Grayslake, Ill., July 11, 2023 — Copper has a way of standing out, especially when first installed. Natural Metal Associates of Mont Vernon, N.H., installed approximately 1,600 square feet of standing seam copper as the façade of an addition to a renovated home in Cambridge, Mass.

Lou Rondeau, owner of Natural Metal Associates (NMA), installed the copper purchased through Sheet Metal Supply (SMS), from Revere Copper of Rome, N.Y. Because of a demanding schedule, it took Rondeau a few months to get on the jobsite. By that time, the copper gutters and several standing seam copper eyebrows had been installed. So, the homeowners decided to install copper panels on the walls of the addition.

“The addition adds three rooms at the back of the house,” says homeowner Doug Brown, who along with his wife Dee Elms, purchased the home about 11 years ago. “It’s basically a set of stacked boxes.”

The couple first had the home lifted up to replace the original foundation built with concrete block and field stones in 1925. The new basement includes a 300 square foot addition at the back to serve as a workout room. The main floor of the addition is a new family room and the second floor above that is the new primary bedroom. The top floor addition is smaller than the main floor addition below it, allowing for a small balcony outside the primary bedroom.

“We wanted to keep the traditional Victorian look at the front of the house,” Brown says. “We discussed other metals for the addition but decided on copper because it is distinctive and it’s a living metal. Painted composite panels are very popular today, but they are the same color forever. Copper changes, it patinas, so the look of the home evolves with time.”

Rondeau, who specializes in working with natural metals, including copper, zinc and stainless steel, focused on lining up the vertical metal panel seams with window lines. He had jobsite assistance from Thiago DeSouza and all panels are mechanically double-locked.

“Every panel is a custom size,” Rondeau says. “The variety of widths gives it a contemporary look. Initially, we talked about installing flat-lock tiles on the walls, but decided it would look too busy. I’m happy with the way it turned out.

“The biggest challenge was getting materials into a tight urban neighborhood. Other houses are pretty close.”

Sheet Metal Supply custom-crated the panels for this job to accommodate the tight jobsite spaces. SMS and NMA both deal mostly in natural metals because they are sustainable: high recycled content, long life cycle and recycled at the end of that life cycle.

“If you ask Lou what he does, he’ll tell you he’s a roofer,” Brown says. “In truth, he’s an artist. He did a fantastic job.”

Rondeau is quick to offer up appreciation for Sheet Metal Supply. “Sheet Metal Supply is not just a supplier to me,” Rondeau says. “They treat me like family. They take an interest in every project, they’re invested in my success. They know how to get it done. My business would not be what it is today if it weren’t for SMS.”

About Sheet Metal Supply

Founded in 1991, Sheet Metal Supply Ltd. is a leading fabricator/supplier of custom-formed perimeter edge systems, wall facades, flat lock tiles, substructural components, ES-1 rated products, architectural zinc, glazed-in panels, standing seam and much more. The company ships internationally and is regarded for its high-quality products and quick turn-around. For more information, visit www.sheetmetalsupplyltd.com.

Fabricator: Sheet Metal Supply LTD, Grayslake, Ill.

Copper Supplier: Revere Copper, Rome, N.Y.

Installer: Lou Rondeau, Natural Metal Associates, Mont Vernon, N.H.

Architect: Richard Bernstein Architect, Gloucester, Mass.

Interior Design: Elms Interior Design LLC, Boston

Project Manager: Moughan Contracting, Newton, Mass.

Grayslake, Ill., December 6, 2022 — Sheet Metal Supply Ltd. and RHEINZINK were among the winners in the Metal Construction Association (MCA) Design Awards presented at METALCON in Indianapolis in mid-October.

Sheet Metal Supply and RHEINZINK partnered to deliver the roofing and façade for a private retreat that includes five cabins on the forested shores of Lake Huron to win the Residential Roofing category.
“We are very proud to be a part of this project and chosen as a winner of the MCA Design Awards,” says Ben Kweton, Vice President at Sheet Metal Supply. “RHEINZINK was the perfect choice for this impressive lakeside getaway that certainly serves as a signature project for Sheet Metal Supply and RHEINZINK.”

The zinc panels provide a weather-resistant, self-healing and corrosion-resistant material that remains 100 percent recyclable at the end of its useful life.

“We are thankful to the MCA for recognizing this project as an exceptional metal design example, showcasing the natural beauty, sustainability and longevity of RHEINZINK’s architectural zinc,” says Charles (Chip) McGowan, president of RHEINZINK America. “We are grateful for our strong partnerships with Sheet Metal Supply and Alpro Sheet Metal, whose expertise and skill helped bring Booth Hansen’s design from concept to reality. Congratulations to all involved.”

Alex Prothman, owner operator at Alpro Sheet Metal of Barrie, Ont., says, “We are grateful to have had the opportunity to work on a one-of-a-kind project like this. The RHEINZINK material was a pleasure to work with and the wonderful people at SMS put the cherry on top with easy communication and timely deliveries.”

The program recognizes MCA member companies who contributed products to 10 award-winning buildings. All projects highlighted the use of metal to enhance the design of the building.

MCA Design Award Winner – Residential Roof

Private Retreat, Lake Huron, Ontario
MCA Members: Sheet Metal Supply, RHEINZINK
Architect: Booth Hansen, Chicago
Metal Installer: Alpro Sheet Metal, Barrie, Ont.
Contractor: Thomas Young Builders, Richards Landing, Ont.
Photo Caption: From left to right, Lisa England, Inside Sales Manager of Sheet Metal Supply; Ben Kweton, Vice President of Sheet Metal Supply; and Brian Partyka, Vice President of Carlisle Architectural Products, representing the Metal Construction Association.

rainscreen system project

Grayslake, Ill., September 28, 2022 — The Village of Elk Grove, Ill., is offering facelift incentives to the owners of aging buildings within an industrial park developed in the 1960s. Architectural Panel Systems recently completed one of the first exterior upgrades, installing products fabricated by Sheet Metal Supply.

“The building owner at 1951 Landmeier wanted to take advantage of incentives from the village to improve the appearance of the exterior,” says Ross Boehmer, President of Architectural Panel Systems. “Originally, we looked at a custom color to match the colors of the business, but it wasn’t cost-effective for such a small order.”

After an initial inspection of the masonry on the building to ensure it would be able to handle the additional weight of the lightweight aluminum rainscreen, Boehmer says Sheet Metal Supply purchased 4mm Alucobond Plus aluminum composite panels in the color of CUPRAL to fabricate that rainscreen system, of approximately 1,300 square feet. The color and appearance of CUPRAL changes with the light that hits it.
“We were pretty excited about this project and the opportunity to work with a special Alucobond CUPRAL material that changes color, based on the lighting and angle it’s viewed,” says Ben Kweton, CSI-EP, Vice President of Sheet Metal Supply. “This was a first for us. We used Carter’s FUSION extrusion system and used the same 4mm Alucobond for the flashing, as there simply isn’t an available sheet to match this gorgeous product.”

It was a successful collaboration between Architectural Panel Systems and Sheet Metal Supply.

“We supplied the design drawings and the engineering to Sheet Metal Supply and they did a great job with all of the fabrication,” Boehmer says. “The biggest challenge was dealing with setbacks in the original masonry. Sheet Metal Supply fabricated the sub-framing so all of the new CUPRAL aluminum composite panels would be flush.”

Architect: Alan Schneider, ARSA Associates, Park Ridge, Ill.
General Contractor: BLC Construction LLC, Elk Grove, Ill.
Fabricator: Sheet Metal Supply LTD, Grayslake, Ill.
Installer: Architectural Panel Systems, Addison, Ill.

rainscreen system project    rainscreen system project    rainscreen system project    rainscreen system projectrainscreen system project

 Sheet Metal Supply Ltd. has relaunched its website at www.sheetmetalsupplyltd.com. 

“Ultimately, we wanted a website that was even easier for customers to navigate and we’ve got that,” says Ben Kweton, Vice President of Sheet Metal Supply. “A part of making it easier to navigate was making the process for ordering products simple. Every product page has an option to place an order with easy-to-follow instructions. You don’t have to go scrambling around the site to place orders.” 

Kweton says because of the company’s recent move into a new 80,000 square foot facility, with a greatly expanded fabrication equipment stable and growing staff, it was important to update the website to reflect that increased capability and capacity. 

The new site is designed for improved navigation and performance, with content that highlights company information, products, and services with enhanced color charts. The site features a Sheet Metal Supply blog, including recent projects with videos and links to all social media platforms. Customers will discover a site that is more user-friendly and find it is even easier to place orders online. 

By Ben Kweton, Vice President, Sheet Metal Supply

Eventually, Mother Nature will test all components of any roofing system. Rain, snow, hail, wind and sunshine gang up or take turns making sure the system you installed will hold up. All must be considered during the design and installation process.

For reasons we’ve all experienced, wind is most often given the most attention during the construction of any building, including the roofing system. The section of the roofing system most vulnerable to wind is certainly the perimeter. Designing and installing an ES-1 Rated Roof Edge System is essential … just be careful not to waste material and money by using over-engineered system.

ES-1 provides a calculation for determining wind uplift pressures on perimeter roof edge terminations. ES-1 is a pass/fail test, administered by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) that challenges the integrity of metals under the simulated stress of high winds and storms. The standard came about to help achieve consistency in edge metal quality after Hurricane Hugo in 1989.

Paying for over-engineered and over-marketed perimeter systems could cost you jobs if competitors are bidding lower prices. This is in no way to suggest you take shortcuts or design and install a roof perimeter system that doesn’t meet the ES-1 Standard. Many systems exist that test as well or better than the more expensive options, where you end up paying for extruded aluminum cleats that aren’t necessary. A well thought out and tested system can oftentimes be easier to install, and may even be delivered faster with more color and material options.

Material Considerations
Metal quality, metal cost and metal value should figure into your design and installation of a roofing system. Zinc and copper can be expensive options on the front end, but may provide better value over the life cycle of the building. Properly installed, both have been known to last more than 100 years. In certain applications, the cost of using zinc or copper may be reduced by using a thinner coil. Keep in mind, the thinner the metal, the better the chance for oil canning.

If the cost of zinc and copper is still too high for a project, there are capable options available, including one of those “premium alloy choices” or painted aluminum, steel, Galvalume or galvanized. These materials can be expected to last more than 40 years if properly installed.

Size Considerations
Although coil can be custom slit to suit the needs of a particular project, the most efficient option is to choose from the standard “master coils” available and form the panel accordingly. Adhering to those constraints is a way to maximize your value. Master coil sizes are XX, XX and XX.

For example, if you’re wanting a 1-1/2-inch snap lock panel and designing for 16-inch widths, you’re going to need a XX-inch coil, which requires slitting and creates waste. If you go with panels 15-1/2 inches wide, you can use a standard XX-inch coil, save money and eliminate waste.

Another scenario would be forming panels that are 12 inches wide, when panels measuring 1 inch high by 13 inches wide or 1-1/2 inches high and 11-1/2 inches wide can be run from standard coil. If you insist on running 12-inch wide panels, you’re wasting three inches with 1-inch legs and an incredible 15 inches with 1-1/2 legs with a standard coil.

The same math can be applied when manufacturing Flat Lock Tiles. A fabricator can provide guidance to an architect or a client to find the most efficient sizing based on the aesthetic intent, budget, and material choice, making sure material usage is optimized.

Sheet Metal Supply Ltd. recently celebrated its 30th anniversary with an employee gathering at the plant.

“It’s been an exciting 30 years, no doubt about that,” says Phil Kweton, Founder of Sheet Metal Supply. “Through the years, we’ve increased our product offerings, added staff and recently, we moved into a state-of-the-art 80,000 square foot facility in Grayslake. We succeeded by using a very simple formula – Customer First!” Ben Kweton, CSI-EP, Vice President of Sheet Metal Supply, says the company’s first 30 years have been analogous to a tree putting down solid roots and providing a strong foundation upon which to grow stronger, branch out, and have an occasional offshoot.

“We certainly hope to see most of the current trends in our industry continue, with metal being a very viable choice for both roofing and walls from both a cost standpoint and more importantly, an aesthetic and environmental/LEED position as well,” Ben Kweton says. “We’re thankful to our customers for their continued support and the fine assembly of team members that keep the business pushing forward and keep this a safe, collaborative, and productive workplace.”

CRCA Today Spring 2021 - Sheet Metal Supply

 

Sheet Metal Supply moving into new, larger fabricating facility

Mundelein, IL., — Sheet Metal Supply LTD, a leading fabricator and supplier of formed perimeter edge materials and processed coil and flat stock for more than 25 years, is moving its operation into a new and larger facility in Grayslake, IL.

Located in a 30,000 square foot building in Mundelein, IL., the last eight years, SMS will complete the move into a state-of-the-art 80,000 square foot facility in March 2020.

“Moving into a new plant is our reaction to industry demand for a growing desire for a wider range of products and materials,” says Ben Kweton, CSI-EP, Vice President of Sheet Metal Supply LTD. “The added space and new equipment allow us to be quicker with our response time and more flexible for our customers.”

The new plant will include a second ACM routing table to increase SMS’s capabilities beyond ACM and into heavier single skin products, phenolic resin-based and fiber cement-based façade solutions as well. In addition, SMS purchased a 21-foot direction folder, allowing for the forming of longer parts or multiple 10-foot parts and to permeate the glazing industry. SMS will also be able to provide more customized solutions into the façade market.

We are proud that the Chicago Park District’s Eleanor Boathouse featuring RHEINZINK panels was showcased in the Dezeen article.

Read more about the accolade here: