Why does my IBR roof leak when the sheets look fine?

Because the fixings fail before the sheets do. Every screw is a hole through the metal, and once the seal perishes or the fixing loses its grip, water gets in at the fastener while the sheeting around it still looks intact. Laps and cut edges are the next most common entry point.

Can rusted roof sheeting be repaired?

Surface rust can be treated and the sheet kept in service. Rust that has gone through the sheet cannot be repaired with sealant — the sheet has lost its strength as well as its watertightness, which matters in wind. Those sections are replaced.

How do I know if my metal roof needs re-sheeting?

When rust has gone through the sheets rather than sitting on the surface, when fixings across the roof have lost their grip, or when repairs in the same area keep failing. Re-sheeting a section is often enough; a roof where several of those are true usually needs the whole covering renewed.

Metal, IBR and corrugated

Metal Roof Repair & IBR Sheeting

When the rain gets in, we get to work.

IBR and corrugated sheeting covers more South African roofs than anything else, and it fails in a predictable order: fixings first, then the laps and cut edges, then the sheet itself. A metal roof that looks sound from the ground can be leaking and barely attached.

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IBR sheetingCorrugatedRust repairFixings

How metal roofs fail, in order

Metal sheeting fails in a predictable sequence, and understanding it tells you what to look at. The fixings go first. Every screw is a hole through the sheet, and the seal around it perishes, the washer hardens, or the fixing loses its grip. That is a slow leak at first and a loose sheet later.

Next come the laps and cut edges. Water sits in the side laps and at the end laps, and the cut edges of the sheet are where the protective coating is missing, so rust starts there before it appears anywhere else. On the coast, salt speeds this up considerably.

Only later does the flat of the sheet rust through. By the time that has happened, the roof is usually at the end of its life rather than in need of a repair. Surface rust is cosmetic and treatable; rust that has gone through the sheet is not.

Wind runs through the whole sequence. A sheet that has lost its fixings will lift, and once it starts lifting, the laps open and the leaks multiply.

What metal roof repair involves

The right repair depends on which stage the roof has reached. Leaking fixings are replaced with properly sealed fasteners. Laps that have opened are cleaned and resealed. Rust is treated while it is still surface rust, and sections that have rusted through are replaced rather than covered with sealant.

Where sheets have lifted, they are refixed and the fixings checked across the affected area, because one loose sheet usually means the neighbouring ones are on their way.

Fixings checked by hand and replaced where they have lost their grip
Laps and seams cleaned and resealed
Surface rust treated before it becomes a hole
Sheeting that has rusted through replaced rather than sealed over
Lifted sheets refixed and surrounding fixings checked
Penetrations and flashings resealed
Drainage checked so water is not sitting on the laps

Repair, re-sheet, or a different roof

On a metal roof the realistic choices are usually: repair the fixings, laps and flashings on sheeting that still has life in it; re-sheet the affected sections; or replace the sheeting across the roof when the metal has reached the end of its life.

Where a metal roof has failed because of the pitch or the drainage rather than the material, simply replacing the sheeting may reproduce the problem. That is worth establishing before the work is quoted.

When a repair is not enough: full re-roofing

Not every roof can be saved with a repair, and pretending otherwise wastes your money. If the covering has gone porous, the sheeting has rusted through, the battens have rotted, or the same area has been repaired repeatedly, the roof has reached the end of its service life.

We arrange the whole job when that happens: strip and dispose of the old covering, replace damaged timber, battens and underlay, and install the new roof in tile, slate, IBR or corrugated sheeting, with new flashings and gutters where they are needed. If a repair will genuinely hold, we would rather do that and say so.

Metal roof work we handle

✓

IBR Roof Leaks

Leaking IBR sheeting traced to fixings, laps, seams and rusted areas rather than replaced blindly.

✓

Corrugated Roof Repairs

Corrugated iron leaks, rusted sheets and failed overlaps repaired or replaced.

✓

Failed Fixings

Screws and fixings that have lost their grip, which is both a leak and a wind risk.

✓

Rust Repair And Treatment

Surface rust treated, and sheeting that has rusted through replaced rather than sealed over.

✓

Leaking Seams And Laps

Side laps and end laps that have opened up and are letting water through the sheet joint.

✓

Lifted And Loose Sheeting

Sheets that have lifted in wind or lost their fixings, refixed or replaced.

✓

Sheet Penetrations

Leaks at vents, masts, flues and other penetrations through metal sheeting.

✓

Hole And Impact Repair

Holes from hail, impact or corrosion patched or replaced properly.

✓

Sheeting Replacement

Full or sectional re-sheeting when the metal has reached the end of its life.

See all roof repair services

Other roof repair services

Every service below is handled by the same team, so a leak that turns out to be a different problem is not a second appointment.

How urgent is your roof problem?

Choose the rating that best describes the problem. Ratings 7–10 enter the genuine emergency queue. For urgent jobs rated 1–6, Priority Booking can move you ahead by one standard booking when the next non-emergency slot is available.

10My roof has blown off and I can see the moon from my Lazy Boy in the lounge.

9Water is pouring into the house and causing active damage.

8Several rooms are leaking and buckets are everywhere.

7Water is coming through the ceiling whenever it rains.

6The leak is getting noticeably worse.

5New water stains are appearing.

4Damp patches are spreading.

3I have one small damp patch.

2Something does not look right.

1I have noticed a possible early warning sign.

Selected urgency rating: 7/10 — Emergency queue

Priority Booking

Need a faster booking?

Genuine 7/10 to 10/10 emergencies always come first. If your job is urgent but does not qualify for emergency dispatch, Priority Booking can move it ahead by one place in the standard queue and secure the next available non-emergency appointment.

Standard BookingNo scheduling fee. Your report stays in the normal repair queue.Priority Booking — from R1,000Move ahead by one standard booking and take the next available non-emergency slot.

How it works: this is a scheduling and dispatch fee paid to Leaky Roof Repair, separate from the repair quotation. It never moves a job ahead of genuine emergencies. We only charge it after we confirm that a priority slot is available.

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Areas we cover

Metal, IBR and corrugated roof repair dispatch across South Africa’s major cities.

Cape TownLeaky roof repair in Cape Town → DurbanLeaky roof repair in Durban → JohannesburgLeaky roof repair in Johannesburg → PretoriaLeaky roof repair in Pretoria → East LondonLeaky roof repair in East London → BloemfonteinLeaky roof repair in Bloemfontein → Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth)Leaky roof repair in Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth) →

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Need help with a leaking roof?

Call Pete on 081 554 9231 or send a WhatsApp message with your location and photos of the problem.

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