Though most people associate tile roofing with Mediterranean and Southwestern designs, it has long been popular in Northern and Eastern Europe as well. So when CornerStone State Bank, a locally owned and operated full-service Minnesota banking institution, developed plans for a new location in the heavily Czech-influenced area surrounding the towns of Montgomery and New Prague, they wanted a design that would fit with the roots of this farming community. The use of a Met-Tile metal tile panel roof system from McElroy Metal helped them to achieve their goal.

A standing seam roof was originally specified for the project, but one of the CornerStone bank executives saw Met-Tile roofing on several cabins in the Cloquet area and thought it would lend a more authentic look to the project. HTG Architects of Minneapolis worked with CornerStone and the roofing contractor, Classic Roofing Systems by KF Loosen Construction of Cloquet, MN to incorporate Met-Tile into the design. The Met-Tile system is composed of 3’-wide, long-length steel panels in a stepped profile that closely simulates the look of clay and concrete tile.

“We have found that the flashings and trim can alter the look of the roof to achieve a desired effect,” says Belinda Loosen of Classic Roofing, who has installed hundreds of Met-Tile roofs on commercial and residential properties. “In this case, instead of rounded tile caps that give more of a Spanish flair, we used straight barge flashings for rakes and gable ends. This makes the profile look a little flatter and more streamlined, which is consistent with Eastern European tile roof designs.” Preformed 3-ft hip flashings from Met-Tile helped achieve this look.

The project required 6,000 sq. ft. of Met-Tile panels to cover the main hip roof, a gable section over the front entrance, and a large drive-through area. The main roof has a fairly steep 6:12 slope measuring 39’ from eave to ridge, so Classic Roofing used 20’-long Met-Tile panels and overlapped the steps at the panel ends to achieve the required coverage. Met-Tile provided panels in shorter lengths as well to meet design requirements. The paint finish is a Morocco Red SMP paint system manufactured by Becker Specialty Corp.

Classic Roofing applied the panels over a wood deck covered with 30 lb. felt. Although an ice and water shield is not required with Met-Tile installations, the roofer applied it in critical areas to provide extra protection against the harsh winter climate in Minnesota. The Met-Tile panels are secured with screw fasteners that provide strong adhesion to the deck, anchoring the roof tightly against infiltration by moisture and wind. The project also utilizes special fascia and soffit details specified by the architect and fabricated using flat stock that matches the color of the metal tile roof.

“This new bank has been called the jewel of the community, and the red Met-Tile roof has attracted a lot of attention and favorable comments,” Belinda Loosen reports. The bank opened in November 2009. The general contractor for the project was Shingobee Builders Inc., Loretto, MN.