Why Metal?

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For years, builders and designers have opted for metal over other materials for its energy efficiency, low maintenance, and durability. Increasingly, however, metal’s other key attributes—its striking beauty, clean look, and versatility in both new and retrofit construction—are helping to firmly establish it as the material of choice for institutional and commercial building projects.

Although it plays a key role in setting industry-wide trends in sustainability and green design, metal also holds advantages over other materials in addressing day-to-day concerns. For example, metal walls can be preformed to help you save on cost or custom-engineered to bring you quickly up to speed on code requirements. Plus, metal products are flexible—a must for designing tight or complex spaces—and available in an array of types, both coated and uncoated. With metal, design options are endless.

Above all, metal is:

Economical

Among its many cost-saving benefits, metal

  • Offers better life cycle return-on-investment than other materials. Today’s metal construction products are protected by highly durable paints and coatings that now ensure a service life of 40 years.
  • Lowers maintenance costs
  • Contributes to tax benefits
  • Can be designed to withstand severe acts of nature
  • Decreases heating and cooling expenses
  • Saves time on installation.

Sustainable

Metal is one of the most energy-efficient and sustainable building materials available. Today’s metal construction products

  • Contribute to LEED points
  • Contain 25%–95% recycled materials
  • Are virtually 100% recyclable.

Did you know?

  • ENERGY STAR-labeled metal helps lower heating and cooling costs.
  • By lowering cooling loads, metal roofs with heat-deflecting finishes reduce energy consumption.
  • Cool metal roofing can achieve reflectance values of more than 70% and emittance values as high as 90%.
  • An Oak Ridge National Lab study shows painted metal roofs maintain 95% of their reflectance value over time. This is important because many codes assume reflective performance of all roof materials degrades at the same rate.

Versatile—a real plus for designers in particular

  • Metal roof systems offer a wide range of options for substrates, colors, shapes, seams, styles, module widths, profiles and rib patterns.
  • Metal wall systems offer a broad choice of products, colors, panel sizes, finishes, profiles, textures, and vertical and horizontal installations.

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Photo courtesy of RHEINZINK America Inc

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