Prepainted Galvalume� sheet steel keeps long-term “overhead” costs to a minimum.

The Trinity Presbyterian Church complex, located in Midland, Texas, consists of the original classroom wing and gymnasium, plus a church sanctuary building which was completed in 1991.

The roofs of the classroom building and gymnasium were originally clad with clay tiles. However, the tiles proved to be very troublesome in several ways. Severe hail storms, which are not uncommon in this part of the country, were particularly damaging, causing considerable tile breakage. High winds were another problem causing the tiles to lift from the roof. Other problems occurred when children would climb up on the roofs to retrieve lost balls, frisbees and other such articles. Maintenance was generally required at least twice a year to repair the tile roofs.

The switch to metal

After enduring the trouble and high-cost of repairs for the tile roofs, the owners took a look at metal roofing. They liked what they saw. About seven years ago, they had a prepainted galvanized roof installed on the classroom wing. Since then they have experienced good performance and very low maintenance costs.

When it came time to build the new sanctuary building, it was no contest. The decision for the roofing material went to prepainted metal. Only this time they chose prepainted Galvalume sheet for its superior performance, service life and overall cost-effectiveness.

Architect Ken Fields comments, “After considering numerous options, we decided on a metal roofing system primarily for its durability and because we wanted to match it as close as possible to the roofs of the adjacent buildings. Also, because of the high profile of the roof line, aesthetics became a major factor as well.”

The roof of the new church sanctuary building is clad with approximately 27,000 sq ft of MBCI's Craftsman Series panels coated with a siliconized polyester paint system. MBCI's dark burnished slate color was selected because it blends harmoniously with the building's brick walls creating an inviting place to worship.

MBCI's Craftsman Series roof panels, fabricated from Bethlehem's prepainted Galvalume sheet panels, facilitate complicated building transitions and eliminate the need for unsightly flashings. As demonstrated by this project, the flexibility of metal afforded the use of hips, valleys and angle cuts to create an attractive design. The panel and batten are fabricated separately to maximize design flexibility and help simplify installation for difficult hip, ridge or valley conditions.

The roof panels are installed over a waterproofed, solid substructure. The panels are attached to the surface of the substructure with concealed fasteners (clips). These heavy gauge, zinc-coated clips eliminate penetration through the panel surface, yet hold the panel firmly against the substructure and allow for contraction and expansion.

A cost-effective material

The design flexibility of metal roof systems fabricated of prepainted Galvalume sheet offers building owners and architects the desired aesthetics coupled with low maintenance at an installed cost competitive with other cladding approaches. Galvalume sheet provides significant life-cycle cost advantages due to its durability and low-maintenance requirements. Furthermore, the use of factory-applied treatments, coatings, and paints results in cost and performance advantages over field-applied treatments and finishes.

The durability factor

Building materials today are exposed to an ever-growing variety of corrosive atmospheric environments. This places an unprecedented demand on expectations for long-term durability and corrosion resistance of these materials. Fortunately, contemporary treatments and coatings, such as those specified by Bethlehem, insure that building exteriors will remain highly resistant to both man-made and naturally occurring hostile environments.

Resistance to fire and wind added benefits

Many roof systems fabricated of bare or prepainted Galvalume sheet have the additional benefits of being highly resistant to fire and wind damage. In the majority of cases, metal roofing systems carry a Class I Factory Mutual fire rating. And where wind is a concern, bare and prepainted Galvalume sheet roofing systems with a UL90 rating (the industry's highest) are readily available.

If you would like more information on the roofing system described in this report, you may wish to contact Metal Building Components, Inc. (MBCI), P.O. Box 38217, 14031 West Hardy, Houston, TX 77238-8217. Phone (713) 445-8555.

Galvalume is a registered trademark of BIEC International, Inc.

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