Roof color adds �special touch� to hotel's overall aesthetics

The highly attractive appearance and performance of today's standing seam metal roofs have created renewed interest among architects and owners to make roofs more visible. Roofs have become part of the architecture, not just an element to seal out the weather.

Metal roofing systems, fabricated from materials such as prepainted Galvalume® sheet, offer great potential for the use of roof colors that complement the color of the other architectural elements.

�Having access to a wide choice of colors is one of the least expensive ways to add a special touch to the overall aesthetics of a structure,� comments Dave May, project architect for the Omni Newport News Hotel. �When the roof is visible,� says May, �it becomes part of the design. Then color becomes important.�

And color was one of the important reasons why metal was selected for a portion of the hotel's roof system. The desired effect was created by coordinating the �teal green� roofing panels with the building's windows, window frames and trim. The custom-colored PVF2 fluorocarbon paint system was specially blended to complement the building's light peach exterior.

An MBCI Ultra-Dek 124® standing seam roofing system, fabricated from Bethlehem's 0.023" prepainted Galvalume sheet, was selected for the project. The Ultra-Dek 124 system was installed on the Hotel's tower, �porte cochere� and over the main lobby corridor.

Quality without extravagance

The Omni Newport News Hotel is located within minutes of Colonial Williamsburg, Busch Gardens, Norfolk Naval Base and the Virginia Beach oceanfront. The nine-story high-rise building encompasses a restaurant, lounge, banquet facilities, night club, meeting rooms and recreational facilities in addition to 185 deluxe rooms with 4 suites.

The owners wanted a quality structure with a unified, consistent look to the design, that could be built within their fixed budget. They also wanted to minimize non-revenue areas, such as corridor lengths, and use the money saved to improve on the quality of the appointments.

Adds Paul Stim for the construction manager, �From the standpoint of cost and benefit, we considered the metal roofing to be one of the better values in the project.�

A metal roof helped address these concerns. �First of all, it added interest to the configuration of the overall roof-line which was important,� says May, �because some of the low roof is visible from the guest rooms.� At the same time, it allowed the designers to maximize use of the open space beneath the high-pitched roof over the first floor lobby/corridor/swimming pool area by providing maximum space flexibility for the diverse activities. Rigid foam insulation was applied beneath the metal roofing system in these areas because it was easy to install and provided a tightly sealed building envelope.

Long-term durability, low maintenance costs, ultra-violet stability, and non-combustibility were also important considerations for the architect and owner both, particularly where the roof system was concerned.

Prepainted Galvalume sheet offers solution.

Excellent corrosion resistance was one of the factors favoring prepainted Galvalume sheet. The Galvalume sheet coating consists of an alloy of 55% aluminum, 1.6% silicon, and the balance zinc, nominal percentages by weight. On a volume basis, the coating is about 80% aluminum. The hot-dip coating process by which Galvalume sheet is made provides an optimum balance between (a) the long-term corrosion resistance of aluminum, and (b) the galvanic protection of zinc at scratches and cut edges.

What's more, the paint systems available provide additional corrosion protection. They are applied in accordance with a stringent process control program established by Bethlehem to insure that the prepainted Galvalume sheet is produced to prescribed standards. This process specification is based on extensive laboratory evaluation and outdoor exposure tests in cooperation with pretreatment and paint suppliers.

The confidence factor

When asked what factors do you consider before making a decision on the type of materials and components to specify for a building project, Dave May says, �We consider several factors: (1) how long has the product been on the market, (2) the product's performance record, (3) the reputation of the company producing the product, (4) how does the company perform when a mistake or problem develops, and (5) how does the company stand behind its product�does a product warranty exist.�

�With the Omni Hotel project, we were familiar with MBCI's roofing systems and knew we could count on them to stand behind their product. MBCI's product literature and technical support were very helpful to us when we were detailing the project. And with Bethlehem Steel it's the same thing. Their prepainted Galvalume sheet has been on the market for many years and is highly regarded as a metal roofing material.�

Warranties are available

Bethlehem offers standard paint protection warranties of three years (white roofing applications) and five years (white and color siding applications) on its prepainted Galvalume sheet. Longer warranties are available from the paint supplier and coil coater.

In addition, subject to the terms of the warranty, the base metal of prepainted or unpainted Galvalume sheet used for roofing or siding is guaranteed by Bethlehem not to rupture, fail structurally, or perforate due to corrosion for a period of 20 years and 6 months.