Columns/Blogs

Not all insulation materials are the same. There are various reasons to use insulation, ranging from keeping cool spaces cool or keeping warm spaces warm, to keeping noise in or keeping noise out, or for fire protection, etc. The best advice we can give is to first understand what you need to insulate, and more importantly, why you need to insulate it.

Anodized sheet products are often chosen for the aesthetics and lasting durability of the surface finish, but one issue that should not be overlooked in purchasing anodized aluminum sheets is the flatness. Why is flatness important, how is it defined and measured, what causes a lack of flatness and how can it be prevented or corrected?

One thing I have learned in life is to always have a Plan B. Things don’t always go the way you think they will. The pandemic is a stark reminder. For some, with the onset of COVID-19, it appeared as though the greatest economic boom period in history had come to a complete standstill. And today, with increasing costs of goods and raw materials, supply chain backlogs and the labor shortage, it can still feel like an uphill battle.

Anodized aluminum offers a durable, beautiful, lightweight and cost-effective alternative to stainless steel and painted metals for a wide variety of applications in architecture, transportation and consumer goods. But, like all materials, it has its limitations. When subjected to extreme levels of thermal and mechanical stress, the surface layer can exhibit signs of micro fracturing called “anodize crazing”. Several proven strategies can be employed to minimize or eliminate crazing.

Manufacturer certification programs can be a source of confusion. Most often, the confusion stems from using words like “certified,” “approved,” “authorized,” and “qualified” interchangeably. While they may mean the same thing to architects and building owners, those terms often mean completely different things to manufacturers. Kathi Miller explains in her latest blog.

More is better, right? For many architects and building owners, the decision of three-coat vs. two-coat paint systems certainly isn’t black and white.

"Every year we provide framing systems that allow a new metal roof to be installed over an existing metal roof," writes Dale Nelson of Roof Hugger LLC. "Sadly, in many cases the roof is being replaced not because it had reached the end of its useful life but rather because it had been improperly repaired."

As a leading authority on rooftop snow management systems, Brian Stearns, founder and president of Alpine SnowGuards, addresses a frequently asked question: Can a snow guard manufacturer guarantee that their snow retention device will retain all snow and ice on a roof top?

New construction has been a booming business for the past five years or so but as always “this too will change” and as a result of Covid-19, boy oh boy, has it changed. Many projects have been slowed down, many have been delayed and others cancelled. Having another steady base of business is critical to dealing with these sudden and unforeseen market changes.

The paint used to coat metal roofing and siding panels has three basic components: pigment, which creates the color; solvent, which helps to dissolve the pigment; and binder or resin, which acts like the glue to hold everything together. Due to differences in both pigment cost and the amount of pigment required, most metal panel manufacturers segment their PVDF offering into three pricing tiers.

Color is a time-tested method of adding personality to buildings, albeit sometimes more effectively than others. Its use can offer a way for buildings to blend with the environment, with surrounding structures, or to create a stronger—sometimes even bold—statement to make the building stand out.

Even when the variables covered in the first four articles of this series are monitored closely, problems can still arise when metal panels are installed that result in a checkerboard appearance. In fact, such problems are more likely to occur during installation than during any other part of the process.

Imagine a world where all commercial buildings and building products are manufactured from non-hazardous, renewable materials, and provide more than 40 years of unparalleled weathering performance. Carbon emissions are on the decline. Landfills are becoming a thing of the past. The oceans are a bright, brilliant blue and global warming is now written in the history books rather than dooming future generations.

Profiles are extruded metal components used to construct curtain walls, louvers and other decorative accents. They usually contain intricate details, including angles, edges, grooves, recessed areas and other contours that make paint coverage difficult. Since paint thicknesses vary on these components, color consistency will, too.

Things weren’t always simpler in so-called simpler times. Until the early 1970s, the image of tool changeovers within the roll forming industry was of an operator – or several operators – laboriously removing clumsy stands and heavy roll tooling and reloading with a different set of roll tooling.

The coatings process is inherently variable. No quality control program, no matter how stringent or demanding, can account for all the contingencies involved in the coatings process. In fact, many factors that affect color consistency are beyond the coatings manufacturer’s control.

Color-matching problems are common when multiple coating applicators are used on a project. American Architectural Manufacturers Association (AAMA) standards require that multiple applicators submitting coatings of the same color for the same part of a building measure within two Delta E units (DE) of one another on the Hunter color scale.

A new generation of coatings, incorporating natural materials such as metallics and micas, has helped contemporary architects create some truly extraordinary buildings. Unfortunately, coordinating coatings across numerous building components can present difficulties that prevent architects from achieving their intended vision.

The greatest economic boom period in history seems to have come to an abrupt slowdown, but there are things you can do NOW to keep your business afloat and well-positioned for the future.

Last time, in part one of this two-part series, we talked about snow guards and customer expectations, specifically in reference to the installation and use of pad-style snow guards. This time let’s shift the focus to pipe-style snow guards.