Bringing it Home: Coated Metal Exteriors Are on the Rise in Residential America
July 2016
Previously published in Design and Build with Metal - Read Here
Building with metal is a routine practice throughout the industrialized world, especially when it comes to commercial developments. Between downtown office buildings and sports arenas, to rural factories and equipment sheds, structures featuring metal paneling and roofs coated in a high-performance PVDF coating are commonplace. However, this union between specific building types and construction medium is no longer exclusive.
In recent years, metal panels and roofs have steadily migrated from the typical buildings they have been used on to residential projects, bringing along their many aesthetic and practical features. Not only do coated metal panels provide a sleek and modern exterior, they are also low maintenance, more impervious to fire than tradition building materials, and are incredibly durable against the elements. PVDF coatings also provide their own set of features, including exceptional protection against dirt and stains, resistance to chalking and fading, and supreme color retention that helps preserve a home’s visual brilliance.
Just like the construction process that backs an urban skyscraper, extensive planning and design must go into erecting residential homes, and can involve many of the same concepts, including the use of coated metal. That very process recently transpired in the lush hills of Takoma Park, where a home purchased by builder Alan Kanner underwent a dramatic, full-scale remodel. Working alongside McInturff Architects to revamp the property, Kanner drafted plans for an added story, 900 square-feet of extra living space and an exterior design concept that was not only boldly unique, but also incredibly functional.
Adorning the building’s new façade are metal panels running both horizontally and vertically, coated in a steely black PVDF architectural coating. The duality of the metal panels provides a magnetic visual for the modern home, and is further emphasized by the vibrant pigments in the coating. Although defining component of the exterior aesthetic, black metal was also selected to function as a backdrop for a palette of accent colors chosen by McInturff that were inspired by paintings in artist Richard Diebenkorn’s Ocean Park Series.
Highlighting several areas of the home, including the windows, balcony and awning, various shades of blue, red, yellow and teal bring the full flavor of the home to life. Now several years old, the exterior metal panels continue to draw the eyes of neighbors and visitors. Not only does the striking black coating offer the perfect canvas for the Diebenkorn-influenced colors to stand out, it also provides exceptional durability features, including leading protection against dirt and stains, and resistance to chalking and fading. Coated metal is extremely easy to take care of as well, and can be cleaned with a simple washing of soap and water. Additionally, certain coatings provide resistance to ultraviolet rays, which help keep the interiors of homes cool and save on energy costs.
The Kanner residence is just one example of the many residential homes that are now turning to coated metal as an exterior building material. Although the unique striation of metal panels functions as a modern design concept for the Kanner residence, many residential homes that build with metal panels feature the material in a more traditional method for both siding and roofs. Recently in Indiana, the owner of Ramco Supply set out to build a new home and selected metal panels to don his roof, coated in a solar reflective PVDF coating to keep the interior cool. In Ohio, Paul Gantt selected Valspar’s WeatherXL Crinkle Finish in Burnished Slate and Light Stone to coat the metal panels on the sides and roof of his new 42-foot by 64-foot storage facility. Gantt selected metal and PVDF coating not only for the visual appearance, but also for their diverse set of functional properties.
With its unique visual offerings, durability and energy-saving features, don’t be surprised if the next home that goes up in your neighborhood has an extra steely appearance.
