Aircraft Hangar Roofing in Hoover, AL

On metal hangars, the first finding is usually fasteners. Washers dry out. Screws back out. Panels move with heat and cold. Laps open. Sealant cracks. We check by hand and mark each weak spot.

Condensation is the second. A large, uninsulated metal roof sweats when warm, damp air meets cool metal. Drips fall on aircraft and tools. It looks like a leak but is not one. We separate the two by checking the roof above and the dew point below. A moisture scan finds wet insulation where a building has it.

Humidity in the Birmingham area averages about 70 percent. Rain averages about 56.6 inches a year. About 65 days a year top 90 degrees. Metal and sealant work all year.

Gutters and downspouts on a hangar carry a lot of water. A roof that wide sheds fast, and a clogged gutter overflows onto the apron or the door track. We clear them, check slope and fasten loose sections. Door headers and track covers are checked for water entry too, since a wet door track can stop a door from opening.

Offices and shops attached to a hangar often have low-slope roofs of their own. They tie into the main wall. The tie-in cracks. We probe every junction and rebuild it with proper flashing.

Severe weather peaks in March and April and returns in November. The April 25, 2003 hailstorm over central Alabama produced stones up to softball size, and the weather service counted 29 hail days above 0.75 inch that year. Hail dents panels and chips coatings. A dent is cosmetic until the coating cracks. Then it is a rust spot.

Walk the roof within a week of any big storm. Take dated photos. Check ridge caps, edge trim and skylights. Wind damage repair starts with temporary protection and a written damage map. We keep the door and hangar floor in mind, since water on the floor is a fire and fall issue.

Roof work above aircraft needs rules. We agree on where aircraft sit, what covers go over them and when the crew can be above. Tools never cross a plane. Debris is caught and swept. We keep a fire watch and avoid open flame near fuel or fumes.

Fire suppression systems add a limit. Foam or sprinkler piping hangs from the roof structure, and work near it needs care. We locate every pipe and head before the first day, and we protect them.

The best season is autumn and winter. Storms are less frequent, and the temperature range is workable. Summer heat is a limit for adhesives and for crews. Work runs early and stops by the afternoon peak.

Plan ahead for materials. Long panels and special trim have lead times. Order in autumn for a winter install. A job planned that way finishes before the March storm window and avoids the post-storm rush, when crews and panels run short.

A repair is the lowest first cost. It means resetting fasteners, resealing laps and replacing damaged trim. It works while the panels are sound.

A retrofit installs new framing and panels over the old roof. It avoids tear-off, which matters in a building that cannot be emptied. It costs more than repair and less than a full replacement. A metal roof retrofit is the route.

Replacement removes the old roof. It costs the most and resets the clock. Cost drivers are roof area, panel gauge, fastener count, trim length, equipment, the fire system and access. We price all three on the same basis so the owner sees each side by side.

Storm timing shifts price. After a big event, wait times grow and some materials cost more. A job booked in a calm winter month avoids that. A small repair in March costs less than the same repair after a May hail event, since water has less time to spread.

Lift access sets part of the price, since reaching a tall hangar eave with a boom costs more per day than a ground-level repair, and the estimate lists lift days apart from labor and material.