We last looked at how to preserve the longevity of your metal building by performing roof maintenance checks throughout the lifetime of your building. Let’s take a look at your metal building accessories and how to ensure that the entirety of the metal building is regularly maintained.

Accessory Maintenance

Translucent panels can build up dirt and snow, making it difficult to identify where one starts and stops. If translucent panels are a part of your metal building roof, please review the roof framing plan drawing to find these locations prior to accessing the roof. These panels should be cleaned periodically to allow light penetration and longevity.

Gutters and downspouts tend to accumulate debris. Clean these out with a water hose that maintains sufficient pressure to properly remove dirt and other particles. Larger objects like tree branches, leaves and rocks should be removed by hand.

Walk through doors should be checked periodically for tightness of hinges and loose fasteners should be repaired. As with most buildings, doors sometimes misalign and leave too much of a gap. These misalignments should be addressed to prevent bugs or water from entering your building and causing other damage. Overhead doors should have tightened bolted connections for proper support. If the door is out of alignment or hard to operate, contact the door manufacturer. Windows should be inspected for the proper amount of sealant at the tops and sides.

Check for wet and damaged insulation. This can be both costly, as wet or damaged insulation transfers heat, and a grievance, as it can cause panel corrosion. Any insulation that is wet should be removed and replaced.

Paint Touch-up or Repair

Minor scratches and abrasions usually require little work. Clean the location of any dirt or other particles. Use Scotch-Brite™ pads to address the light abrasions. Use acetone on a lint-free cloth to clean the area that needs paint touch up. Use a small amount of touch-up paint where needed.
Heavier scratches and abrasions should follow all of the above and also apply epoxy or urethane primer to the area to be touched up prior to touching up the paint. Follow the primer instructions waiting period prior to putting on paint. (Note, repainting and field painting will void the manufacturer’s panel finish warranty).

For more information on general metal building maintenance, please visit MBMA.com. Contact a Heritage project consultant for your next steel building project.