Yeah, that's a good point about warranties—I've wondered the same thing. From what I've seen, clearance or factory seconds usually come with limited or no warranty coverage, especially if they're discounted heavily. I guess it makes sense from the manufacturer's perspective, but it does make me a bit cautious.
Have you ever noticed if the cosmetic issues are consistent across batches? Like, is it usually just minor scratches or color mismatches, or have you seen more serious stuff like dents or warping? I've heard some folks say they got lucky and couldn't even spot the defects, while others ended up with sheets that were noticeably off.
Also curious if anyone's had luck negotiating warranty coverage directly with suppliers on clearance items...maybe it's worth asking about?
I've mostly seen minor stuff like scratches or slight color mismatches, nothing too serious like warping. But honestly, even small cosmetic issues bug me if they're noticeable from the ground... Has anyone tried repainting or touching up clearance sheets themselves? Curious if that's doable.
I've wondered about touching up sheets too, but honestly, matching colors perfectly seems tricky—especially if the sheet's been sitting around awhile and faded a bit. Might end up more noticeable than the scratch itself... Anyone had luck blending paint convincingly?
I've had mixed results with blending paint myself. A couple years back, I had a similar issue—small scratch on a dark green metal roof. Thought I'd be clever and just touch it up with some matching paint from the supplier. Looked perfect at first, but after a few months of sun and weather, the touched-up spot stood out like a sore thumb. Honestly, unless you're repainting the whole panel or section, it's tough to get it seamless. Matching faded colors is always tricky...
Have you tried using automotive-grade touch-up paint instead of the supplier's paint? I've noticed that roofing suppliers' paints sometimes aren't formulated to handle UV exposure as well as automotive products. A buddy of mine swears by automotive touch-up pens for minor scratches—claims they fade more evenly over time. Might not be perfect either, but could be worth a shot before repainting an entire panel...
