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Adding a Micro Texture
By adding a micro texture to stainless steel for exterior and roofing applications, the benefits of using this material increase tenfold. A low glare stainless steel finish, like Contrarian Micro Textures’ InvaiMatte®, is easy on the eyes, even in direct sunlight, which makes it ideal for roofing applications. Its unique finish, which involves no coatings, is rolled directly into the surface of the metal.
Benefits of Exterior Applications
Beauty
While it does have a muted appearance, the InvariMatte® texture allows just enough reflection to take on the colors of the environment around it. InvariMatte® retains its original beauty over time without developing a patina.
Durability
Perhaps one of the biggest benefits of using micro textured stainless steel is its enhanced durability. It is capable of lasting the life of the building (resisting corrosion, fire, wind and hail). Additionally, it can be welded, creating stronger, more durable joints.
Energy Saving & Environmentally Friendly
Stainless steel is a very efficient reflector of solar energy, substantially reducing insulation requirements. Unlike other bare metals that patina, or paints that oxidize, stainless steel retains all of its original solar reflectivity and energy efficiency for as long as it remains installed. Stainless steel comes from 75% recycled content and is 100% recyclable without downgrading. Additionally, stainless steel creates no biocide runoff, unlike copper, zinc and lead.
For the architect, panel manufacturer, fabricator, installer or contractor considering a stainless steel roof, you can expect a beautiful, permanent roof system that will be very economical in the long run. Great for the environment and easy to work with, InvariMatte® stainless steel is an ideal choice for beautiful, durable, energy-saving roofs.
Restoration & Traditional Design
Stainless steel has been playing an increasingly significant role in architecture, including restoration and traditional design. Until recently, stainless steel finish choices were too bright and glaring to fit with the traditional design. Perhaps this delayed the use of this material for restorations and traditional buildings. The development of InvariMatte®, a uniform, low glare micro-embossed stainless steel texture, opened the door, not only to glare-sensitive buildings like airport roofs and urban high rises but also to historic structures and traditional architecture. Further, the tendency of InvariMatte® to absorb color from its surroundings helps it fit in with any design.
Historic restorations involve painstaking attention to detail in pursuit of honoring the past. When the Brattonsville Historic District, which is part of the York County Culture & Heritage Museums in South Carolina, undertook the renovation of the Brattonsville Brick House to restore it to its original form (believed to have been built between 1850 – 1870) they discovered a Thomas Jefferson tinplate roof preserved in situ. To do justice to this, InvariMatte® stainless steel was selected. At that time in history, it was customary to paint metal roofs tinner’s red and to be true to history the stainless steel was in fact painted that color.
Dirt-resistant InvariMatte® does not contribute to heat island effect (it actually sends 94% of the Sun’s rays back into the atmosphere) and it offers thermal properties that include savings on insulation costs as well as lowering heating and cooling costs.
The Willow School Wellness Center in Gladstone, NJ achieved LEED® Platinum and Living Building Challenge’s Net Zero Energy Consumption by choosing InvariMatte®, as well. In addition to its attributes, there are pluses from a construction perspective as it forms well and was preferred to zinc coated stainless.
The Hanover School in Massachusetts also selected InvariMatte® for the roof of a new building designed to honored the area’s history. The design was developed through inclusive community visioning workshops which included parents, students, the business community and teachers. The result was a mutual desire for a school building that builds community.