Natural Colors – The Ultimate in Metal Roofing & Siding Versatility
In This Blog Post…
Selecting natural colors can give you the ultimate versatility in metal roofing and metal siding design.
- Roofing or siding color selection is often a difficult task, especially when trying to integrate multiple different materials and environmental elements.
- Natural colors offer restrained hue, adding warmth and appeal.
- The advantage of natural colors is reduced color intensity, improved integration with other materials and harmonious color combinations.
- AEP Span offers several appealing natural metal colors including Vintage, the Eternal Collection, and Sedona Rust
* Eternal Collection and Sedona Rust are both specialty finishes, with minimum order requirements. Inquire with your AEP Span Sales Representative for more information.
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Color and Metal
Color’s purpose is to create sensory response. It plays an important role in the creation of mood and influences the way a structure is perceived. When selecting roofing and siding colors, the selection process can be challenging. Color selection must often balance multiple factors, including;
- Integration with the building design and other materials
- Contrasting or complimenting the surrounding environment
- The need to create balanced color palettes and styles
- Choosing colors that won’t date aggressively
- Selecting durable, UV fade resistant colors
- Color availability
Natural colors are those that work in unison with their landscapes to create harmonious color palettes. Their softer, less saturated tones improve integration with multiple elements, such as other natural materials, environmental features, and diverse lighting conditions. A benefit of natural colors is their reduced intensity can produce broader appeal. Natural colors can also project warmth and positive appeal – think of the enjoyment natural landscapes with their balanced color often provide.
At first glance, the idea a metal roofing and siding finish can feature natural color seems like an oxymoron. How can a color developed through chemistry and manufactured with high-tech machinery produce organic color?
Traditional standard metal colors feature solid, vivid colors with moderate gloss. While this produces a distinct, clean, and crisp color, it may not be suitable for all applications. By comparison, natural metal colors feature less saturated tones, dynamic interaction with light, and can recreate the warmth of weathered metal surfaces.
AEP Span’s Eternal Collection and Vintage are examples of finishes with reduced color intensity and dynamic light interaction. These colors feature a translucent, tinted finish over the base steel substrate. As the finish does not feature a primer, the color is more restrained and subdued. The semi-transparent finish also provides a unique interaction with light that changes throughout the day, much like naturally occurring elements. Additionally, this finish features enhanced depth through its semi-translucent finish, which enables the texture of the metal underneath to be apparent. These elements combine to create a more dimensional finish, like naturally occurring elements, and work in unison with other finishes and materials to create balanced color palettes.
Alternatively, colors such as AEP Span’s Rustic Series create natural color by recreating the effects of long-term natural weathering. Naturally, weathered finishes are often a desirable roofing or siding color due to the more varied color and the warm, earthy tones that ensue from the oxidization process and the creation of a varied patina. All the benefits of weathered materials with the durability and longevity of painted steel. Learn more about AEP Span’s rustic series HERE.
Natural Metal Color Project Spotlights
Project Spotlight: Kalama Eternal Collection Home
A Washington State homeowner selected Design Span® hp metal roofing system in 24ga Urban Slate to uplift the style of their home. The Urban Slate color is a semi-translucent finish which provides a deeper color that changes dynamically with daylight. Built in 1993, this home featured an original teal roof with outdated, inferior paint technology.
You can read more about this home here.
Project Spotlight: Vintage School
This collaboratively developed school instills pride among teachers and students with its commanding yet memorable design. The design focuses on dynamic circulation, which creates student gathering spaces and provides students with a variety of pathways, both physically and academically.
You can read more about this home here.
Project Spotlight: Sedona Rust and Vintage® School
Situated in the sparse desert highlands at the base of the Eastern Sierra, sits this charismatic middle school. For this project, metal siding was selected to add depth and unique appeal to this expansive campus. AEP Span metal siding panels were the preferred product of choice for this facade due to their color versatility, long term durability and low maintenance qualities.
You can read more about this home here.
See more detail on these project spotlights and other projects in AEP Span’s Learning Center
Summary
Natural colors offer an excellent color range to improve mixed material and environmental integration. While normally associated with organic elements, AEP Span offers a range of natural hues for metal roofing and siding surfaces. These natural metal colors truly are a win-win for architects and homeowners- they offer color flexibility without any performance or durability sacrifice.
To explore AEP Span’s natural colors in more detail visit our virtual color palette, download a color design guide, or visualize natural colors on your project using our visualizer.
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