if you ever want to repaint or replace panels.
Fair point, but have you tried the newer urethane sealants? They’re pricier and not as easy to find at the big box stores, but they flex better with temp swings and don’t get as brittle. Just something to consider next time hail season rolls around...Only downside: cleanup is a pain if you ever need to redo it, but I’ll take that over water stains on the ceiling any day.
They’re pricier and not as easy to find at the big box stores, but they flex better with temp swings and don’t get as brittle. Just something to consider next time hail season rolls around...
I hear you on the silicone cleanup—once that stuff’s on, it’s basically part of the roof. I’ve had to grind it off metal panels before, and it’s a pain. Urethane’s been my go-to lately for tricky spots, especially after a hailstorm last spring. It held up way better than the old caulk, and didn’t crack when the temps dropped. Only downside for me was the cure time, but I’ll take that over scraping silicone any day.
Yeah, urethane’s a lifesaver for metal seams in wild weather—totally agree on the cure time being worth it. Ever try those hybrid sealants? I’ve heard they’re a bit easier to work with than straight silicone but still hold up well. Curious if anyone’s had luck with those after a hailstorm.