Tank Roof Reclad: Lap Jacketing Out, Standing Seam On

The existing lap-and-fastener roof gave water and wind a path in at every overlap. The replacement closes them all — galvalume standing-seam panels over a high-temperature polyiso core, seams locked mechanically, no exposed fasteners in the panel field.

Project type: field-erected storage tank at an operating industrial site in Alberta. Scope: full roof re-clad — the existing lap-and-fastener jacketing came off, and a standing-seam system went on. Every photograph on this page is from the project record.

Scope

ParameterValue
Existing jacketingCorrugated lap-and-fastener metal panels
Condition foundWater ingress at the laps, saturated insulation, roof-plate corrosion under jacketing still in place
New systemGalvalume standing-seam panels over high-temperature polyiso insulation
Seam closureMechanically folded, closed with a powered seamer
Exposed fasteners in panel fieldNone
Completed2026

What the Lap System Allows

A lap system seals by overlap. Each panel lies flat on the next, and a fastener pulls the two faces together. That geometry puts an open horizontal edge at every overlap, across the entire roof. Wind loads those edges. Water tracks through them. Every exposed fastener is a penetration through the weather face, and thermal cycling works fasteners loose over years of service.

Existing corrugated lap-and-fastener roof jacketing on a storage tank, overlap lines and patch repairs across the full field
BeforeThe existing roof. Overlap lines and patch repairs across the full field — each overlap is an unsealed edge.
Wide view of the lap-jacketed tank roof from the perimeter walkway
BeforeThe panel laps face into the prevailing wind on part of every circular roof. Uplift starts at the open edges.
Lifted lap edge on the old roof exposing wet, degraded insulation and corrosion staining
BeforeA lifted lap. Water passed the overlap and reached the insulation, which held it against the steel.
Corroded tank roof plate exposed after removing a section of the old lap jacketing
BeforeThe roof plate under the old jacketing. This is corrosion under insulation — advancing out of sight while the roof looked serviceable from a distance.

The last two photographs are the important ones. From the walkway this roof read as weathered but intact. Under the laps, the insulation was wet and the plate was corroding. That failure mode has a name — corrosion under insulation — and on a lap system it is a design property, not a maintenance lapse.

The Replacement System

Galvalume standing-seam panels over a high-temperature polyiso core. The seam does the sealing. Panel edges rise above the drainage plane and fold together into a mechanical lock, so water moving across the roof never sits on an open joint. Panels run continuous — no mid-run laps. There are no exposed fasteners in the panel field, which means nothing to back out and no penetrations through the weather face.

High-temperature polyiso insulation panels staged on the tank roof during installation
InstallHigh-temperature polyiso panels staged on the roof. The core goes down first, the metal locks over it.
Standing-seam panel runs meeting at the roof centre with the polyiso core visible in the open joint
InstallPanel runs meeting at the centre closure. The polyiso core is visible in the last open joint before capping.
Installer closing standing seams on the new galvalume roof with a powered seamer
InstallSeam closure is mechanical. A powered seamer folds each seam shut along its full length.
Completed galvalume standing-seam tank roof, continuous raised seams across the field
AfterThe completed field. Raised, locked seams — no exposed fasteners, no laps in the run.
Finished standing-seam roof panels running continuous from centre to eave
AfterContinuous panel runs from centre to eave. Every entry path in the before photos is gone from this roof.

Outcome

The roof now presents a continuous metal surface with mechanically locked seams standing above the drainage plane. The open laps, the exposed fasteners, and the penetrations shown in the before photographs no longer exist on this roof. The insulation core is specified for the tank's operating temperature and sealed inside the envelope.

What this project demonstrates

A lap-jacketed roof at the end of its service life can be re-clad in place with a standing-seam system. The failure paths in the before photos — open laps, loosening fasteners, wet insulation, plate corrosion — are properties of the lap geometry. The standing seam removes them by geometry, not by maintenance.

Note: project details published with the operator's identity withheld. Named version available on request from procurement or engineering teams evaluating the system.

Scope a project

Send tank dimensions, operating temperature, and any project spec documents to office@maxfab.ca, or call 1-780-717-2956. Reply within 1 business day, direct from the project team.

Request a quote →
Call Now