Sweeping changes in metal roofing allow Scott Miley Roofing to install perfectly fitting panels formed at the building site using products supplied by Drexel Metals.
Roofs matter. They offer protection from all nature can throw at us. As people who live in the Wood River Valley know, the high alpine environment is breathtakingly beautiful and filled with opportunities for all-season recreation, but it also has its darker, mercurial side. To love the mountains is to accept occasional hail, microbursts, intense sunshine, gale-forced winds, extra heavy snow loads, and most frightening, forest fires.
Drexel Metals roofing products come in a wide choice of colors to coordinate with any design. The special coatings hold color over time and reflect the sun to reduce solar gain, keeping the interior cooler in the summer.
In his search for products that work best in the Wood River Valley, Scott Miley has teamed with Drexel Metals to become certified as a contractor to install Drexel roofs. Drexel Metal’s “Metal Roofing On-Demand” business model allows for localized fabrication to provide the best possible solution to meet the needs of any project.
“Drexel Metals delivers coils to the job site. Then we create custom panels using our portable roll former. That way I’m able to form the panels to length, and there is very little waste. I can control the schedule and ensure the right product is being installed for the project. Since we are making the roof on-site, we reduce freight and eliminate packaging costs,” says Miley. He adds, “It’s easier to do unique and unusual shapes, which is often the case with custom homes.”
Partnering to Deliver the Best
“Drexel Metals partners with the best contractors,” comments Ken McLauchlan, Drexel’s director of sales, who draws on his contracting background when working with contractors. “We’re structured to supply contractors with products that work for them and the roofs they construct and install.”
McLauchlan explains that since 1985, Drexel Metals has provided a full range of superior-quality engineered metal roofing systems, equipment, and custom fabrication services. Drexel Metals operates several sales, fabrication, and distribution locations throughout the U.S. In addition to Drexel’s own manufacturing abilities, Drexel Metals extends fabrication to local installers.
“The installers further market Drexel Metals proven products, which are all site-certified by Drexel Metals’ industry-leading warranty programs,” says McLauchlan. “It’s what we like to call Metal Roofing On-Demand.”
The overriding advantages of steel derive from its strength. That strength is behind its durability—lasting up to three times longer than asphalt roofs—low maintenance requirements, and also its safety.
Training is part of the partnerships with contractors. “We have an initial in-field training on how to best operate the portable roll formers that create the custom panels, and then we have ongoing trainings,” describes McLauchlan. “Training and certifying contractors is key to offering our strong warranty.” With a Drexel Metal Roof installed by Scott Miley Roofing, Drexel Metals fully warranties the product for 35 years. The warranty covers full replacement at no cost, and covers the panels, base layers, painting, and labor. “And the warranty is fully transferable,” adds Ken. “This adds value to the home. Thirty-five years is a long time, and while contractors may retire or change careers, Drexel Metals will still be here and will stand behind that warranty.”
Strength and Other Advantages
The overriding advantages of steel derive from its strength. That strength is behind its durability—lasting up to three times longer than asphalt roofs—low-maintenance requirements, and also its safety. “We have independently tested Drexel Metal roofs and can verify that they can withstand gale-to-hurricane force winds, hail, fire, and wind-driven rain,” asserts McLauchlan.
Local wildfires burned in this area not that long ago, and fire safety remains an important concern to people and regulating agencies. Fires spread when burning debris blows to new locations and sadly, frequently lands on roofs. “Metal is non-combustible, and windblown embers cannot catch metal roofs on fire,” says McLauchlan, and he recounts walking through a burned subdivision in Colorado and seeing metal-roofed homes still standing amid fields of burned remnants from other homes.
Detailing sets buildings apart, and by manufacturing panels on site, the panels fit precisely with the most complex designs.
There are environmental benefits, as well. The reflective quality of the factory color finishes mean a reduction in trapped heat in the summer, while at the same time, more heat is retained in the winter. Also, Drexel steel roofs have over 23 percent recycled content, and there is less waste because the roll is cut at the jobsite for precisely the dimensions required by the project.
From Miley’s point of view, the fastener system is another advantage of Drexel Metal roofs. The snow retention and snow guard systems clamp to the ridges with no perforations to the roof and can be backed up with snow clamps. “Snow retention is important here in snow country,” Miley asserts. “Rooftop avalanches are dangerous. But also, it’s important to protect gutters, flues, vents, and rooftop mechanical systems from damage with snow guards.”
A similar clamp system is available through Drexel for attaching solar collectors without perforating the roof. “I work closely with solar installers to secure the equipment in its optimal position and to ensure that the roof isn’t perforated or damaged by screws.”
Scott Miley Roofing again won the award for the best roofer in the Wood River Valley this year, which considers service, communications, fair business practices, and commitment to customers. Behind this level of service are some new complex tools for the job. In addition to the roll-forming machine that fabricates custom-sized panels from the coils delivered to the jobsite, Miley uses an automatic folding machine for customizing precision roof and siding details with the correct bends. The Equiptor is used for tearing off roofs, assists in loading materials, and aids in disposal and recycling.
To find out more about a new Drexel Metal roof in the Wood River Valley, start with Scott Miley Roofing. There, clients can also find resources for installs on other types of materials for new or replacement roofs, seamless copper rain gutters, fabricated sheetmetal, custom fireplace caps, waterproof exterior cladding, and metal siding. They are located in Hailey near the airport.
