Architectural Metals – If you can imagine it, we can fabricate it!

The smooth and sleek look of metal for commercial, professional, public and home uses has become the luxurious choice for creating lasting impressions, these are known as Architectural Metals. Fueled by the easy maintenance and enduring nature of metal, people are choosing architectural metal fabrication as a solution to their creative and functional design needs.

Architectural metals used in buildings and structures comprise several distinctive metallic materials. Metals serve a wide variety of uses in the built landscape, including structural features, such as nails and trusses, as well as decorative features, such as doorknobs and cladding. Some metals discovered by early civilizations are still in use today. Scientific study has brought a greater understanding of the performance and limits of the various types of architectural metals used in buildings.

Calebs Sheet Metal specializes in the design, fabrication, and installation of architectural metals. Our team of experienced professionals will work closely with owners, architects, contractors and designers, to create one-of-a-kind designs. Our popular products include Chimney Caps, Turrets, Metal Signs, Metal Gutters, Roofing Accessories, and Custom Fabricated Roofing Accessories. Need something special? Contact our design team to help you design and create your Architectural Metals masterpiece.

Call us today at (303) 971-0256 to learn how architectural metal fabrication may be the solution to your creative and functional needs or Click Here to request a free quote.

Architectural Metal Types We Employ

Galvanized steel has gone through a chemical process to keep it from corroding. The steel gets coated in layers of zinc because rust won’t attack this protective metal. For countless outdoor, marine, or industrial applications, galvanized steel is an essential fabrication component.

The principal method of making steel resist corrosion is by alloying it with another metal, zinc. When steel is submerged in melted zinc, the chemical reaction permanently bonds the zinc to the steel through galvanizing. Therefore, the zinc isn’t exactly a sealer, like paint, because it doesn’t just coat the steel; it actually permanently becomes a part of it.

The zinc goes through a reaction with the iron molecules within the steel to form galvanized steel. The most external layer is all zinc, but successive layers are a mixture of zinc and iron, with an interior of pure steel. These multiple layers are responsible for the amazing property of the metal to withstand corrosion-inducing circumstances, such as saltwater or moisture.

Zinc also protects the steel by acting as a “sacrificial layer.” If, for some reason, rust does take hold on the surface of galvanized steel, the zinc will get corroded first. This allows the zinc that is spread over the breach or scratch to prevent rust from reaching the steel.

The degree of galvanizing is usually represented as the zinc’s weight per surface area rather than the thickness of the zinc, because this gives a better representation of how much metal has been applied. Steel often gets galvanized after individual parts have been formed, such as braces, nails, screws, beams, or studs. However, raw galvanized steel in sheets will withstand some bending and forming without flaking.

Galvanized steel can be found almost everywhere. You might be living in a steel frame house. You are no doubt surrounded by steel parts in your car that allow it to emerge from rainstorms unscathed. Many people work in an office with metal roofing made of galvanized steel. Besides being inexpensive and effective, this metal is popular because it can be recycled and reused multiple times.

The “cupric” metals include copper and its alloys, especially bronze, an alloy of copper and tin, and brass, an alloy of copper and zinc. Copper is a very durable metal, withstanding corrosion when forming a green patina, copper sulfate. Sheet copper used as roofing is lighter than wooden shingles and much lighter than slate, tile, or lead. Roofing copper can be folded readily into waterproof seams, or shaped over curved frameworks for cupolas and domes.

The initial cost of copper was traditionally high, but its length of service more than compensated for the price. Copper could also be shaped to the bends and angles around chimneys and at roof edges and dormers. All nails, screws, bolts, and cleats used with sheet copper had to be made of copper or a copper alloy; otherwise “galvanic” action between the dissimilar metals would occur, causing deterioration.

Copper was also used for decorative purposes, including architectural ornaments or sculptures. A very famous example of this is the Statue of Liberty. With aging it turns a light blueish-green color.

Aluminum was not available at a reasonable price or in sufficient quantities for general architectural use until after the beginning of the 20th century. Architectural use of aluminum increased in the 1920’s, mainly for decorative detailing. It was used for roofing, flashing, gutters, downspouts, wall panels, and spandrels. Art Deco designs frequently used aluminum for ornamental features. The first extensive use of aluminum in construction was the Empire State Building, where the entire tower portion is aluminum, as well as many decorative features, such as the entrances, elevator doors, ornamental trim, and some 6,000 window spandrels. Today, aluminum is used frequently in construction except major structural members.