If your Hill Country home or barn has a metal roof with visible screw heads in neat rows, it’s an exposed-fastener roof, and if it’s 15 to 20 years old it’s probably starting to leak at the screws. Here’s why, and how to decide between a repair campaign and a standing seam replacement.
Why exposed-fastener roofs leak
Every screw on an R-panel, U-panel or corrugated roof passes through the metal and relies on a rubber (EPDM) washer to seal the hole. Hill Country sun and daily thermal movement of the panels work on those washers for years. Around year 15 to 20 the rubber hardens and cracks, screws back out a few threads as the panels expand and contract, and every one of the thousand-plus holes in your roof becomes a potential drip. It happens roof-wide at roughly the same time, which is why a roof that was fine last year suddenly leaks in three rooms.
Repair campaign: what it is
A fastener campaign replaces every screw with a new, slightly larger-diameter fastener with a fresh washer, so it bites into the purlin and seals the enlarged hole. Seams and penetrations are resealed, damaged trim and flashing replaced, and any rusted or damaged panels swapped. On a roof with sound panels, that buys another ten to fifteen years for a fraction of the cost of replacement.
When a campaign is the right call
- Panels are sound: no widespread rust, no holes, finish intact or merely faded
- Leaks are at fasteners and seams, not through corroded metal
- Framing and purlins are solid
- You’re not planning to sell soon, or you are and want a cost-effective fix
When replacement is the right call
- Panels are rusting through, especially at eaves and around penetrations
- Purlins or decking are rotted where leaks have run for years
- The roof has already had one campaign and is leaking again
- You want to be done with the roof for forty years
Standing seam as the replacement
Standing seam hides every fastener under interlocking panels attached with clips. No washers, no exposed holes, panels free to expand and contract. It costs more up front than another exposed-fastener roof and lasts two to three times longer, which is why most Hill Country homeowners who replace go that direction. For barns and outbuildings, a new exposed-fastener roof is often the sensible choice.
What we’ll tell you
We inspect every panel, count corroded areas and check the framing from below. If a campaign will hold, we say so and quote it. If it won’t, we show you the photos and quote standing seam. Book a free inspection, or read more about metal roofing and roof repair.