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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Metal Master Shop

After a few months of planning, we finally have in our hands the latest Metal Master Shop Brochure. Quality time was invested in this piece because it needed to be something useful for our customers on both ends; the contractors, and the homeowners. This brochure is important, because it presents metal roofing to the person who might not have all the necessary information to make a decision.

We make it a priority to be as informative as possible, because we know that when a customer compares metal roofing to any other system out there, the choice is obvious. The purpose of the brochure is to:

1.Give the contractors a tool to hand out to their customers, therefore expanding their roofing options.

2. Provide a tool to homeowners that will allow them to make an informed decision.

There are many myths surrounding metal roofs; but when it comes down to it, it isn’t only beautiful, it is the strongest, longest lasting system available. Think about those beautiful cathedrals with metal roofs standing after hundreds of years! A metal roof, when properly installed, will be the last re-roofing job you’ll have to worry about.

Some wonder why we didn’t include profiles and materials in this brochure. The answer is simple. This is not a product catalogue. It doesn’t make much sense to load a person with details on a product they don’t fully understand how it benefits them in the first place. The goal is to lay the facts down, and encourage the costumers to research and become familiar with what metal roofing is. Metal Master Shop wants contractors as well as homeowners to know about the benefits of metal roofing before they start diving into technical information that can be overwhelming for anyone. If you wish to have technical data, resources are available on our website and you are welcome to stop by the showroom to collect any samples, color charts, installation guides, Miami-Dade Approvals, etc.

We have great things planned! This is just the beginning. If you are familiar with Metal Master Shop you know that we not only take pride in the products and services we offer, but in supporting learning . We take information very seriously, and hope you find this brochure most helpful. To request a copy CALL US 305.261.9290, or stop by! We are always happy to see you.

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Recently, we did a random survey of 500 Florida residents with this very question. Do these results surprise you?

What Women (and Men) Want…

Overall, Tile was the winner at 44.8%. Metal was a close second at 33.2%, and shingle came in at 20.4%.

Digging a little deeper, we ranked the answers by gender, annual income, and whether they lived in rural, urban or suburban areas.

The first thing we noticed is that men and women want different things. (Big Surprise!)

Women, ages 55 to 64 preferred metal roofs, 45.8% of the time. While Men of the same age only chose a metal roof, 34.7% of the time. The favorite choice among men of this age group was tile, coming in at 53.1%.

If we look even closer, we find that women in the $25K-49K income range, in rural areas,  and 55-64 age range, chose a metal roof 50% of the time, while men in the same area chose metal roofs a whopping 100% of the time. Maybe there is hope for the battle of the sexes after all!

Among the urbanites, women in the 45-54 age range with a salary of $100-149K decided they wanted a metal roof 100% of the time. Men in the same ranges chose tile 100% of the time. The battle is alive and well!

And out in the suburbs, women, age 55-64, with an income range of $50-74K opted for the metal roof 70% of the time while their male counterparts were split evenly among the three choices at 33.3%.

It seems men and women just can’t agree. Ah well, that’s not really why we were asking this question.

What Do These Numbers Mean?

We posed this question for three reasons:

1. We wanted to take the pulse of our home states purchasing preferences
2. We wanted to see if we could define a target market for our product
3. 500 answers tells us a lot

What does this mean for metal roofing contractors?

We’ve found your target market: Women in suburban and rural areas, age 45-64 in the mid income ranges $50-149K are your sweet spot. We’re not saying that you should change all your advertisements to a pink color, but at least now you have some hard data to make informed decisions.
~J.C.

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Unique

The owner obviously has a sense of modern and unique architecture. This mix between metal and tile roofing is not common at all. We used Galvalume by Engert with a standing seam of 1.5 inches in dark bronze.

Customized

We were thrilled to be chosen to provide the metal for this awesome project, and we love delivering this level of custom work for all our clients—especially clients with a clear vision.

What can we accomplish for you?

~J.C.

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Galvalume is a combination of galvanized metal and aluminum. It’s a less expensive option than galvanized metal alone. It’s also a bit heavier than pure aluminum which is fairly lightweight. As with all our metal roofs, galvalume offers the same quality.

Unlike your neighbors Labradoodle, Galvalume is made to withstand a Category 4 hurricane.

Galvalume has been around for quite a while.

According to SteelRoofing.com, “Since 1972, nearly 20 million tons of product has been produced in North America alone.  Galvalume sheet steel continues to gain approval by specifiers, architects, building owners, and many others due to its versatility, ease of use, aesthetics and long-term performance.”

Where do I find Galvalume?

I’m so glad you asked. Here at Metal Master Shop, we offer Galvalume! You’ve come to the right place. Give us a call, we would love to answer any questions you might have.

~J.C.

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Our team is highly trained on all things metal roofing! We constantly have training seminars and continuing education classes for our team.

We even hosted our own training seminar for contractors in July and we have scheduled a second seminar due to the success of the first one! Those dates will be made known very soon.

Whether you’re just picking out the perfect color for your new roof or building a home from scratch, we have all the necessary tools to help you decide on every step of the process.

If you’re not sure what products or services you may need, let Metal Master Shop be your guide in helping you choose! We have a large variety of design options and products to choose from that are sure to meet all your roofing needs.

Contact us today for a fast quote or so we can answer any questions you might have!

~J.C.

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What’s a Roof Slope?

For homeowners who aren’t too familiar with roofs, think of the slope as the steepness of the roof.

If you remember way back to high school algebra, you learned that the slope is calculated as the rise over the run.

That’s how it works with roofs too! A low slope is closer to flat (horizontal), while a high slope is very steep.

In roofing, the slope is the answer to this question: How many inches does the roof rise for every number of inches it runs horizontally? You’ll hear this expressed in terms of 4/12 pitch or 1/4 pitch.

Determining the slope is an important part of any roofing job. The slope of your roof is higher in areas like Miami because there’s often lot of rain to redirect off of your home.

And that’s what the slope is. Now, when you hear roofers talking about slope or pitch, you’ll understand what they’re talking about!

Check back next month to see us define another roofing term.

~J.C.

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Unfortunately, the roofing industry is known for scams, shoddy workmanship, and overpriced installations. So it’s up to you to do the work necessary to be sure that you find an experienced and honest roofer, not just the first one listed in the yellow pages.

In an effort to help you in that task, I’ve come up with a step by step guide for finding a good roofer that can do the inspection, installation, and maintenance for you. After all, Metal Master Shop provides the product for your roofing project, and we know all the ins and outs of that side of the equation. It’s up to the roofing contractor you hire to actually complete the project for you. And hopefully they do it to your specifications and appreciation.

Step 1: Gather

This is the easy part. This is where you go online, ask your friends, and look around your neighborhood for roofing companies. Get together a list of names and contact information.

Step 2: Organize

Sort them from best to worst as well as you can at this point. There are probably dozens available to you and you don’t want to waste your time meeting for a consultation with that many. So for example, if a trusted friend gave you a glowing recommendation, then that technician should probably go to the top of the list.

Step 3: Website

Do the Miami roofers on your list have a website? Does it give you good information? Is it easy to navigate? If the company doesn’t have a website or if there isn’t much solid information on it, then chances are that the roofer isn’t insured or licensed.

Step 4: Reviews

Always look for reviews both on the Miami roofer’s website and on other sites like Yelp and Google Maps. Read as many reviews as you can, pay attention to the date of the review and what was said. Let this guide your decisions about where to prioritize a company on your list and when to eliminate them altogether.

Step 5: Accreditations

Check for proof of accreditation by finding their registrar for contractor numbers or by contacting the roofing certification board to check for complaints. If they say they have an A+ rating, take the little bit of time necessary to verify that on the BBB website.

Step 6: Send Out Word

Now you need to contact them with the details of your job. After all, you might contact a great roofer but can’t hire him because he can’t complete your job within the time frame you need. So the next series of eliminations is to make sure the roofer is a good fit for you and your project.

Sometimes a client will get a questionable response from a roofer on their list. At times this is the fault of the roofer, perhaps if he is trying to make some easy money. So be wary.

At other times, the fault here lies with the client who is simply uninformed or doesn’t know what to expect from a roofer. Again, doing your homework and being smart and realistic about your project will go a long way during this step.

Here’s what to include in your research:

• Type of job – Is it a few repairs or a complete installation? What material is the roof? How large or small is the job? (Some roofers have a minimum amount they charge for a job so ask specifically about this too.)

• Other aspects of the job – is there anything else that needs to be done along with the roofing work? Insulation? Home repair? Is there an option to bundle these services together? Is there another company or contractor that they work with to accomplish these things?

• Materials needed – Are they providing the materials or do you have a manufacturer or materials already? How available are these materials? Is there a timeline for having them manufactured or ordered?

• Timeline – When do you want it done? Do you want it started immediately or at a specific time in the future?

Now you just sit back and wait for the bids to come in!

Metal roofing systems are a smart option for many homeowners looking to have an affordable, long lasting solution to their roofing needs. If it’s done properly and maintained well, a metal roof will be attractive and low maintenance for years to come.

And if you find the right person for the job, then your metal roof will be a smooth, simple, and an affordable choice!

-J.C.

The post How to Hire a Good Miami Roofer – Part 1 – Establishing A Good List appeared first on Metal Master Shop.

It seems like just 5 to 10 years ago a homeowners only option for roofing was asphalt shingles or asphalt shingles. There were not many other options available, and if you wanted them, you had to pay big bucks for them.

Asphalt and composition shingles do have one good point. They are dead cheap the first time you install them. However they need replaced regularly and need regular maintenance.

We are in a new era of better products, metal roofing. Metal roofing products are better for numerous reasons.

Here are my top 10 reasons why metal roofing is better in no particular order:

• Maintenance free: will not crack, rust, or rot

• Resists Streaking and staining

• Never needs cleaning

• Will not burn and protects against flying embers from wildfires and more

• Will not absorb water and become waterlogged

• Will not rot or support insect infestation

• Most come with a lifetime warranty

• Made from 95% post-consumer recycled aluminum

• Reflective pigment coatings keep attics naturally cooler, cutting energy costs

• Wide selection of colors and styles

Gone are the days of stinky and sticky tar and asphalt roof jobs in the hot Miami sun!

Gone are the days of re-shingling your roof in the Florida humidity!

But right now, I want to talk about what IS hot with metal roofing. Specifically what is on trend right now.

After all, the last thing we want is for your house to stick out like a sore thumb. No one wants to be the gaudy house in the neighborhood right?

Metal Roof Design

Standing seam metal roofing is still the number one most popular design people are putting on their homes.

If you have looked at houses in your neighborhood with metal roofs, they are probably of the standing seam variety. Standing seam metal roofs typically have panels that run vertically up the roof. Continuous panels run from the ridge of the roof all the way down to the eaves.

Between the panels are seams connected by fasteners which are raised above the level of the metal roofing. This is where we get the term standing seam, because the seam is raised or standing, and is a prominent feature of this particular roof.

One great advantage of standing seam metal roofs are the seams themselves. Typically the weak point in any roof and a potential entry point for moisture, the seams are raised above the level of the roofing panel.

Because the metal panels run unhindered from the top to the bottom of the roof, not only are there no horizontal seams but in total, the roof has a far fewer number of seams.

Colors For Your Metal Roof

Metal roofs can be constructed in any color you want. That is one of the greatest features. You are no longer limited to grey, black, or blacker.

The most popular colors of metal roofing are popular for one very great reason. Money, or more specifically, how much they can save you.

White is the most popular color in Miami, Florida for metal roofing right now followed closely by any of our light colored finishes. White, and anything light colored, are popular because they are reflective. Anyone that has lived under the Miami sun can tell you how important this factor is.

Being reflective will save homeowners substantially in two different ways.

FPL Rebate

The FPL Rebate is an incentive being offered by Florida Power & Light Company for qualifying homeowners. If you install a reflective metal roof by a participating independent contractor of your choice they will walk you through the rebate process.

You just need to make sure your material complies with Energy Star standards or the Cool Roof Rating Council’s standards. (FYI, our metal roof products meet these requirements, but mention you are after this rebate so we can make sure and provide you the best resources).

Energy Costs

The annual energy savings would be approximately $200 based on energy costs of 12 cents/kilowatt hour. – Per the FPL website.

Don’t miss out on the hot trends right now for some cool savings and a much more comfortable home.

~J.C.

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Homeowners have discovered that installing a metal roofing system is not only one of the most environmentally responsible choices they can make, it’s also one of the most cost-effective.  Metal roofing materials are virtually 100 percent recyclable, making them a very sensible choice from an environmental standpoint. Even more important, many of today’s metal roofing systems are coated with various finishes, which reflect much of the sun’s rays and thereby offer significant energy savings.

The energy savings offered by cool metal roofing are significant from both an environmental and an economic standpoint. The cooler roof temperatures can produce as much as 20 percent savings in air-conditioning costs.

The potential environmental benefits of cool metal roofing systems are drawing the interest of utilities, trade associations, industry groups and government agencies, who are finding that metal roofing offers environmental benefits that are not always immediately apparent. For example, cool metal roofing can help to reduce the “urban heat island” effect, which will reduce the demand on utilities for electricity, most of which is generated by the burning of fossil fuels. In this way, metal roofing also contributes to cleaner air and reduced greenhouse gas emissions.

Of course, the environmental benefits of cool metal roofing are only one part of the big picture.  Metal roofing also offers practical and aesthetic appeal to homeowners, in addition to its appeal as an environmentally responsible roofing choice.  Metal roofing is already widely recognized for offering so many benefits, such as Class A fire resistance, extremely light weight, and excellent wind resistance.  What’s more, metal roofing is one of the most durable roofing systems available; for most homeowners, this is literally the last roof they will need to buy.

Best of all, a homeowner does not have to sacrifice aesthetic appeal in order to do the right thing from an environmental standpoint.

Today’s metal roofing systems complement virtually every type of architecture and design, and they do it in a way that is cost-effective, durable and efficient.

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