Category: Uncategorized

A Big Idea: An Introduction to Tiny Homes

Posted on by Ken Buchinger

Tiny homes are more than just a passing trend popularized by television shows, opinion editorials and blogs; they are a movement born out of a growing need and desire of homeowners to downsize, customize and simplify—all the while maintaining maximum function and style. Tiny homes, in fact, offer their residents big living opportunities through their inherent cost savings and mobility, which has resulted in Tiny Home Communities popping up across the country and even around the world. But what exactly is a tiny home and why are more and more people bucking tradition to live in them?

What is a Tiny Home?

While there is no hard and set rule about what constitutes a tiny house. They are—in short—residential structures that typically measure between 100 and 400 sq./ft.; the standard newly purchased U.S. single family home takes up nearly 2,100 sq./ft.1 These homes feature the same types of materials, construction and aesthetics you find in their larger, more permanent counterparts.

Can you really live in a Tiny Home?

Tiny homes certainly aren’t for everyone. If you have a large or growing family, or just enjoy having tons of space in which to live and entertain, you’re probably better off sticking with the traditionally-sized home. However, if you’re looking for a more affordable option, need a guest house, or are looking for a low-cost vacation home, tiny homes might be a great fit for you. In addition to being used as full-time residences, tiny homes are also used as short-term rental properties, and to house the homeless and those displaced as a result of destructive weather events.

Many of the concerns people have about living in a tiny home center around their need to have room for all of the things they possess: furniture, clothes, entertainment, knick-knacks, etc. It is true that those who choose to live in a tiny home shed many of their material possessions for a simpler, more minimalistic lifestyle. However, tiny homes can also be custom-built to feature loads of strategically-designed storage space to suit your lifestyle. You also don’t have to give up modern conveniences when living in a tiny home. These smaller spaces make use of generally unused or underutilized spaces to house full-size washer and dryer units, refrigerators, ovens and showers, as well as queen-size beds and fireplaces.

California Tiny Home
COPYRIGHT DC PHOTOGRAPHY STUDIOS

Cost Advantages of a Tiny Home: Affordability

The average cost to build a tiny house is $23,000 if built by the owner as compared to the $272,000 average cost for a standard-size house before interest2. In a time when a staggering 46 percent of Americans would either have to borrow money or sell something in order to cover a $400 emergency expense (as reported by the Federal Reserve Board in a recent survey), this in an attractive idea. Additionally, considering the slow-growing economy has done little to increase wages, it’s not surprising that spending one third or even one half of their monthly income on living expenses has left approximately 75 percent of American workers across a range of education and income levels living paycheck to paycheck. This includes nine percent of people earning $100,000 or more per year who feel they usually or always struggle to make ends meet (Harris Poll).

The Metal Panel Difference: While metal can—in some cases—be more expensive that more traditional building materials when initially purchased, their value is long-term in the form of increased durability, wind-resistance, fewer maintenance requirements, cost-saving energy efficiency, and inherent strength and structural integrity. In fact, over a metal roof’s lifespan (about 60 years), traditional shingles can cost just as much, if not more.3 Read more about the long-term value of metal panels here.

So while some buyers may be aiming to minimize their carbon footprint and live more simplistically, many people are looking to realize the economic benefits tiny homes offer. For them, the long-term durability and overall debt reduction thanks to lower purchase prices and taxes, reduced energy and maintenance costs, and more time living mortgage-free is driving them down this here-to-fore unusual path.

Want More Information on Tiny Homes?

In the next two blog articles in our Tiny Home series, we go into more detail about the advantages of metal panels for tiny homes. Metal Panels for Tiny Homes Part 1 will discuss mobility and customization; Part 2 will provide practical guidance on weather considerations, installation and maintenance.

For more information on metal panels for Tiny Homes, visit our website or contact your local sales representative.

 

References:

  1. thttp://www.nahbclassic.org/generic.aspx?sectionID=734&genericContentID=196904&channelID=311
  2. gov
  3. org/barndominium/

 

How Metal Trim Earns its Keep

Posted on by Tyler Roose

Selecting the right trim and installing it correctly is crucial to ensuring metal buildings look good and stay dry.

The success of any metal panel roof depends heavily on the trim. Aside from providing an elegant, finished look, these hard-working components serve as part of the flashing system by sealing joints, side seams and end laps against leaks. The right trim installed in the right manner will help keep metal buildings dry and good-looking for years to come.

Where is trim used?

When most people think of trim, the pieces that come to mind are those installed around a roof’s perimeter: the ridge, or peak; the eaves, or lower edges; and the rake, or side edges. But just as important are those less noticeable pieces installed wherever there’s a change in roof slope, as in a valley, or where the roof meets a vertical surface like a dormer wall. Valley and dormer trim play particularly tough, yet vital roles because they have to prevent water trapped by leaves or snow from backing up into the structure. This is just as important on metal walls where trim sheds water away from windows and doors, and waterproofs inside and outside corners.

Trim performance and aesthetic

In addition to performing well, the trim also has to be attractive, and trim thickness can be a major factor in how good the roof looks. Although the trim pieces are usually the same thickness as the panels, as we mentioned in our post on Metal Panel Gauges, it can be helpful to step up to something thicker, which is less likely to telegraph imperfections in the underlying roof or to dent if the installer mistakenly over-drives a screw. Additionally, a heavier-gauge trim can help prevent “Oil-canning”—the deformation of sheet metal—which can be common on trims applied to corners and door jambs. Using A 26-gauge trim piece on a 29-gauge roof may even allow for the selection of thinner roof panels, adding to homeowner satisfaction without adding much to—and maybe even reducing—the cost.

Installation factors make a difference

Trim can only succeed at its job when installed in the proper sequence. On a roof, the eave and valley flashings must be put in place before the panels, while the rake and ridge pieces wrap around the tops of the panel edges. Done right, this sequencing creates overlaps that naturally shed water. The proper overlaps also protect the roof against wind-driven rain by ensuring that any water that sneaks past the trim during a storm hits an underlying piece of metal and drains back out to daylight so it can be evaporated. As an added layer of redundancy, the installer will include a sealant tape between the trim pieces and the panels. These serve as gasketing to keep water on the outside. Additionally, trims that are hemmed at the edges can add rigidity to and fight corrosion of the factory cut edge.

Even the highest quality materials will not perform optimally unless installed correctly. To ensure each piece of trim is perfectly straight and square from end to end, with no bumps or dips, the installer will usually have someone on the ground confirm that everything looks right before fastening each piece.

For information on ABC’s trim, including diagrams and installation manuals, visit our website or contact a local sales representative today.

Spotlight on Underlayment: Synthetic vs Felt

Posted on by Jessica Taylor

What’s under your customer’s metal roof matters.

Roof underlayment is the first layer of material laid prior to the metal roofing panels. It separates the roof covering from the roof deck, thus protecting it from detrimental resins, unevenness and—in re-roofing applications—fasteners and other old building materials. This water-shedding layer also provides secondary protection from weather, shields the roof deck during construction and is often required for warranty adherence and for roofs that must meet Underwriter’s Laboratory (UL) fire ratings. Outside of its traditional use, synthetic underlayment can also offer a myriad of benefits for your customers.

Synthetic vs Felt

Felt underlayment, also known as “felt paper” has been the traditional underlayment of choice for decades. It was used to prevent damage to the roof covering caused by sap leakage from wooden building materials, however—as even most wood structures are now constructed using plywood or other, non-wood materials—this is no longer an issue. Felt underlayment is saturated with asphalt composed of volatile compounds that dissipate over time. This makes it more fragile and likely to absorb moisture, which further weakens the roof. This deterioration is accelerated when asphalt is exposed to UV rays, heat, poor ventilation and less energy-efficient roof coverings. Additionally, the crude oil refining techniques that previously resulted in the creation of asphalt as a byproduct, now extract the maximum amount of product from the crude resource. As a result of this advancement in the refining process, only a powder-like residue that is not conducive to the development of asphalt is generated. Consequently, more customers are turning to a synthetic alternative for a longer-lasting, economically-efficient solution.

Compared to traditional organic felt, synthetic underlayment is significantly more lightweight, permitting many more squares per roll, which makes it an economical solution for your customers. While non-woven materials are generally moisture permeable, woven scrim synthetic roof underlayment greatly enhances tear resistance and ease of installation. While it can be designed to be moisture-permeable, synthetic underlayment is typically manufactured as a barrier that doesn’t absorb moisture, making it resistant to fungal growth and wrinkling.

Underlayment Requirements and Resources

Although synthetic underlayment may be the superior choice for your customers, it is imperative that its use does not violate building code requirements or manufacturer’s warranties for the intended roof covering and that it is installed according to the manufacturer’s provided instructions.

The International Code Council (ICC) has developed a single set of comprehensive and coordinated national model codes and standards used in the design, build and compliance processes to ensure the safe, sustainable and affordable construction of structures. The ICC’s set of International Codes (I-Codes) are available for purchase, and include, among others:
·         International Building Code (IBC)

  • International Energy Conservation Code (IECC)
  • International Fire Code (IFC)
  • International Green Construction Code (IgCC)
  • International Residential Code (IRC)

Of particular importance to the roofing industry are the IRC and IBC I-Codes. These codes include specific underlayment requirements and installation/ attachment directions for simple enforcement by inspectors. Provided in Chapter 9 of the 2015 IRC and Chapter 15 of the IBC, they cover material types, application and attachment requirements, including specific information for metal panels with denotations for variances specific to high-wind areas.

Because of the wide variety of underlayment and metal panel styles, the IRC and IBC require installation according to manufacturer’s instructions. In the absence of manufacturers’ instructions and/ or when using alternative materials, the specific requirements outlined in the IRC and IBC I-Codes should be used where applicable. Remember, a metal roof is designed to have a long service life, and the underlayment’s service life should at least match that of the metal roof. Don’t allow your customers to be shortsighted when designing for longevity by using an underlayment not guaranteed to last for the duration of their roof.

ABC Underlayment

Advantages of Underlayment

Woven, coated polypropylene synthetic underlayment fabric is not only designed to protect against weather damage, but also provides greater strength, a longer UV exposure window and more secure surface for installation safety. Some underlayment options are 100 percent recyclable and up to 25 degrees cooler than asphalt felt, which can result in decreasing energy costs for your customers. At one-fourth the weight of traditional felt, but up to 20 times stronger, it ensures longevity that can’t be matched using traditional felt, particularly in areas that experience extreme heat and weather events. To prevent downhill slide during installation, underlayment is manufactured with anti-skid coating on both sides, ensuring a more sure-footed feel is achieved once attached. In addition, underlayment is certified to withstand up to six months of exposure to the sun and other weather elements before the final roofing material must be laid.

Learn More

For more information on ABC’s metal roof and wall products and for more tips on underlayment, please contact your local ABC sales representative.