Fly Ash Vrs. Metal Roof

One morning while loading supplies, my employee says to me "hey, you have a leak in the roof". Sure enough, water dripping down through the ceiling, just below the chimney. Must be the sealant around the chimney. Next sunny day, I went up to reseal the roof. That's when I discovered the metal roofing was shot. The acid in the fly ash had eaten the paint off 3 roof panels. They were all rust, with half dollar size holes in it. So, for you coal burners with metal roofs, BE WARE!.

That would be the first time I heard that, how long have you been burning coal? Sure it wasn't an existing problem?

Richard S. wrote:That would be the first time I heard that, how long have you been burning coal? Sure it wasn't an existing problem?

Hi Richard Been burning anthracite coal in that building for 8 or 9 years now. The building is about 12 - 14 years old now. The entire metal roof is in very good shape, with the exception of the three panels below the chimney. The chimney comes up through the back side of the roof, near the ridge. The wind blows up the front side, and down drafts when going over the ridge. Your thoughs of an existing problem made me sit back and think. Ya know, I did play around with burning soft coal one winter. That was about 10 years or so ago. If I remember correctly, the acid content in soft coal is quite high. I wonder if that is what got things started.

I'd venture to guess that the effects of the flue gases on metal roof between bit. and anthracite are not going to be that great especially for one year. If you have been burning for that long then certainly it would be the coal. I only mentioned previous problem because I assumed it was short time.

oliver power wrote:

Richard S. wrote:That would be the first time I heard that, how long have you been burning coal? Sure it wasn't an existing problem?

Hi Richard Been burning anthracite coal in that building for 8 or 9 years now. The building is about 12 - 14 years old now. The entire metal roof is in very good shape, with the exception of the three panels below the chimney. The chimney comes up through the back side of the roof, near the ridge. The wind blows up the front side, and down drafts when going over the ridge. Your thoughs of an existing problem made me sit back and think. Ya know, I did play around with burning soft coal one winter. That was about 10 years or so ago. If I remember correctly, the acid content in soft coal is quite high. I wonder if that is what got things started.

WOW !!!!!! I hope that isn't the problem. I also have a metal roof and have burned for just one season but don't want to have to replace roofing after 10 years. Switching to metal was supposed to make me forget about replacing my roof. I have noticed some rusting on the outside of my metal chimney at the top and about a foot or so down is rust specked.