The incredible design of the roofs featured in this project highlight the benefits of metal roofing.

Green Knight Metal Roofing in Austin, Texas has landed top honors in the Metal Roofing Alliance’s (MRA) 2020 Best Residential Metal Roofing quarterly competition for a challenging, environmentally-friendly roofing project that features a custom, ultra-modern design.

The award-winning project is comprised of four separate residential buildings—each featuring a unique roof design—totaling 7,500 square feet. The curved roof of the newly-constructed home showcases the many benefits of metal roofing, including energy efficiency, sustainability and long-lasting reliability. The architect for the project was Bercy Chen Studio, also based in Austin. 

“The gorgeous roofs featured in this project are truly an architectural highlight of the home,” said Renee Ramey, MRA Executive Director. “No other roofing material would have been able to achieve this incredible design, and best of all, it met all the goals the homeowners had for lessening their impact on the environment.”

In order to achieve optimal performance, Green Knight used a steel, double lock standing seam material with a thinner, 12-inch flat pan, manufactured by MRA member McElroy Metal. Finished with a high-performing black matte coating, the roof is designed to save energy, last for decades and stand up to Austin’s climate conditions, including hail and thunderstorms as well as intense summer heat.

Green Knight and McElroy Metal are the final winners of MRA’s Best Residential Metal Roofing Competition for 2020, however, MRA plans to continue the quarterly competition in 2021. This year, MRA will open the Best Residential Metal Roofing Competition to both trades (architects, builders, contractors, installers and manufacturers) and homeowners in the U.S. and Canada. One outstanding residential metal roofing project will be selected each quarter based on project appearance, performance and originality/use of materials. The entry deadline for the first quarter competition will close March 15, 2021. Interested participants may upload their project photo along with a 200-word or less description for why their metal roofing project is worthy of top honors online at metalroofing.com.

Become an MRA member.

Download MRA's Comprehensive Metal Roofing Buyer's Guide for Free.

About Metal Roofing Alliance (MRA)

Representing the residential metal roofing industry in the United States and Canada, the Metal Roofing Alliance (MRA) was formed to help educate consumers about the many benefits of metal roofing. The main objective of MRA is to increase awareness of the beauty, durability and money-saving advantages of quality metal roofing among homeowners, as well as to provide support to the residential metal roofing industry. For more information, visit MRA at www.metalroofing.com.

By Lauren White, RCS Reporter.

A video series and online forum is dedicated to answering your questions and sharing tips for metal roof recover projects.

Do you have questions you need answered about metal roof recover?  Maybe you have a technique that makes recovering a tall clip easier?  Or do you need a quick refresher on how to recover a standing seam?  Wouldn’t it be great to be able to ask your questions and share that information with other roofing professionals in the industry?  McElroy Metal thinks so too!  They have provided contractors with ten videos about how to use metal in retrofit applications and they also sponsor Metal Roofing Talk on our RCS Forum.

In the video series, Charlie Smith, the national recover manager for McElroy Metal, demonstrates various techniques to recover R panels and standing seams.  Filmed in his barn in Round Top, Texas, these videos are easy to follow along with and are less than ten minutes long, with the exception of his introduction to metal building recover video.  Charlie has a wealth of knowledge from his years of experience in the industry.  He shares what to do and what not to do, provides personal stories from his career and explains processes and materials in detail.

Charlie reveals the benefits of doing a roof recover for both the occupant and the contractor.  A roof recover is less disruptive to the occupant, meaning people and inventory don’t have to be moved, processes don’t get shut down and business can continue as usual.  For roofing contractors, when doing a recover instead of a replacement, they eliminate a substantial amount of waste that would otherwise end up in a landfill, which saves them time and resources.  He shares what not to do in his “Hat and Scat” video and provides three ways to recover an existing standing seam, which are broken down into three separate videos for easy viewing.  These videos are worth watching for their visual demonstrations and educational merit.

Because of his great teaching and mentoring abilities, we invited Charlie to share his expertise with others, answer industry questions and help the industry understand the opportunities with recover systems utilizing metal roofing.  Some of the questions posed in the forum are: “Have you ever done a metal over metal recover?  If so, how did it go?” and, “Do you have any commercial recover opportunities you are working on?”  Whatever the question is, Charlie is ready to listen and help!

One of the original forms of social media, forums have served as platforms for people around the world to connect with others who share similar interests.  Forums engage users and foster connectivity and interaction between people.  As a place Where the Industry Meets, RoofersCoffeeShop® (RCS) wanted to provide members with a space to share ideas, ask questions and learn from one another.  Since 2002, more than 400 roofing professionals have been doing just that, conversing virtually to share useful tips and tricks, ask about products and seek advice.  In the 18 years since it started, there are over 500,000 pages of comments!

The RCS Forum allows contractors to speak freely in a noncompetitive environment and learn from each other.  “We’ve been told by some members that they never really started making money until they began sharing information and asking questions on the Forum,” Vickie Sharples, RoofersCoffeeShop partner, revealed. 

According to Jason Falls, an author, speaker and influencer in social and digital marketing, “The social media channel with the vast majority of conversations about brands, products and services isn’t Facebook.  It’s not LinkedIn or Twitter, either.  Forums and message boards— old school social media— are still one of, if not the most popular place to ask and answer questions about brands and products.”

This is confirmed by Dr. Louise Pendry from the psychology department at the University of Exeter.  She is the lead author on a study concerning the benefits of discussion forums and reports, “Although seemingly eclipsed in the past decade by social networking sites such as Facebook, forums are still regularly used by around 20% of online users in the US [United States], and about 10% of online users in the UK [United Kingdom], attesting to the value that users continue to derive from them.”

Between the McElroy Metal video series and the Metal Roof Talks forum, Charlie Smith can answer all your metal roof recover questions.  Join the conversation and learn from your fellow roofers; the RCS Forum is a valuable asset to any professional in the roofing industry.

Talk metal with Charlie Smith on the RCS Forum and check out his video series.

By McElroy Metal.

Measuring a roof for metal roofing needn’t be stressful or complicated.

Measuring a roof for metal roofing can be tricky when taking into account multiple pitches and angles coupled with the fact that many homes don’t have a perfectly square roof. Despite this, there is no need for discouragement. Here at McElroy Metal we’ve strung together a handful of our best tips for how to best measure a roof for metal roofing.

The basics: what you need to measure

The very first thing to do when measuring the roof for metal roofing is to draw out a top-down drawing of the roof. This drawing doesn’t have to be perfect, but it does need to clearly label all of the features of the roof in inches and feet.

You should also include any porches or overhangs that are attached to the roof that will need to be covered in the new metal roofing. Your drawing can be as simple as a sketch on notebook paper.

Measuring roof slopes and including them in your drawing can be helpful, but they aren’t required. Also, if you find that the roof slopes are lower than what is recommended for the panel system, McElroy can recommend alternative panel choices that fit your project needs.

Don’t forget to include chimneys and skylights

There are a couple of things you will also need to label and measure beyond the basics like any porches that might be attached to the main roof.

Anything that protrudes from the roof should be taken into account. This could be a chimney or piping, but a good rule of thumb is to measure the dimensions of anything that protrudes from the roof.

Also, don’t forget about skylights or other recessed areas.

Basically, anything that breaks up the smooth plane of the roof should be added to your drawing and labeled with measurements.

Tips and tricks

Don’t measure to the edge of the shingles. The roof deck dimensions are what is important. Measuring this way means you can accurately consider the pull-back and overhang of the new panels.

Also, order the hip and valley panels a little bit longer than you think you need them (6” to 12”). A little extra material will go a long way if conditions are different during installation.

Learn more

Finding a partner you can work with makes selecting and preparing for a new metal roof much easier. You can find a McElroy Metal Distributor near you.

Learn everything you need to know about Residential Metal Roofing. Check out our metal roofing resources for inspiration and answers to your questions.

Learn more about McElroy Metal in the RoofersCoffeeShop® Directory.

Original article source: McElroy Metal

By Ken Gieseke, McElroy Metal.

What to consider when choosing between removing or retrofitting an existing roof. 

Building owners have two options when faced with replacing a commercial roof. The first option is to remove and replace the existing roof. The second option is to choose a retrofit solution. When making this decision, it’s important to consider balancing the cost of the new roof with roof durability and maintenance needs. Building owners have found that the best solution is a metal roof retrofit.

1. Savings on tear-off expenses 

One of the best advantages of choosing a commercial metal roof retrofit is the avoidance of tear-off and disposal expenses associated with remove and replace options.

By choosing to retrofit the existing roof, the labor of removing the roof is avoided, which results in substantial savings. In addition to labor, however, you also eliminate disposal fees which can be exceptionally steep depending on your location and the material you are disposing of.

2. Less downtime

Perhaps one of the most overlooked savings is the fact that the business and/or operations do not need to shut down at any time. Downtime for office workers, manufacturing processes, and general business operations can be extremely disruptive and costly. When you remove a roof, some downtime is almost inevitable. Commercial roof retrofits, on the other hand, allow business operations to continue uninterrupted since the original roof remains in place.

3. Safety considerations

Another advantage of commercial metal roof retrofits is that they are safer than remove and replace options.

During the roof removal process, workers are literally removing the platform they are standing and working on. Once the roof is removed, the installation crews are forced to work over open framing high off the ground. With roof retrofit options, however, the installation crews work and walk on the existing roof.

Another advantage of working on the existing roof is that it minimizes the chances of damage or injury from falling items like debris or tools. When the crew is working over open framing, any falling objects present a hazard for people and equipment below.

4. Shorter construction timeline

A shorter construction timeline is almost always one of the advantages of a retrofit over a remove and replace option. Installation crews can begin installing the new roof right over the existing roof without the time and expense required to remove the old roof first.

5. Reduced energy costs 

Reduced energy costs are one of the potential long-term benefits of a commercial roof retrofit. During a commercial roof retrofit, you can choose to add insulation between the old roof and the new roof. Or, if the new roof is being installed over existing shingles, you can opt for an energy-saving ventilated air space between the two roofs.

When deciding on adding insulation, building owners should realize that according to the Department of Energy, 35% of energy costs for the average building is spent on heating, cooling and ventilation. Therefore, adding insulation can provide a big benefit in terms of heating and cooling savings.

If owners are not interested in adding insulation, be aware that this too may be another reason to consider a roof recover instead of the tear-off and replace option. When tearing off the original roof, some local codes may require that the building be updated to comply with current insulation requirements, even if that isn't a priority to the building owner. 

6. Longer life

McElroy Metal supplies Galvalume-coated steel for all roof retrofit projects. This combination of coating and substrate is projected to last 50 to 60 years, far outlasting other roofing materials like shingles. Longer life and less maintenance lead to significant lifetime savings for commercial building owners.

7. Impact resistance

Metal roofing used for commercial roof retrofits is rated Class 4 for impact resistance. Class 4 is the highest rating possible for roofing retrofit materials so it will hold up better against wind, hail and debris damage, saving building owners from costly repairs. Class 4 roofs also lower building owner's insurance costs.

8. Curb appeal

Each building owner is going to have an opinion about what looks best. Metal roofing is available in a variety of styles and colors, which is important for steep slope applications that are visible from the ground. There are even specialty metal roofing options available that mimic the look of shingles, slate, tile or cedar. 

For low slope applications, building owners typically opt for bare, or unpainted, metal panels because the roof is not visible from the ground. White roofs, which are highly reflective, are another common option for low slope applications if the owner wants to take advantage of additional energy savings due to its high reflectivity.

9. Fire resistance

Metal roofs are fire-resistant and deliver a safer alternative to most common roofing materials.

Metal roofing materials are all non-combustible and no more likely to be struck by lightning than other types of roofing.

10. Insurance discounts

Add up the safety features, the damage resistance, fire resistance and energy savings and it is clear why building owner insurance rates are often lower for a commercial roof retrofit using metal.

Learn more about McElroy Metal in their RoofersCoffeeShop® Directory.

By McElroy Metal.

While the upfront cost of a metal roof may seem steep, the benefits of a metal roof are numerous.

Metal roofing continues to gain popularity as more homeowners are choosing to replace their shingle roofs with metal roofs. Why are homeowners making this shift to metal roofing though?  Let’s explore the pros and cons of using metal.

Pro: Aesthetically Pleasing

Gone are the days of dull, boring metal roofs. Modern metal roofs come in all types of styles and colors, and they look great from the curb.

If your customers like the look of slate or shake, there’s a metal roof for that. Are Spanish tiles more their style? Metal roofs have them covered.

Share these applications with your customers so they can get an idea of the versatility of metal roofing.

Pro: Long Service Life

Another big advantage for metal roofing is its long service life. No one expects a shingle roof to last longer than 15-20 years. Yet a properly installed metal roof can last 50-60 years or more. That's a big difference! If your customers want to learn more about this, have them read this industry study showcasing the long-term performance of Galvalume steel substrates..

The longevity of a metal roof is hard to beat, and when a Galvalume substrate metal roof is paired with a high-performing paint system like PVDF/Kynar 500®, homeowners will not only have a long-lasting roof, but also a good-looking roof for decades to come.

Pro: Lower Utility Expense

Metal roofing offers homeowners lower utility expenses, which means money savings year over year.

To maximize utility savings, homeowners should choose a cool roof pigment and Above Sheathing Ventilation (ASV).

Cool roof pigments have had reflective pigments added to the coating, and metal roofing panels that use these paint systems are referred to as Cool Metal Roofing. Cool Metal Roofing is highly reflective and reflects much of the sun’s energyhas high thermal emittance. Metal roofing panels with high reflectivity  Together these properties can help save homeowners as much as 20% in their cooling energy costs.

Above Sheathing Ventilation (ASV) means adding a ventilated airspace between the metal roofing and the substrate below. The airspace enables energy to move and vent into the atmosphere rather than get absorbed into the building structure, which increases heating and cooling costs.  If your customers don’t think that’s a concern, have them watch these videos.

According to the Department of Energy, 35% of energy costs for an average building are spent on heating, cooling and ventilation. Therefore, adding above sheathing ventilation and a cool roof pigment system to your customers’ metal roof is a wise decision.

Pro: Environmentally Friendly

Metal roofing is an environmentally friendly roofing option because it is not only made from a high percentage of recycled materials, but it can also be recycled when it is replaced. And who doesn't want to leave this place a little better than we found it!

Pro: Fire, Hail, and High Wind Resistant

Metal roofing is naturally fire, hail and wind resistant. For homeowners in areas that experience extreme weather, metal roofing is an excellent investment.

When installed correctly, metal roofing has higher uplift values than other types of roofing materials, making metal an ideal fit for hurricane-prone areas. Some parts of the country that experience hurricanes regularly are seeing a large growth with residential metal roofing.even moving to require metal roofing for new builds.

Metal roofs are also more resistant to hail than shingles. It's not uncommon for hail to damage a shingle roof so badly that it needs replacement. rain begins to enter the home until the necessary repairs can be completed.  In the most severe cases (think golf ball size), a metal roof might show some cosmetic dents after the hail but is typically still weather tight and will continue to protect your customers’ home from Mother Nature's fury.  

Con: Upfront Cost

Nothing in life is all good right?  Metal roofing is no different.  The single greatest con for metal roofing is that it often requires an upfront investment greater than other roofing materials.

While there are numerous variables from the profile selected to the shape and size of your customers’ roof and even their regional area, this table is a quick guide to the difference in roofing materials and even includes some pricing information.  This table is a great resource for homeowners, however, it only includes a few of the different profile options available.  If your customers are interested in some of the advantages discussed earlier, remind them that it's always best to reach out to a local contractor to gain an estimate specific to their home.  And they are typically free.  If they’re not sure where to start, share this link with them so they can find a list of contractors and distributors we have in their area.

The upfront price of metal roofing might seem daunting, especially when comparing it to basic 3-tab shingles, but with a life expectancy three times longer, greater resistance to Mother Nature’s fury, and the ability to reduce energy costs, metal roofing is considered a "value" to many over the life of their roof.  

Shingles might look less expensive initially, but they end up costing more over time.

For homeowners who want to learn more about the differences between metal roofing and shingles, share this article from our partner S-5!

Learn More

There are a lot of roofing options available to homeowners. Our eBook, Need a New Roof? How Building Owners Reduce Cost with a Metal Roof was written specifically to help building owners understand the options available to them. Share the link below with your customers so they can download a copy of the Need a New Roof eBook and learn more about their roofing options.

Your customers can learn everything they need to know about residential metal roofing here.  They can also check out our metal roofing resources for inspiration and answers to their questions.

Learn more about McElroy Metal on the RCS Directory.

Original article source: McElroy Metal

About McElroy Metal

Since 1963, McElroy Metal has served the construction industry with quality products and excellent customer service. The family-owned components manufacturer is headquartered in Bossier City, La., and has 13 manufacturing facilities across the United States. Quality, service and performance have been the cornerstone of McElroy Metal’s business philosophy and have contributed to the success of the company through the years. As a preferred service provider, these values will continue to be at the forefront of McElroy Metal’s model along with a strong focus on the customer.

McElroy Metal roofing profile is ideal choice for hosting the solar system on this home.

On a mission to construct a long-lasting, low-maintenance Net Zero post-frame home, Corbin Borkholder was careful about the products he selected, including a specific McElroy Metal roofing profile to host the solar laminate panels.

Borkholder is a sales representative for Borkholder Buildings, a custom builder based in Nappanee, Ind., where the company’s corporate offices, engineering center, lumberyard and truss manufacturing plant are located. This is Borkholder’s home, completed in September 2019. It was the Residential winner of the 2019 National Frame Building Association’s annual Building of the Year awards.

“I wanted an energy efficient home with minimal maintenance,” Borkholder says. “It’s a post-frame home on a slab. I was the general contractor with multiple subs. This was a great way for me to learn more about the low-energy homes we offer. It’s a product I now live in and I believe in and it’s helped me with my presentation to customers.”

According to the NFBA, post-frame construction is an “engineered wood-frame building system that meets UBC and IBC standards. Post-frame buildings feature large solid sawn posts or laminated columns instead of wood studs, steel framing or concrete masonry. These posts or columns transfer loads to the ground or are surface-mounted to a concrete pier or masonry foundation, and may use plastic barrier systems for enhanced protection of wood and concrete posts or piers.”

Borkholder says he also keeps the place as clean as he can because he has shown his home to dozens of customers in the first six months since its completion. “I want them to see what we can do,” he says.

Borkholder chose McElroy Metal coil to produce 1-3/4-inch snap-lock standing seam roofing panels, which are recognized as ideal laminate panel hosts by MiaSole of Santa Clara, Calif. The roofing panels were formed onsite by Premier Roofing and Construction of Nappanee. The striated 16-inch wide panels that cover the majority of the home are coated with Sherwin-Williams Fluropon PVDF in charcoal. The panels on the porch are Fluropon PVDF in Silver Metallic.

MiaSole’s solar panels are offered in different lengths, but to achieve the desired 6 kW system for a Net Zero rating for a home this size, Borkholder had to go with the 19-foot laminate solar panels on the south side of the home. To install 19-foot laminate panels on metal roofing, the roof had to be constructed to a slope of 12:12. With that, the home required 3,130 square feet of roofing. Borkholder Buildings manufactured the custom trusses for the home. The laminates were attached to the roofing panels on the ground – it’s safer and easier to install them straighter and then roll them down and make sure they are properly adhered. The panels are also cleaner before being installed, so the solar laminate panels adhere better than they would to dust-covered metal.

Borkholder says with the 30 percent tax credit, the return on the solar investment is expected to be 8-10 years.

In addition to the reflective roofing coating and the solar panels, other components that helped the home achieve Net Zero status were LP Smart Siding, various insulations and in-floor electric heating from Danfoss Power Solutions.

Learn more about McElroy Metal.

About McElroy Metal

Since 1963, McElroy Metal has served the construction industry with quality products and excellent customer service. The family-owned components manufacturer is headquartered in Bossier City, La., and has 13 manufacturing facilities across the United States. Quality, service and performance have been the cornerstone of McElroy Metal’s business philosophy and have contributed to the success of the company through the years. As a preferred service provider, these values will continue to be at the forefront of McElroy Metal’s model along with a strong focus on the customer. More information can be found at https://www.mcelroymetal.com.

By McElroy Metal.

Tips and tools to help your customers choose the right metal roof color for their home.

A new metal roof adds to the aesthetics and curb appeal of a home. Modern metal roofing comes in many styles and a vast variety of colors, making it easy to complement and enhance any home. There are a lot of metal roof colors to choose from, and this guide will help your customers navigate their options.

Metal Roof Paint Systems

Adding a metal roof means decades of dependable and low maintenance service, but depending on the paint system chosen by your customers, that long-lasting metal roof might not spend those decades looking its best.

To keep a metal roof looking as good as the day it was installed, we recommend a PVDF/Kynar 500® paint system.  PVDF paint systems are a bit more upfront than other paint systems, but they offer the best long-term performance.  Your customers can learn more about paint systems and what makes PVDF coatings the superior system.

Selecting a Metal Roof Color

There are a lot of options when it comes to metal roof colors, so your customer’s selection is going to be primarily determined by their personal preference.  In general, it is recommended they select a color that contrasts with the rest of the colors on their home or choose a color that complements those colors.

A contrasting color will make the roof visually pop and make the home stand out.  Complementary colors will give the home a more classic look.

For customers who aren’t sure which is more their style, we recommend checking out our residential photo gallery.  There are a lot of completed roofing projects in the gallery with both complementary and contrasting roofing colors.

Another option is for them to take a photo of their home and use our visualization tool to see what their home would look like with a metal roof.

Metal Roof Colors

The metal roof colors available will be determined by the metal roof system chosen.  All of our color charts and general brochures for our residential roofing systems are available online for your customers convenience.

Stay informed – Subscribe to our blogs

Learn more about McElroy Metal.

About McElroy Metal

Since 1963, McElroy Metal has served the construction industry with quality products and excellent customer service. The family-owned components manufacturer is headquartered in Bossier City, La., and has 13 manufacturing facilities across the United States. Quality, service and performance have been the cornerstone of McElroy Metal’s business philosophy and have contributed to the success of the company through the years. As a preferred service provider, these values will continue to be at the forefront of McElroy Metal’s model along with a strong focus on the customer. More information can be found at https://www.mcelroymetal.com.

Original article source: McElroy Metal

By Heidi J. Ellsworth, RCS Partner.

Charlie Smith has a long history in metal roofing with an eye to an unconventional future that he wants to share with roofing contractors.

I had the pleasure of visiting with Charlie Smith of McElroy Metal in a recent Roofing Road Trips with Heidi Podcast.  I love these types of interviews where I get to hear an inspiring roofing story and learn about new initiatives that can make a difference for building owners and roofing contractors.  I wanted to share his story along with inviting our RCS contractors to take some time to visit with him in the RCS Metal Roofing Talk Forum.

First, I want to share Charlie’s roofing story, “Well, basically I got into this business with absolutely zero experience. I was a geologist working in Ecuador for a few years after I got out of college but soon knew I wanted to be in the US.  I had a chance to buy a metal business and never looked back.”

“I thought it was a great opportunity. I had no idea what I was getting into but one thing nice about just jumping in is that you have no preconceived ideas on how to be in the metal roofing business or about manufacturing. I knew nothing about roofing to speak of. We had limited space, we had some portable equipment and I was in the metal roofing business all of a sudden.”

Charlie continued, “We would take equipment in and out of the manufacturing line to make roof and/or siding panels. What I learned was that if I wanted to be successful in the business, I had to be faster and a lot nimbler than the people that I was competing against.  One of the things that I did was to build inventory levels where I felt like I could produce a hundred flat sheets in any color for a contractor today and run a 40,000 square foot job in any color this week. By doing that, we moved faster than anybody else out there.”

“And then the other thing I wanted was to develop the idea of site forming panels better than anybody else.  I built a couple of big trucks with scissor lifts on them that we could drive out to the job site and manufacturer the panels right onto the roof for a contractor. Over the next 23 years, I shifted my focus from new construction to using standing seam roof panels to recover existing roofs. We put metal over metal, metal over single ply or modified and metal over shingles,” stated Charlie.  

He then successfully sold his business to McElroy Metal.  He is now the National Recover Manager for McElroy Metal.  One thing that was clear when talking to him was that throughout his career in the metal roofing industry he has been passionate about expanding the use of metal roofing in non-conventional methods.  I found out that he is known for his unique ability to problem solve, turning napkin sketches into viable metal roofing solutions. 

His efforts have made him one of the industry’s foremost authorities on recover systems utilizing metal roofing.  Holding several patents in the recover field including both metal-over-metal and metal-over-shingle solutions, he also co-wrote the new IIBEC (RCI) Metal Roofing course and is a frequent presenter at IIBEC symposiums and other roofing industry events. 

So since the podcast, we have invited Charlie to share his expertise and answer industry questions in the RCS Metal Roofing Talk Forum.  Known for his great teaching and mentoring abilities, we asked if he could share that expertise, helping the industry really understand the opportunities with recover systems utilizing metal roofing.  At RCS, we are inviting contractors to ask questions or just chat with Charlie about metal roofing here.  I am sure you will have the same great experience that I did.

Learn more about McElroy Metal in their RCS directory.

Visit the Forum now.

McElroy Metal’s 238T is the only HVHZ-rated structural aluminum panel approved in Florida.

Advanced Roofing Inc. of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., runs its operation by the belief that what the customer wants, the customer gets. The Solid Waste Authority (SWA) in West Palm Beach, Fla., had a building with an aging and leaking R-panel metal roofing system. “It was leaking everywhere,” says Mike Scardina, the Sheet Metal Department Manager at Advanced Roofing. “The original roof looked to be over 20 years old.”

Advanced Roofing Inc. (ARI) is a commercial roofing company with nine locations, specializing in re-roofing, repairs and maintenance services for occupied buildings in Florida and the Caribbean. When it comes to commercial re-roofing to meet strict building standards and wind codes, Advanced Roofing has seen it all.

This particular SWA building was used as a dumping site for foliage collected from the community. Eventually, the leaves are moved to a compost site or a recycling facility. Roof leaks were threatening electrical components and creating many problems in a small workshop within the building. The SWA wanted a permanent solution to fix the leaks and wanted a long-lasting solution for an area where hurricane-force winds are a constant threat.

The 238T symmetrical roof system was chosen because of its extremely high uplift capacity over the open framing and ease of repair if it would ever become damaged by a future storm. This system also eliminates the need for additional edge and corner framing typically required when re-roofing an open frame metal building like this, with existing 5-foot on-center purlin spacing. Instead of a complete tear-off of the original R-panel roof, Advanced Roofing left the roof in place and installed Roof Hugger sub-purlins every 5 feet on-center … 7,600 feet of Roof Huggers. Leaving the existing roof in place maintained the structural diaphragm that the R-panel provides to the building. The roof re-cover was completed with the 238T symmetrical standing seam roofing system from McElroy Metal in .040 aluminum. This assembly is the only Florida High Velocity Hurricane Zone-approved aluminum structural standing seam panel system.

“SWA wanted their roof system engineered to the highest standard possible and in line with their goals of durability in the most extreme conditions … and that’s what we gave them,” Scardina says. “This system will last a long time and hold up under tough conditions.”

McElroy’s 238T symmetrical standing seam systems do not have male and female seams; instead they are comprised of panels with matching left and right seams. The panels are joined with a mechanically seamed cap. The panels are non-directional and can be installed left to right, right to left or even from the center out. In addition to the installation benefits, symmetrical panels offer easy individual panel removal and replacement. Individual panels can also be re-installed, requiring only the purchase and installation of a new cap.

Before working on the roof, Advanced Roofing had to replace several rusting 20-foot purlins with new purlins. The roof panels for this project were .040-inch aluminum, painted Ash Gray and 16 inches wide with pencil ribs to reduce the appearance of oil canning. Seventy percent of the panels were 87 feet long and the remaining 30 percent were 100 feet long … all of the panels were run at the eave as Advanced Roofing used its in-house crane division to lift their 238T roll former into place.

To obtain HVHZ and Florida building code approval, the 238T roofing panels were installed with 100 percent 24-gauge continuous clips, meaning the clips run the entire length of each panel. The C-shaped clips are pre-installed back-to-back and run down each side of the panel and attached to the top of the Roof Huggers using two or three fasteners per side. Because of the extreme -147 psf corner pressures and the 5-foot purlin spacing, a small 22-gauge plate was added on top of the clip base over the Roof Hugger in the edge and corner zones. After three holes were drilled through the plate, clip and Roof Hugger, an AB #14 screw was used to fasten the plate and clip to the Roof Hugger in the edge and corner zones.

“It’s a special fastener that has a point and gets real fat where it meets the hex head,” says Tom Mahon, Sheet Metal Field Superintendent for Advanced Roofing. “It meets the uplift requirements for the area.”

Scardina and Mahon say to meet High-Velocity Hurricane Zone approval, the installation is more labor intensive, mainly because of the time needed to pre-drill plates, but the level of added durability makes it worth the work. The symmetrical panel legs are capped and the caps are secured by a seamer.

Learn more about McElroy Metal in their RCS directory.

About McElroy Metal

Since 1963, McElroy Metal has served the construction industry with quality products and excellent customer service. The family-owned components manufacturer is headquartered in Bossier City, La., and has 13 manufacturing facilities across the United States. Quality, service and performance have been the cornerstone of McElroy Metal’s business philosophy and have contributed to the success of the company through the years. As a preferred service provider, these values will continue to be at the forefront of McElroy Metal’s model along with a strong focus on the customer. More information can be found at https://www.mcelroymetal.com.

Installer: Advanced Roofing, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Completed: November 2017

By McElroy Metal.

A Texas homeowner found the perfect metal roof to complement her unique home. 

A powerful hailstorm in north Texas left a homeowner with a damaged concrete tile roof.  Needing a replacement, this homeowner started searching the internet and found a roofing profile that was perfect for her home, the Milan shingles from Metal Roofing Alliance member, McElroy Metal.

Milan is available in a shake or a slate profile in a variety of PVDF color options. It’s installed from the eaves up to the ridge and provides the look of dimensional shingles, slate or cedar shake. It offers the lasting strength and durability of steel roofing with state-of-the-art coatings. The interlocking Milan panels resist high winds, while the quality G90 galvanized steel provides fire protection. At one-fourth the weight of conventional asphalt roofing shingles, in some cases, Milan can be installed over existing roofs.

“Several other roofers came in and tried to get her to switch to another roofing style or profile,” says Keelan Bubb of Maximum Construction and Restoration in Dallas. “She wanted the Milan Slate roof and ended up calling McElroy.”

Approximately 4,600 square feet of Milan Slate in the color “Green Slate” was installed by Maximum Construction. The project was completed in November 2016.

“I’m pretty sure we’re the first ones to install the Milan here in North Texas,” Bubb says. “It looks perfect with her home, which is stucco. Most of the homes here are brick, so her home and roof are unique. It has a bit of an iridescent look to it. It’s called Green Slate, but there’s some gray in there. When the sun hits it one way, it looks green. When it’s cloudy, it’s gray.”

Bubb says his crew quickly picked up the knack for installing Milan. Even though weather slowed down the project, it was completed in five days. The old damaged concrete roof was hauled away by another property owner who used it as fill in a pond.

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Learn more about McElroy Metal.

About McElroy Metal

Since 1963, McElroy Metal has served the construction industry with quality products and excellent customer service. The family-owned components manufacturer is headquartered in Bossier City, La., and has 12 manufacturing facilities across the United States. Quality, service and performance have been the cornerstone of McElroy Metal’s business philosophy and have contributed to the success of the company through the years. More information can be found at http://www.mcelroymetal.com.

Installer: Maximum Construction & Restoration, Dallas

Source: MRA

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