# How to seal nail holes in galvanized tin?



## Guest (Nov 5, 2006)

My chicken pens are covered with old salvaged galvanized corrugated metal, like what barns are roofed with, and the stuff is full of nail holes. When it rains the water just goes right through those holes. Everything becomes a muddy mess.

I was thinking maybe I could walk around underneath the roof (it's only 6' high), and squirt something from a tube to seal the holes. Maybe rubber cement? Something else?

It's not an option to cover the roof with something else, so sealing the holes from underneath seems the best idea. But what would be the best substance to use?


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## rambler (Jan 20, 2004)

I'd use silicon in a caulk gun from above. The clear stuff, 100% silicon.

I don't know if that is the best, but it works for me.

From below just seems to have a lot of issues with it, don't like that part so much. Maybe it works, I donno.

--->Paul


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## sellis (Apr 7, 2006)

take a tube or two of caulk and fill it get the outdoor stuff make shure you fill the hole and leave a little on the outside .


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## tamsam (May 12, 2006)

Get a gallon of the white sealer that coolseal makes that dries like rubber.Cut some small squares of thin cloth from and old sheet or something and with a paint brush put a good layer of the coolseal on and lay a patch on it an pat it down with some more of the coolseal. Makes a long lasting patch. You can cover some good sized holes like this. Good luck Tamsam


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## Rea (Mar 18, 2003)

I'll second Tamsam on the Koolseal. Years ago when I first started traveling I needed a camper and I found an old homemade one left to rot in a horse field. Owner said I could have it for the taking if I could get it off the ground (that's another story). It was really in good shape and the outside of it was made of airplane metal sheets riveted together, sorta like the old airstream travel trailers. Anyways, shortly after acquiring it, I realized we had some small leaks somewhere in the roof. so after climbing on top of, I discovered some of the rivets where missing down the center seam. Someone told me about the Koolseal, bought a can of it and rolled it on just down all the seams on the top. Put on 2 coats for good measure and that thing never leaked again!  

If you just have small nail holes, you can probably just roll on a couple of coats and be done with the job. Caulking with silicone will work, but better from the top down and probably more time consuming depending on how many holes you have. Also the Koolseal will extend the life of the roof and keep the chicken house cooler in the summer. 

Rea


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## Guest (Nov 5, 2006)

I should explain I have no way to do this from the top. The wood frame of the pens is made out of salvaged wood that was pieced together. It can't bear any weight at all. Also, there's no way to get a ladder at the back of the pens where the tin is. The pens abut against the property line. There's an empty lot next door which has not been maintained for many years. The weeds have taken over- I'm talking TALL weeds like giant hogweed and wild sunflowers and old overgrown shrubs (there used to be a house there). There are trees on that lot that have dropped large branches that more weeds have grown up through, and there are big piles of junk everywhere. 

I've looked over the situation and there's just no way to get a ladder back there and definitely a BAD idea to put a ladder at the front and try to crawl across 15 foot of bad wood to reach the tin. :help:

So, the only option is to walk around underneath and squirt something into the holes.


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## rambler (Jan 20, 2004)

Things are so different up here in the north from what you folks have down in the south. There wouldn't be a building standing that can't handle a person walking on the roof - snow & ice pile up 3 feet or better.

I'd never want a building that is flush on the proerty line - and wouldn't be allowed either. Just for this type of thing, need to have access to the building to maintain it.

I understand, it's there, it's what you have, & it must work in your climate. No problem.

Just different than what would be possible 'here' is all. 

Good luck with it. Sounds like not much of a building, nor long-term standing anyhow, so a 99 cent tube of caulk and a $4 caulk gun & see if it stays on the bottom I guess.

--->Paul


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## tinknal (May 21, 2004)

ladycat said:


> I should explain I have no way to do this from the top. The wood frame of the pens is made out of salvaged wood that was pieced together. It can't bear any weight at all. Also, there's no way to get a ladder at the back of the pens where the tin is. The pens abut against the property line. There's an empty lot next door which has not been maintained for many years. The weeds have taken over- I'm talking TALL weeds like giant hogweed and wild sunflowers and old overgrown shrubs (there used to be a house there). There are trees on that lot that have dropped large branches that more weeds have grown up through, and there are big piles of junk everywhere.
> 
> I've looked over the situation and there's just no way to get a ladder back there and definitely a BAD idea to put a ladder at the front and try to crawl across 15 foot of bad wood to reach the tin. :help:
> 
> So, the only option is to walk around underneath and squirt something into the holes.



Then caulk with silicone from the bottom. Hold the end of the caulk tube right against the hole. As long as the caulk is somewhat warm, the caulk will go through the hole and form a small knob on the top of the hole.


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## Explorer (Dec 2, 2003)

I have sealed small holes in painted metal roofing panels with silicon caulk from the top and it has worked fine. A lot of the ranch folks around here, arid climate, use plain ol' tar. You might want to try tar using a caulking type tube from the bottom as it should flow better than the silicon caulks. As mentioned above make sure it is very warm.


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## Guest (Nov 5, 2006)

rambler said:


> Things are so different up here in the north from what you folks have down in the south. There wouldn't be a building standing that can't handle a person walking on the roof - snow & ice pile up 3 feet or better.
> 
> I'd never want a building that is flush on the proerty line - and wouldn't be allowed either. Just for this type of thing, need to have access to the building to maintain it.
> 
> ...


 There is no building, they're free standing pens covered with wire mesh on all 4 sides and the top. At the back, there is galvanized tin covering an area 6 feet wide. I put the roosts and nest boxes under the covered part.


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

If its only 6 feet tall you should be able to stand on a tall step ladder and reach it with a long handled roller.


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## Guest (Nov 6, 2006)

E. I. School said:


> We had holes in a tin roof (the guy who helped my sons measured wrong OOOPS! and drilled the holes at wrong spots) - so we used that silicone caulk and those nails with the little plastic sheild like thing on them. We squirted a glob of the caulk on, and then filled the hole with the nail and pushed it down only a little bit to keep the caulk goop under the nail. It worked fine. I am not sure how you could do that from below....couldn't you prop the ladder up and just lean over the top?


 I think I'll try that silicone caulk. I'll think on what to push through the holes, that's a good idea.

Yes I could prop the ladder up and lean over the top just fine IF I could get the ladder back there. There are overgrown shrubs and jungle-like growth in the way. The shrubs are growing *through* the fencing of the chicken pen. Makes a great windbreak lol but when I go back there I have to crawl to the spot I'm trying to get to. It's an interesting experience, I'm always afraid I'll run into a rattlesnake.


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## tamsam (May 12, 2006)

Ok again cut some small squares of something even wax paper and put a dap of what ever you are using to seal the holes and push it on the hole from the bottom . Just make sure some goes into and through the hole. Then just leave the paper or handi wrap or whatever you use there to help hold caulk in the holes. Good luck. Tamsam


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## Vicki McGaugh TX Nubians (May 6, 2002)

I also could not get up on my chicken coop so slop the Kool seal on with a cheap string mop, it's how I handled my rusting problem on mine! Vicki


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## Guest (Nov 6, 2006)

tamsam said:


> Ok again cut some small squares of something even wax paper and put a dap of what ever you are using to seal the holes and push it on the hole from the bottom . Just make sure some goes into and through the hole. Then just leave the paper or handi wrap or whatever you use there to help hold caulk in the holes. Good luck. Tamsam


 Great idea!! That seems so obvious I don't know why I didn't think of it. I could push quite a bit through.


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## tamsam (May 12, 2006)

You really don't need to push up a lot, just enough to fill the hole and enough to stick to the under side of the tin. Good luck Tamsam


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## SmartAZ (Sep 17, 2006)

Well first you are supposed to drive the nails in the high part of the corrugations. But since that wasn't done, I suggest you cut small patches of galvanized metal and solder them to the underside. That should be a permanent fix. You'll need a fairly large soldering iron.

When galvanized metal gets wet and the base metal (iron) is exposed, it sets up a battery and plates zinc onto the exposed iron, which blocks further corrosion. That's why you want to patch the holes with galvanized metal. You want the patch on the underside so your solder is not exposed to the weather (much).


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## comfortablynumb (Nov 18, 2003)

Ive had to do this, the caulk gun with tubes of silicone, or tubes of wetdry roof cement works... you dont need to patch the holes the goop thaat squirts out the tother side sets up and forms a nice plug.


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## electronrider (Nov 10, 2004)

If they are nice solid holes, why not use pop rivetes?


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## texican (Oct 4, 2003)

Ladycat,
as an aside,
if your chickens are roosting under your shed, be aware, if we "ever" get snow again, their's a good chance of the whole thing falling down. The weight of the snow will be many times as much as your weight... 

A neighbor built a nice carport, and was unlucky enough to have a nice snowpack on it the first winter... it would have stood forever... if it hadn't snowed... it collapsed from the six inch pack of snow and ice...

If there's a chance of collapse, you could place a few 2x4s under the roof and brace them with more 2 by's... get up and fix the roof, and take down the bracing and use elsewhere....

good luck


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## C L (Sep 22, 2020)

rambler said:


> I'd use silicon in a caulk gun from above. The clear stuff, 100% silicon.
> 
> I don't know if that is the best, but it works for me.
> 
> ...


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## C L (Sep 22, 2020)

i sealed about 30 nail holes to recycle 4 sheets, 3x10 roofing tin with caulk on a penny... stil sticking 18 years later... water based 30 year caulk... silicon is too hard to clean up🌸


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## RobertDane (Feb 14, 2020)

Yep...caulking will do the trick


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## Fishindude (May 19, 2015)

Bearfootfarm said:


> If its only 6 feet tall you should be able to stand on a tall step ladder and reach it with a long handled roller.


Yep ! Then mop some heavy tar or semi-liquid roofing material like they coat mobile home roofs with on it.
Easier yet, drape a plastic tarp over top of everything and tie it down.


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