The Knight In Shining Armor
By Scott Kriner, Green Metal Consulting Inc.
In the history of mankind, when a soldier needed to protect himself in battle he used metal. In medieval times, the warriors wearing shining metal armor mounted their armor protected horses and rode into battle, confident that their protective gear would keep them from injury or death. In today’s battles, metal-fortified troop carriers and metal armor on foot soldiers continue to protect our service men and women.
Over the years, the construction industry has also moved to metal when protection was paramount. Case in point – where is a roof most prone to water or wind damage? Typically, failure first occurs in the valleys, at roof-to-wall junctions, chimney and penetration flashing, at eaves, and in corners. No matter what type of roofing material is chosen, whether it is asphalt shingle, tile, wood or membrane, what material is chosen to protect the most vulnerable areas? – METAL.
Metal flashing and trim adorn most roofs in those areas that are prone to failure and where only the best and most durable product must be used. Hence, we see metal valley flashing on asphalt shingle roofs. We see metal chimney flashing on all types of roofs. We see metal trim along the drip edge to protect roofing materials and interact with the metal gutters. We see edge metal trim along the perimeter of the largest low slope membrane roofs to secure the edge of the membrane and protect the integrity of the roofing system. Corners are where the highest wind loads occur on a roof and it is no surprise that metal edge trim or flashing is there to withstand those loads.
Did you ever stop to think why metal is chosen for these critical areas on any type of roof? If metal is considered to be the best product to protect the overall integrity of the roof at its weakest points, is it any surprise that a complete metal roof itself can stand up to the test of time better than other types of roofing materials?
In the battle against the elements and time, metal is the knight in shining armor.
Scott Kriner is the president and founder of Green Metal Consulting Inc. He is a LEED Accredited Professional with more than 25 years of metal construction industry experience. His company is a member of the U.S. Green Building Council, the California Association of Building Energy Consultants and the Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET). Scott can be reached by email at skriner1@verizon.net, or by phone at (610) 966-2430.