There is a lot more to my identity than just being a metal roof provider. I am also a family member, part of our diverse Miami community, and a citizen of this great country.

When it comes to celebrating the Independence Day of our nation, folks in Miami aren’t limited to backyard barbecues, sparklers, and colorful smoke bombs. We have a wide range of exciting choices for big eats, big meals, and even bigger thrills.

The Top Events in Miami for July 4th, 2016

America’s Birthday Bash at Bayfront Park

If you want to see the Miami skyline explode in a thrilling fashion, without worrying about Armageddon, then break out your blankets and picnic baskets and head to Bayfront Park. This event is free and offers complimentary food, drinks, and children’s activities, too.

Miami Beach’s Fire on the Fourth Festival

If your Independence Day needs a little more soul, then join the sunburned throngs at Miami Beach for some funk. There will not only be fireworks exploding (as any proper celebration should include), but there will also be performances by The Family Stone and Grand Funk Railroad. The annual Fire on the Fourth Festival is a top-notch event.

Fourth of July Parade – Key Biscayne

If you’re looking to make a day of it with your family, you can hardly do better than the celebrations at Key Biscayne. The parade of patriotism is a favorite for families, including marching bands, stilt walkers, and bagpipes, as well as a lot of local flavor. See the parade and fireworks for free, and for a small price your family can enjoy the legendary, savory barbecue!

Old-Fashioned July Fourth

Is Independence Day just not traditional enough for you anymore? Take a step back in time with a period-inspired day at the Barnacle. This historic site will bring back that old-timey feel with scavenger hunts, kite making, and knot demonstrations, along with a host of other traditional activities before iPhones took over our lives. You can bring your own lunch or experience typical fare of the 18th century for this old-fashioned picnic.

Miami – It’s pretty great

We not only live in one of the best countries in the world, but arguably one of the best cities in that country. We should thank our stars and stripes that we’ll be eating burgers and drinking cold brews this weekend, instead of forcing down haggis, buttered eel, or marmite!

From many, one.
~J.C.

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You’ve probably seen it yourself.

If not, you’ve heard about it on NPR or read about it in the Miami Herald.

A new study from the University of Miami shows the rate of sea-level rise has tripled over the last decade in South Florida.

Miami Beach is working hard to combat the effects of climate change, by building a seawall, constructing pump stations, and raising road elevation levels.  

Climate change, and South Florida’s own vulnerability to the issues at hand, are affecting us right now. Fortunately, we can follow Miami Beach’s example and work hard to make our homes safer and lower our impact on the environment.

As a Miami metal roof provider, we know the roofers we work with care about energy usage, sustainability, and the environmental impact of repairing and installing roofs.

If you’re a roofer, you work with homeowners every day. And you’re probably a homeowner yourself. We can see both sides of the story, so we know how important ecologically-friendly homes are to the environment.

And, as it turns out, many of the homeowners our best customers work with care about their environmental impact, too.

The purpose of this blog post is not to cry doom and gloom– instead, we want to spotlight the efforts of many roofers and homeowners and our community who are working to make a positive change, and to help you find a few ways you can help out, too.

Hope for Homeowners

If you’ve been a homeowner in South Florida for more than a few years, you’ve probably seen some changes in the coast and the water level. And it’s just going to change more.

From Climate Central:

“Rising seas, a population crowded along the coast, porous bedrock, and the relatively common occurrence of tropical storms put more real estate and people at risk from storm surges aggravated by sea level rise in Florida, than any other state by far.

Some 2.4 million people and 1.3 million homes, nearly half the risk nationwide, sit within 4 feet of the local high tide line. Sea level rise is more than doubling the risk of a storm surge at this level in South Florida by 2030. For the hundreds of thousands of Floridians holding 30-year mortgages, that date is not far off in the future…

… A recent Florida Atlantic University study estimated that just 6 more inches of sea level rise — very plausible within two decades — would cripple about half of South Florida’s flood control capacity.”

Whether you’re thinking as a homeowner or thinking as someone who installs roofs for homeowners, those numbers are alarming.

But they don’t have to be.

No matter your budget, you can work in a few small things to reduce your carbon footprint, lower your energy bills, and help preserve South Florida as a great place to live.

Here are a few suggestions:

• Using less heat and air conditioning during peak energy times – Weekday afternoons are generally peak energy times. People tend to turn on the air conditioning when they get home from work. This causes many electrical utility companies to draw from older, less-efficient power plants to meet demand. That means your bill goes up, but it also puts a strain on the environment. You can use your air conditioning less often, use LED light bulbs, refrain from using large appliances during peak times, and use a programmable thermostat to reduce your impact.   
• Installing energy-efficient windows, appliances, and window coverings – Look for Energy Star appliances, thermal window shades, and energy efficient windows that help keep your home at an ideal temperature.
• Install a metal roofing system – Metal roofs are perfect for South Florida. They’re attractive, durable, help save on energy costs, help keep your home cooler, and are fully recyclable.
• Biking and public transportation – If you’re not in a rush to get somewhere, why not take a bike ride? It’s good exercise and it allows you to enjoy the splendor of Miami. Similarly, you can greatly reduce your carbon footprint by taking the bus or other public transportation just a couple times a week.

Fighting against climate change means working together. As homeowners, we all need to make small changes and adjustments for the greater good.

This isn’t a hopeless situation. If we’re all willing to make these changes, many of which don’t drastically alter our daily routines, we’ll be in much better shape.

Hope for Business Owners

If you’re a roofing contractor, you’re always looking for ways to save on your own energy costs. Similarly, you know that Miami homeowners generally like green roofing solutions.

If the homeowners you work with aren’t aware of climate change, there’s no sense in proclaiming an imminent doomsday. And homeowners often want what they want, and there’s very little a contractor can do to change their mind.

Just in case you’re having that conversation and it’s going well, though, here’s a good summary from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration:

“Miami-Dade County, Florida, contains some of the most populated cities in the state. The population, combined with the location and topography, makes this county particularly vulnerable to sea level rise. In order to adapt to the changes that sea level rise will bring to this heavily populated, ecologically important area, Miami-Dade County recognizes the need for a cohesive approach to planning for climate change.”

You have to take homeowners on a case-by-case basis, but there are some things you can do within your own business to help combat the negative effects of climate change:

• Provide green building products to homeowners – For those homeowners who are environmentally conscious, you want to make sure you provide great, sustainable solutions for their needs.
• Offer metal roofing systems to homeowners – Ceramic and tile roofs are also popular in Miami, but metal roofing systems have a long lifespan, provide great value to homeowners, and are generally environmentally friendly.
• Recycle your waste – Whether it’s your office coffee cups, or the leftovers after a job, have a plan in place to recycle as much of your overall waste as possible.
• Offer “green incentive programs” to employees – Every business has different needs and different employees, but you can offer incentive programs to help your own employees “go green.” Here’s a great article on the topic with many suggestions. You can also get a green business certification from Miami-Dade County.
• Consider investing in more energy-efficient machinery, vehicles, and appliances – When you purchase a more energy-efficient vehicle, piece of equipment, or appliance for your business, you’re investing in the long term. It’s a great investment for your overhead, but also a good investment for the future of South Florida’s livability level. There may also be tax incentives.

We love living and working in South Florida. As a Miami metal roof provider, there’s no place we’d rather be.

We want Miami to continue to be a great place to live for our children and our grandchildren. The roofers we work with everyday agree, and they see the effects of climate change from a bird’s eye view.

The question isn’t whether climate change will affect us in the coming years– the question is if we’ll all do our part to help mitigate the damage and keep Miami an excellent place to live.

Judging from the great roofers and homeowners in our lives, we know the answer is “yes.”

Contact us to share your ideas on how we can all help cut down our carbon footprint, be it big or small!
~J.C.

The post Climate Change: We Can All Help! appeared first on Metal Master Shop.

As metal suppliers in Miami, we know Miami-Dade County has some stringent requirements on roofing products. We know which materials are approved for use in the area, and which materials are not.

If you want to work as a roofing contractor in Miami, knowing the county’s requirements is a must. It’s your job to ensure every product you provide to homeowners is Miami-Dade approved. Some contractors are less concerned with those rules– but they’re likely not the contractors who further their craft with education, training, and online research.

If you’re here on our blog, we assume you care about doing things the right way. You care about your customer, the homeowner, and you care about your home.

The truth is, providing great roofing services in Miami-Dade requires a little extra work and effort. If you’re a good contractor here, you can expect a great and rewarding career. If you’re not dedicated, you can easily slip up and violate the County’s guidelines.

Doing Your Homework: It Takes Time

Ask any roofing contractor and they’ll tell you– time is precious. It’s in short supply and big demand. By necessity, though, the roofing world is full of small details. The willingness to address those details, be they homeowner questions or county building regulations, is the difference between a great contractor who does things right the first time, and a mediocre contractor who barely gets by on doing “just enough.”

The great contractor and the mediocre contractor will both tell you they wish they had more time.

So, how do you spend your time? As a roofer in Miami, you probably spend a fair amount of time assessing products and materials. Taking the time to ensure all your products are Miami-Dade approved isn’t a quick process. For ethical contractors like you, though, it’s essential.

Putting in the research for an accurate estimate, answering all of a homeowner’s questions, managing overhead, training employees, checking on each job, managing your team, driving from job site to job site– these things all add up.

But somehow, you have to find the time to ensure every product you install is Miami-Dade approved. There’s just no getting around it. Following the County’s guidelines makes for happy homeowners and a happy community. And it means you’re an ethical contractor.

So, where does the time come from?

A Worry-Free Partnership

There’s no product or service in the world that will grant you a 25 hour day. You just can’t pull time out of thin air. You can only learn to work faster, sacrifice time away from work, or cut corners.

Fortunately, there’s another way. Instead of worrying about Miami-Dade approval, and using your valuable time to make sure every product is approved, why not just work with Metal Master Shop instead? We’ve been metal suppliers in Miami for years, so we know the ropes.

Our team knows which products are and are not approved for installation in Miami-Dade. That’s something we have to specialize in, and it’s something we gladly keep up with.

As another plus, all the products we carry are Miami-Dade approved. That means you, the roofing contractor, can rest assured your products will pass approval. There’s no homework, no guesswork, and no extra time taken out of your already-busy life.

Here are two of the products we carry that are popular with roofers and their customers:

• Drexel – Drexel provides materials in many different colors and styles. Galvalume and aluminum are both popular in the Miami-Dade area, and we carry mechanical seam panels, snap lock panels, and more.
• Berridge – Berridge’s galvalume zee lock panels are extremely popular with roofing contractors. Homeowners love their elegant look and functionality, as well as their color variety. Many standout luxury homes in Miami-Dade use Berridge products, but they’re good for most any homeowner looking to upgrade their biggest investment– their home.

Instead of worrying and spending time making sure all of your products are Miami-Dade approved, why not let us handle it? We offer a variety of products and do custom work, so you can ensure you can provide your customers with their dream roof.

As an ethical contractor, you can’t just ignore the rules. You can spend the extra time vetting your roofing materials, or you can save time and energy by working with Metal Master Shop. The choice is yours.

~J.C.

The post Are Your Roofing Products Miami-Dade Approved? appeared first on Metal Master Shop.

Where Can I use Corrugated Wall Panels?

Can I Use Corrugated Panels on my Bathroom Walls? I was thinking the same thing! Glenn Robert Lym, an architect in San Francisco, California says “Yes!”

I love what the metal and the mirrors does to free up the confines of a small half bath. Loads more light and the illusion of spaciousness. It’s like an optical illusion.

What about my living room? Of course!

Groundswell Design Group in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania did an amazing job with this contemporary living room. They actually used a reclaimed tin roof from a chicken coop!

How Much do Corrugated Wall Panels Cost?

Well, it depends on the dimensions of your room. We would be happy to chat with you about your ideas and offer any advice we have.

Feel free to contact us anytime!

~J.C.

The post Trend – Corrugated Metal Wall Panels appeared first on Metal Master Shop.

A new roof ranks in the top ten for optimal curb appeal, and we can see why.

A leaky, old, and failing roof can result in a negative mark on an inspector’s checklist. So be sure to check your roof at each seasonal change to ensure you have not overlooked any leaks or other repairs that, if left unattended, could potentially be very costly.

Six Additional Ways to Add Curb Appeal to Your Home

Here at Metal Master Shop, we put together six valuable (and inexpensive) curb appeal additions that ranked high on the curb appeal checklists!

If You’re The Do-It-Yourself Type

Curb appeal is important in the sense that you want people who come look at your home to be able to envision themselves living there! Simple tricks are easily done for that DIY’er in your house, but we recommend hiring a professional for the major jobs, like new roof installations!

If you’re in the market for a new roof, feel free to contact us for more information!

Check out a few more tips we found on adding curb appeal here!

~J.C.

The post Adding Curb Appeal to Your House! appeared first on Metal Master Shop.

That means hurricane season is already here! The tropical storm Arthur briefly became a hurricane and hit the east coast around the Fourth of July, before reverting back to a tropical storm and moving on northward.

There have been a lot of storms and rain here in Miami recently, but we’ve been really lucky for the past several years when it comes to hurricanes.

Still, that’s no reason to get complacent! Take the lull in heavy storms and hurricanes as an opportunity to get your home or commercial space outfitted to handle this kind of weather in the future!

You’ll want to have metal roofing installed before the next major storm comes to call.

Want to know more? Just ask us!

~J.C.

The post Hurricane Season in Full Force appeared first on Metal Master Shop.

Copper Roofs with a Green Sheen

We’ve provided some copper panels to residents in this area of South Florida and want others to know that the city guidelines are pretty specific about it.

Copper roofing “in its natural state” is allowed. This means that there won’t be additional coatings or paints on the copper roof. It will be protected, as per our manufacturer’s guidelines, but will patina over time.

This chart shows the progression from that shiny copper orange that we all know so well to the classic green patina, reminiscent of old buildings in Europe.

 PhotoCredit

Coral Gables: A Stand-Out Community with Great Attractions

If you want to know more about your copper metal roofing options, whether in or outside the Coral Gables community, please contact us today!

~J.C.

The post Coral Gables Embraces Copper Roofing appeared first on Metal Master Shop.

The roofs, the roofs, the (metal) roofs are on FIRE!

Not really. In fact, this picture showcases how awesome metal roofs are as fire protection for your home.

Anyway, what I’m really getting at with that ridiculous headline is that the metal roof trend is definitely spreading like wildfire! More and more people are seeing that metal roofs:

• last longer

• look cleaner

• protect better

• use less energy

• keep your home cool

• and all kinds of other benefits

So what are you waiting for?

If you missed us at the South Florida home show, don’t worry! We’re still the best metal roof shop in Miami and we can still answer your questions. We can help you with that project you are working on that calls for the best roofing option for South Florida – metal roofs!

~J.C.

The post The South Florida Home Show and What Homeowners Really Want appeared first on Metal Master Shop.

Metal Master Shop Heading to the Miami Home Show

What: Home Show for Design and Remodeling 2014

When: March 21-24, 2014

Where: The Miami Beach Convention Center in Booths 0786-0787-0804-0805

(And yes, you read that right. We are taking up 4 booths! So be ready for a lot of metal roof awesome-ness!)

If you have questions about our metal roofing options, please stop by and let us know what your questions are. We are hoping to connect with a lot of people at the home show this year. We love being a resource for you as you work on your homes or properties.

We consider ourselves Miami’s metal roof experts! So, we are definitely the people to ask!

Tech and Fun!

Not only will we be there to answer questions and be a resource for you, but we will also have a TV with the Metal Roof Visualizer to see what your house might look like with different colored metal roofs!

So if you are considering metal roofs, you definitely need to stop by and find out what we can offer you.

The Strongest Roof for Your Home in South Florida is right here, with Metal Master Shop!

~J.C.

P.S. Did you see this year has some great “culinary experience” chefs? I’m excited for the food as much as for the roofing!

The post Come See Us At the Miami Home Show 2014! appeared first on Metal Master Shop.

~J.C.

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