Aluminum Composite Panels or ACP have been around for more than 30 years and their primary benefits have always been pretty much the same—faster to install than other surfaces like precast, granite or brick. They’re also light weight, thus saving money by reducing structural steel requirements, since less support structure is needed.
PVDF coatings used today guarantee these panels will retain their original luster for decades, ensuring their aesthetic appeal and maintaining property value without the need for rehab. They are specifically designed to resist the elements and protect against air and water infiltration and… most of an aluminum composite panel is comprised of recycled content.

With the exception of better coatings, little however has changed with ACP – until now.
Architects, builders, general contractors and building owners may find it interesting that this month a new and revolutionary ACP product has entered the marketplace—one that will change forever the way ACP is made, specified and installed. This revolutionary new “snap and go” aluminum composite wall panel system installs in less than half the time of conventional ACM products that have been around for more than 30 years.

Unlike existing ACP products, the new ACP is a randomly installed wall panel system where grids of tough PVC attachment strips are attached to an exterior or interior wall and multiple panels are quickly snapped into place along the grid.  Installation can begin anywhere on the wall surface and allows workers to install the PVC grids while others are snapping in the panels. The process takes less than half the time of traditional sequentially installed systems—already faster than other materials–where each panel must be positioned and installed one at a time.
The new ACP also eliminates one of the few problems historically associated with sequentially installed systems. No longer must panels by shipped back because of dimensional inaccuracies or last minute design changes. There’s no wait for drawings to be redrawn and new panels and their attachment systems must be custom made in the factory.  The new ACP material can be field cut to special size. And if change is required, panels are premade and ready for next-day shipment to the worksite.
New PVDF coatings for ACP are great. But there has always been the potential for staining with metal grid and panel systems. Because of the use of plastic grids with aluminum panel, there is no contact between metals common with conventional ACP systems which can result in exterior wall staining or dirt.

Like its traditional brother, this new ACP wall panel system is excellent for exterior and interior applications, particularly  in fast track and retrofit retail and hospitality projects where quick installation and 24/7 access is critical to profitability. This new ACP product offers much greater design flexibility and is available in five different panel sizes and a wide variety of colors and textures.  This new system is ideal for hotels, hospitals, office buildings, airports, shopping malls/retail stores and more.  They can be installed far more quickly and with less intrusion than traditional ACP panels.  They ship flat – 13 panels to a carton and are formed on-site reducing storage requirements, taking up less transport space and dramatically reducing shipping costs.

This may be the first time you’re learning about this revolutionary new ACP wall panel system and it obviously merits investigation.  Like all great innovation, it surpasses old technology and it won’t be long before it’s the chosen product for exterior and interior wall applications.

If you think of metal roofing as being a utilitarian cover for buildings like barns, rustic hideaways and tool sheds, think again. Or, if you’ve presumed the opposite–that metal roofs are only for luxurious new homes hidden in the mountains or on spring-fed ponds–you’ll want to rethink that belief as well.

Whether it’s sufficiently scientific or not, I was curious and did a quick study of 512 residential projects where installation contractors filed for paint finish warrantees with Englert between January and December of this year. Most of the projects were new roofs but a large percentage were reroofs as well. Projects were located all over the United States. I was curious to find out how many square feet of metal roofing had been installed on these homes —and by whom.

The results tell the story of the kinds of homes and the owners who are choosing a standing seam metal roof for their home. Yes, most of the projects being filed—24 percent—involved large homes with roofs of 3,000 to 5,000 square feet of standing seam metal.  And another 23 percent were for homes with roofs of 2,000 to 2,999 square feet. These are good sized homes, particularly when you consider that the average square footage of an American home is somewhere around 2,300 square feet and that many of them were the roofs on two-story houses with sizeable square footage.
This leaves over 50 percent of the homes in our database with less than 2,000 square feet of standing seam metal roof on them.  What does this mean?
It means that homeowners with average sized homes are choosing metal roofs for their home.

One other interesting piece of data I discovered while doing this informal research is that homeowners who had suffered through hurricanes and tropical storms were increasingly choosing standing seam metal roofs for new homes.

If you’d like to know more about standing seam metal roofs, visit the Metal Roofing Alliance at www. metalroofing.com. You’ll get plenty of technical information about metal roofs, how they’re made and what makes them different from other roofing materials. And if you wish to see what standing seam metal roofs look like on homes across the country you can visit the photo gallery on www.englertinc.com or you can go to the popular www.houzz.com  a leading online platform for home remodeling and design. Just search for standing seam metal roofs.  You’ll find scores of projects to peruse.  A little hint… key in Englert standing seam metal roofs and you’ll see the best looking projects. But that’s just my opinion.

Over the past several months we’ve talked a lot about standing seam panels and their ability to resist all kinds of weather-related challenges as well as fire, hurricanes and salt air. We’ve compared Galvalume to galvanized steel, polyester to PVDF coating and different metal and aluminum gauge thicknesses.

But the one thing we haven’t talked about are the two different types of metal roofing fastening systems—a very important topic that involves economics, aesthetics and maintenance.

The two most common ways of attaching a metal roof to a structure are exposed fasteners and concealed fasteners. Exposed fastened panels use a screw or nail to secure the metal roofing to the roof deck or purlins whereby the nail or screw actually penetrates an area where two panels overlap.  This can involve hundreds and even thousands of fasteners which must be spaced and driven to maintain the integrity of rubber grommets which serve to prevent precipitation from gaining access through each hole.

Conversely, concealed clip fastened panels use a system where the fasteners are driven through the clips into the roof deck with no connection or piercing of the metal panels. The clip and fasteners are concealed beneath the standing seam panel material. The panel is then laid over and attached to the clips and then mechanically or hand locked to them.
Granted, exposed fastener metal roofing panels are a less expensive alternative to concealed fastener standing seam roofs. They work best in simple roofs like gables or shed roofs but get difficult to work with on structures with dormers, valleys and complex architectural features.While many people swear by them and have enjoyed years of service from them, exposed fastener roofs have lesser warranty times than concealed fastener systems. Problems can occur if the fasteners are driven too tight by the contractor or installer. Because metal expands and contracts with temperature change, screws driven too tight leave no room for expansion and contraction. In contrast, a concealed fastener system is driven through the clip and not the panel itself and is designed to flex or move under the panel. And of course, the concealed fasteners are never exposed to the weather and are insulated from the movement.

Cost will differ depending on location, but concealed fastener is more expensive because of the clips and the time it takes to install the hidden fasteners.  Their biggest benefits are peace of mind and aesthetics.  Instead of hundreds or thousands of tiny holes filled with screws with an oversized cap head, you have an aesthetically smooth surface broken only by the seams which give the concealed fastener system its elegance. Because of this aesthetic, concealed systems are seen largely on residential and commercial structures while the exposed fastener system is more likely to be found on large industrial and commercial buildings.

Some building owners will tell you their exposed fastener systems have stood up to precipitation and UV light from the Sun for years. But unlike concealed fastener systems, the warranties are shorter and less robust and some experts suggest that screws be randomly backed out periodically to see if the grommets are intact and still snug in the drill holes and the wood substrate is free of any dampness.

If you are a designer or builder considering a standing seam metal roof you may be asking the question what is the difference between aluminum and steel as a choice for the metal roof.

Commercial and residential metal roofing is primarily made of steel or aluminum. Both products are initially produced in giant rolls at a mill. All steel roofing has a protective barrier on both sides of the sheet called a metallic coating which protects against rusting. This is underneath and separate from any paint which imparts color to the product. There are two types of metallic coatings used: galvanized, which uses 100% Zinc in various thicknesses depending upon the product usage, and Galvalume, a mixture of aluminum and zinc. These metallic coatings “sacrifice” themselves to protect the iron in steel from oxidation when exposed to air and moisture. Zinc is a more “active” metal than iron so it oxidizes first and forms a protective barrier — zinc oxide, before the iron in the steel can become Ferric Oxide (rust). When zinc is combined with aluminum to form Galvalume there is even more protection in most circumstances.

Steel residential roofing is made in thicknesses designated by gauge and is generally 24 to 26 gauge, with the higher gauge being thinner than the lower. These gauges are appropriate since most residential metal roofing applications are over a solid substrate. Aluminum residential metal roofing is designated by decimal thickness and ranges from .023 to .040 thickness.

Steel and aluminum both perform well as a metal roofing material. However, aluminum roofing, depending upon the exact product chosen, can run up to 20 percent higher in price compared to steel roofing.Aluminum is extremely resistant to corrosion caused by seawater, while steel is bit more susceptible to seawater damage over time. Consequently, the warrantees offered on the coil’s coating will be different as well.  Both steel and aluminum perform pretty much the same, but the finish warranty for “coastal” areas is not provided for the steel panels. This is because of the potential for the coating to separate from the metal substrate at the edges, creating rust in environments that are near bodies of salt water. Exposure testing, however, has proven that Galvalume is up to three times more effective in preventing rust than galvanized steel material.

Aluminum is also lighter than steel if weight is a critical factor in determining the roofing material for your project. Both materials are very lightweight in comparison to other materials including asphalt shingles. Steel roofing is very lightweight with the heaviest product weighing about 1.5 pounds per square foot when installed. But aluminum is usually the lightest metal used for roofing. Its strength-to-weight ratio is among the highest of the “common” metals–that’s why airplane designers use aluminum for air frames. This lightness and thinness also means aluminum roofing material stores very little heat and also becomes cool quickly once it stops receiving direct sunlight.

Aluminum is more malleable than steel, allowing it be configured into more complex profiles. However, especially in simpler profiles, you need fairly heavy gauge aluminum and that will boost its cost.

Steel inherently has more strength than aluminum, it’s usually less expensive and it’s more fire resistant without underlayment. Aluminum does not have a Class A fire-rating but the system can achieve a Class A rating with the proper underlayment and sheathing.

Both roof types will probably outlive all of us. Compared to traditional roofing materials, both offer a much longer lifespan, better environmental sustainability, better strength and a lower long-term cost. Steel can usually withstand winds of 110-150 mph and the material design of some steel roofs meet Miami-Dade and Florida Building Code requirements for hurricane wind uplift resistance.

Noise from rain, snow and small hail stones isn’t an issue for aluminum or steel roofing material–no more than it is for a shingle roof. That’s because it’s the sheathing and underlayment below the roofing material—on any roof—that blunts nature’s noises—not the roofing material itself.

Coatings for both aluminum and steel metal roofing coil come in a wide variety of standard colors and can be customized to meet the owner’s request. Custom colors generally cost more and certain coatings are more durable than others. For example, a Kynar PVDF coating offers additional protection against corrosion and oxidation.

Both aluminum and steel are two of the best energy efficient roofing materials. Both naturally reflect light and emit heat. Most aluminum and steel roofing material is available with cool roof coatings that meet LEED and Energy Star compliancy.

Ultimately, the needs of your project are going to dictate which you use. If the project is near the ocean and not in hurricane territory, the choice will probably be aluminum. If you’re out West building a wide-span storage building and brushfires are a concern, you’ll probably want to go with steel.  If your concern is the added weight of a metal roof being retrofitted over an old shingle roof on an existing building, then you may want to think aluminum or a light gauge steel.  Tap the metal that bests meets your needs.

Englert is pleased to announce the development of a new mobile Roofing App for Apple and Android devices.

This new App contains easy to access PDFs of all Englert brochures and catalogs as well as a section that displays all of the standing seam metal roof panel profiles and simulates how each profile is installed using very vivid animation.

In addition the new App includes an easy to use color selector for both roofing and gutter colors allowing the user to click on each color to see a larger version of the color swatch along with an explanation of which materials the colors are available in.

The Apps are available in the Apple store and also in an Android version.

For more information on Englert products please feel free to contact your local Englert Rep or visit the Englert website at www.englertinc.com

Looking for another reason for considering a standing seam metal roof system – well check this out?

Over a 36-hour period in Massachusetts last month, there were more than 70 reports of roof collapses or buildings with potential structural damage from the weight of snow and ice loads on roofs.  The majority took place in eastern Massachusetts but they could have been almost anywhere in the continental United States given the severity of the weather we’ve been experiencing.

In many instances, homes and businesses were evacuated as a result of collapses or safety concerns resulting from indications of structural weaknesses from rooftop snow loads.  These conditions are directly attributable to prolonged cold weather and repeated snowstorms punctuated by short periods of rain that are absorbed into the snowpack adding more weight.  The threat can be alleviated by removing the rooftop snow on homes and commercial buildings.  That’s one short term solution.

The other is to re-valuate the kind of roof and consider replacing it with a standing seam metal roof. Certain kinds of flat and low pitched roofs can be at risk of collapse with heavy snow and ice accumulation. Meanwhile structures with roof valleys and lower roofs breed snow drifts and can also be dangerous.

According to the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety, the average roof can handle a snow load of 10 to 20 pounds per square foot in Mid-Atlantic states, and between 40 and 70 pounds per square foot in New England where there are more accumulations and colder weather.

Lower shallow pitched roofs such as a porch roof need to be designed to hold much more snow than code. This is addressed in engineering manuals and local building code books but may not have been heeded by the builder. A large low slope roof (1 to 5 in 12) with an EPDM membrane can be problematic. According to the Institute, below a certain pitch, shingles are no longer an option. Steeper pitched standing seam metal roofs tend to let snow slide more often, preventing a serious buildup – unless a valley or dormer prevents this from happening.

One other important note to remember when you’re considering the weight of the roof itself and the weight of the snow. A metal roof is, on average, 50 percent lighter than an asphalt shingle roof, and 75 percent lighter than concrete tile, fiber cement shakes and slate. Metal roof systems in most cases weigh between one to three pounds per square foot. The actual weight is dependent upon metal gauge and profile of the panel. Asphalt shingle material weighs two to three and a half pounds per square foot and concrete tile five and half to 10 pounds per square foot. Severe winter weather can’t be avoided, but heeding this information and considering a standing seam metal roof may help prevent a serious and costly problem.

From the earliest days of our nation, many of America’s important buildings have had metal roofs made from copper, lead and tin-coated iron. Americans knew then as we know now that metal enhances the look of these buildings while providing roof protection that will last for many generations to come. Many of these historical buildings were built in an age where the aesthetics of the roof were an important part of the look of a building. Patterns in the roof and ornamental treatments such as steeples, spires, finials, collector heads and other decorative but functional outcroppings brought beauty and elegance to the buildings of an earlier time.

Today, it is expensive and difficult to replace both the roofs and the roof decorations made from metals like copper and terne-coated steel that were prevalent during that period.  Because so much of the restoration involves public buildings, entities like the National Park Service have websites (www.nps.gov/hps/tps/publications.htm) that can provide technical guidelines for restoration. Another good source is Traditional Buildings Magazine with editorial content and advertising that can help find the materials and restoration companies needed to tackle an historic building renovation. They are good resources for researching roofing characteristics of an historic building project including color, texture, historically accurate materials, durability and performance and even some of the roof configurations, many of which were peculiar to the specific project.One of the major concerns faced in attempting to restore a project to historically correct originality is cost. Restorations can be exceedingly expensive. The good news is your project may be eligible for grants and incentives. For example, the Historical Home Grants Federal Historic Preservation Tax incentive program provides a 20 percent tax credit for all income producing buildings deemed certified historic structures by the Secretary of the Interior. The program also provides a 10 per cent tax credit for rehabbing non-historic buildings placed in service before 1936. To date, the program has leveraged more than $62 billion in private investment to preserve 38,000 historic properties nationwide.

State and local preservation organizations like Pennsylvania’s Keystone Historic Preservation Grant and the New Jersey Historic Trust offer grants to projects with roofing restoration needs.

Sometimes, however, historically accurate restoration of roofing details is just too expensive and public and private restoration programs may be allowed to substitute modern materials that mimic the old metals. A metallic copper coating on aluminum or Galvalume steel may be sufficient enough to replace original materials like copper and terne-coated steel as long as they replicate the original appearance and provide the durability and maintenance-free qualities of the original material.

In one case, we even saw metal replace expensive and hard to find terra cotta tiles used on a landmark 1888 building in downtown Manhattan.  The Corbin Building is an historic former office building located at 192 Broadway in downtown Manhattan. When it was built, the slender, nine-story structure “towered” over its neighbors and was tall enough to be called a “skyscraper.” It is home to architectural details that simply do not, or could not, exist today. Those include twin office towers with roofs of terra cotta tile removed many years ago and that restorers felt should be rebuilt to restore the aesthetic authenticity and to serve as housing for modern mechanical systems.

It was decided to replace the original terra cotta tile with metal. Recyclability was also an issue in the client’s quest to meet LEED project certification and Kynar-coated panels met those requirements more easily than real terra cotta tiles.

B&B Sheet Metal, one of handful of metal roofing experts in New York City, did the restoration of the roof and the towers.  They chose a superior, extremely durable terra cotta colored metal coil and sheet provided by Englert. Each component of the metal roof had to be hand crafted to replicate the old tile towers and be consistent with the style of the 400 terra cotta panels on the building.

But in the end, the savings over replacing the original terra cotta tiles was substantial and the Metropolitan transit Authority which was restoring the building was able to accurately replace the original terra cotta tile with metal, while still demanding the best price, the best design, the best functionality and the least maintenance for the project.

Why do some highway signs look old and faded while others pop with color?  Why do the exteriors of some new trucks look great while others look like they’ve been traveling the highway for years? And how come your neighbor’s garage door to the left looks great but the one to the right built around the same time looks pasty and faded?

To get the answer, you may have to go back to that critical point in time when all of these metal products were large coils of aluminum or steel that had to be pre-coated or pre-painted to protect the metal and provide a base for decorations like decals, wraps, embossing and lettering. Coil-coated metal is indispensable in a variety of industries including the manufacture of household products such as lights and white lighting, residential and non- residential building products like garage and entry doors and window frames, sign stock, automation control panels, HVAC, industrial products and more.

We know as a company that pre-coats thousands of tons of metal material that there are different levels of quality for just about any pre-coated coil you can buy—whether it’s for a garage door, a tractor trailer body or a stop sign.  The metal gauge or thickness, the coatings chosen and even the paint line system used to apply the coating to the metal vary throughout the coil coating industry.

Demanding quality at this level can dictate how good a garage door looks when it comes time to sell the house , how long a tractor trailer will last after a few years on the road or how faded a highway directional sign will become when it exposed year after year to the elements.  If you’re a garage door manufacturer or you’re making sign materials positioned as premium products for their longevity and durability, be careful how you look for savings on production.

How good the product will look even over a short period of time is often directly related to how much the manufacturer is willing to spend to produce a quality product. If the industrial designer has been asked to create a premium-made garage door and the manufacturer’s purchasing agent knows the drill, the end product is pretty much guaranteed to look better and work better than a cheaper version. Colors will be more vivid, surfaces won’t appear faded or chalky and the aluminum or steel substrate will probably last much longer.Probably, because there’s another factor to consider—the skills and experience of the company coating the material.

If the gauge of the metal or the paint wasn’t right, or the machinery used to apply the coating was old or inefficient or the people doing the job were inexperienced, chances are you’d have an inferior product on your truck or sign or garage door material. But if everything is right, you’ll have a product that is aesthetically pleasing to look at and that will be resistant to weathering, abrasion, humidity and degradation from the sun’s ultraviolet rays.

And to your customers, that will make all the difference.

Why do some look great while others of the same age look faded and worn? Visual.ly is the world’s largest community of infographics and data visualization: 71 percent of homeowners who had recently replaced their garage door believe it increased the value of the home. Statistics according to Visual.ly indicate the value of a home can increase by as much as 4% because of the appearance of the garage door. After the steel door has been properly prepared, they must be coated within 24 hours. The recommended repaint material is a high-quality exterior latex house paint or latex maintenance finish. Oil-based Alkyd house paint must not be applied over factory-applied finishes. Before repainting the steel door it is imperative that the intercoat adhesion be ascertained.

Then the metal would be slip, bent, shaped or stamped into a configuration where it would begin to resemble a truck panel or a garage door or the stop sign at the end of your street.

Flat rolled metal from a steel or aluminum mill is the basis for a countless number of industrially manufactured products. More than 20 million tons of steel are coated annually around the world using the coil coating process. Additionally 2 million tons of aluminum and other substrates are coated. And the difference between the ones that would stand or fail the test of time and the elements started at the pre-coating stage.

How about metal equipment like garage doors—some look great while others have a faded, chalky look that detracts from the entire appearance of a house.  The same goes for metal roofs: some have rich reds and blues after years of installation while others look faded and worn after only a few years.

Steel and aluminum coils are coated with pre-coatings before being processed further for use particularly on outdoor products. Coil-coated sheet metal is tough, easy to process and highly versatile in its applications. For this reason these materials are in high demand, particularly for wall and roof elements made of steel or aluminum. Coil-coated metal is also indispensable in a variety of industries including the manufacture of household products such as lights and white lighting, residential and non- residential building products like garage and entry doors and window frames, sign stock, automation control panels, HVAC, industrial products and more.

There are thousands of building materials and products globally and virtually all of those used in a manufactured environment are subject to some form of testing and standards.

There are a host of international standards organizations that set standards for and test all kinds of products. There are de facto standards which means they are followed by informal convention or dominant usage, de jure standards which are part of legally binding contracts, laws or regulations and voluntary standards which are published and available for people to consider for use.

The people who use an item (architects, engineers, contractors, etc.) or specify it (building codes, government, industry, etc.) have the responsibility to consider the available standards, specify the correct one, enforce compliance, and use the item correctly.

By the end of the 19th century, differences in standards between companies, was making trade increasingly difficult and strained. Hence the establishment of professionally supported standards organizations.  Progress was nevertheless slow. Suppliers in many industries including construction objected to standard material specifications and testing procedures because they feared that strict quality controls would make customers more inclined to reject items and default on contracts.

There was plenty of back and forth on the issue but the demand by material end users like the powerful railroad industry finally led to the formation of the American Society of Testing and Materials in 1898.

To this day, the ASTM remains one of the key standards organizations in the world. And in the area of wall panel, it provides some of the key standards for materials used in building design and construction.It is important to note that the ASTM standards are widely used by metal panel manufacturers to validate their products. But it should also be pointed out that not all suppliers have paid for the independent testing necessary to earn an ASTM rating on their wall panel products. Their products might meet those standards but they have never undergone the required testing that will validate them.

And then there is another issue. Not all wall panel products are equal and architects, engineers and specifiers should make certain that the products they are suggesting meet certain standards for strength and heat resistance.

The following are the ASTM test methods most commonly used to determine a wall panel material’s efficacy:

• E84-ASTM-The purpose of this test method is to determine the relative burning behavior of the material by observing the flame spread along the specimen. Flame spread and smoke developed index are reported. However, there is not necessarily a relationship between these two measurements.

• ASTM 283-The purpose of this test is to make certain the material conforms to required values of tensile strength, yield point, and elongation.

• ASTM 330-This is the standard test method for structural performance of exterior by uniform static air difference.

• ASTM 331-This is the standard test method for water penetration of curtain walls by uniform static air pressure difference.

• ASTM E72-This is the standard test methods of conducting strength tests of panels for building construction.

• ASTM C 518—This is the standard test method for steady-state heat flux measurements and thermal transmission properties by means of the heat flow meter apparatus.

• ASTM1363—This is the standard test method for thermal performance of building materials and envelope assemblies by means of a hot box apparatus.

A detailed explanation for each of these tests can be found in the ASTM Annual Book of Standards Section covering wall panel.

There are two other standards that have evolved that are not ASTM driven. Both have become the benchmark for measuring the ability of metal wall panels to perform in hurricane conditions. The first is the Florida Building Code wind uplift test which provides the design wind speeds, exposure categories and requirements for wind-borne debris.

The other is the Miami-Dade County wind uplift testing and certification for Miami-Dade County approvals which lets architects, specifiers, buyers and authorities having jurisdiction (AHJs) know that wall panel products meet the unique requirements for a hurricane prone area.

Most metal wall panel manufacturers and suppliers, including Englert, will indicate whether their products meet strength, thermal and wind uplift requirements. They’ll also provide certification documentation from independent laboratories upon request. Many suppliers however, do not have the testing. And it is incumbent on the designer or specifier to make certain before choosing a product that might put them and their client at risk.

Underlayment products for use beneath standing seam metal roof systems should be carefully selected to provide a roof system that performs optimally throughout the life of the building. Several considerations must be addressed in the roofing system design, including ensuring that the four barriers needed in any building enclosure i.e., water barrier, thermal insulation barrier, vapor retarder, and air barrier are provided and are in the correct location for a given climate.

Long term, in-service roof performance can be affected by several important factors including: the metal roofing system and its expected service life, the climate at the building location, roof slope and geometry, and ambient conditions (temperature/relative humidity) within the building.  Improper selection of the roof underlayment may allow roof leakage or entrap moisture due to vapor diffusion or air exfiltration, which may accelerate deterioration of concealed components, shortening their service life and necessitating repairs.  Further, to provide longevity the underlayment should match the intended service life of the metal roofing system.

Structural metal roof panel systems are designed to span structural supports without requiring a structural deck.  Hence, they do not typically include roof underlayment since the installation lacks a continuous substrate or deck to support the underlayment material.
For architectural metal roof panel systems, a roof underlayment is required to help control water leakage through the roofing system during heavy rain storms or under snow melting conditions. Upgraded roof underlayment is often specified in cold climates for additional protection against ice dam leakage, while high temperature underlayments are designed for use in high temperature environments where the in-service temperature can reach temperatures as high as 240ºF.Typical underlayment materials include:

• (Asphalt-saturated) felt underlayment
• Synthetic sheet underlayment
• Rubberized asphalt or butyl-based sheet, with polyethylene facer, self-adhering membrane underlayment

Felt Underlayment
The traditional and most common material used for roof underlayment on a steep-slope metal roof is non-perforated, asphalt-impregnated felt underlayment. There are several types of felt underlayment including both organic reinforced and inorganic reinforced. Compared with organic reinforced felt underlayment, inorganic, glass-fiber- reinforced felt underlayment usually lies flatter and stands up better than the organic kind.

Depending on the demands of the architect, local building code or the metal panel manufacturer, one or two layers of non-perforated asphalt felt are used.

Felt underlayment provides little resistance to air and moisture vapor migration and does not serve as an effective air barrier. Architectural metal roofs with felt underlayment are best suited for buildings with proper slope and low moisture loads in dry or arid climates. Conversely, felt underlayment is appropriate in conjunction with ice dam protection at eaves and other critical transitions in cold climates.

Synthetic Sheet Underlayment
Synthetic plastic sheet underlayment are generally made of polyethylene, polyolefin, or polypropylene, between eight to 30 mils thick. Synthetic plastic sheet underlayment is less susceptible to wind damage, and lies flatter when subjected to wetting after installation. They are less sensitive to cold weather installation than felt and cost less than self-adhering membrane underlayment.

Most of the synthetic sheet underlayment sold is vapor resistant and generally do not qualify as air barriers.

Self-adhering Membrane Underlayment
Sheet membrane roof underlayment, consisting of either a rubberized-asphalt or butyl-based adhesive with a polyethylene carrier sheet, is a peel-and-stick product designed to adhere to the roof deck. They are effective on standing seam metal roofs for ice dam protection in the places you might expect including roof eaves, valleys, dormers, or rising walls. Conversely, when compared to asphalt-based membranes, butyl-based self-adhering sheet membranes provide protection in high temperature environments where the in-service temperature can reach temperatures as high as 240ºF. This is of particular importance for architectural metal roof assemblies because elevated roof surface temperatures, especially in desert climates and at high elevations, can exceed the melting point of some asphalt-based sheet membranes and damage the membrane.

These membranes are typically vapor impermeable and since they are fully-adhered to the substrate and to adjacent sheets at side and end laps, they resist air pressure differentials and serve as an effective air barrier material.

Choosing the proper and most effective underlayment for a metal roofing system will undoubtedly result in maximum roof performance and can play an important role in extending the life of the roof and of the building it protects.

American homeowners increasingly are adding outdoor “rooms” for entertaining and recreation on their properties, according to a Residential Landscape Architecture Trends survey conducted by the American Society of Landscape Architects.

Nationwide, household participation in do-it-yourself lawn and garden activities showed an increase of three million households, translating into an extra $688 million in retail sales.  In total U.S. households spend about $29 billion each year on their lawns and gardens.

Results also show demand is growing for sustainability in these designs including recyclable materials, solar lighting and rainwater and gray water harvesting.

Decorative water elements such as ornamental pools, splash pools, waterfalls, grottos, and bubblers rated high along with spa features including hot tubs, Jacuzzis, whirlpools and indoor/outdoor saunas. Outdoor backyard structures also ranked well including pergolas, arbors, utility sheds and even tree houses.

And while they aren’t backyard recreation and leisure facilities, add to that canopies and carports which are also becoming targets for consumers concerned about sustainability, the use of solar power and water reclamation. Carports are used in a variety of ways and come in many shapes and sizes, but essentially they fulfill the same basic function. Carports, pergolas, gazebos, cabanas and large yard equipment sheds are ideally suited for PV deployment, providing sloped areas with direct sunlight.It is a relatively simple task to incorporate solar energy systems into commonly found landscape structures and building features, while the beauty and function of the structure is retained.

The best platform for solar power and rainwater harvesting for most of these structures is a standing seam metal roof. Here are four reasons why:

• A standing seam metal roof is durable and will most likely out live the structure itself – providing excellent protection for the structure.
• On most structures including pergolas and similar decorative outdoor designs, a metal roof covered in PV laminates is nearly unnoticeable.
• Traditional solar PV panels or the newer thin PV film laminates can be attached without affecting the roof structure.
• And, tests have shown that rainwater recovered from coated standing seam metal roofs is the highest quality and provides the highest volume of recovered water than any other roofing material. That’s gratifying to know, particularly in geographic areas where water conservation is critical.

So if you’re looking for ways to conserve energy and add a little spice to your designs think about incorporating a metal roof system into your plans.

An architectural firm is being asked to put together a competitive bid specification for a project that includes a standing seam metal roof or metal wall panels. The on-staff designers are not necessarily familiar with all the different metal roof and wall panel products available in the marketplace. But the owner has a tight deadline to produce drawings, written specifications and pricing and the architect has to get the work done quickly.

Meanwhile, there are only days to complete the process if the architect is going to submit designs and specifications on time. Even under these circumstances, if a designer is going to go to the manufacturer for details and product usage information, there are a number of guidelines they can follow that will make the process easier and faster and make sure they get timely, useful information so the specifications are clear and easy to follow—the first time around.

Here are some tips to architects from our company’s product solutions staff which includes seasoned estimators, spec writers and architects.

Make the Construction Specification Institute’s Project Resource Manual required reading for specification writing.  This is the “spec writer’s  bible” by the only organization in the U.S. that has comprehensively considered the entire practice of specification writing for construction, including urging people to follow the four golden rules of specifying —be clear, concise, correct and complete.  This book contains CSI’s recommended practices for specification preparation, bidding and negotiating, and contract administration. There are definitions of terminology, descriptions of typical procedures, and examples of unusual situations.If both drawings and written specifications are being submitted, make sure the specification is noted in one document or the other. They should provide it in the written content or on the drawing to avoid conflicts and discrepancies.

Be explicit about the roofing profile or type of wall panel that is being specified. Our product solutions team reports that it’s not uncommon to see three different kinds of wall panel specified in the same section on the same project.

When specifying, try to avoid terms like “as allowed”, “as approved” or “as directed.” These are often referred to as ”Fake Specs” and result when specific product selections have not been made by the design team. When a project goes out to bid or for pricing, the design team has worked for months or years, while the contractor or estimator will only have weeks to understand and price the project.

Make your best supposition, for example, “70 percent Kynar 500 PVDF in silver metallic color range”. Even better, start with the manufacturer’s specifications or ARCAT SpecWizards’ and make the major choices presented.  The designer can still make other choices, but the cost and schedule impact will be based on what was specified and not a “fake spec”.

Something similar to this happens when the architect is only paid to do a certain job—i.e. specifications are only written on the drawing but the complimentary written specification has not been requested. And because of the dollars involved, the keynote on the drawing may not have any more detail than the simple statement—standing seam panel only.

This could undoubtedly lead to changes at some point in the submittal process when information like Clip edge, flashing, clip spacing, the kinds of clips and the kinds of screws are needed.

If the architect is encouraged to produce and, the contractor then has at his disposal a complete set of contract documents both written and drawings, the owner will get a better product in the end. For example, if the architect puts grid lines on the elevations of a roof, a lot of time can be saved choosing the right product, its correct amount and where precisely it will go. There is no flopping back and forth. It helps the contractor interpret the document making work go faster if the architect provides additional instruction.

On the other hand, less specification is sometimes done deliberately because it doesn’t lock the builder in and the builder can consequently use a cheaper product.

One more note. Don’t hesitate to ask the roofing or wall product manufacturer for in-depth help. Ask for details. Question whether the manufacturer’s in-house staff can quickly provide shop drawings and design calculations.

Remember, the looser the specification the higher ultimately will be the pricing for labor and materials and the more likely the chance of construction conflicts resulting in change orders.

Thinking of replacing your old shingle roof with a new standing seam metal roof? Here are six telltale signs it’s time to get rid of shingle roof problems forever and replace them with a metal roof that won’t leak and will continue to look good for decades to come.

–Curling and buckling shingles are a sign that it’s time for a new roof. Shingles that are curling and losing granules means the roof is past its life expectancy or that the roofing material is defective.

–Cracked or missing shingles is another sign that the roof is failing.

– Shingle granules in the gutters are also a sign of a failing roof.  Roofs tend to lose more granules toward the end of their life cycle. Also, a large pile of granules at the base of the gutter downspout is another sign of a worn shingled roof.

–Dark streaks on the roof caused by airborne algae that is sticking to the shingles. This may not necessarily harm the roof shingles, but it can make an otherwise beautiful home look tacky.
–The same goes for moss that can grow on roof surfaces, particularly in moderate moist climates where the roof doesn’t get much sunlight. In addition, moss can hold moisture against the shingles and in freezing weather cause damage to the granules. Moss can be brushed or scraped off the roof but it will grow back.

–Roof Valleys where shingles are falling apart or missing is a definite sign that the roof is failing. Snow and rain flow through valleys and into gutters. If the valley is compromised the roof could be susceptible to leaks.

Replacing old shingles with a standing seam metal roof will eliminate these problems. A new metal roof also adds curb appeal to any home which can pay dividends when it’s time to sell the home. And whether a homeowner is replacing an old leaking roof or building a new home, they will have the unique opportunity to design the entire exterior of the home to suit their style. Today’s metal roofs are available in a wide variety of colors from earth tones to lush tropical colors that can complement the exterior walls and trim of any home.

Your old roof has had it. There are leaks. You’ve got cracked, curled and missing shingles.  Asphalt granules are piling up in your gutter, indicating severe roof wear. And worn-out shingles are threatening to allow water or melting snow into your attic and even into your first and second floor living spaces.

To avoid these problems and get more life out of a new roof, you’ve decided to go with a standing seam metal roof. You’ve picked your roofer, signed a contract and even made sure the contractor is getting you a manufacturer’s paint finish warrantee on your new roof’s metal material.

You believe you’ve done everything you can to make sure your new roof will perform as advertised. But wait. Are you really sure you’re getting the manufacturer’s paint finish warrantee you’ve been promised?

There’s only one way to find out. Make sure the roofer who installs your new metal roof provides you with a copy of the paint finish warranty from the roofing material manufacturer. Nearly every manufacturer of metal roofing material will provide that warranty once the material has been paid for by the contractor and if the contractor has taken the time to fill out the warranty form provided by the material manufacturer. If the contractor hasn’t done both, you may be out of luck if something goes wrong with your new metal roof.

Most manufacturers make it convenient for roofers to go online and complete the warrantee form at the manufacturer’s a website. Piece of cake. If you want total assurance this has been done, ask that the warrantee be attached to your bill before you make payment.

That way if something does go wrong you’ll have both readily available to address any issue.

A shop drawing is a drawing or set of drawings produced by the contractor, supplier, manufacturer, subcontractor, or fabricator on a metal roofing or wall panel project.

It is an essential part of any project and the quality of the drawings can influence whether a project will be done correctly to specification, whether there will be legal issues down the road about meeting spec and even whether the job will be completed on schedule.

Shop drawings are not produced by architects and engineers under their contract with the owner. The shop drawing is the manufacturer’s or the contractor’s drawn version of information shown in the general contractor’s construction documents. It is drawn to explain the fabrication and/or installation of the items, in this case, metal roofing or wall panels, to the contractor’s installation crews. Unlike an architect’s drawing, a shop drawing’s primary emphasis is exclusively on the particular product or installation, unless roofing and wall panel materials must be integrated with other materials.

The shop drawings should include information for the architect to compare to the architectural specifications and drawings. The shop drawing gives the architect the opportunity to review the fabricator’s and/or installer’s version of the product, prior to fabrication. Attachment of manufacturer’s material specifications, “catalog cut sheets,” and other manufacturer’s information like independent testing results and installation instructions should accompany these drawings. Manufacturers like Englert have all of this information readily available at their company websites so it can be downloaded onto a disk or easily printed out for attachment to the drawings. Some fabricators and manufacturers will provide symbols, data, or instructions concerning installation. This can include a list of other materials, such as fasteners or adhesives, appropriate but not included for the product.

Special care must be taken by the contractor to measure and verify dimensions. It’s important that all the details of the materials and their specific installation be planned out on the shop drawing so that when a subcontractor’s crew arrive s at the work site they know specifically what is required for that roof. If not, and they have questions, for example, about cap flashing or the kind of joints that are needed, the situation arises where the job has to be designed on the spot, while a four-person crew working at an hourly wage sits idly by.

Some roofing and wall panel contractors have in-house staff to do shop drawings. Others will hire a draftsman to do them for a specific job or call on a panel manufacturer like Englert to do them as an added service.  Depending on the size of the project, the time to develop shop drawings can range from two to four hours up to 120 hours.

The general contractor has a timeline schedule for construction and the request for shop drawings appears on that schedule with a requirement to the roofing or wall panel installer to provide them usually from two to four weeks. If the drawings are sketchy, the timeline can be affected.

The quality of the final drawing hinges on the subcontractor’s ability. Some can be pretty rough and others can be very sophisticated. The irony is that some contractors really know the products they are working with and are excellent and innovative in installing them. But when it comes to the drawings, they simply can’t present or draw well. Consequently, those drawings will be “redlined” by the architect and kicked back to the contractor to provide more detail and explanation.  Shop plans are generally a long lead item in the construction schedule—part of the real-time sequence of activities on a project. Kicking them back to the contractor to be fixed can easily delay the sequence of activities on the project.

Ultimately, the architect is responsible for changes in these drawings and should have the opportunity to analyze any modifications. It is imperative that the fabricator and/or installer address any areas that need clarification with the architect before the installation begins. This attention to modifications and the quality of the shop drawings can avert legal issues down the road. An architect may have an issue with the details the contractor provided on the roof or wall specifications. The contractor should be able to point specifically to the shop drawing as proof he fulfilled the architect’s initial requirement, thus effectively closing the door on any disclaimers. Otherwise, if there is a dispute because the information is unclear or missing, the architect controls the purse strings and the contractor may have difficulty getting paid.

Your existing shingle roof has had it and you’ve decided to replace it with a standing seam metal roof that will last twice as long and add value to your home when it comes time to sell it.

You’ve gotten bids from two or three roofing contractors and you’re almost ready to make your decision. Most homeowners will trust their roofing contractor to do what’s necessary to replace the old roof but it doesn’t hurt to ask if your roof bid includes drip edge. A drip edge is a metal (usually aluminum) strip which extends beyond other parts of a roof and directs rainwater off the roof away from the fascia and into the gutter. The edge is configured so it prevents water from blowing under your roofing. At the same time, a lip along the edge makes water drip down out and away from your house, instead of directly down the side of the wall or fascia. In effect, it is an effective way to prevent water damage all the way from the roof to the foundation.

A drip edge provides a neat, straight edge to the roof, and is positioned so that roof water drips in the middle of gutters, along their full length. This is important because a badly positioned drip edge—or no drip edge at all– can cause overflowing of gutters, over front or back.

Sometimes, a roofing contractor will charge extra drip edge, particularly if he is hand cutting and bending the material which does take a little more work, time and skill.

But drip edge is available from manufacturers like Englert already pre-manufactured in 6” and 4” wide, 10-foot strips for new construction and retrofit roofing projects respectively to save the contractor labor costs in cutting and bending metal. Nearly every roofing contractor will vouch that drip edge is giving your home extra protection. And even home exterior painting contractors who have painted miles of fascia board with and without drip edge will tell you the paint job and wood always fair better when there’s a drip edge to help protect them.

If you’re planning on installing a new standing seam metal roof and you live in a cold weather climate with snow, keep in mind some design considerations that, in the long run, are sure to protect you against problems with snow and ice accumulation and removal during the winter months. Here are some tips:

• Choose a design with a cold roof. Keep the entire roof as cold as the eaves. Ventilating the underside of the roof, insulating the attic floor, and plugging air leaks are usually the answer.

• Consider a roof color with a high solar absorption value that will help thaw snow and ice.  Colors such as bronze, brown, or dark gray versus white or light earth tones will help do the trick.

• Make sure roof planes are oriented east to west rather than north to south. The north and east elevations of a roof are most prone to ice dam formation due to solar radiation. Roofs oriented north and south have the worst problems with these types of ice dams. To reduce the likelihood of ice dams, roofs should be oriented east and west to promote even heating and cooling of the snow.

• Avoid roof designs and proximity to natural topography that cause shading, which can lead to snow accumulation and ice damming.

• Make sure your contractor uses a sheet membrane roof underlayment, consisting of either a rubberized-asphalt or butyl-based adhesive with a polyethylene carrier sheet that is peel-and-stick to adhere well to the roof deck. This type of underlayment is effective on standing seam metal roofs for ice dam protection in the places you might expect including roof eaves, valleys, dormers, or rising walls.

• Include in your design a plan to deal with snow shedding and retention. Snow shed can occur, so it should be considered during the design of a roof. Otherwise, blocks of snow sliding down from a metal roof can become damaging or physically threatening, or both. Roof locations where there is pedestrian traffic and parking in and around the house are areas that are most susceptible to these dangers and therefore it is important to try and avoid or at least anticipate snow slides.

• Use snow guards or rails that clamp to the standing seam without puncturing the panel material and leaving their thermal movement unrestricted.

So, if you want to maximize the effectiveness of your new standing seam metal roof in the cold weather ahead – following these guidelines will help you get there.

Standing seam metal roofing systems can be divided into two basic categories: structural and architectural.  Structural and architectural systems are designed, engineered and installed to satisfy different metal roofing requirements.

Architectural metal panel roof systems and structural metal panel roof systems are installed over a large variety of substrates. There are two general categories of substrates: continuous or closely spaced decking that provides solid support for the metal roof panel, and the other is composed of spaced structural supports (such as purlins) where the metal panels must span between supports. Most structural metal panels are used over spaced structural supports without being supported by a solid roof deck.

Structural Metal Roofing Panels

Structural roofing panels are designed to span across open purlins, and can carry snow and wind loads without a solid deck. However, structural panels can also be installed over a solid deck.

Structural metal roofing panels have higher seams, typically between 1½- and 3-inches tall.  Structural panels are either mechanically seamed or “snapped-together,” depending on the design. Structural metal roof panels can be installed on slopes as moderate as 1/4:12.  They can also be applied on steeper slopes, and can even be applied vertically as a wall panel.

Structural metal roof systems are designed to allow unlimited thermal movement as the panels expand and contract with temperature variations. This is crucial, especially when longer panels are used. Clip design and system details make this possible.

Architectural Metal Roofing Panels

Architectural roof panel systems are intended for use on steep slope applications, generally 3:12 or greater. Architectural metal roof systems require a solid substrate to support the panels. An underlayment should also be installed to protect against moisture penetration. Architectural metal panels have lower seams (½- to 1½-inches) than structural metal roof systems. Architectural panels can either be mechanically seamed or “snapped together,” depending on the panel’s design. Architectural metal roof systems are hydrokinetic (water shedding), not hydrostatic (water-tight). These systems should shed water quickly, and should not endure static water pressure.

We know from experience that roofing and gutter contractors of every size will find just about any way they can to save a nickel here and a dime there on every job they do.

It may be on the cost of material, or their labor, or even on the cost of gas to get a truck from customer A to customer B.

But one place they almost never look to save money is the business insurance and the premiums they pay for it to handle liability or loss of property.One of the ways they can save money is to enlist the services of a loss control consultant from their insurance agency or the company that insures them.  The loss control consultant will typically work for a property casualty insurance company, a private consultant firm or as an independent consultant. The LCC will survey businesses for property – casualty (general liability, automobile, workers compensation) exposures, identifying exposures to loss and how a business can control these loss exposures. If they find a business deficient in protecting for a loss exposure, recommendations for improvement will be offered. Underwriting information concerning an account’s operation, size, service area and cooperation with the loss control consultant is developed and submitted in a report to the requesting party.

You may be asking yourself why do I need this? Two reasons – If a loss control analyst identifies exposures and you correct them, your monthly insurance premium can be reduced. Second, if a loss control expert does not come in and a building or health inspector finds a potential threat, your business can be temporarily shuttered and it’s going to cost you to fix the problem anyway.

If you’re already paying a monthly premium with a reputable carrier, here are some examples of what can be offered through loss their control program – and remember, it is to their advantage to reduce your risk, minimizing the possibility that they might have to make a payout.

The carrier may help you develop your own safety program using model programs they’ve already developed for customers just like you. The carrier may perform a comprehensive accident analysis and investigation and develop constructive recommendations to improve current safety programs.

The loss control experts can advise on OSHA, NFPA, DOT, and other safety and health requirements and provide assistance in industrial hygiene issues particularly in metal fabrication operations by sampling for industrial noise and air contaminants and advising you.

They can teach your supervisors and crew chiefs about safety and loss control issues and assist with employee safety training and they’ll conduct construction job site safety visits and provide ergonomic surveys and analysis to show how work activities can be performed better.

If you’re doing fabrication in your own building, they can evaluate property loss potential and provide recommendations to minimize fire, theft, or other threats and they can distribute quality safety literature, do job site and shop talks and provide safety videos, posters, and signs.

Most major carriers offer training videos for every conceivable circumstance.  The value is threefold—workers learn how to work properly in a variety of situations.  Your monthly insurance premiums can be reduced if you can show they have participated in the training. Your liability can be reduced if a worker who has undergone training, ignores it and is involved in a workplace safety incident. Here are some of the videos and shop talks major carriers currently offer to their insureds.

•Contractor Safety
•Forklift Safety
•Personal Protective Equipment
•Lifting/Back Safety
•General Electrical Safety and Hand & Power Tool Safety
•Machine Guarding
•Fall Protection
•Ladder Safety
•Walking Working Surfaces
•General OSHA Topics
•Roadway Workers Safety Standards

Most business people don’t think of it this way but if you can reduce your risk by reducing loss–both real and potential, you can reduce your monthly insurance premium for property, casualty, liability and workers comp. And in doing so, you are effectively adding money to the bottom line. That’s extra money in your pocket and a lot easier than quibbling over pennies for a fastener or a pound of material.

Englert is the world’s leading designer of custom portable rollforming machines for the seamless gutter and metal roofing markets.

Gutter and roofing contractors from around the globe come to Englert to help design and build a variety of portable machines to meet the unique needs of their markets because of climate, rainfall or exotic greenery. Contractors from Europe, Scandinavia, South America, Africa, Australia and the Caribbean choose Englert, knowing that from design to completion they will have their machines in months–not years.

Assignments range from unique fascia rollformers to machines that produce gutters with special modifications to control rainwater flow. And, because of computer design capabilities and the Internet, Englert’s design and manufacturing team is able to translate a customer’s wish list into a functioning machine quickly and accurately to meet the overseas needs cost effectively.

Requests for unique machines are also common in the United States. Recently, Englert designers received requests from right handed contractors asking for the design of a gutter machine with optional gutter machine controls and a shear on the right hand side.

Meanwhile, it took four months from design to delivery for a rollforming machine a contractor ordered  that makes special panels for the underside of elevated wooden decks. The panels prevent rainwater from leaking to the surface below the deck.

Customers for unique rollforming machines have told us time and time again that Englert’s design and manufacturing team delivers the quality products they want faster and more accurately than any other machine manufacturing company in the world. Plus, our metal roofing machine and seamless gutter machine warranties are among the best in the business. So, if you’re a contractor with a custom machine design you’d like to see implemented for your business, turn your idea into money. Contact the custom machine design team at Englert today.