Being the top metal roof provider in Miami means being a one-stop shop for the area’s contractors. We’re able to provide the products and services a builder in south Florida needs, because we, in turn, can rely on top-notch suppliers to get us the quality product and tools needed to get the job done.

When the experts at Metal Master Shop talk roofing, the conversation inevitably turns to Petersen Aluminum. They’ve spent more than 50-years in the metal roofing market making innovations, developing new products, and being focused on the future of the industry.

Why Do We Love Petersen Aluminum?

They make us look good. When our customers have a deadline, we know we have what they need, when they need it, so they stay on schedule. Need a specific color or a unique tool to make a project work? Miami’s metal roofers come to us because they know we can help them out, hook them up, and have them back on the job site in record time.

We’re able to do this because great suppliers like Petersen are so reliable and consistent. Their reliability not only makes us look good, but allows us to focus on our customers in a personal way that wouldn’t otherwise be possible if we had to be worried about where our next shipment was going to come from.

Petersen Aluminum has done well for more than 50 years now, by paying attention to detail and responding to consumer needs. They have shown their commitment to their products through their own quality control program, always striving for higher standards.

“As a result of this ongoing program, the product that goes out the door is as good or better than anything available in the commercial market, and field issues with our product have become practically nonexistent,” Mike Petersen (CEO) says.

Their focus on the future provides a steady stream of relevant, new products with reliable warranties (warranties are useless if the manufacturer is no longer around). Their strong national sales base and regional production facilities means a good cost economy and a large inventory that can reach us (and you) quickly.  

It’s a Team Effort

At Metal Master Shop, we only work with suppliers who care about metal roofing as much as we do. Our primary concern is that our Miami roofers be able to come in with any type of project needs, requests, or custom orders and we can say, “no problem.”

Petersen Aluminum Corporation has come a long way from their humble beginnings. They’ve been an incredible help to our shop due to their quality and dependability, and together, we’ve been able to help contractors in the Miami-Dade area with projects that we can all be proud of.
~J.C.

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You’ve probably seen it yourself.

If not, you’ve heard about it on NPR or read about it in the Miami Herald.

A new study from the University of Miami shows the rate of sea-level rise has tripled over the last decade in South Florida.

Miami Beach is working hard to combat the effects of climate change, by building a seawall, constructing pump stations, and raising road elevation levels.  

Climate change, and South Florida’s own vulnerability to the issues at hand, are affecting us right now. Fortunately, we can follow Miami Beach’s example and work hard to make our homes safer and lower our impact on the environment.

As a Miami metal roof provider, we know the roofers we work with care about energy usage, sustainability, and the environmental impact of repairing and installing roofs.

If you’re a roofer, you work with homeowners every day. And you’re probably a homeowner yourself. We can see both sides of the story, so we know how important ecologically-friendly homes are to the environment.

And, as it turns out, many of the homeowners our best customers work with care about their environmental impact, too.

The purpose of this blog post is not to cry doom and gloom– instead, we want to spotlight the efforts of many roofers and homeowners and our community who are working to make a positive change, and to help you find a few ways you can help out, too.

Hope for Homeowners

If you’ve been a homeowner in South Florida for more than a few years, you’ve probably seen some changes in the coast and the water level. And it’s just going to change more.

From Climate Central:

“Rising seas, a population crowded along the coast, porous bedrock, and the relatively common occurrence of tropical storms put more real estate and people at risk from storm surges aggravated by sea level rise in Florida, than any other state by far.

Some 2.4 million people and 1.3 million homes, nearly half the risk nationwide, sit within 4 feet of the local high tide line. Sea level rise is more than doubling the risk of a storm surge at this level in South Florida by 2030. For the hundreds of thousands of Floridians holding 30-year mortgages, that date is not far off in the future…

… A recent Florida Atlantic University study estimated that just 6 more inches of sea level rise — very plausible within two decades — would cripple about half of South Florida’s flood control capacity.”

Whether you’re thinking as a homeowner or thinking as someone who installs roofs for homeowners, those numbers are alarming.

But they don’t have to be.

No matter your budget, you can work in a few small things to reduce your carbon footprint, lower your energy bills, and help preserve South Florida as a great place to live.

Here are a few suggestions:

• Using less heat and air conditioning during peak energy times – Weekday afternoons are generally peak energy times. People tend to turn on the air conditioning when they get home from work. This causes many electrical utility companies to draw from older, less-efficient power plants to meet demand. That means your bill goes up, but it also puts a strain on the environment. You can use your air conditioning less often, use LED light bulbs, refrain from using large appliances during peak times, and use a programmable thermostat to reduce your impact.   
• Installing energy-efficient windows, appliances, and window coverings – Look for Energy Star appliances, thermal window shades, and energy efficient windows that help keep your home at an ideal temperature.
• Install a metal roofing system – Metal roofs are perfect for South Florida. They’re attractive, durable, help save on energy costs, help keep your home cooler, and are fully recyclable.
• Biking and public transportation – If you’re not in a rush to get somewhere, why not take a bike ride? It’s good exercise and it allows you to enjoy the splendor of Miami. Similarly, you can greatly reduce your carbon footprint by taking the bus or other public transportation just a couple times a week.

Fighting against climate change means working together. As homeowners, we all need to make small changes and adjustments for the greater good.

This isn’t a hopeless situation. If we’re all willing to make these changes, many of which don’t drastically alter our daily routines, we’ll be in much better shape.

Hope for Business Owners

If you’re a roofing contractor, you’re always looking for ways to save on your own energy costs. Similarly, you know that Miami homeowners generally like green roofing solutions.

If the homeowners you work with aren’t aware of climate change, there’s no sense in proclaiming an imminent doomsday. And homeowners often want what they want, and there’s very little a contractor can do to change their mind.

Just in case you’re having that conversation and it’s going well, though, here’s a good summary from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration:

“Miami-Dade County, Florida, contains some of the most populated cities in the state. The population, combined with the location and topography, makes this county particularly vulnerable to sea level rise. In order to adapt to the changes that sea level rise will bring to this heavily populated, ecologically important area, Miami-Dade County recognizes the need for a cohesive approach to planning for climate change.”

You have to take homeowners on a case-by-case basis, but there are some things you can do within your own business to help combat the negative effects of climate change:

• Provide green building products to homeowners – For those homeowners who are environmentally conscious, you want to make sure you provide great, sustainable solutions for their needs.
• Offer metal roofing systems to homeowners – Ceramic and tile roofs are also popular in Miami, but metal roofing systems have a long lifespan, provide great value to homeowners, and are generally environmentally friendly.
• Recycle your waste – Whether it’s your office coffee cups, or the leftovers after a job, have a plan in place to recycle as much of your overall waste as possible.
• Offer “green incentive programs” to employees – Every business has different needs and different employees, but you can offer incentive programs to help your own employees “go green.” Here’s a great article on the topic with many suggestions. You can also get a green business certification from Miami-Dade County.
• Consider investing in more energy-efficient machinery, vehicles, and appliances – When you purchase a more energy-efficient vehicle, piece of equipment, or appliance for your business, you’re investing in the long term. It’s a great investment for your overhead, but also a good investment for the future of South Florida’s livability level. There may also be tax incentives.

We love living and working in South Florida. As a Miami metal roof provider, there’s no place we’d rather be.

We want Miami to continue to be a great place to live for our children and our grandchildren. The roofers we work with everyday agree, and they see the effects of climate change from a bird’s eye view.

The question isn’t whether climate change will affect us in the coming years– the question is if we’ll all do our part to help mitigate the damage and keep Miami an excellent place to live.

Judging from the great roofers and homeowners in our lives, we know the answer is “yes.”

Contact us to share your ideas on how we can all help cut down our carbon footprint, be it big or small!
~J.C.

The post Climate Change: We Can All Help! appeared first on Metal Master Shop.

Recently, we did a random survey of 500 Florida residents with this very question. Do these results surprise you?

What Women (and Men) Want…

Overall, Tile was the winner at 44.8%. Metal was a close second at 33.2%, and shingle came in at 20.4%.

Digging a little deeper, we ranked the answers by gender, annual income, and whether they lived in rural, urban or suburban areas.

The first thing we noticed is that men and women want different things. (Big Surprise!)

Women, ages 55 to 64 preferred metal roofs, 45.8% of the time. While Men of the same age only chose a metal roof, 34.7% of the time. The favorite choice among men of this age group was tile, coming in at 53.1%.

If we look even closer, we find that women in the $25K-49K income range, in rural areas,  and 55-64 age range, chose a metal roof 50% of the time, while men in the same area chose metal roofs a whopping 100% of the time. Maybe there is hope for the battle of the sexes after all!

Among the urbanites, women in the 45-54 age range with a salary of $100-149K decided they wanted a metal roof 100% of the time. Men in the same ranges chose tile 100% of the time. The battle is alive and well!

And out in the suburbs, women, age 55-64, with an income range of $50-74K opted for the metal roof 70% of the time while their male counterparts were split evenly among the three choices at 33.3%.

It seems men and women just can’t agree. Ah well, that’s not really why we were asking this question.

What Do These Numbers Mean?

We posed this question for three reasons:

1. We wanted to take the pulse of our home states purchasing preferences
2. We wanted to see if we could define a target market for our product
3. 500 answers tells us a lot

What does this mean for metal roofing contractors?

We’ve found your target market: Women in suburban and rural areas, age 45-64 in the mid income ranges $50-149K are your sweet spot. We’re not saying that you should change all your advertisements to a pink color, but at least now you have some hard data to make informed decisions.
~J.C.

The post Which Roof Would You Choose? appeared first on Metal Master Shop.

Where Can I use Corrugated Wall Panels?

Can I Use Corrugated Panels on my Bathroom Walls? I was thinking the same thing! Glenn Robert Lym, an architect in San Francisco, California says “Yes!”

I love what the metal and the mirrors does to free up the confines of a small half bath. Loads more light and the illusion of spaciousness. It’s like an optical illusion.

What about my living room? Of course!

Groundswell Design Group in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania did an amazing job with this contemporary living room. They actually used a reclaimed tin roof from a chicken coop!

How Much do Corrugated Wall Panels Cost?

Well, it depends on the dimensions of your room. We would be happy to chat with you about your ideas and offer any advice we have.

Feel free to contact us anytime!

~J.C.

The post Trend – Corrugated Metal Wall Panels appeared first on Metal Master Shop.

The Downside to Living by the Beach

Is there one?!

I’m sure you love living by the beach – who wouldn’t? But building a house on beachfront property is no easy feat, especially in Miami. Sea spray is a particularly nasty element that can wreak havoc on oceanside homes.

Sea spray is created when high winds and crashing waves send particles of salty ocean water colliding with everything in their path. I’m sure you’ve felt that salt spray yourself – usually a pleasant experience when it’s light and aromatic.

But imagine how damaging it could be if it is constant, harsh, and lingering. Your house needs to be made so that it can withstand the higher concentration of minerals that the salt spray deposits on every surface of it.

Why?

Those mineral deposits make everything they rest on corrode more easily. Salt and water are definitely enemies to most paints, metals, and other building materials. You don’t want to make a wrong choice and see a huge investment – like your home! – rust and fall apart in just a few years.

A Metal Roof Solution

Don’t worry. Take a deep breath. Your beautiful oceanside home is not fated to fall into rubble before you enjoy a long and happy life in it.

Metal Master Shop recommends aluminum roofing on all properties within a mile of the South Florida coastline.

Aluminum roofs are:

• very strong

• lighter than our other best-seller, Galvalume

• long-lasting, even on the coast

• very resistant to sea spray abrasion

• simple to maintain

Maintaining Your Metal Roof

This is important! Even the best metal roof will start to fail if it is not maintained properly.

Our #1 Tip: Clean your roof!

Regularly pressure wash your roof to get rid of the high mineral/salt concentration from sea spray. After storms, pay even more attention to cleaning that roof as there will often be additional salt buildup and debris.

There are roofing companies that have client maintenance programs, or offer post-storm clean up services. Find a reputable roofer and make sure the job gets done right!

If you are building or re-roofing your beachside home, remember that aluminum roofs are your best option for combating the corrosive power of sea spray.

~J.C.

The post Miami Sea Spray Won’t Damage Your Metal Roof appeared first on Metal Master Shop.

~J.C.

The post A New Metal Awning for Enjoying Miami Weather appeared first on Metal Master Shop.

Kynar

Drexel, our main supplier of metal roof material, uses Kynar on the aluminum and galvalume roofs. It is a very popular coating, perhaps the most popular.

It is a thick barrier coating that is very resistant to wear and weathering. It’s the perfect fit for a roof coating because it can withstand much of the impacts and issues that cause common roof maintenance problems.

This picture is of an asphalt roof (so disregard that portion of it) but it shows the difference in reflective ability from before and after the Kynar coating (specifically a paint coating in this instance). This application is used more often in cool roofing.

And here is a video that shows one of the machines that is commonly used to coat the metal. It’s incredible that metal can be so flexible at one point and then so sturdy after they are finished into roof seams.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSjeytlaU2Y

Do’s and Don’ts of Metal Roof Coatings

This subheading is a bit of a misnomer. There’s really not much for you to DO regarding metal roof coatings other than to get one!

 But something you DON’T want to do is weld metal roofing material. It destroys the coatings and exposes the metal to the Miami elements. It can cause early rusting and other forms of degradations that could seriously jeopardize the lifespan and performance of your roof.

Basically in all situations, an important rule of thumb is that the coating protects the metal, which protects you and your home. If the coating is scratched, dented, melted, or destroyed in any way, then you have exposed metal on your roof. This metal will still be a good roof for a while, but not nearly as long or as well as if the coating remained intact.

Trust Us, We’re Experts!

So don’t try to make any fabrication changes to your metal roof once it leaves our facility. We are the experts and we know how to work with the metal without ruining the important coating.

And for maintenance needs after your metal roof is installed, talk to a professional with metal roof experience. They will know how to walk on the roof and inspect it without causing more damage.

~J.C.

The post Are Coatings Important for Your Metal Roof? appeared first on Metal Master Shop.

The patina that forms on copper roofs is a result of weathering and changes in the chemical composition of the metal. It’s a process of oxidation that happens over time that turns copper green. Other metals can acquire a patina as well. Even old wood furniture can get a sheen of oxidation in time.

Uneven Changes

The patina develops based on exposure to oxygen, water, and chemicals. Because of these varying conditions, the patina will form unevenly.

As you can see in the picture, the patina is only visible in certain areas. The top of the roof will have the least amount of standing water because of the incline, for example, so it may turn green more slowly than other areas.

Likewise, depending on the climate, patinas will develop faster or slower. As with everything else in Miami, we move fast! A patina will form on a copper roof here far faster than it will in a drier climate.

Although this process takes time, it starts immediately after the copper is first exposed to the elements.

If you want to speed up the process or assist it in developing more evenly, there are some chemicals that can be painted or applied to the roof. But this artificial enhancement doesn’t always achieve the same look as a natural progression.

Not just a pretty face

While many love the look of a copper roof with a full patina, it’s also very beneficial for your roof. The patina is like an extra protective layer of armor against the elements. The very things that change the copper surface initially, make it stronger against those same corrosive materials.

This “armor” isn’t just chemical, but physical as well because the patina literally adds layers to the roof, making it physically thicker.

As you can imagine, in the Miami, Florida weather, anything you can do to make your roofs more resistant to the elements is a good thing! It will help your roof last longer than if you routinely clean the patina off.

Choices

Quite frankly, if you don’t like the look of patina on a copper roof, I would suggest that you get a different metal. We have some that aren’t copper but look like it, so they will have the same appearance as a new copper roof but won’t develop the patina as time goes by. That is a smarter option for those with a different style in mind for their property.

But no matter what you are looking for, Metal Master Shop has what you need.

~J.C.

The post Going Green: All About Copper Patina appeared first on Metal Master Shop.

I love this chart that talks about when different types of metal were discovered!

Did you know gold was discovered in 6,000 BC?

~J.C.

The post They Started Using Copper When? And Other Crazy Metal Facts appeared first on Metal Master Shop.

How many times have you been struck by lightning?

Have you seen any of the National Lampoon movies when you were a kid? Do you remember the one where the family goes to the cabin up in the mountains and the dad, Clark, runs into the old man that keeps getting struck by lightning? When Clark asks him how many times he has been struck he stutters “Ssssiiiiiixxxxxxx” very slowly and Clark asks “SIX?” incredulously. The old man holds up his hand for patience and stammers again, “Ssssssiiiiiiixxxxxtttttyyyy – Ssssiiiiixxxx”…. To uproarious laughter. That is my FAVORITE part of any of those movies! In reality we knew, even as kids watching that movie, that no one would survive being struck by lightning that many times.

So why do we assume a metal roof would increase those chances of being struck by lightning? Well, we all know metal conducts electricity. In fact copper, which is one of the most aesthetically pleasing metal roofs, is one of the best conductive metals. You may not think I’m helping my case here but stick with me.

Now that being said, a metal roof will NOT increase the chance of your home being struck by lightning. The statistics just don’t show any proof. But what it does show is that if your home was indeed to be struck by lightning you would be better off if you have a metal roof.

Why? Because the metal roof would disperse the energy safely throughout the structure. Causing less harm all the way around. See? I told you to stick with me.

In addition, since it isn’t combustible or flammable it is actually a DESIRABLE roofing option if you live in an area where severe weather is concerned, especially for lightning. Did you know Florida is considered the lightning capital of the United States because of our unique geography? The Central Florida Peninsula area is the hardest hit and the lightning activity peaks in the summertime when it is the warmest. Which is actually, just around the corner!

 So What Can You Do?

Think back to grade school when they talked about lightning safety. I vividly remember thinking how weird it was that one of the things they recommend is that if you can not get indoors during lightning you should get in a car.

I thought, “but a car is made of metal…”, we are all guilty of snap judgements. But even when I voiced this question to the teacher I was told a car is safer because the tires are made of rubber. True, but not the whole truth.

“The steel frame of a hard-topped vehicle provides increased protection if you are not touching metal. Although you may be injured if lightning strikes your car, you are much safer inside a vehicle than outside.”

This is a direct quote from the Hazardous Weather of Florida guide. The steel frame protects you… Think on that for a while.

Is your home or building prepared? Metal roofing is not only a Green product but is also something that could help save your home if lightning were to strike it. Help yourselves be prepared at home or in the office and in other situations as well. Because thunderstorm activity peaks in the summertime, when the most people are working outdoors or enjoying outdoor activities, Florida often leads the nation in injuries and fatalities from lightning. Visit this website for more information on lightning in Florida. http://www.floridadisaster.org/kids/lightning.htm

The post Getting The Facts Straight: Lightning and metal roofing appeared first on Metal Master Shop.