Safety Begins Before the Metal Roof or Gutter Installation Does

Let’s talk seriously about your safety procedures. Standing seam metal roofs are an increasingly popular roof option for residential construction because of their durability and energy efficiency.  As with roof work, using any type of materials, construction employees working at heights of 6 feet or more must be protected from slip and fall hazards.

You must continuously emphasize slip and fall safety to your workers. You must also provide fall prevention training to the workers before allowing them to work above 6 feet.

Over the last few years, metal roofing and gutter contractors have been focusing on job site safety. And rightfully so!  As insurance premiums rise, it is important that your installation crews follow the proper safety precautions. It is also critical that your crews be trained and retrained on a regular basis regarding these safety procedures.  Failure to do so could cost your company a great deal of money or worse.

These safety procedures are not just limited to the installation process. They may also include the use of required safety equipment or the proper protective clothing.

This is not a new issue! Job site safety has been an important part of the home improvement and building construction industry for quite some time.

But safety does not just begin and end on the job site. 

It is equally as important that your crews arrive to and from the job site safely as well.  Their vehicles should be properly maintained, and all traffic laws should be followed to the letter. This means that crews should not be distracted while driving to and from the jobs. So there should be NO phone calls, texting, eating, drinking or filling out paperwork while on the way to or from the job site.

Many companies are opting to install video cameras on their vehicles. They record both the driver’s activities, as well as a view out the back and the of the vehicle. This is a great way to insure that your drivers are not distracted. Also, the exterior views may come in handy in the unfortunate event of an accident, which may prove your employee was not at fault.

The footage can be seen in real time on your computer or phone so you can monitor the crews’ activities 24/7.

There are also other types of tracking devices to consider that can help you govern the driving speed, and insure the use of blinkers and proper breaking and turns. These methods can help you make sure your crew arrives safely to and from jobs.

Accidents are more common than you think and can cost you a fortune in insurance premiums and legal fees.

Sure, job site safety is very important, but you also want to keep your employees safe while traveling back and forth.

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Artists have to get their inspiration from somewhere, even when they work with metal roofing. For the world-famous architect, Frank Gehry, that original inspiration came from the Inland Steel Building in Chicago. It’s a big commercial high-rise building, built in the 50’s, and when Frank looked at it from just the right angle, he saw a fair amount of oil canning in the steel building.

Oil canning is what we call the waviness you see in sheet materials when they deform for various reasons. If you aren’t familiar with the term, it’s because most roofers avoid talking about it.

Often times, oil canning is seen as a cosmetic flaw, but Frank Gehry saw it as added character to each architectural building.

Maybe that’s why Frank has designed some of the most incredible metal buildings in the world, deliberately using the technique in his design.

Where the Building Meets the Eye

Image from https://travelforaircraft.files.wordpress.com/2011/06/blog-b-52_mg_8777.jpg

Oil canning will appear on anything produced from sheet metal, such as the B-52 aircraft pictured above.

The elastic buckling of oil canning can and will occur in any type of metal panel, be it aluminum or steel. Usually, metal roofing and wall panels look flat, but if you catch them in the light, just right, you might see some of that waving and wrinkling.

The canning is usually more pronounced in a bigger and/or flatter panel. The deformation is caused by stress within the metal, causing the panel to buckle ever so slightly, which is why you usually have to catch it in the right light in order to see it.

That’s metal.

During production

First, stresses are introduced during production. All metal roofing panels begin in the form of a coil, essentially as a giant roll of sheet metal. If the coil is longer in the middle or on the edges, or picks up a side edge that isn’t perfectly straight, this can cause stresses in the sheets that will eventually be visible on the roof.

The stresses are more pronounced when you get a wider or thinner sheet. But even our narrower coils usually come from a single wider coil, redistributing these forces among the child coils. When the metal sheets are formed into roofing panels, the work often results in added stresses or tiny bending on the edges of the sheet. As these processes are inherent to the manufacturing of metal roofing, the best that can be done it to minimize it with proper tooling.

Who you are underneath

No matter how perfect your surface layer is, if the support structure or sub-roofing isn’t perfectly flat, these imperfections can be translated onto the surface metal. This also translates to the entire building. Most will understand the idea of a house “settling” after being built, and that means that the tiny shifts in the structure are now stressing the roofing in a new way, causing the metal panels to conform to the new movement.

Installation

As skilled roofers and metal suppliers in Miami, we understand how materials can change during construction; materials expand and/or contract due to heat and load changes.

In fact, we plan on thermal expansion in our designs by flexing the rib and seam areas of the joints; allowing the metal room to expand.

Some oil canning results in lines along the fasteners, and this is due to the over tightening of said fasteners. It’s no different than when your drain plug for the oil pan on your vehicle is over tightened– when it gets hot again the metals expand, slightly, damaging the oil pan.

In the Eye of the Beholder

Image from Tuxyso / Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 3.0

The Walt Disney Concert Hall (designed by Frank Gehry) has visible oil canning.

Some degree of oil canning is to be expected, as it is inherent to the production process of sheet metal, and there are certain elements that cause it that are beyond human control, such as thermal expansion, or movement in the primary structure.

If oil canning is a characteristic you don’t find endearing, especially to your roof, hiring a professional who knows how to properly handle the materials and installation, can significantly reduce oil canning effects.

Good engineering and design can mean the proper gauge is selected for your roof, the use of ribs, backer rods, and even the particular finish can all help to mask possible canning of a metal roof.

Oil canning is simply a part of metal roofing, but often times it’s something your builder won’t bring up.

Because we can’t change the physics of metal, be weary of those “professionals” who tell you they can prevent or cure metal canning 100%. They’re simply selling something that doesn’t exist.

Since oil canning is complex physics at work, it means flexible metal roofing panels are absorbing stressful forces that would otherwise give way to the underlying structures.

Besides, as Frank Gehry learned, oil canning can transform a plain, otherwise boring, metal surface into one that is full of beauty and character.

~J.C.

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No. Because, we use Kynar paint to seal our metal panels. It never fades even under the harsh Florida sun. It just won’t quit.

You’ve seen Kynar all over the world.

Monumental architecture around the world features Kynar metal coating.

Philadelphia, Shanghai, Las Vegas, Paris… and every single metal roof we sell/install comes sealed with an everlasting Kynar coating.

Our only exception is, of course, copper, but we love the patina of a time worn copper roof.

What Are My Color Choices?

We’ve included very handy color charts on our Resources page. There are so many colors available that if you are one of those people who is paralyzed by having to commit to a decision – like the color of your metal roof – take a deep breath and find your happy place first.
~J.C.

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A recent craze to create a green roof is to make a rooftop garden! This isn’t the kind of green roof I’m going to be talking about, though.

Metal Master Shop doesn’t waste metal!

There are several steps in the metal roof-making process. And at each one, we are careful to be green and sustainable.

Step 1: Manufacturing the Metal

Drexel Metals is one of our main suppliers for metal roof material.  They use recycled metal from both consumer and industrial sources. They are compliant with LEED certification for energy efficiency ratings. Getting your metal roof material from them can help you achieve a sustainable and energy efficient home.

Step 2: Forming the Metal

We take our metal mastery seriously! With our Roll Former machine, we can actually use every bit of the metal rolls that we get from the manufacturer.

We also offer custom metal roof work if you have unique valleys, eave strips, or flashing, for example. In these instances, it might require some folding and cutting. Any of the pieces left over after projects like these are recycled.

Step 3: Installation and Longevity

Metal is longer-lasting than other roofing material. Instead of paying for two or even three shingle roofs over the course of 30 years, you might only need to purchase and install one metal roof in that time!

Step 4: Recycle It!

Metal is the only roofing material you can recycle. You might even get money back when you take your metal roofing to a recycling facility and some installers will even give you a scrap credit for it!

Tile, shingles, and asphalt are all worthless once their lifetime as your roof is over. You even have to pay to have it taken to the city dump.

I found several different statistics about the amount of roof waste being generated each year in America. The one that astounds me is for asphalt shingles: a whopping 11 million tons each year!

Metal can be recycled and made into many other products! Can your old shingles do that?

What else makes a metal roof the greenest option out there?

Energy Efficient – the Department of Energy’s Building Energy Goal is to reduce annual building energy use by 80% by the year 2050. That might seem like a long way off, but the DOE has already started to do so by encouraging more metal roof installations.

Sustainable – you are always hearing about the world’s forests being ruined by over-harvesting and bad business practices. While mining has it’s own drawbacks, metal is far more sustainable than other roofing material.

And the fact that metal roofs can be recycled and made into new roofs (or dozens of other products) just adds to its sustainability.

Really, you should be convinced by now that metal roofing is one of the greenest options there is! If you want a green roof, call us today!

~J.C

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Well, we think that this roof paneling video is exciting – because it’s what we love to do!

Forming Roof Panels

The process of forming metal into roof panels might be a foreign concept to many of you. Here is a short video of us forming some shiny, copper paneling.

I hope you enjoy watching!

~J.C.

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Is the metal hot when it’s being formed?

No!

When we are making the metal roofing panels, it is not heated. We actually run the metal through a machine that bends and forms it. The machine is called a Roll Former.

We attach the coil to the Roll Former. It pulls the coil in and forms the metal. It even gives it the grooves and the standing seam form.

Rollformers didn’t exist until World War II and they really changed things in the metal industry. Before that, every panel was made one at a time. Not only is this a faster process, but it is a much more precise system.

If you are interested in watching how this works, you can watch the video we posted last week on the blog.

Are metal roofs bright?

Yes, metal roofs are bright.

Galvalume roofs are especially bright. You can (and should) wear sunglasses to protect your eyes.

Do get metal roofs get hot to the touch?

Yes, metal roofing gets hot. But most of the time, it won’t be hot enough to burn you.

If it’s very bright out, the metal will get hot. That’s because it is reflecting the heat instead of absorbing it. The heat is reflected back into the atmosphere and keeps the home cool. Other roof materials will absorb the heat, rather than reflect it.

If the metal roof is hot, will my house be hot?

Actually, the metal roof helps insulate the house. Obviously, standard insulation will help even more to keep out the heat.

So, the heat won’t burn you, but we recommend that you wear proper attire to protect yourself.

Brightness vs. Reflectivity

Brightness and reflectivity are two different things. Just because a metal roof is bright doesn’t mean it reflects heat well.

FLP (Florida Power and Light) has a rebate for having a metal roof that reflects heat at a certain rate. Our Drexel Metals have reflectivity ratings so your customers can pick one that qualifies.

Different coatings and colors have different ratings. You would think that a white coating would reflect the most. Actually, a certain shade of green has a better rating.

According to FPL, “The annual energy savings would be approximately $200 based on energy costs of 12 cents/kilowatt hour.”

There you have it. Just a few myths involving metal roofs!

~J.C.

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This is honestly a question we’ve never been asked before. But the short answer is NO. Metal roofs will not interfere with cell phone reception.

If you do have a weak signal in your home, you will still have a weak signal in your home. You might try a signal repeater for boosting the signal or changing carriers.

If you have a strong signal at in your home, you will still have a strong signal after installing your new metal roof.

Don’t let this myth deter you from getting a metal roof!

We thought this was an important question to put out there in case others were asking about it.

– J.C.

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Many home and business owners who are tired of costly roof repairs, cracked and peeling shingles, rotting shakes and broken tiles are replacing their current roof with metal roofing.  Metal roofing is a compelling alternative in today’s search for a durable, maintenance-free roofing solution that stands up to severe environmental hazards like those sometimes experienced in the southern Florida area.

Asphalt and modified bitumen have previously been the most common choice when it comes to selecting a roofing material for home and business owners.  However in more recent years, standing seam metal roofing has increased in popularity as it has decreased in cost and its durability, protection and flexibility have increased.

Metal roofs have long been popular for their aesthetics and long-term performance characteristics, particularly their strength, durability and low-maintenance costs. According to the Metal Roofing Alliance, an estimated 5 to 8 million U.S. households enjoy the benefits of metal roofs.  This growth is a result of improved styling and color choices, proven long-term performance and durability, increased consumer and contractor education, and growing emphasis on fire and seismic risk reduction.

Despite being surprisingly lightweight, metal roofing is extremely sturdy. It’s non-combustible, offering the highest fire-retardant rating available. In addition, it stands up to hail, wind and severe storms and often comes with a 30-year+ warranty.

For all of the work that a roof does, you would expect it to be a part of a maintenance plan that home and business owners  take very seriously; but unfortunately it’s a factor that is often overlooked until the worst happens. Many home and business owners do not maintain their roof  – or even have it checked on a regular basis – but prevention is a much better option than a cure. By being proactive and having regular checks on your roof, you can prevent costly repairs when the weather becomes severe.

Metal roofs, however, are strong and require little-to-no maintenance.  Most other roof types require inspection on a regular basis to check for any structural problems or areas that may need to be repaired. This is not required for a metal roof. Of course, if the roof gets damaged by a falling branch or a hail storm, you will want to have it inspected; otherwise, it’s virtually maintenance free.

While the up-front costs of installing metal roofing is typically higher than traditional roofing such as shingle, the long-term costs are generally lower than other roofing material alternatives. Little maintenance cost, less repair expenses and longer life-span contribute to the long-term cost savings associated with metal roofing.

Additionally, some states sponsor energy efficiency programs that offer financial incentives and tax-credits for home and business owners who choose to install metal roofing. Some insurance companies even offer discounted insurance rates for having metal roofing as your roof surface.

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