"Took some elbow grease to clean them up, but saved a ton and they look great."
Haha, been there—salvage yards are goldmines if you're willing to dig around a bit. Couple quick tips from my own adventures:
- Bring gloves. Seriously, learned that the hard way (tetanus shot, anyone?).
- Check local classifieds or Facebook Marketplace too. I've snagged leftover roofing sheets from contractors who ordered extra and just wanted them gone.
- Don't overlook farm auctions either... farmers always seem to have random stacks of metal roofing tucked away in barns.
Patience and a sense of humor definitely help when hunting down deals like this. Good luck out there!
Nice finds, sounds like the effort paid off. Ever had issues with rust spots popping back up later though? Curious if the extra cleanup holds up long-term or if it's mostly cosmetic...
"Curious if the extra cleanup holds up long-term or if it's mostly cosmetic..."
Honestly, from what I've seen, rust spots almost always sneak back eventually unless you tackle the root cause. Proper prep and quality primer make a huge difference—otherwise you're just playing rust whack-a-mole every few months... ask me how I know, lol.
When I bought my place, the previous owner had done a quick rust cleanup and repaint on the metal roof. Looked great at first, but within a year those pesky rust spots were creeping back in. Ended up having to redo it properly—sanding down, priming, the whole nine yards. Speaking of metal roofing sheets though, anyone know if galvanized sheets hold up better long-term compared to painted ones? Seems like they might save some headaches down the road...
"Ended up having to redo it properly—sanding down, priming, the whole nine yards."
Yeah, been there myself. Galvanized sheets definitely hold up better over time compared to painted ones, especially if you're dealing with moisture or harsh weather regularly. The zinc coating on galvanized metal acts as a sacrificial layer, meaning it'll corrode first before the steel underneath does. Still, even galvanized roofs aren't totally maintenance-free—checking for scratches or damaged spots every couple of years and touching them up goes a long way toward keeping rust at bay.
