Replies

1. 
   MikeHennessy | Feb 27, 2008 04:44pm | #1

   You have a 70-yr old terne roof and you want paint to stick to it? Good luck.

   Once that stuff gets too rusty (which it sounds like yours has), it's time to replace it. I'd say 70 yrs is a pretty good life span for one of these. I wouldn't try to coat it with any membrane either -- nothing will stick for long because the steel will continue to rust under it.

   How about some shiny new copper? ;-)

   Mike Hennessy
   Pittsburgh, PA

1. 
   VaTom | Feb 27, 2008 04:53pm | #2

   How about some shiny new copper? ;-)

   If he'd done that instead of messing with the Acrimax last time around, he'd be congratulating himself on his incredibly inexpensive roof today.  Maintenance free.

   Lifespan cost.  The important factor.  The old adage was to spend what you need on the top and bottom, whatever was left over in the middle.PAHS Designer/Builder- Bury it!

1. 
   MikeHennessy | Feb 27, 2008 04:59pm | #3

   "incredibly inexpensive roof"

   Yeah. Not so much any more. Almost $100/sheet now. That's about $400/sq in material cost. Still, in the ballpark with some of the other high-end stuff.

   Mike HennessyPittsburgh, PA

2. 
   ChipTam | Feb 27, 2008 05:35pm | #4

   I've got a two porch roofs.  They're both terne metal.  The front porch is around 80 years old and the back porch is 15 years old.  I painted the back porch originally with oil but it faded pretty quickly and I then switched to Acrymax.  That has held up well with no blistering and hardly any fading.

   I was painting the front porch every five years with oil but nothing seemed to work.  It would start to blister after the first year and looked awfull after a couple of years.  Two years ago I tried the Acrymax on that roof and, so far, it's holding up.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed.  I have a friend who's painter.  He's done several roofs in our neighborhood with that Acrymax fabric prior to painting.  After about 5 years, they also seem to be holding up well.  You might want to give it a try.

   Copper roofs look fine on some style of houses but don't fit in other neighborhoods.  We live in an old working-class historic district.  No one ever had the money to put on a copper roof so, today, a new copper roof would look totally out of place.

   Chip 

    

1. 
   MikeHennessy | Feb 27, 2008 08:04pm | #6

   "a new copper roof would look totally out of place"

   Not if you paint it! ;-)

   Mike HennessyPittsburgh, PA

3. 
   frammer52 | Feb 27, 2008 05:43pm | #5

   they make afibrerated roof coating.  use this instead of paint.  My grandmothers roof was 120 years old when we sold her house.  today it still is looking good. 

1. 
   billzbz | Feb 27, 2008 09:53pm | #7

   Are you talking about 'Cool Seal'.  I have used it on another house and it holds up.  It is an aluminum/petroleum based product.  If not, what is the product you are talking about.

1. 
   frammer52 | Feb 28, 2008 01:04am | #9

   I don't remember trade name sorry

4. 
   Luka | Feb 27, 2008 11:42pm | #8

   "(met the guy who installed it once)"

   So, how many times has it been installed ?

   ;o)

   Sorry, I just couldn't pass that one up.

   You do know about the products that seal rusted metal while changing the chemical composition of the rust, right ?

   Google "Rust-Pho", for one example.

   I would suggest you clean -=all=- paint off your roof. Sand as much as is necessary, and otherwise clean as much rust off as possible.

   Then use the rust-pho type product to seal the metal.

   Then you can paint over that. But allow the rust pho, plenty of time to completly cure.

   Doing all this at a time when there will be no rain, is a given...

   
   When it rains, it snows.