This job covered a green commercial building in Pahoa with a large corrugated metal roof and a separate large-capacity bolted steel water storage tank on the same property. The building sits in a densely vegetated area typical of lower Puna, surrounded by palms, banana, and mixed tropical overgrowth — exactly the kind of environment that accelerates surface deterioration on metal. The scope of work included:
The metal roof on the commercial building showed the kind of wear that is common on unpainted or aging painted metal in East Hawaii. Looking at the before photos across multiple angles:
The water tank presented a different but related challenge. It is a large-diameter bolted steel tank with multiple horizontal ring sections and a vertical access ladder. The exterior surface had years of weathering, with streaking and biological film across the dark panels, and the bolted seams showing the kind of surface contamination that traps moisture and accelerates rust on bare metal.
Puna’s near-constant rainfall, high humidity, and heavy canopy coverage give mold and algae very little downtime to dry out. Left unaddressed, that biological layer holds moisture against the metal and speeds up oxidation at every fastener point.
Cleaning came first — paint does not bond properly to a surface carrying mold, algae, rust residue, or chalking old coating. We pressure washed the entire corrugated metal roof using a high-flow setup, working in sections across the panel field. The mid-process photos show the clean line advancing across the roof clearly: the treated side is a sharp contrast to the darker, unwashed side still carrying heavy biological growth and surface grime.
After washing, the surface was allowed to dry fully before any coating was applied. Screw penetrations and rust-prone areas along the eave and panel joints were given specific attention during surface inspection. Any areas showing active oxidation were treated prior to topcoat application.
Roof painting was applied across the full surface. The finished photos show a uniform, light-toned coating across the panel field with clean lines at the roof edge. The teal gutter and fascia trim remained intact and was worked around cleanly during the painting phase.
Water tank cleaning required a different approach. The tank stands multiple stories tall, and the upper sections were accessed using an elevated platform lift, visible in the photos with a crew member working from the basket. The exterior panels were washed down to remove biological film and surface contamination from the bolted steel sections. This kind of regular exterior maintenance slows rust formation at the seams and keeps the tank surface from accumulating the kind of heavy biological crust that becomes much harder to remove if left for multiple seasons.
The after photos show a significant change in the roof’s condition across all angles:
If your metal roof in Pahoa is showing similar signs — uneven fading, rust at the screw points, dark streaking in the panel valleys, or a chalky surface that has lost its integrity as a coating — cleaning alone will not solve it. Cleaning is the required first step, but paint is what seals the surface, protects the metal from re-oxidation, and gives you years of actual protection rather than a temporary improvement. The longer you wait on a roof that has already started oxidizing at the fasteners, the more prep work is required before paint can be applied correctly. Catching it before the rust is deep into the metal is the difference between a straightforward painting job and one that requires extensive rust treatment before topcoat.
Property Wash in Paradise handles roof painting throughout Pahoa and the surrounding Puna communities on the east side of the Big Island. We clean the surface properly, address rust at the fasteners and seams, and apply a coating built to hold up against Puna’s humidity, rainfall, and UV exposure.
Learn more about our roof painting and rust treatment service and reach out when you’re ready to get started.
Or call us directly: 808-825-6280
