What Happens When You Ask Liquasil to Inspect a Metal Roof?
How we assess defects, coating suitability and specification requirements.
It starts with the roof, not the coating
When we are asked to carry out an industrial metal roof inspection, our first question is not simply which Liquasil product should be applied.
We need to understand the roof.
That means looking at its condition, its construction, the existing finish and the defects that may affect any proposed refurbishment system.
A roof coating can only perform properly if the roof beneath it has been assessed properly first.
What do we look at?
Every roof is different, but a typical inspection may include the condition of the existing plastisol or other surface finish, areas of corrosion, cut edges, sheet ends, fixings, laps, penetrations, previous repairs, sealants, rooflights and gutters.
We also look for evidence that may indicate problems elsewhere.
Rust staining around fixings, for example, may be relatively straightforward surface corrosion. In other circumstances it may indicate deterioration that requires further investigation.
Likewise, corrosion visible on the outside of a roof sheet does not necessarily tell us what is happening to the underside.
The purpose of the inspection is therefore not simply to identify where coating is required. It is to identify the conditions that a successful refurbishment specification needs to deal with.
We also look for reasons not to coat
This is important.
Not every roof should automatically be coated.
There may be rooflights that are too badly degraded to retain. There may be unsuitable previous repairs. There may be significant corrosion, substrate deterioration or other defects that should be addressed before coating work begins.
Sometimes further investigation is appropriate.
Recognising those limitations is part of specifying a coating system properly.
Manufacturer inspection is not the same as an independent roof survey
Liquasil can inspect a roof to determine its suitability for our systems and to identify visible conditions relevant to the proposed coating works.
That should not be confused with an independent building condition survey.
Where the condition of the wider roof construction is uncertain, or where substantial commercial decisions depend upon its remaining service life, an independent survey by an appropriately qualified consultant may also be appropriate.
The two roles are different.
A coating manufacturer should understand the boundaries of its own inspection.
Turning the inspection into a specification
Once we understand the roof, we can determine what preparation and detailing are required.
This may include corrosion treatment, cleaning, cut edge treatment, fixing treatment, removal of unsuitable materials, localised repairs, treatment around penetrations and consideration of gutters and rooflights.
Only then do we determine the appropriate coating system.
In some circumstances that may be our BBA Approved Metalseal system. In others, Liquasil Lite may provide a more appropriate solution where budget or project requirements are different.
The important point is that system selection follows the assessment of the roof.
It should not be the other way around.
What happens next?
The resulting specification can be used to obtain comparable quotations from suitable contractors.
Where a Liquasil approved installer is carrying out the work, technical support remains available during the project.
If something is uncovered during preparation that could not reasonably have been identified beforehand, we would rather the contractor ask the question than improvise a solution.
That philosophy runs through the way we work.
Understand the roof. Specify what it needs. Then support the people carrying out the work.
That is considerably more important than simply choosing a tin of coating.