How Ice Shield and Architectural Canopies Level Up Your Steel Buildings

Ice shield and architectural canopies are common additions to steel buildings of all types and sizes, but their impact goes far beyond curb appeal. These accessories serve as protective barriers against the elements while also enhancing a building’s visual profile. Choosing the right option plays a key role in ensuring a structure’s long-term performance and safety.

At Metallic Products, we believe that an informed customer is an empowered customer. In this post, we’ll walk you through the primary differences between traditional door canopies and heavy-duty ice shield canopies, as well as factors to consider when incorporating the accessories into your metal building projects. It’s all about helping you approach your builds armed with knowledge — and the right products, too. Let’s get started. 

Understand Your Options: Traditional Canopies Vs. Ice Shield Canopies

Even in the world of canopies, there are countless accessory options to consider. (And that can be overwhelming.) Before setting out to find your building’s ideal pick, we recommend taking the time to determine what you hope to achieve with your canopies, and which general product type makes the most sense. Here, we’ll look into personnel door canopies and ice shield canopies — their unique purposes and benefits.

Personnel Door Canopies
“Personnel door canopies” is a blanket term used for the canopies you often see above a metal building’s doorways, windows and high-traffic areas. They’re a simple, low-maintenance way to protect people from rain, snow and the sun’s rays. By adding lights, you can also improve safety on and around the property.

These building accessories look out for the long-term health of the structure, its accessories and systems, too. For instance, did you know solar radiation through glass is responsible for 20% of the pressure put on HVAC systems? A properly sized and placed door canopy can significantly decrease energy costs while protecting the cooling unit from damage and debris. Similarly, the safeguards such door canopies offer against the elements also help doors and windows remain in quality shape for years.

Personnel door canopies are also a great way to add aesthetic interest to a steel building. Available in a range of sizes, colors and finishes, they can blend into their surroundings or provide a pop of color where desired. At Metallic Products, we offer single and double-door canopy options, corner canopies and lighted varieties, too — all customizable to suit your tastes and needs.

Metallic Products Tip: Looking to learn more about how the right canopy can help keep cooling costs down while protecting your systems? Metallic Products’ Owner and President, Travis Wendt, discussed just that in a Metal Architecture article.

Ice Shield Canopies
Ice shield canopies, commonly known as ice shields, are steel-plated accessories placed above doorways. They’re made of sturdy 10-gauge steel meant to stand up against the elements, and their main goal is to protect against snow and ice accumulation that can result in structural damage and dangerous scenarios.

Featuring an angled gable canopy design, ice shield canopies usher snow and ice safely down and away from your rooftops. Not only does this ward off roof issues, but it helps stop eave ice shear, a common issue where large amounts of snow and ice — often collected along gutters — fall to the ground. Ice shield canopies are ideal for areas in colder climates, which regularly experience heavy ice and snow loads.

As with personnel door canopies, ice shields also contribute to a building’s overall look. At Metallic Products, for instance, we offer a range of sizes, colors and finishes — and options for single- or double-door applications. G-90 galvanized options are also available for those looking for enhanced protection against corrosion. 

Factors to Consider When Planning Ice Shield or Architectural Canopy Additions

As we’ve mentioned, ice shield and architectural canopy additions can be a simple, effective way to add visual interest while better protecting your property and people. The best part is, with relatively simple installation and little to no ongoing maintenance, there’s no substantial investment of time, money or effort. It’s important to remember, however, that these accessories are meant to remain part of your building for the long term.

It isn’t just important to find the ice shield or architectural canopy for your building’s needs and your team’s preferences. You’ll want to make sure the company providing your canopy can provide the service and overall experience your team needs. Here are some things to consider throughout your search.

Consider an Architectural Canopy that Pulls Double Duty
Although any canopy you incorporate into a space will offer some protection against rain, snow and other elements, certain varieties take things a step further. A lighted canopy, for instance, offers improved safety for people venturing into your building. At the same time, enhanced visibility helps protect your building against vandalism, theft and the like. At Metallic Products, in addition to lighted canopies, we offer retrofit kits that make it easy to upgrade our existing personnel door canopies with lighting.

Remember, Quality Matters for Any Building Accessory
It isn’t enough for your canopy to look good — it must be made to last. A canopy that dings or breaks when bad weather sets in, or which has paint that easily chips and fades, will require constant TLC. That can hit your bottom line hard while also creating safety concerns.

Seek out canopy options that have undergone extensive testing, so you know they’re up to the challenge. Metallic Products’ personnel door canopies feature durable 16-gauge galvanized frames and are engineered to withstand winds up to 180 mph. Snow load capacities up to 100 psf are also available. Our ice shield canopies, meanwhile, can withstand up to 121 psf of snow/live load and 135-mph winds. Exact design specs will vary based on your chosen dimensions.

Factor Manufacturing Locations and Lead Times into Your Decision
The world we live in is incredibly interconnected — and it’s becoming more so each day. It’s not uncommon to order a product from a U.S. company only to have the product itself ship from overseas. When that happens, it can hit you with budget-breaking shipping fees and costly wait times.

Talk with your potential accessory provider about where their manufacturing facilities are located and how long you can expect to wait for your order. Metallic Products is proud to manufacture all our steel building accessories — including our ice shield and architectural canopies — at our home office in Houston, Texas. This route allows us to maintain improved quality assurance at every stage of production, while also ensuring quicker, more cost-effective shipping. The average lead time for our building accessories is five to 10 business days. (For most competitors, lead time is closer to three or four weeks!)

A personnel door canopy or ice shield canopy can be a great way to protect your metal building investment while adding eye-catching appeal to your space — and it doesn’t have to break the bank. It’s all about knowing exactly what your project calls for, and finding an accessory provider that’s willing to help bring your vision to reality.

If you have questions about any of the above, or if you’re ready to incorporate a canopy into a current structure or upcoming build, contact the building accessory experts at Metallic Products! Our team loves helping projects take shape, and we look forward to helping you!