UK Roofing Contractors

Cut Edge Corrosion

Thinking about replacing asbestos or metal roofs? Why not swap costly replacements for cost effective repairs. Not only will you save money, you’ll also reduce timescales and massively minimise on-site impact.

Cut Edge Corrosion Protection Giromax
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We can provide Cut Edge Corrosion Protection solution, the GIROSIL® Edge RCE manufactured by Giromax the industry leaders in the refurbishment and protection of commercial roofing and cladding.

The coating can be applied to a number of surfaces on industrial or commercial properties to not only improve the overall look of your building but to also prevent and protect against corrosion and weather damage.

Cut Edge Corrosion issues?

Corrosion commonly starts as edge peel at the cut edges of a metal sheet. It develops through normal weathering, mainly on roofs and rapidly accelerates, especially at the sheet overlap as a result of capillary held rainwater. ​Edge corrosion is a progressive problem and, if neglected, can develop away from the cut edge, destroying the weather-sealed lap joint and gutter overhang. Early detection and effective treatment prevents costly future sheet replacement.

GIROSIL® Edge RC-E – Restore Protection

Preserve cut edge joint protection without disturbing existing fixings or sheets. GIROSIL® EDGE RC-E is the revolutionary next generation of coatings from Giromax, designed to treat both the top and reverse side of the cut edge through matchless corrosion treatment and encapsulation. Fully moisture tolerant GIROSIL®provides a strong, flexible external joint that can be installed without disturbing existing fixings and sheets and remains unaffected by UV or weather and temperature extremes.

The Benefits

GIROSIL® EDGE RC-E has been developed against a background of decades of experience of roof repair and is designed to overcome application limitations imposed by adverse weather conditions. It is a fully moisture tolerant system, incorporating laminar flake tecnology in both Basecoat and Sealant followed by brush applied coloured Topcoat.

​Its application simplicity makes GIROSIL® EDGE RC-E a cost effective cure for cut edge corrosion treatment and is offered with a 15 year performance guarantee.

Cut edge corrosion is an expensive problem in profiled steel roofing. Replacing entire roofs is simply not financially viable, especially when we consider the options for refurbishment we have at our fingertips.

But which treatment is best? Or are they all the same? GIROMAX Technical Director Chris Brandrick explores the options available and the key limitations of traditional silicone based systems compared with more technologically advanced coating solutions.

Roof sheet manufacturers’ performance statements refer to the lifetime of the pre-finished steel sheet in terms of the period when the building owner must consider whether to re-paint the sheet, either to upgrade the aesthetics or to preserve protection of the steel substrate. Within that lifetime, edge peel may arise from normal weathering. It is most often seen at sheet overlaps and at eaves and gutter overhangs, and if neglected, this edge corrosion can eventually compromise the structural integrity of the sheet.

The development of cut edge corrosion is difficult to predict. It is progressive by nature and accelerates in proportion to the accumulation of conductive elements especially capillary held water, eventually overcoming the protective sacrificial barrier which is usually zinc or a zinc alloy. Ideally, long sheets from ridge to eaves should be specified, reducing the need for overlaps. In practice, this is not always possible where long runs or translucent sheets are required.

If the problem of cut edge corrosion has subsequently arisen, its treatment must necessarily follow a specification that excludes water from the lap, without the ability to lift and reset the roof sheets. In addition, the joint must remain flexible enough to accommodate stresses from building movement, sheet expansion and foot traffic and withstand extremes of weathering, temperature, and UV. This is a difficult specification to achieve and one that was best serviced for many years by the use of the traditional silicone system. Successful treatment however, depended on two key factors which inevitably could be viewed as system limitations.

1. Firstly, corrosion control depended entirely on the adhesion properties of silicone in being able to smother and starve the substrate of the two main agents of rust – air and moisture.

Using a silicone-based system, adhesion can only be achieved on a completely dry surface.

2. Secondly, to fully accommodate sheet movement and keep the lap sealed, the system must remain flexible.

A silicone-based system remains relatively soft, especially during its curing cycle which makes it potentially vulnerable to impact and abrasion damage, especially from the curiosity of birds.

With these restrictions in mind GIROMAX have introduced a more technologically advanced solution. GIROSIL® uses the latest hybrid technology that takes full advantage of properties introduced and developed to overcome the application and wear limitations of silicone alone.

Fully moisture tolerant, the GIROSIL system can adhere to all surfaces in the treatment of corrosion, by penetrating and binding at the molecular level to barrier air and moisture from the substrate using laminar flake technology.

By removing application restrictions and performance limitations, the Girosil ® system achieves complete adhesive encapsulation of the overlap, hardening to a tough elastic coating with high impact and abrasion resistance.

Using the latest technology and avoiding the limitations of traditional silicone systems will lead to better results in less time, saving on labour costs and allowing you to complete more work faster.

If you are still using traditional silicone based systems, here are the reasons why you need to shift to GIROSIL technology:

  • One Coat System
  • Use straight from the tin
  • Comprehensive Colour Range – at no extra cost
  • Same Day Wash and Apply
  • Reduced Labour & Access costs
  • Cures harder – resilient to ‘Bird Attack’
  • Less time spent on site and working at height
  • 20 Year Guarantee
If your looking for more information on Cut Edge Corrosion then please contact us at one of our offices below and we will happily carry out a survey of your property and offer the best solution for you.