“Metal was really the only choice for this project,” said lead designer John Vierra of Delta Building Inc. of Acampo, Calif. “Metal was a nice contrast to the rest of the facility, which is mostly wood. Metal was an economical choice as well. It’s durable and available in a wide variety of colors.”

Richard Pruden, owner of roofing installer Pruden Roofing, said workers had to take extra precautions while installing the panels, due to the roof’s steepness.

“It was steep and tall,” he said. “We carried every panel up a ladder. We had to be extra careful.”

The building design also included 16 valleys, a time-consuming job made easier once Drexel Metals arranged for the delivery of a Swenson Shear SnapTable HD. The SnapTable features an adjustable table width to accommodate panels measuring 12-22 inches, a notching station equipped with a slope-calibrated ruler that allows for 29-inch notching offset, and a slitter that cuts a 33-inch maximum angle.

“Initially, it took me and three guys four hours to install panels on one valley,” Pruden said. “Once we got the SnapTable, it took us an hour, so it saved us a lot of time. It cut panels, hemmed them and notched them for us. I think it’s safe to say it paid for itself with this one job.”      

As a new member of the Drexel Metals Association of Regional Manufacturers, Pruden was able to take advantage of Drexel Metals’ engineered metal roofing systems and equipment, and custom fabrication services. The DM-ARM program allows manufacturers and installers better control, more efficiency and the ability to provide metal roofing on-demand, Drexel says.

“Drexel Metals is the ‘back office’ support for the contractor, providing technical support, submittal information, warranties and a national presence to allow all parties to feel comfortable with our products and industry-leading warranties,” said Ken McLauchlan, regional manager for Drexel Metals. “For the Oak Farm Vineyards project, being a DM-ARM member allowed Pruden Roofing access to running panels and trim through Starr-light Designs, a DM-ARM fabrication contractor. Phil Starr and his crew provided onsite panel forming and fabrication of all the trims for the project, including the custom penetration flashings.”