Metal Quality, Durability & Performance
About Us
Our business in the metal industry began in 1958. We have been working arduously ever since to provide the best roofing and metal building products in Belize.
Our standards of quality are one of the key factors of our business’ success. We remain committed to satisfying our customers through high-quality and the best value in metal. We achieve this by carefully sourcing our metals from steel mills with very strict and high standards of quality control.
As the number one supplier of the highest quality roofing material in Belize, our products give personality to the most important industrial, architectural and residential buildings countrywide.
Tested For Best Performance
Like any other steel used in the construction industry, roofing and structural steel are at risk of rusting or corroding. Despite that, there is still a big difference between high quality steel and low quality steel. Physical, chemical and corrosion resistance depend on three main things: grade of steel, steel thickness, and galvanized coating weight. A galvanized coating is a thin layer of zinc that is applied to the surface of the metal and protects it from corrosion and rust.
At Koop Sheet Metal, our combination of grade of steel, steel thickness and high level of galvanized coating guarantees that you will get the best quality of steel in the country. Each batch of our steel goes through numerous lab tests to ensure true quality products for our customers.
High Strength Steel
Our metal framing products such as purlins and hat channels are manufactured from 50,000 PSI structural steel which is much stronger than those made from commercial steel, which is required to be only 33,000 PSI.
In addition to the strength of our products, they also have a G90 zinc coating for superior rust resistance, ensuring that they last longer and require less maintenance.
Maximum Rust Protection
While metal roofing is a highly durable and long-lasting option for protecting your home or business, it is important to select a high-quality product that can withstand the harsh elements over time. One of the key factors to consider when choosing a metal roofing system is its ability to resist rust and corrosion. Rust and corrosion can not only detract from the appearance of the roof but can also weaken its structural integrity and reduce its lifespan. At Koop Sheet Metal, our products feature some of the thickest metallic coatings, providing superior protection against rust and corrosion and ensuring that your investment in a metal roof lasts for many years to come.
Galvanized
Most of our steel building products have a galvanized (zinc) G90 coating. The coating thickness increases the life expectancy of our metals. The thicker the coating, the longer before it wears away and exposes the steel surface. A lower grade of G30 galvanized coating has 1/3 the life expectancy of G90, and G60 has 2/3 the life expectancy of G90 galvanized steel.
Galvalume
Aluminum, zinc and trace amounts of silicon make up a Galvalume coating. Aluminum is highly resistant to corrosion and will stop any rust that may occur in the zinc helping to keep the steel substrate intact. There are three common levels (thickness) of coating but Koop Sheet Metal Galvalume products use a higher level, a coating of AZ165.
GalvaMag
Our GalvaMag steel has a coating composed of of zinc, aluminum, and magnesium. This chemical composition was designed specifically to provide superior results in terms of corrosion resistance and performs about three times better than galvanized coated steel.
AluMag
Alumag , one of our newest products, is similar to GalvaMag in composition, but contains a higher aluminum content and trace amounts of silicone for even more protection against rust and corrosion.
Paint Quality
The steel surface of our painted roofing sheets is protected by a high grade of Galvalume or Galvanized metallic coating and then pre-painted with either 70% Kynar 500 or a Siliconized Polyester paint finish. The double-layer coating provides a high performance against rust and color change.
Koop Sheet Metal uses paints from globally recognized paint manufacturers with the highest standards in quality. The paints finishes are formulated with a Kynar 500 or a Siliconized Polyester resin and paint pigments. These are two of the best resins used in the manufacture of paint coatings for the metal roofing industry, and provide both durability and long lasting beauty.
Siliconized Polyester / SMP
The silicone in siliconized polyester paint improves the performance properties of the polyester resin. It is a harder coating than Kynar, providing better scratch resistance and the exterior durability necessary for agricultural, industrial, and commercial metal roofing. It is also more affordable than PVDF paint coatings, making it a good choice for any roofing application that requires quality at a lower price tag.
Kynar 500 / PVDF
In Kynar paint, Kynar 500 makes up 70% of the paint resin, an ingredient for high end paints in metals. This paint finish has extremely good color retention and gloss which makes it stand out a bit from other paint coatings. Kynar has a very high resistance to color fading and chalking over time, meaning your roof will look new for much longer than other paint coatings would.
Color Performance
The degradation on metal panel paint systems such as chalking and fading is gradually caused by ultraviolet (UV) light and other atmospheric elements. The grade of the resin, pigment and the thickness of the paint coating will determine its color performance and weather resistance, meaning the quality of roofing that you choose determines if the color of your roof will last for decades, years, or only months.
Fading is a change in the color of the paint that occurs when the pigments in the paint begin to break down. This can be caused by a number of factors such as paint composition or low grade/highly pigmented paint. If the paint coating is not applied evenly to the material, fading will produce streaks of different shades as the paint is weathering unevenly, which is also a sign of low quality paint.
Chalking happens when the sun’s UV rays cause the paint’s resin to slowly disintegrate into powder on the surface of the material, leaving behind a chalky substance and changing the appearance of the roofing over time. Because the damage typically comes from UV radiation, lighter colors will chalk more slowly than dark colors because they reflect more sunlight, and when they do chalk it will be less visible. Higher quality paint coatings such as our Kynar 500 roofing will withstand color fading and chalking for much longer than other metal paints.
Exact Fit Overlap
Our roofing sheets are rolled-formed with high precision to ensure an exact-fit overlap. Having an exact fit is crucial in metal roofing because even small gaps or misalignments between panels can lead to leaks, especially during heavy rain or high winds. Additionally, an exact fit between the panels also helps to maintain the structural integrity of the roof, preventing the panels from lifting or shifting during extreme weather conditions.
