Leaking Pole Barn Roof

[JakeV]

My wife and I just purchased a new home this spring. The only outbuilding worthy of a shop is a 40' by 60' pole barn style shed. Past owner had the walls and ceiling spray foamed. Last weekend while working on getting storage shelving built and organizing from the move after it was raining outside for about 30 minutes it starting raining inside the building... Went on the roof the next day and the steel looks to be in good shape, nails were used to fasten the roof down and I am guessing the rubber washers from 30 to 40 years ago are shot. Has anyone had luck pulling the nails and replacing with normal pole barn screws? Any kind of sealant that would hold up to the extreme heat/cold/sunlight of a shed roof?

 

[Weekender]

It is leaking through the foam?

 

[Obi-Wan]

Pictures of roof & interior

 

[risingsun]

If it is that old, I would recommend using new holes or else longer screws to get into better meat. If it is leaking the wood where the nail holes are will be getting rotted. Just went through this last spring. We put in screws between what was there. Then used a sealer to cover the seams with something similar to rapid roof. Fixed our issue.

 

[JakeV]

Roof is leaking through the foam, I know there is some rotting of the purlins in spots. Just trying to string the building along for another couple years until we can build a new one. I was thinking of trying something similar to this for new screws.
https://www.fastenersplus.com/14-Woodbinder-Metal-Roofing-Screw-Pkg-250?quantity=1&color=Galvanized

Risingsun: Did you leave the old fasteners in and seal over them using the same sealant as the seams? Or take them all out?

 

[Auggie]

I

 

[Allen]

Most of the time the fasteners are put into the ribs of the metal roofing as opposed to the valleys, that way if a single nail/screw leaks it isn't a heck of a lot of water that comes in.

If it was coming in at a pretty good rate and the fasteners are indeed on the ribs, you need to look for another source as well. I just had to get the roof on my hangar fixed last year. Rain would blow up and under the cap on the peak because it was installed originally without the foam barrier that belongs under the ridge cap.

They actually spray foamed the underside of the roofing? I guess that's a better sound proofing than nothing. A lot of older roofs were installed over sheets of foam insulation. My barn was done over that white crumbly shit, really makes a damn mess in the barn as it deteriorates over time.

 

[bucksnbears]

I'm guessing the rain is coming in from a place other than the nail holes.
Was there a strong wind with the rain?

 

[AR-15]

Don't shoot Sparrows with a .22 in a pole barn

 

[JakeV]

Here are a couple pictures. The ridges of the roof steel have a valley that runs down the center of them.

 

[storm trooper]

yep washers are detererated! pull nails and replace with screws! looks like a older eagle rigged spane building, i built them for a few years.

 

[bucksnbears]

Gonna be damn near impossible to pull those nail without denting the sheets.
Those nails were corrigated if that's the proper term? Very hard to pull!
I think there are other issues involved.

 

[eyexer]

it wouldn't "rain" in there from a few leaking nails. were there leaking spots or the whole ceiling or what exactly? the nails can be pulled out and replaced with screws. Menards stocks several colors and various lengths. Use screws longer than the nails and you should be good.

 

[thorson]

Perhaps it is condensation. I get that in my foam sprayed building on occaision.

 

[bucksnbears]

it wouldn't "rain" in there from a few leaking nails. were there leaking spots or the whole ceiling or what exactly? the nails can be pulled out and replaced with screws. Menards stocks several colors and various lengths. Use screws longer than the nails and you should be good.

That bad advice!

 

[JakeV]

I don't think it's condensation. It leaks along the trusses in about 3 to 5 spots per truss. When it leaks it is a drip about every 30 seconds. My guess is the water gets in through the nail holes and follows the purlins to the trusses due to the spray foam. I am sure some of the spray foam is waterlogged but that is a subject for a different day.

 

[riverview]

is it open cell foam (soft) or closed cell foam (hard)?

 

[JakeV]

Closed cell

 

[LBrandt]

If there is any nails in the drain channel where the sheets overlap that might be where your problem is coming from.

 

[Whisky]

That's nothing compared to the Jerry rigged shit show I live on. Still, I'd burn that bitch to the ground and start over if I could. Consequently, I can't. And you probably can't... I would avoid the internet expert advice, and seek out your answers from local professionals.