Metal tile roof helps restore building to its original design
by Jonathan McGaha | December 31, 2009 12:00 am
The Campbell Administration Building in Palatka, Fla., houses the Putnam County School District offices, and is an historic Mission-style building dating back to the early 1900s. The original tile roof had been supplanted by shingles as the facility expanded over the years, and the County wanted to refurbish the building and restore it to its original design intent. A metal tile panel roof from Ontario, Calif.-based Met-Tile Inc. helped achieve all objectives, according to CRG Architects/Palatka Inc., Palatka.
“We felt that a metal tile facsimile roof would be the best choice for recreating the original tile-roof look while offering benefits of reduced weight, low maintenance and durability,” said Joseph Kuehmeier, design associate at CRG. “In the interest both of safety and preservation, we did not want to place additional weight on this existing structure; and metal is lightweight compared to traditional tile. Although shingle products are also light and economical, they did not offer the desired look or longevity.”
CRG researched a variety of metal roofing products and chose Met-Tile because of its aesthetics and ability to meet cost and performance requirements. The local historic preservation board approved the use of Met-Tile for the project after the architects came to them with a product sample to demonstrate how it mimics the look of tile, along with data to show how the higher initial cost would be offset by lower maintenance and longer life-at least twice the life of shingles. Additionally, a Met-Tile roof can usually be repainted instead of replaced when the time comes.
The project uses approximately 17,600 square feet (1,635 m2) of 26-gauge steel roofing panels in 3-foot (1-m) widths and lengths from 3 to 20 feet (6 m). The panels feature an Energy Star cool roof SMP paint system from Becker Specialty Corp., Elk Grove Village, Ill., in Mission Clay that helps to reflect away sunlight and keep the building occupants cooler. The Met-Tile panels are designed to install vertically from eave to ridge and are secured with screw fasteners, creating a weather-tight system with 230+ mph wind rating.
The roofing contractor, BBG Contracting Group Inc., Jacksonville, Fla., installed the Met-Tile roof over the existing roof deck and new felt waterproof membrane.
Completed in May 2008, the refurbishment of the building also included replacement windows and repainting the stucco to bring back the structure to its original appearance, according to CRG Architects.
Becker Specialty Corp., www.becker-bic.com
Met-Tile Inc., www.met-tile.com
Source URL: https://www.metalarchitecture.com/projects/metal-tile-roof-helps-restore-building-to-its-original-design/