Architectural metals are advancing at an incredible rate right now. Especially when it comes to metal fabrics, architectural metals have an incredibly diverse application. Metal fabrics are woven metal sheets that have incredible properties. Metal mesh facades have an application that is both practical and aesthetic. Etched metal fabrics can even be up to 26 feet wide, opening up a huge diversity of applications.
One of the best benefits of using metal fabrics is that they can translate into cost savings and energy savings. Metal fabrics can help with energy savings in three primary ways: maintaining temperature balance, using recycled materials, and managing shade and daylight.
When it comes to large buildings, temperature balance can be tricky to maintain. When metal fabrics are used, however, it becomes much easier to get a consistent interior temperature throughout areas of the building. This happens because the architectural metals in the mesh can help ventilate hot and cold air. Using the right HVAC system, hot and cold air is able to flow freely between proper areas of the building, keeping temperatures regulated and controlled. This translates into the HVAC system not needing to run as hard or for as long to maintain the right temperature in the building, which of course means the building is both more eco friendly and cost friendly as you save significant money on your power bill.
The materials that architectural metals mesh is made from are also made from significant amounts of recycled metal. For stainless steel, over 60% is post-industrial or post-consumer recycled. Using recycled steel helps save a ton of energy in the manufacturing process and saves you money in the construction process. In addition to the money savings, using recycled materials is obviously a great way to help the environment and go green.
These woven mesh fabrics also end up managing shade and daylight very efficiently in a building. Because the woven mesh has natural gaps between it, it can be used both to create shade when necessary or to allow daylight into a building. When shade is needed, woven mesh is great because it can keep out the excessive heat from the sun, further reducing your cooling bill. When sunlight is needed, the woven mesh can be designed to allow more sunlight in, reducing the energy required to heat the building. Again, this saves you significant money on your energy bill and is a great way to build an eco conscious building.
Solar Mesh is also available. Solar technology has come a long way in the last several years. In addition to having solar panels on a building, solar mesh is an emerging aspect of the architectural metals industry. By installing solar mesh on your building, you can enjoy all of the previously stated energy savings that come with mesh metal panels and also start producing your own energy that can be used to power the building. This is one of the most exciting ways to increase energy efficiency throughout a building and save money in the long run.
Being conscious of the environment is just one of our many duties as business owners and general contractors. Of course we want to be efficient and earn a profit; however, doing so at the expense of the planet doesn’t make sense. With these incredible technologies, it is possible to innovate in ways that both earn significant profits and create an environmentally responsible outlook that will impact dozens of generations to come.
In addition to the benefits of architectural metals and mesh panels discussed above, there are a host of other benefits. These benefits include added security to a building, increased durability of a building (especially in case of natural disasters), and the ability to add an incredibly unique aesthetic look to your building. Be sure to check out our other articles to find out how you can harness these incredible benefits in your next big building project.
