Choosing the right Panel Profile (Part 2)

We can classify the panels in different forms: for their structural performance, type of fasteners, watertightness performance, type of profile, etc...

At the end you need to evaluate which characteristics are more important to you, you can have a structural rated panel but with exposed fasteners, that is the case of the so called Commercial and Agricultural profiles, they give the structural strength but since they are attached to the structure with exposed fasteners the warranty of not having water leaks is for 3 up to 5 years, that means their watertight warranty is non.

You can have structural rated panels that meet the watertight warranty but in certain slope ranges, the most common slopes that are used in this kind of panels goes from 1/2:12 up to 12:12.

The Mechanical lock panels are the best option if you are looking for structural, aesthetics, and slope range from 1/2:12 up. they have the best watertightness performance, specially if you install them with a non skinny caulk bead at the female rib and perform a double seam pass with an electrical seamer at the end of the installation. This system can be warranty up to 35 years.

We also have the Snap Lock type panels, they have concealed fasteners, may have or not clips, may come with a bead of caulk at the female rib, but they are not mechanically seamed, you just need to push the female rib against the male and they will snap to each other.

As you can see, the metal panel industry have a wide range of profiles, textures, finishes, and performances for all kind of building, the secret is how to choose the one that will give the best performance and fulfill your needs 100%

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Choosing the right Panel Profile (Part 1)

When we hear or talk about metal roofs, we automatically draw in our heads the imagine of a noisy, non thermal, rough and unsightly roof. If we were in the 1800's or even the 1900's I will agree with this kind of thinking, but, in the 21st century, things have changed and we can find a wide range of profiles and alloys.

Now, you can choose between:

• Exposed or concealed fasteners
• Commercial and/or Residential use
• Mechanical seamed or snap lock
• With or without clips
• Large variety of colors and textures
• Factory formed or on site roll formed

Things to keep in mind when choosing a profile:

• Minimum slope required for the profile
• Allowed substrates for the chosen panel
• Be sure to follow the Building Code in your area. Certification and testing.
• See if there is any restriction in your subdivision for installing a metal roof

For more information, ask your roofer for guidance on this points and remember that the best choice will be the one that fulfill your needs and expectations.

For any question or comment feel free to contact me at mavendano@saqualitymetals.com

See you in the next post...

COOL ROOFING (Extract from the Cool Roof Rating Council)

What is a Cool Roof?

A cool roof is one that reflects the sun’s heat and emits absorbed radiation back into the atmosphere. The roof literally stays cooler and reduces the amount of heat transferred to the building below, keeping the building a cooler and more constant temperature.

 There are many “cool color” products which use darker-colored pigments that are highly reflective in the near infrared (non-visible) portion of the solar spectrum. With “cool color” technologies there are roofs that come in a wide variety of colors and still maintain a high solar reflectance.

Basic characteristics.

 solar reflectance (SR)

 and thermal emittance (TE).

 (Both properties are rated on a scale from 0 to 1, where 1 is the most reflective or emissive) 

Benefits of a Cool Roof?

There are numerous benefits in having a cool roof:

• Increase ecological sustainability factor, or make your house “greener” by:
• Reducing your utility bills associated with air conditioning
• Increasing occupant comfort and avoid installing an air conditioner where there isn’t already one
• Decreasing the size and prolong the life of your air conditioning system
• Lowering roof maintenance costs and extend roof life, avoiding reroofing costs and reducing solid waste  
• Assist your home in meeting building codes
• Mitigate your community's Urban Heat Island Effect
• Maintain aesthetics with a roof that performs and looks good
• Receive utility rebates (in some locations)

  Average energy savings range from 7%-15% of total cooling costs. 

When people think about making their home more “green” or ecologically sustainable, cool roofing isn’t always the first thing to come to mind.  However, certain green building programs, such as the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED, give credit for installing a cool roof.  So if you are trying to save energy or make your home more environmentally-friendly, a cool roof is one way to achieve that goal. 

 For more information visit    http://www.coolroofs.org

Hope this information helps you to decide the type of roof that fulfill your needs.

keep on reading our blog we'll have great things coming shortly, see you in our next post... and remember that an excellent job done starts with "Q" of Quality.  www.saqualitymetals.com

Metal Roofing Advantages Part 2

Welcome back to our blog. Today we have more advantages for installing a metal roof. Besides the durability and affordable cost in the long run, other advantages can be listed:

• Wind uplift, Hail, and Fire resistant
• Light Weight
• Snow shedding: Painted metal roofs are usually snow-shedding. Snow can usually collect when it is fresh and lighter weight. As soon as the ambient temperature rises a few degrees, the snow usually just slides off. For this reason metal roofing is ideal for homes in high latitude or mountain regions.
• Most metals can be recycled over and over without losing any valuable properties. Recycling is very efficient.
• Design Friendly: Some steel roofing products can be installed over open framing, or on a solid substrate, straight or curved panels are available.
• Factory made or on site roll formed.
• Energy efficiency. Coatings with high reflectivity like Kynar with "cool roof" pigments commonly save 20-30% on air-conditioning costs due to reflecting away much of the sun's heat. Increases the thermal efficiency of buildings in high temperature areas with its cool-roof paints and high emissivity.
• Most metal roofing products require very little or no maintenance.
• Metal roof sheets can be used equally well in cladding the sides of a buildings.

it is recommended to use only UL Certified Metal Roof Panels and components, this will give you the peace of mind that what you are getting will be of the best quality.

For more information contact us at (210) 227 7276 or www.saqualitymetals.com for more information and recommendations.

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Metal Roofing Advantages. Part 1

A metal roof, often referred to as a tin roof, is a roofing system made from metal pieces or tiles.
Metal roof sheeting in the form of corrugated galvanized steel was a great aid to opening up America in its early days. This is still happening today in parts of the developing world. Now days we can find different alloys, profiles and colors to fulfill the demanding imagination of the architectural and engineering firms.
We can find some advantages and disadvantages as well in a Metal roof, one of the most important advantages is the Durability. The lowest end metal roofing (thin gauge with acrylic or polyester paints) commonly called AG (agricultural) or Utility panels will last 20 to 30 years, which is roughly twice the lifespan of an average asphalt roof. Most metal roofing products today come with warranties from 25 to 50 years. Sheet materials like stainless steel, copper, zinc and aluminum are inherently durable; the oxidization of the base material forms a protective patina. Some modern steel roof sheeting materials are coated with an alloy of zinc and aluminum to give it some of the durability of each of those materials at a lower cost and higher strength than either. Copper and Zinc details have historically been proved to last upwards of 100 years with little or no maintenance. The average life-span of asphalt shingles today (since 2001) is 6 to 9 years, while residential and commercial grade metal roofing usually lasts from 50-100+ years, depending on the type. The coatings and fixings on steel roof sheeting can be designed for different environments including industrial and marine locations.
In the upcoming posts we'll talk about more of these advantages that Metal Roofing has over other types of roofs and the way the Metal Roofing Industry helps the environment and final users by saving energy and resources in many different ways.
Until the next post...