Are Exterior Corrugated Metal Wall Panels Ideal For Eco-Friendly Renovating?
There are three major rules to always try to follow when renovating your home or business. The first is to improve your quality of life which can be something as simple as just making your property look better. The second rule is to boost the market value of your space with the project if at all possible. Finally if you can make your building more energy efficient then the renovation recoups itself in a multitude of ways. We'd like to think that our decorative corrugated metal installations check all three boxes.
It's understandable that exterior corrugated metal wall panels can improve your building's aesthetics and boost the market value – but is the installation really eco-friendly? The answer to that is 1,000 times yes and here's why:
The Sheer Durability Is Great For Energy Efficiency
If you have vinyl siding installed on your home or business, the value that is returned is almost solely in aesthetics. There's simply just not much thermal resistance that a .044 inch piece of vinyl can provide against cold weather and strong winds. This is especially true here in our Chicago climate where the Winters can get pretty nasty. Decorative corrugated metal not only provides more unique curb appeal compared to the all-too-common vinyl siding, the panels are also up to 2” thick when you consider the insulation (more on that in a bit).
The durability is what really makes the exterior corrugated metal wall panels better for energy efficient renovating. This is because vinyl siding can easily become cracked (especially in cold weather), pelted with holes during hail, or just blow off in high winds. All of these gaps, cracks, and holes prevent a source for heat loss in the Winter as well as cold air escaping when you're running the AC. The metal panels simply stand up to the elements better and create a better barrier for your building.
The Panels Themselves Are Insulated
The major reason that decorative corrugated metal provides such great R-Value is because the panels themselves are insulated. The panels have the elegant design on the exterior but a core that can range from materials such as mineral wool to polyurethane foam. In traditional vinyl (and other materials) siding installation the insulation is installed and then the siding is fastened to that. This gap provides a much greater risk for cold air to enter. Exterior corrugated metal wall panels eliminate this risk as they are manufactured as one cohesive unit.
Different Finishes Available
Metal as a whole whether it be galvanized steel or aluminum has properties that will naturally reflect the sun's UV rays instead of absorbing it. This obviously has great benefits to keeping the interior of your building cooler and thus allowing you to run the air conditioner less. With the manufacturing processes of exterior corrugated metal wall panels those energy efficient properties can be increased. This is done by glazing the panels 2X or 3X like you might see on windows. Reflective finishes can also be coated right into the panels for maximum energy efficiency especially during the Summer months.
An aesthetic boost and an increase in energy efficiency? These metal wall panels are bordering on the perfect home or business renovation project. If you'd like to learn more, please contact us today.