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Metal Building Resources to Make Your Job Easier

In an industry filled with jam-packed project loads, custom requests and related obstacles, Metallic Products’ metal building resources offer some ease. Our Resources page is your go-to spot for what you need to know before ordering. It’s insight into installation procedures. It’s explanations of industry lingo you can pass along to your clients. It’s answers to questions you have amid the order process. And it’s all right here, in one convenient place. Scroll on, read up and take advantage of our ever-growing range of metal building resources. After all, they’re here to help.

FAQs: Key Things to Know About Our Company and Steel Building Products


Are Metallic Products’ Metal Building Accessories Made in the U.S.?

Yes! All of our products are created at our Houston, Texas, manufacturing facility. The only potential exceptions are certain power vents and wall fans which we procure from third-party manufacturers.

Online ordering is not currently available, but we are looking into it. A quick call or email to your sales rep is still the best way to get the ball rolling on your metal building accessories order. (Don’t have a sales rep yet? Contact us here.)

Yes! Twelve of our ventilator and louver products have been approved by the Florida Building Commission for use in their construction industry. Our Florida Approved products undergo extensive testing, evaluation, validation — and ongoing quality assurance audits — to ensure they can provide maximum protection and maintain the highest possible durability during extreme weather scenarios.

All of our steel building accessories undergo extensive testing to ensure they can withstand the elements and provide the best possible protection for both your people and metal buildings. Specific tests will vary, based on the product itself. Our continuous and low profile ridge vents, and flat and die-formed skirts have undergone a range of in-depth tests to gauge their structural performance based on uniform static air pressure difference. As such, those products are approved by the Texas Department of Insurance. We submit products such as our metal building canopies and low profile ventilators to wind uplift tests by third-party engineers to determine how your structure (and our products) would fare against extreme winds. These tests also provide assurance that our products meet existing building codes. Meanwhile, products such as our large throat ridge vents are put through their paces with third-party wind rating and design pressure tests in order to compile data our customers can use when planning their builds. Meanwhile, a number of our ventilation accessories have undergone tests to obtain Florida product approval (which you can read more about above).

No. When gone about in the right way, natural ventilation provides needed air flow that helps protect your steel buildings from rust, mold and damaged insulation. The key is to incorporate quality products — installed by a skilled crew — into your structures. Ongoing efforts to maintain your building and ventilation systems will also help.

A quality product is the best way to keep unwanted moisture from making its way indoors — especially when paired with installation by a qualified crew. Metallic Products’ ridge vents undergo thorough testing to ensure they’re able to stand up against whatever Mother Nature throws their way. And installation is easy, too! Follow this link (or scroll down on this page) to access our step-by-step instructional video.

Glossary of Terms: Common Metal Building and Ventilation Phrases


We find projects run much more smoothly when everyone - from customer, to contractor and everyone in between - is on the same page. We've compiled a few common phrases you're bound to encounter during your metal building accessory and ventilation projects.
 

Air Changes Per Hour: Often shortened to ACH or ACPH, this term refers to the number of times air enters and exits a space through the HVAC and/or ventilation system within a 60-minute period. To calculate a space’s ACH, multiply the room’s CFM times 60 and divide it by the room’s volume (in cubic feet).
 

Air Leakage: The uncontrolled — and unwelcome — entry of outside air into a building, often resulting in difficulty regulating indoor temperatures and humidity. Factors such as corrosion, rust and weakened building joints rank among common issues that lead to air leakage.
 

Cross Ventilation: Also known as the wind effect, this is a natural form of ventilation that centers on the idea that you can cool a space by ushering fresh air in one side and out the other. Wall louvers, vents, windows and, of course, wind, are all key components of cross ventilation.
 

Exhaust Air: Air purposefully removed from a space and replaced with cleaner, fresher air with the help of ventilation accessories such as ridge ventilators and roof-mounted fans. Exhaust air is often warm, humid and/or polluted due to manufacturing or production processes.
 

Galvalume: A lightweight, durable and long-lasting material that is popular in the production of metal building accessories. Galvalume is a mixture of aluminum and zinc alloy, with some silicon thrown in, too.
 

Gravity Ventilation: A natural or passive way to encourage airflow through a building, aided by strategic openings throughout a space. Gravity vents and louvers are key components of the gravity ventilation process.
 

Hybrid Ventilation: Also known as mixed-mode ventilation, this is a means of ventilating a space with a combination of mechanical and natural ventilation components. Oftentimes fresh air enters a space with help from a turbine vent or apex vent, while exhaust fans remove warm, stale and contaminated air.
 

Mechanical Ventilation: A ventilation approach that moves fresh air into and through a space with help from ducts and electric fans.
 

Passive Ventilation: Also known as natural ventilation, this is a means of moving fresh air into and through a space with help from air pressure and strategically placed openings throughout the building. Passive ventilation works without the assistance of electrical components.
 

Powder Coating: A durable, baked-on, resin-based coating commonly applied to metal building accessories such as roof hatches and door canopies. Powder coating provides long-lasting color, and is at a lower risk of chipping, scratching and fading than with traditional paint.
 

Dig Deeper into Our Industry

Our metal building blog offers insight on a wide range of topics, from how our building accessories work, to ways you can save money on building repairs.

Metal Building Accessory Installation Videos


We design our steel building accessories for quick and easy installation, but a little added guidance is never a bad thing. Click for step-by-step demonstrations for a few of our most popular products.