Good points raised here—I've had metal roofing on my place for about 8 years now, and here's what I've noticed:
- Minor scratches from transit haven't caused me any serious rust issues, even in a climate that's wet and snowy in winter. Galvanized steel tends to hold up pretty well.
- That said, deeper scratches (like from installation mishaps...) can be problematic if the zinc coating gets compromised. Had one spot that rusted after a few years and needed a touch-up.
- Coatings can help, but honestly, proper installation and good drainage seem to matter more long-term.
- If you're feeling uneasy, you could always grab a can of zinc-rich paint or primer from the hardware store and spot-treat any scratches. Did that myself on a couple spots, and it gave some peace of mind.
Overall, I wouldn't stress too much about minor transit marks, but it's worth keeping an eye on them occasionally. Better safe than sorry down the road.
Interesting observations, especially about the scratches. I've inspected a bunch of homes with metal roofs, and honestly, minor transit scratches rarely seem to cause big issues. But I did see one place where deeper gouges from sloppy installation led to noticeable rust after just a couple winters. Makes me wonder if the quality of the galvanizing varies between suppliers... might be worth asking around or checking reviews before buying.
When I bought my first house, we went with metal roofing sheets from a local supplier recommended by our neighbor. Honestly, I was pretty clueless back then—just figured metal is metal, right? Well, turns out not so much. We got lucky though; the sheets held up great even after a few rough winters. But hearing your story about gouges rusting makes me think we dodged a bullet! Definitely seems like quality varies a lot between suppliers...checking reviews sounds smart before diving in.
"Definitely seems like quality varies a lot between suppliers...checking reviews sounds smart before diving in."
Yeah, that's spot-on. I've seen some sheets from budget suppliers rust out in just a couple years, while others look almost new after a decade. It's not always price either—sometimes mid-range stuff holds up surprisingly well. Did you end up going galvanized or coated steel? Curious if anyone's noticed a significant durability difference between the two over time.
"Did you end up going galvanized or coated steel? Curious if anyone's noticed a significant durability difference between the two over time."
I've had galvanized on my shed roof for about 12 years now—still holding strong, just a bit duller. Neighbor went coated steel around the same time, and honestly, his looks newer...but he's had to touch up scratches occasionally. Trade-offs, I guess.
