Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/178323
Heavy Metal Thanks to their versatility and other qualities, metal roofing and cladding systems are in demand by Godfrey Budd L ightness, versatility, durability, and, increasingly, improved methods of installation are all factors in the growing popularity of several metal roo ing and cladding systems. "We're seeing demand for metal SIP [structural insulated panels] really start to grow. It's a very ef icient panel for R value and is easy to install," says Rick Jones, sales manager for Ontario at Vicwest Inc. Insulated metal panels are in demand for retail big box stores as well as industrial, institutional and other commercial applications. "Insulated metal panels allow you to drop several steps in installation," he says. But the practical attributes of metal cladding systems are not the only drivers of their popularity. Industry has been pushing the boundaries of their esthetic possibilities. For instance, metal-clad structures mostly replaced wooden ones for farms and agri-businesses decades ago, and, for the most part, these were mostly unpainted – until recently. But now, despite the unglamorous, if essential, role of these buildings, clients are ordering painted cladding panels. "They want a more attractive building and are buying painted steel trim, dressing them up and going for a more attractively designed building," says Jones. The improved esthetics for such buildings come with practical fringe bene its. Jones notes that there have been signi icant advances in paint quality and variety of colours. "Most manufacturers are now offering warranties of 40 years. The paint may not look beautiful in 40 or 50 years, but it'll still be there." In the view of one expert, the sheer lightness of some metal cladding panels is best appreciated if a comparison is made with the process of stretching a canvas over a frame. "A thin skin of aluminum – which is attached to a frame – is where the canvas would be for an oil painting," says Travis Conrad, a technical and architectural specialist at Ontario Panelization, as he points to systems like the aluminum composite panel ones from Alcotex. Metal Roofing and Cladding p.20-23 metal roof.indd 21 Depending on the metals and inishes deployed, the appearance of metal cladding systems can range from sleek and uniform to a natural look that has in part been fashioned by the weather. Zinc is a case in point. "Its patinization is responsive to its environment. Zinc is very hardy, but has been under-used. It's an 'organic' product. It gives a building a unique look," Conrad says. There's more than esthetics to this 'organic' cladding, however. It has an ability to 'self-heal.' If the zinc remains exposed to the elements, scratches and other marks disappear over time. "Zinc can be used in a wide range of ways. It's easy to work with and more applicable where you want something 'organic' and varied, rather than a slick, uniform look," says Conrad. Photos above: Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, Waterloo, Ontario. Below: St. Clair College Health Sciences Building, Windsor, Ontario. Both buildings are clad in an Aluminum Composite Panel system, Alcotex. Courtesy Ontario Panelization. Metal cladding and roo ing companies are adding capacity and the insulated metal panel market is growing, says Steve Fox, general manager with the Canadian Sheet Steel Building Institute (CSSBI). If Vicwest is an indication, the trend Fox points to is signi icant. The company is involved with two relatively new plants, plus a yet-to-be-completed one which should open by the end of this year. Its Hamilton, Ontario production facility, which makes insulated metal panels for the industrial, commercial and institutional markets, opened in 2006. When the Oakvillebased company bought a U.S.-based metal cladding products manufacturer in 2010, it acquired a California plant that had been commissioned only three years before, in 2007. Last fall, Vicwest announced it would open a 100,000-square-foot factory in Little Rock, Arkansas later this year. The company said that the new plant was to meet growing demand for metal cladding and roo ing products and would complement similar facilities in Vacaville, California and Hamilton. But success, as they say, can come at a price. Unfortunately, as the popularity of metal roo ing and cladding has grown, a minor swarm of under-quali ied contractors with murky track records have jumped on the bandwagon to install shoddy products, mostly from overseas. "Owners and general contractors are better off with suppliers with a certi ied amount of experience," Conrad says. If quality products are used, poor installation habits, not inferior paint, are likely the weak link in the chain, according to an expert at the Roo ing Contractors Association of British Columbia (RCABC). In the development of standards and practices, the focus is on the detail component of roof systems. "In any roof system, detail is the most likely thing to fail. The problem or failure is almost always in the detail area. For example, the termination of a panel at a wall has been done incorrectly, in that the termination panel allows water to run into a wall; or skylight lashings AUGUST 2012 /21 7/13/12 9:57 AM