Look at commercial buildings with metal for roofs, siding, and other features. You’ll see that metal construction doesn’t have to be ugly or cheap. Though traditionally known for cost-effective utility, metal products today are also regularly chosen for their visual appeal.

Whether metal enhances the appearance and function of your building design depends on the type of facility and the needs of the business it houses. Learning common applications and types of metal products and knowing their advantages and disadvantages will help you evaluate your options.

Acme’s eastern distribution center in Denver, PA, combines vertical, metallic silver, insulated wall panels with a vertical, white accent panel. Deep-rib horizontal metal siding and a two-color ACP cornice were incorporated on the shipping/receiving offices to add architectural interest. ACP infill panels and cornice panels where also incorporated into the glass curtain wall system of the main office entry. (Photos courtesy of Greenfield Architects, Ltd.)

Mix products for visual interest
“Combining metal with other materials and varying metal products adds architectural interest because of the various profiles and colors,” explains architect Frank Fox, president of Greenfield Architects, Ltd., Lancaster, PA. For Acme’s distribution center in Denver, PA, for example, Greenfield combined metallic silver insulated wall panels, vertical and horizontal siding, and two-color aluminum-composite-panel (ACP) cornices.

By mixing products and applications, even the so-called “pre-engineered” metal buildings commonly used for warehouses don’t have to be ugly “metal boxes.” Robb Mellinger, president of RM Metals, Lancaster, PA, explains: “You can modify the ‘box’ into something that looks aesthetically pleasing with tasteful applications of split-face block, brick, or architectural metal.”

Why use metal?
Metal’s long-standing advantages are its cost-effective lightness, adaptability for expansions, and various forms and colors.

Lighter weight building products generally lower overall construction costs. “A heavy masonry building requires heavier reinforcing and larger foundations, all of which increase the cost,” explains Fox, while a light metal building requires a much less stringent seismic or lateral-resisting system. That’s why metal can be a good choice for high-rise buildings and high-seismic areas. Also, for simple projects that require large volume, Mellinger says metal “pre-engineered” buildings can offer “a lot of square footage at a very good price.”

Split-face block combines with insulated metal wall panels to enhance the durability and aesthetics of this industrial and office building in Coatesville, PA. (Designed by Greenfield Architects, Ltd., and built by High Construction Company)

Easy to use and reuse
Formed steel panels for siding and walls are also easy to put up, take down, and reuse. This feature allows businesses to adapt easily for expansions or interior space-use changes, which is particularly helpful in manufacturing and mixed-use facilities. “With block work you have only one choice—heavy demo,” says Mellinger. But with metal you can “reuse a great proportion of the material,” he explains.

Add color and form
For a variety of profiles and colors, architectural steel panels for siding and roofing are roll-formed and painted to offer different “looks,” such as ribs that can be deep or shallow, or corrugated folds of different sizes. Costs range from $6 to $10 per square foot, depending on the finish and profile, says Mellinger.

Architectural standing-seam panels also form to any roof or canopy style, explains Fox. As eye-catchers, they’re often presented in dramatic steep slopes and rich colors. Fox says their cost is usually midrange among roofing prices, with asphalt shingles as the least expensive and slate, copper, or stainless steel at the high end.

Specialty panels
For today’s specialty panels, modern manufacturing offers smooth surfaces, high insulation value, and increased rigidity.

ACPs, such as the brands Alucobond and Renobond, can be factory formed into wide or tight curves and angles, offering dramatic interest for entryways, column covers, fascias, and other decorative features. Used by auto dealerships, office buildings, airports, and hotels to achieve a sleek, high-tech look, these panels are smooth, flat, and very thin, thanks to a backing of thermo-plastic resin that prevents buckling. Installed by glass suppliers, ACPs carry prices ranging from $20 to $25 per square foot.

Distinctive glass panels combine with corrugated metal panels on Four Season Produce’s headquarters, processing, and distribution facility in Denver, PA. (Built by High Construction Company)

Insulated foamed-in-place metal panels are typically chosen for their span capability and exceptional insulation, or R-value, and cost $8 to $12 per square foot, depending on their depth, size, and finish. The manufacturing process, which chemically bonds the foam core to the metal skin, is faster for foam panels than for glued laminated panels, which are more often custom fabricated and, therefore, cost more.

Metal means maintenance
Metal’s primary disadvantage compared to other building products is its durability, which is why in industrial settings, masonry or concrete plank is often used for the first eight to 10 feet from the floor to protect metal walls from dents or scratches. Aluminum is more likely to dent than steel, but unlike aluminum, steel rusts.

Jeff Saunders, a vice president for Ceco building systems, Columbus, MS, recommends inspecting architectural panels every three to five years to replace components and reapply sealants as needed. After 20 years, panels can still be repainted, say Saunders and Mellinger, with each new paint application adding another five to 10 years of life.