Prepainted Galvalume® sheet roof complements contemporary styling of Gull Landing Condominiums.

Newly constructed condominiums along the shores of Lake Erie in downtown Buffalo, New York, provide evidence of the city's recent commercial renaissance. Gull Landing is one such example. The four-story condominium complex offers its tenants a commanding view of the Lake Erie waterfront. Completed in 1990, the structure contains 23 one-and two-bedroom units ranging from 1,100 to 3,000 sq ft of living space.

According to the project architect, Jim Halfpenny, �The prepainted metal roof system works in harmony with the other building components of the project as well as with other nearby contemporary residential buildings along the waterfront.�

Gull Landing features a combination of brick and metal. The bronze color of the roofing panels was chosen for its compatibility with the brick as well as the building's metal gutters, flashing and metal windows. �For the purposes of material and color continuity, we wanted to carry metal throughout,� said Halfpenny.

The metal roofing system was fabricated by AEP � SPAN. A United Dominion Company, Dallas, Texas. The 24 gage prepainted Galvalume sheet panel material, produced by Bethlehem Steel Corporation, is coated with a PVF2, fluorocarbon.

The design of the roof is complex involving a number of different elevations and projections. On the lakeside portion of the roof, three dormer-like structures project above the center roof section, each requiring custom fitting for the gutters and flashing. The pitch of the main roof is 7:12. The pitch on the dormer-like sections reduces to 3:12.

AEP • SPAN's Snap-Seam™ panel is a performance-engineered roofing system that provides aesthetic value in combination with durability and design flexibility. Its architectural standing seam roof is rated UL90�the industry benchmark for structural performance and durability. The UL90 rating was an important consideration in selecting the roofing system for this project because it is not uncommon for winds blowing in from the lake to range up to 60 to 75 mph and occasionally even higher.

The AEP • SPAN Snap-Seam SN12 roofing panel used on this project has a center-to-center width of 12 in. and a seam height of 1-3/4 in. It is applied over a structural steel deck which was sprayed with fireproofing on its underside.

The Snap-Seam clip used in this system offers a number of important advantages. It not only secures the panel to the deck, but it allows the panels to thermally expand and contract. And it raises the panel above the deck allowing positive ventilation between the two surfaces.

Durability of Galvalume substrate demonstrated by over 26 years of outdoor exposure.

The prepainted Galvalume sheet from which the Snap-Seam panels are produced offers additional benefits and advantages over competitive materials. Galvalume sheet uses a patented aluminum-zinc alloy coating that is 55% aluminum, 43.4% zinc and 1.6% silicon, nominal percentages by weight. On a volume basis, this equates to about 80% aluminum.

This coating combination results in a highly corrosion-resistant sheet steel that delivers the best protective features characteristic of aluminum and zinc: the barrier protection and long life of aluminum and the sacrificial or galvanic protection of zinc at cut or sheared edges.

The substrate for both bare and prepainted Galvalume sheet can be warranted by Bethlehem not to rupture, fail structurally, or perforate due to corrosion for a period of 20 years and 6 months.

Prepainted Galvalume sheet from Bethlehem is processed according to stringent specifications. Rigorous laboratory and atmospheric exposure tests are conducted to ensure that primers used to produce prepainted Galvalume sheet will provide excellent sheared edge paint adhesion and corrosion resistance together with superior long-term performance at flat, formed, and paint-damaged areas. And it is available in a broad range of paint systems and colors to permit maximum design flexibility.

A second condominium project is anticipated.

Preparations by the owners and architect are under way for a second and larger condominium building adjacent to the first. The structure is expected to house 32 living units, rise 6 levels above grade and follow the same footprint of the first building.

�The new building will be of the same overall design and share the same complex roof configuration,� said Halfpenny. �And because the metal roofing system on Gull Landing's first building has performed so well, we anticipate using the same system for the second structure, as well.�