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Hypothetically refurbishing a 25 year old house as science project

Hello,

I'm a student and I've an assignment to submit which tells me that, supposing I have purchased a 25 year old house which I intend to make my family house and also my financial budget is limited. the building is sound, but :

a) The galvanized steel roof shows small brown stains indicating minor rust.What action do I take and why?

b) The back steps and decking are of unpainted hardwood, and are showing signs of rot. The carbon steel screws securing the steps to the beam are rusted through. How would I be able to repair the steps to correct these material failures, and what improved materials should I use?

Any help in this topic will be highly appreciated.

Thanking you.

Maheh Patel
student - Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
2004

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Ok. If the roof is galvanized and is rusting, the galvanize coating was not adequate in some way shape or form. Best bet, grind off the rust and seal those sections with something like a polyurethane coating.

Better bet, if it was my house, I would find out who installed it, and the brand of roof. I'd check the warranty on it, and if it still applied, bring that company back out to replace it in it's entirety (or fix the bad spots).

If there is rot on the steps, and the screws are rusting, I would tear them out completely. To rebuild them, I would use pressure treated lumber and hot-dipped galvanized screws. The pressure treated lumber is treated with a chemical that resists the damaging effects of moisture. The hot-dipped galvanized screws have a coating that will not allow them to rust.

...but that's just my opinion :)

T. Beyreis
- Wheeling, Illinois, USA
2004