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Posts Tagged ‘metal roofs’

Preventive Coating for Metal Roofs of Steel Buildings

Monday, February 14th, 2011

The many advantages offered by metal roofs make them popular choices for residential, commercial, industrial and agricultural steel buildings. Aside from durability, portability, energy efficiency, fire resistance, versatility and hail and wind resistance, metal roofs are lightweight and possess high strength to weigh ration. That is why they are often used to cover large steel buildings such as factories, warehouses, and airplane hangars.

Metal roofs for steel buildings come with protective coatings to make them more durable and corrosion resistant. Some of them are coated with an alloy of zinc and aluminum. Others are metallic coated with a blend of zinc, aluminum and silicon and sold under various trade names such as “Zincalum”, “Galvalume”, etc.

Anti-corrosion coatings stop rust and block corrosion on metal roofs of steel buildings. These products form a barrier coating to insure protection especially in high corrosive, high humidity, and high salt (marine) environments.

Various other types of protective coatings for metal roofs of steel buildings make these roofing systems energy efficient, saving up to 20-30% on air-conditioning costs. These materials have the ability to reflect the visible, infrared, and ultraviolet wavelengths of the sun, thereby reducing heat transfer to steel buildings.

Properly maintained metal roofs can provide protection for steel buildings for generations. However, although they come with protective coatings mentioned above, these may degrade and metal roofs may benefit from a new and reliable protective coating.

The different types of coatings used for metal roofs of steel buildings include asphalt and polymeric (elastomeric) coatings. Asphalt coatings, which may be solvent or water-based, have reflective properties. However, polymer modified asphalt coatings offer improved elongation and recovery properties when compared to conventional asphalt coatings.

Elongation and recovery are crucial to any metal roofing system because metal roof panels expand and contract as the temperature changes. Pigmented latex coatings are the typical materials used in coating metal roofs for steel buildings. These materials offer a wide range of resistance to chemicals, oils and solvents, and also have good elongation and recovery. Coatings made from polyurethane are commonly used in areas where industrial chemicals or oils are present.

Elastomeric coatings that are solvent-borne have good elongation and recovery. However, they have less resistance to solvents and oils, which is why these coating are not used in steel buildings intended as restaurants, where oils and solvents are present.

Steel Buildings – An Introduction to Standing Seam Roofs

Sunday, May 30th, 2010

A standing seam roof has been a revolution in roofing systems and is a very efficient and economic way for a roof. These are very well suited for steel buildings, so if you are planning on a steel building, then a standing seam roof is something that you should consider seriously. It has all the desirable qualities of a roof like very good protection, easy installation and economy. Standing seam roofs are at the center of many buildings and commercial properties across the country.

A standing seam roof is firstly very economical, which means the cost of installation is very reasonable. This is because there is nothing elaborately complex in the system – it is simply yet efficient and effective. Another very good advantage of standing seam roofs is that they can practically eliminate the problem of roof leaks. Roof leakage can be a huge problem for a number of buildings and people who have experienced it know the troubles they can cause.

A standing seam roof is also very good in all kinds of weather and temperature conditions. Special types of preparation allow this kind of a roof to expand during the summers and contract during the winters without any buckling, which ensures the structural strength and stability of the roof as time passes. They are thus ideal for all kinds of weather and climatic conditions. They are also surprisingly resistant to snow, heavy winds and rainfall, so you can practically use them in all regions of the world.

Finally, standing seam roofs are known to be energy efficient, which means you will save costs on your heating and cooling, which can be a significant saving in the long period of time till your steel building lasts, which can be a few decades at least. Thus if you are looking for very good roofing systems, then standing seam roofs are an option you should certainly look into.

Is a Standing Seam Roof right for you?

Sunday, May 30th, 2010

The right kind of a roof is as important as the right kind of a building. When you opt for steel buildings, you are giving a lot of importance to strong structures that are able to withstand the fury of nature and provide you with a safe comfortable living in all kinds of circumstances. This is what is desired of a roof as well. A roof is a very important part of your steel building and it can really change the quality of the whole experience of owning your steel building. A standing seam roof is a great roofing system that is very well suited for steel buildings. You can now say goodbye to all the roof leaks that you might be experiencing.

A standing seam roof is highly weather-resistant, which makes it a very good choice for buildings in weather conditions that can be extreme. These can withstand snow, rain, wind, etc. with equal ease and are as such much superior to the usual shingles and clay roofs. Therefore this kind of a roof is very good in places that experience a lot of snow or rain. With the addition of sealants that your contractor will provide, you can practically rule out any leakage during the operation of this roof. Drainage is also efficient and neat in this kind of a roofing system and your building will never have problems with stagnation.

It is also economic both in installing and in the running costs. The installation is simple and cheap and it requires minimal maintenance in the long run. Also, these roofs are energy efficient, thus saving you costs in heating and cooling. The usual life of these roofs is over 20 years of maintenance free life, which is very good for a roof.

Steel Buildings – All about Metal Roofs

Wednesday, May 26th, 2010

Metal roofs offer a number of great benefits that almost no other roof can, and is thus becoming increasingly popular. A lot of industrial, residential and commercial structures today prefer metal roofing. The most common metal used for roofing purposes is naturally steel, owing to its perfect combination of strength, stability, durability and cost. Steel roofs are very attractive and economical and can be used for practically any steel buildings.

Metal roofs are also very useful in those areas that experience extremes of weather conditions. This is because metal roofs are able to withstand high loads and will not simply blow off in strong winds or be damaged by heavy rain or snow. This makes them last a very long time, thus saving a lot on the running costs as well. The scenario is only improving by the day as technology improves, making metal roofs incredibly strong and light. This means several years without any maintenance whatsoever for your roof.

Metal roofs can be quite stylish as well and they can be designed and colored to resemble any traditional roof. After these decorations, it is practically impossible to tell a metal roof apart from a traditional roof. Metal roofs also protect your home from any fires as steel and other metals are fireproof.

One apparent disadvantage is the heating of the interior of your building during the summer. This is a genuine problem that needs to be addressed and can be tacked with the help of an insulation. This will work great with your steel roof and you can get a lot of energy savings as well because the interiors don’t heat up that soon with the insulation in place.

If you want to further save on electricity costs, you can install a skylight through a metal roof. This will help natural sunlight enter your steel buildings and will keep the interiors fresh and well lit naturally without the need for artificial lighting for a major part of the day.