Banking on Longevity

Just 10 years ago, Essex Savings Bank proudly opened its new headquarters in Essex, CT. The combination one- and two-story brick building features a contemporary design with gray stained wood trim and a wide-sweeping standing seam metal roof.The elaborate roof – a steep slope broken into many articulated planes – was designed to be noticed by every bank employee, customer, and passing motorist. Soon, these people will notice something even more striking about the roof – a beautiful new surface made of FreedomGray™ tin/zinc coated copper by Revere Copper Products, Rome, NY.The bank had been experiencing some roofing problems; painted steel was used for the original roof, and intermittent leaks had appeared at the joints around some of the numerous dormers and valleys. Paint was also chipping off the metal surfaces, and rust was beginning to appear.Several materials options, including various types of metal, a variety of metal coatings, as well as asphalt shingles, were investigated, and it was determined that standing seam metal would make the exact “statement” needed. Color options also had to be considered.The easy malleability and rugged longevity of copper make it ideal for any complex roofing project. Here, with the desire for a gray appearance, FreedomGray was the natural choice. Lead-free FreedomGray features all the advantages of copper, consisting of 99.9-percent pure Revere Copper, coated with pre-weathered ZT Alloy™, a patented zinc/tin coating developed by Follansbee Steel of Follansbee, WV. Cost was also considered, says Fred Vogt, principal at Noyes & Vogt Architects, noting, “It was not the deciding factor.” He points out that FreedomGray was neither the most nor the least expensive choice, but is an excellent value due to its durability.