Columns/Blogs

There is growing interest in using green chemistry to avoid hazardous chemicals of concern. This was a theme in a recent webinar series conducted by the Green Science Policy organization. Green Science can be defined as “the design of chemical products and processes that reduce or eliminate the use and/or generation of hazardous substances”.

Building green. It seems everywhere we look there is some kind of statement or message about green building and the environment. While the greening of America is a noble trend, as a contractor, it can be time-consuming to wade through all the information and figure out what is not only truly good for the environment, but good for your bottom line, and good for your customer’s bottom line too. Implementing natural daylighting in a building project is an easy way to gain a quick return on investment while going green.

In the past seven to eight years, I have seen an increase in people and companies wanting new gutters and downspouts on old metal buildings. The question that always comes first is: How do we remove the old and install the new without the hassle?

There are many different ideas to consider regarding rain gutters - style, material, expansion, size, pitched or no pitch, downspout size and finish. The following are some ideas or suggestions that we have recommended during our years of supplying commercial and industrial gutters and downspouts.

In past columns, I’ve discussed pricing for metal roofing and metal building systems. After calling attention to some of the many variables that have an effect on cost, I threw out some low-end estimates of what you might expect to pay. Since those articles were posted, I’ve been asked why I don’t offer the same information for metal walls. It’s a good question, which I’ll try to address here.

So, you’re interested in a metal building - or think you might be - but first you’d like some information about pricing. How much does a metal building cost?

How much does metal roofing cost? It’s a straightforward question and one that I’d imagine is asked hundreds, if not thousands, of times a day across the world. My standard response is “It depends”. Admittedly, this is a weak reply but, unfortunately, it’s really the best that I can initially offer despite having been involved in this industry since the mid-1980s. If you have a few minutes, I’ll try to explain.

First, I believe it’s important to disclose that company name aside; we sell as much steel roofing material as we do aluminum. Both products feature specific attributes and all qualified commercial roofing contractors have the experience and expertise to install both. So why isn’t aluminum used more extensively then? The primary obstacles have been cost per square foot and misimpressions concerning the structural limitations of aluminum.