Grayslake, Ill., July 11, 2023 — Copper has a way of standing out, especially when first installed. Natural Metal Associates of Mont Vernon, N.H., installed approximately 1,600 square feet of standing seam copper as the façade of an addition to a renovated home in Cambridge, Mass.

Lou Rondeau, owner of Natural Metal Associates (NMA), installed the copper purchased through Sheet Metal Supply (SMS), from Revere Copper of Rome, N.Y. Because of a demanding schedule, it took Rondeau a few months to get on the jobsite. By that time, the copper gutters and several standing seam copper eyebrows had been installed. So, the homeowners decided to install copper panels on the walls of the addition.

“The addition adds three rooms at the back of the house,” says homeowner Doug Brown, who along with his wife Dee Elms, purchased the home about 11 years ago. “It’s basically a set of stacked boxes.”

The couple first had the home lifted up to replace the original foundation built with concrete block and field stones in 1925. The new basement includes a 300 square foot addition at the back to serve as a workout room. The main floor of the addition is a new family room and the second floor above that is the new primary bedroom. The top floor addition is smaller than the main floor addition below it, allowing for a small balcony outside the primary bedroom.

“We wanted to keep the traditional Victorian look at the front of the house,” Brown says. “We discussed other metals for the addition but decided on copper because it is distinctive and it’s a living metal. Painted composite panels are very popular today, but they are the same color forever. Copper changes, it patinas, so the look of the home evolves with time.”

Rondeau, who specializes in working with natural metals, including copper, zinc and stainless steel, focused on lining up the vertical metal panel seams with window lines. He had jobsite assistance from Thiago DeSouza and all panels are mechanically double-locked.

“Every panel is a custom size,” Rondeau says. “The variety of widths gives it a contemporary look. Initially, we talked about installing flat-lock tiles on the walls, but decided it would look too busy. I’m happy with the way it turned out.

“The biggest challenge was getting materials into a tight urban neighborhood. Other houses are pretty close.”

Sheet Metal Supply custom-crated the panels for this job to accommodate the tight jobsite spaces. SMS and NMA both deal mostly in natural metals because they are sustainable: high recycled content, long life cycle and recycled at the end of that life cycle.

“If you ask Lou what he does, he’ll tell you he’s a roofer,” Brown says. “In truth, he’s an artist. He did a fantastic job.”

Rondeau is quick to offer up appreciation for Sheet Metal Supply. “Sheet Metal Supply is not just a supplier to me,” Rondeau says. “They treat me like family. They take an interest in every project, they’re invested in my success. They know how to get it done. My business would not be what it is today if it weren’t for SMS.”

About Sheet Metal Supply

Founded in 1991, Sheet Metal Supply Ltd. is a leading fabricator/supplier of custom-formed perimeter edge systems, wall facades, flat lock tiles, substructural components, ES-1 rated products, architectural zinc, glazed-in panels, standing seam and much more. The company ships internationally and is regarded for its high-quality products and quick turn-around. For more information, visit www.sheetmetalsupplyltd.com.

Fabricator: Sheet Metal Supply LTD, Grayslake, Ill.

Copper Supplier: Revere Copper, Rome, N.Y.

Installer: Lou Rondeau, Natural Metal Associates, Mont Vernon, N.H.

Architect: Richard Bernstein Architect, Gloucester, Mass.

Interior Design: Elms Interior Design LLC, Boston

Project Manager: Moughan Contracting, Newton, Mass.

Grayslake, Ill., September 28, 2022 — The Village of Elk Grove, Ill., is offering facelift incentives to the owners of aging buildings within an industrial park developed in the 1960s. Architectural Panel Systems recently completed one of the first exterior upgrades, installing products fabricated by Sheet Metal Supply.

“The building owner at 1951 Landmeier wanted to take advantage of incentives from the village to improve the appearance of the exterior,” says Ross Boehmer, President of Architectural Panel Systems. “Originally, we looked at a custom color to match the colors of the business, but it wasn’t cost-effective for such a small order.”

After an initial inspection of the masonry on the building to ensure it would be able to handle the additional weight of the lightweight aluminum rainscreen, Boehmer says Sheet Metal Supply purchased 4mm Alucobond Plus aluminum composite panels in the color of CUPRAL to fabricate that rainscreen system, of approximately 1,300 square feet. The color and appearance of CUPRAL changes with the light that hits it.
“We were pretty excited about this project and the opportunity to work with a special Alucobond CUPRAL material that changes color, based on the lighting and angle it’s viewed,” says Ben Kweton, CSI-EP, Vice President of Sheet Metal Supply. “This was a first for us. We used Carter’s FUSION extrusion system and used the same 4mm Alucobond for the flashing, as there simply isn’t an available sheet to match this gorgeous product.”

It was a successful collaboration between Architectural Panel Systems and Sheet Metal Supply.

“We supplied the design drawings and the engineering to Sheet Metal Supply and they did a great job with all of the fabrication,” Boehmer says. “The biggest challenge was dealing with setbacks in the original masonry. Sheet Metal Supply fabricated the sub-framing so all of the new CUPRAL aluminum composite panels would be flush.”

Architect: Alan Schneider, ARSA Associates, Park Ridge, Ill.
General Contractor: BLC Construction LLC, Elk Grove, Ill.
Fabricator: Sheet Metal Supply LTD, Grayslake, Ill.
Installer: Architectural Panel Systems, Addison, Ill.

Sheet Metal Supply Ltd. recently celebrated its 30th anniversary with an employee gathering at the plant.

“It’s been an exciting 30 years, no doubt about that,” says Phil Kweton, Founder of Sheet Metal Supply. “Through the years, we’ve increased our product offerings, added staff and recently, we moved into a state-of-the-art 80,000 square foot facility in Grayslake. We succeeded by using a very simple formula – Customer First!” Ben Kweton, CSI-EP, Vice President of Sheet Metal Supply, says the company’s first 30 years have been analogous to a tree putting down solid roots and providing a strong foundation upon which to grow stronger, branch out, and have an occasional offshoot.

“We certainly hope to see most of the current trends in our industry continue, with metal being a very viable choice for both roofing and walls from both a cost standpoint and more importantly, an aesthetic and environmental/LEED position as well,” Ben Kweton says. “We’re thankful to our customers for their continued support and the fine assembly of team members that keep the business pushing forward and keep this a safe, collaborative, and productive workplace.”