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Thru screw or concealed screw?

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Guest User
8/18/2004
I want to re roof my asphalt roof with metal for the purpose of a long lasting 30year+ maintenance free roof. I live in SW Florida close to the water. I have a choice to buy exposed screw 2nds(cosmetically imperfect) 26 gauge galvalume panels for 50% or 75% of new standing seam concealed screw panels. My concerns about the exposed screw panels are the potential leaks. The manufacturer of the exposed fastener roof recommends caulking the seams and using screws with neoprene washers. The max length of any panel will be 17'. What type and frequency of maintenance should I expect with the fasteners? The exposed screw panels are 36" wide compared to 16" wide for the concealed. Does this affect a residential application any? I plan to install myself. Thanks John
Guest User
8/19/2004
First of all, I would always heavily question buying "seconds" as there may be more severe issues with them than what you can see on the surface. There could be base metal ubstrate problems, metal pre-treatment issues, or paint finish quality issues. I also would not know whether you would find it possible to get the straight scoop in regards to what type of paint finish is on them. As you have probably seen in other postings here, there is a wide range of quality in terms of available paint finishes on vertical seam panels with Kynar/Hylar finishes generally recognized as the highest quality. The issues with through-fasteners are as you have described -- the life expectancy of the washers on the screws and the potential for maintenance. This varies greatly based upon your geographic area and the quality of fastener you use. I am going to go out on a limb here and just quote an old adage we all learned when we were growing up -- "you get what you pay for." It applies pretty well to most industries including ours, in my humble opinion.
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