Tag: weathertightness

Metal as the Preferred Material for Self-Storage Facilities

Posted on by Tyler Roose

At the heart of any self-storage business is the facility itself. To create a profitable operation, it’s important to design your facility with a variety of factors in mind. Your facility must be appealing to customers while maintaining a functional, low-maintenance design. For most self-storage facility owners, metal is the building material of choice as it provides the following benefits:  

Quick to Build – The prefabricated design of metal buildings means that the components arrive pre-cut and ready to go. This saves time and money during the construction process. 

Low Maintenance – Metal buildings offer durability which save money on annual maintenance costs. Many metal panels feature protective coatings which prevent damage, preserving the longevity of a facility. Metal roofs offer a lifespan of 30+ years compared to the 10 to 15-year lifespan of traditional roofing materials. 

Weather-Resistant – With the strength of metal, storage buildings can often withstand high winds, heavy snow and hail. This will provide tenants with peace of mind that their property will be protected. Metal buildings are also resistant to damage from fire and seismic activity. 

Flexible Design – Choosing a metal structure and components to self-storage facilities provides a lot of design flexibility. Choose from a variety of options including roof panels, wall panels, roll up doors and a variety of other accessories to construct the facility. Metal panels and trim are available in several attachment styles, profiles, colors and finishes to fit your needs. As your business grows, your metal building can be expanded to accommodate additional units. 

Sustainable Option – Metal is a 100% recyclable option, allowing you to reduce carbon footprint. Additionally, you can improve the energy efficiency of your metal storage facility by choosing cool metal roof panel colors and adding insulation. 

Metal Roofing for Storage

 

Roof, Walls and Doors

Any self-storage facility should have an energy-efficient building envelope to protect the tenants’ property from the outside world. The components you choose for your self-storage facility make all the difference when it comes to functionality, durability and aesthetics.  It’s important to select high-quality components which will stand up to extreme weather and regular wear and tear, and that are compatible with each other so they can be properly joined and sealed to prevent leakage. 

Roof Panels 

Selecting the right roofing materials play a large part in improving the weathertightness of a facility. This ultimately affects the energy efficiency of the building and provides tenants with peace of mind that their belongings are protected. 

Metal roofing is durable, even during extreme weather events. Many panels are capable of withstanding winds up to 140mph. They’re designed to protect against air and water leakage, contributing to the overall weathertightness of your building envelope. 

To create an energy efficient facility, consider choosing cool metal roofing colors. A cool roof reflects heat from the sun instead of absorbing it. The “coolness” of a roof is measured by solar reflectance and solar emittance. Ask your contractor or builder for this information when selecting a roof color.

There are a variety of panel attachment styles and profiles that you can choose from to construct your facility. Exposed fastener panels (such as PBR) are the most common in storage applications because they are high-quality and easy to install.  

Wall Panels 

When selecting siding materials for a self-storage facility, choose a solution that provides a consistent air, water and vapor barrier. This is possible with the strength of metal panels. Choose from a variety of panel styles, profiles and colors to achieve the desired aesthetic. Exposed fastener panels can be installed horizontally or vertically to add visual interest to the structure. 

For the best performance, insulate metal wall panels or choose IMPs for your facility. IMPs offer an all-in-one solution.  They provide a reliable thermal barrier, so you don’t have to worry about inconsistencies, gaps or voids that could allow air leakage. Maximized rentable space is another added benefit of insulated metal panels. They don’t require exterior wall framing, which usually adds an extra four to six inches on the perimeter. Instead, you are able to maximize your rental space, increasing the number of rentable units in the facility. 

Choose from a variety of metal wall panels systems and partitions to create the ideal unit mix within your facility. Concealed fastener panels deliver security without sacrificing functionality, quality and aesthetics.

Roll Up Doors 

Installing proper access doors will go a long way toward increasing the functionality and energy efficiency of your self-storage facility. Whether your units are protected by interior hallways or exposed to the elements, choose doors that will protect your tenants’ belongings and allow for easy access. 

Steel roll up doors offer long-term value, low maintenance design and space savings, making them an ideal choice for your self-storage facility. 

When selecting metal roll up doors, consider the design of your facility and the brand of your company. There are often just as many choices available in regards to door color as the exterior roof and wall panels themselves. This allows you to be creative in the facility design and even utilize colors consistent with your company’s brand.

If your units are exposed to the outdoors, consider weathertightness. There are a variety of hurricane-rated roll up doors available that are designed to withstand high winds. To further improve the weathertightness of your building envelope, add draft stops to prevent unwanted airflow. Draft stops can also be helpful for maintaining a consistent temperature in climate-controlled units. 

For more information about designing a functional, energy efficient self-storage facility that is aesthetically pleasing to customers, contact your local ABC representative today. 

Roofing and Snow: Everything You Need to Know – Part Two

Posted on by Ken Buchinger

Additional considerations for working with metal panels in winter.

In part one of our series on metal roofing and snow, we covered five of the most important elements to consider when preparing structures for winter weather. In this post, we’ll review four more ways to prevent unexpected, costly damage of metal panels in winter.

  1. Consider roof material and surface color

Metal roofs absorb heat quickly and radiate it effectively. Darker panel colors can enhance this solar absorption effect, which can save you money year-round. But because UV light can pass through 3-5 inches of snow, when combined with heat loss through the roof, it becomes more difficult for snow to stay solid. To minimize the chance of ice damming, you should ensure your roof system is properly sealed and insulated. If not, ice damming may occur and the melting and re-freezing of snow throughout the day can result in icy layers that promote snow sliding—no matter the roof material or color.

  1. Review weathertightness factors

For low-sloped roofs (less than 3:12), it is especially important for panel seams to be watertight to prevent water (melted snow) from leaking into the structure. This can be problematic when snow gathers and stays on a roof. Architects, designers and specifiers, therefore, should consider using panels that have passed the ASTM 2140 water head test or FM 4471 Appendix G water test. Water-resistant underlayment should also be considered for all roof slopes.

ABC Blog: Roofing and Snow: Everything You Need to Know about Metal Panels in Winter - Part Two
A close-up of this dormer roof illustrates how the impact of sliding ice and snow can damage panel seams.
  1. Consider your roof layout

Design elements like valleys and slope changes cause snow to collect and increases your snow load. Also, when dormers extend from a large roof area and one area is significantly bigger than the other, the structure is susceptible to experiencing unbalanced sliding snow. This imbalance can actually tear open standing seams and displace panels. Also consider that drifting snow may accumulate behind HVAC units, at perimeter walls, and behind solar and photovoltaic (PV) panels.

  1. Ensure Proper Roof Maintenance

One of the best ways to prevent snow and ice issues is to regularly inspect and maintain your roof. In addition to cleaning and inspecting your roof for possible issues, properly removing standing snow and preventing ice dams is a vital part of avoiding damage to your metal panels in winter. This often requires that you get into your attic to inspect for air leaks—the leading cause of ice dams. Read more about how to properly maintain and remove snow from your roof in this blog post.

If an issue is discovered, consult your roofing material manufacturer for recommendations as well as advice on warranty claims. Additionally, you can reach out to a trusted roofing professional in your area. These professionals can thoroughly inspect your roof system to help you determine ways to rectify any potential issues. You’ll want to do this before damage and/or injury occurs and before you pay for sub-par or ineffective repairs.

If you missed part one of this series, click here for our top five considerations. These include managing snow load and sliding snow, preventing ice dams, using retention systems and more! For more information on how metal panels fare in winter weather conditions and for advice on how to winter-proof your roof, reach out to an ABC representative today.

Metal Roof Pitch Part II: Panel Selection for Your Building End-Use

Posted on by Ken Buchinger

In part one of our series on metal panel roof pitch, we looked at the engineering and strength considerations that need to be taken into account when designing or specifying a building. In part two, we’ll review how to make the right metal panel selection for your building end-use by looking at the building type and roof pitch to find the optimal combination of form and function.

Types of roof panels:

Different types of metal roof panels are better suited for certain roof pitches and this mostly has to do with panel rib height and how they’re seamed together. For instance, the lower the pitch, the taller the rib of the roof panel needs to be in order to optimize water carrying capacity. Also, the lower the pitch, the slower water runs off the roof; combined with wind pressure, this can hold water at the eave. As an example:

  • On 2:12 and lower pitches for commercial/industrial jobs, weathertightness warranties will use a mechanically seamed panel because it creates an impenetrable lock that keep water from seeping between the panels. Seamed panels can be thought of as more hydrostatic (resistant to water), whereas non-seamed panels are hydrokinetic, i.e., water runs off of them, but they are not designed to be a water barrier.

Building Type and Use:

Whether residential, post-frame or commercial, structures follow general design criteria regarding metal roof slope, based on to the building type and use. For instance:

Gabled v. Hipped: gabled roofs provide more interior headroom while with hipped roofs, endwall sheet height can be reduced, making for easier ordering and installation as you don’t have to cut/miter the sheets.

  • Residential v. Post-Frame and Commercial Use: While it can generally be assumed that thicker-gauge panels are stronger, the type of building construction, location and end-use can affect the choice in panel thickness. Residential roofs generally have steeper slopes (often due to aesthetic sensibilities), while commercial and post-frame buildings will typically have a shallower pitch to increase the strength of the building. Buildings such as pole barns, post-frame buildings, warehouses and garages can require roof panels to span longer distances between supporting trusses and purlins and therefore require thicker panels to ensure the roof is structurally sound and can aid in reducing the chance of collapse under the weight of snow and water—particularly when the roof pitch is low. For smaller buildings—like residences—with supporting trusses and purlins that are typically closer together, thinner panels can be used in conjunction with thicker trim for an economic, structurally ideal residential metal roofing system. See our blog on metal panel gauges for more.
  • Economics: When a roof has a shallower pitch, less material is needed to cover the same roof span. This can be more economical since fewer square feet of material needs to be purchased, or at least help in offsetting the cost of the thicker panels commonly used on low-slope roof—a consideration often important to companies with multiple properties. Likewise, while more material may need to be purchased for a high-sloped roof, you may be able to buy thinner, less expensive panels since high-slope roofs don’t typically need to be able to support heavier loads like low-slope roofs do.
  • Aesthetics: Traditional residences typically feature a higher roof pitch while this may be less important to commercial building owners. However—from a functional standpoint—thicker panels can be more forgiving of installation errors such as over-tightened screws and aren’t as likely to transfer waves and bumps in sheathing.

Solar Panels and Roof Pitch:

The geographic location of a structure will determine the angle at which the solar panels should be installed. Generally. the closer to the equator you get, the lower the slope the solar panels can tolerate as roofs closer to the equator have more consistent exposure to sunlight as compared to those farther away. If you plan to add solar panels to your metal roof, be sure to check the Solar Reflective Index (SRI) values and minimum slopes set by the ASTM and local governing codes. These standards will advise adequate slope based on your location as well as help control things such as heat island effects, etc.  For more information on solar reflectance and how it is affected by the color of your metal roof panels, see our blog post on cool metal roofs.

Conclusion:

Roof slope is a factor that affects many decisions when it comes to any metal building roofing project regardless of the building’s end use. When embarking on any metal roofing project, be sure that the panels you’ve selected meet local building codes and are produced by a quality manufacturer with knowledge and experience designing for different applications to ensure you get exactly what you’re looking for. For more information on metal panel selection for your building end-use and to learn more about recommendations on roof slope for different building types, contact your local ABC representative today.

 Additional Resources:

For more information on slope requirements, visit NRCA’s website. For more information on steep-slope metal roofs and their benefits, visit the Metal Construction Association’s website.