Roofing Alternative:
Creating a Mission-Style Building with the Benefits and Survivability of a Metal Roof
Eric Kilponen,
Posted
08/01/2008
The concept of
coated steel roofing materials was developed over 50 years ago in
England as a result of the British using tar and sand to camouflage
galvanized bunkers from the German pilots during World War II. The
original product's composition was quite different from the
advancements of today as it incorporated a galvanized steel core
and crushed river rock embedded in an asphalt base.
Today, Metals USA Building Products, Houston, incorporates the
latest technology to enhance the Gerard and Allmet stone-coated
steel roofing product's performance for the rigorous and varied
climates around the world. These innovations, including a
weather-resistant Galvalume steel base with an
ultraviolet-resistant acrylic, add superior performance
characteristics. It is these characteristics that allow Metals USA
to offer a lifetime warranty across the various Gerard and Allmet
product lines in a wide variety of colored, granular
finishes.
The product is offered in distinct profiles that are designed to
replicate time-honored traditional roofing materials, such as
concrete tile, Spanish tile, wood shakes and shingles. Durable,
lightweight, energy efficient, hail resistant, fire resistant and
able to withstand hurricane-strength winds make stone-coated steel
the best choice when deciding on a new or replacement roof.
Gerard and Allmet roof systems are manufactured to meet or exceed
the world's highest standards for roofing products and will comply
with virtually all the major model building codes.
Consumers and
businesses alike are turning to energy-efficient and more durable
building materials to prolong the life of their investments. This
was certainly the case with the Charlotte Harbor Event and
Conference Center in Punta Gorda, Fla. This area was hit hard by
hurricane Charley in 2004, which destroyed The Charlotte County
Auditorium, creating the need to develop a replacement facility
that is now the event center. Located within the jurisdiction of
the city of Punta Gorda, there are some fairly specific design
guidelines that are part of land development regulations. One of
the guidelines relates to the architectural style of buildings.
Many of the city's acceptable styles are more geared toward the
historical residential or commercial architecture that prevails
around the downtown area. These styles are characterized by terms
like folk Victorian, Craftsman, Queen Anne revival, commercial
vernacular and the like. These styles are not particularly suited
to a large civic building like the event center. With the help of
the city and its Urban Design staff, the design architect, Punta
Gorda-based Harvard Jolly Inc., focused on Mission- style
architecture for the building. This style is one of the preferred
styles within the city's design guidelines; there are several
notable examples of Mission-style architecture around the city (the
Historic Train Depot, The Punta Gorda Historical Society Building
and the City's Public Safety Building). This style is appropriate
for a large scale building such as the event center.
The county department that operates and maintains the building had
long ago standardized its roofing material for use on pitched
roofs. The department's standard was a galvanized finished metal
roof panel in either standing seam or 5-v crimp, depending on the
size and type of facility. Some of the reasons behind this initial
choice were related to maintenance and life-cycle benefits
associated with metal roofs. In the wake of Hurricane Charley, it
quickly became evident that the majority of metal roofs fared much
better than traditional tile or shingles, so the county had
additional motivation to use metal roofs on post- Charley
buildings. This created a slight problem as Mission-style buildings
almost exclusively have barrel tile roofs as one of their strongest
features. The developer, Matthews/Taylor Construction, Punta Gorda,
and Harvard Jolly ran into the issue of creating a Mission-style
building but with the benefi ts and survivability of a metal
roof.
The solution was
simple-utilize a metal roof product that mimics the appearance of a
barrel tile roof. There are numerous systems available from a
variety of manufacturers. While they all have a barrel tile profi
le of one form or another, some of the systems look very different
than a true tile roof or look like metal roofs in the shape of tile
but bear very little resemblance to a clay barrel tile that you
might expect on a Mission style building. After further
consultation with the city, it recommended Matthews/Taylor
Construction and Harvard Jolly look at the Gerard Stone Coated
Steel Roofing products by Metals USA. The city had recently
modified its architectural building codes that mandated tile roofs
in certain areas of the city to allow products like the Gerard
Stone Coated Steel Roof system to be installed. This code
modification was a direct result of the poor performance of the
clay and cement tile roofs during Hurricane Charley and was an
attempt to keep the look of tile in these areas while giving
options for a system that the city hoped would offer better
performance in a future storm and result in less wind borne
projectiles.
The Gerard Stone Coated Steel Roof products were reviewed and
ultimately selected as the roofing product of choice that met all
the city's requirements, as well as maintain the goal of creating a
Mission-style building. The Gerard Barrel Vault profile with the
Cyrus color now completes The Charlotte Harbor Event and Conference
Center.
Eric Kilponen is director of marketing for Metals USA Building
Products Inc., Houston. Visit www. buildingproductsusa.com for more
information.
The Charlotte Harbor Event and Conference Center
-Location: Punta Gorda, Fla.
-Profile: Gerard Barrel Vault by Metals USA Building Products Inc.,
Houston, www.buildingproductsusa.com
-Color: Cyrus
-Job size: 128 squares (1,189 m2)
-Developer: Matthew/Taylor Construction LLC, Punta Gorda
-Architect: Harvard Jolly Inc., Punta Gorda
-Contractor: Sutter Roofi ng, Fort Myers, Fla.
www. buildingproductsusa.com