Tag Archives: metal roof
EP68: Drywall Tips, Brilliance of Mr. Wright, Whole House Generators 101!
This week we talk to the Wall Doctor and get tips to make our your next drywall project go more smoothly. If you’ve ever hung your own drywall, you know there are little things that can make the project frustrating. Today, you can listen to an expert spill the beans on everything he does to make sure every project goes well!
We’re also in the studio with Brad Krause from Service Professor to talk about power generators. Sure, we all know about the portable options, but are you aware that there are systems that are permanent? That can be installed at your home and which will automatically kick on within 10 seconds of a power failure?
On top of all of that, we talk about an amazing opportunity right here in Grand Rapids! The Meyer May House is a home designed by none other than Frank Lloyd Wright. It was completely restored in 1985 and is now open for free tours! It’s a remarkable opportunity to take a peek into the mind of one of America’s finest, most brilliant architects!
Listen here:
SHOW NOTES
Segments 2 & 3: The Meyer May House
We promised pictures of our visit and here they are!
EP67: German Smear, WD-40, Roofing 101 with the Sheriff!
Today’s show highlights a project that we think has tremendous potential! So many of us have brick houses that look and feel a little dated. They’ve got that 70’s or 80’s brick and we just don’t know what to do to breathe new life into it. Well, if you’re an HGTV aficionado, you’ve probably heard of German Schmear (or Smear). It’s a great way to update that old brick. However, it’s a bit labor intensive. Well, we’ve got a contractor who just created the same look on a house with a much simpler method involving RepcoLite’s waterbased exterior stain! If you’re sick of the brick, we might have a project for you!
We also cover a number of unique uses for WD-4o. And then, in the last two segments, we sit down with Matt Williams from Sheriff-Goslin Roofing (a roofing company who has been around for 112 years) to discuss . . . of course . . . roofing. We talk about what signs will tell you when your roof needs replacement and we dig into lots of new roofing technology! Matt even gets a little “sciencey”!
Listen now:
SHOW NOTES
Segment 1: German Schmear
We promised pictures and examples on the show and we intend to deliver! Check out the gallery below. The first gallery is taken from the job we mentioned in the segment. The second gallery is a link to our Pinterest page for examples from around the web!
German Schmear from our Pinterest Page
Segments 3 & 4: Sheriff-Goslin Roofing
In this segment, we interview Matt Williams. He is the manager of the Lakeshore division. If you’d like to get in touch with Matt, you can reach him at 616-392-3373.
Painting Metal Roofs: Some Do’s and Don’ts
Every summer, we talk to a number of folks in our stores who are curious about the right way to paint an old, rusting metal roof. They want to know what types of products to use, they want to know the steps involved, they want to know what cleaners they should purchase (and also, at least a little bit, they’re wanting us to tell them that the surface is unpaintable and should just be left as is).
Well, sadly, for many of these folks, we don’t tell them to leave it as is. You just can’t do that. Metal roofs, when they exhibit signs of rust, need to be painted in order to be protected. Failing to protect and coat them properly will lead to larger and more expensive (and, of course, painful) failure down the road.
So, let’s cut to the chase: if you’ve got an old metal roof that needs to be painted, here’s what you need to do and what you should use:
Supplies:
Wire Brush or a wire wheel on an angle grinder.
TSP cleaner
Power Washer
Rollers, Brushes, etc.
Met’l Clad 449 Rust Inhibitive Metal Primer
Met’l Clad or Glo-Enamel oil base topcoat in desired color
Ladders/scaffolding as needed
Scrub brush
Steps:
Wire brush or grind as much of the loose, flaking rust off the roof as possible. This is a critical key to the success of your project, so take the time necessary to do this part right.
Once the rust is removed, it’s best to still wash the roof down to remove any grease, grime, or contaminant that might be there. Apply TSP (mixed according to directions on label) and scrub with the scrub brush. (And this probably doesn’t need to be said, but BE CAREFUL. A wet roof is obviously extremely slippery and potentially hazardous–so do as much of the cleaning as possible from a scaffold or a ladder.) Once you’ve scrubbed the roof, rinse it off well with a power washer and allow it to dry.
After the roof has dried, simply apply the 449 Met’l Clad primer using a brush, roller or spray. Allow this product to dry for at least 24 hours.
Once the primer coat has dried, we recommend that you apply two coats of your oil-based finish paint–whether it’s the Met’l Clad or the Glo-Enamel. Products should have about 24 hours between coats.
Tips:
Start early in the day and quit when the roof gets too hot to work on. Working on a roof when it’s extremely hot can be tough on you . . . and tough on the paint you’re trying to apply.
Exercise extreme caution. Whenever working at heights of any level, remember to take things slowly and take nothing for granted. One slip or missed footing can result in months and months of recovery time! So be careful!
While Latex paints are absolutely perfect for the sides of metal buildings, they’re not quite as durable for the roof. Remember, a roof doesn’t have just the sun to deal with: it’s pelted with driving rain and is subjected to Michigan winters and piled up snow. All of these things will damage a Latex paint quicker than they will an oil. So, for your metal roofs, stick to oil!