The human species has known about zinc for a long time, with civilizations as ancient as Rome being aware of the element, though they only knew it in a powder form they called “cadmia”, an accidental afterproduct of copper smelting. The Romans smelted cadmia with copper to create brass, and later even used more purified zinc powder as medicine. 

Humans as a species have come a long way since then, and so has our relationship with- and understanding of zinc. As a highly flexible metal (both literally and figuratively), zinc boasts a vast array of uses from prototyping products, building small components in electronics, and for use in architecture and construction. 

This article will examine specifically that last usage, specifically cast zinc as it’s been used in architecture. We’ll look at how it has been used historically, as well as consider where zinc stands in the modern market, and how viable and valuable it is to modern architects and designers. 

Historic Uses of Cast Zinc

While humans have technically used the metal since at least the Roman era, it wasn’t until a few hundred years ago that we really began to understand and widely use zinc. The first decade of the 19th century saw the first major production center for extracting, processing, and smelting zinc, as well as the discovery of how to roll zinc into sheets so useful for lightweight and durable roofing.

While many were still trying to come up with the best uses for the metal, it wasn’t until the 1830s that the process of hollow casting zinc was discovered. Beginning in Germany and Austria (where the casting process was discovered and perfected) over the next few decades of the 19th century, Europe saw an explosion of decorative zinc, from interior elements like lamps, statutes, and pedestals, to exterior features like cornices, door dressing, columns, and balconies. 

Since it is very easily molded, is cheaper than stone, and can be easily painted to resemble more expensive metals, cast zinc quickly replaced or became a common alternative for other building materials in much of Europe. Zinc soon replaced iron used for ornaments and cladding since the finer elements on large architectural pieces made from cast iron tended to come out impure or imperfect. It even replaced some carved wood filigree since cast zinc could offer equal levels of detail, improved durability over wood, and still had a lower price than other durable metals like copper. 

In the United States, zinc was historically popular in New York City in the last half of the 19th century in the form of roofing and statuary made of cast zinc. Although zinc started to decline in popularity at the start of the 1900s, more or less disappearing in common use by the 1950s, many historic statues in the US (such as the famous Puck statue posed on the Puck Magazine building in New York) are made from zinc. 

Can it Be Done Today?

With all this information in mind, we’re able to consider the main question of this article – is zinc still a viable and relevant architectural metal? At MetalTech Global, we can confidently say from our own experience that the answer is a clear “yes.” As the only architectural metals company in the USA (and possibly the world) with our own in-house zinc foundry and casting facility, we’re constantly exploring and improving upon construction and design. 

With our custom in-house zinc fabrication facility, we are able to create everything from intricate art pieces of cast zinc to custom designed wall paneling and cast facade pieces, all from recycled, post-processed zinc scrap captured during the production process, smelted into ingots, and cast into one-of-a-kind custom pieces for your installation.   

Beyond the historic uses of zinc discussed in this article (roofing, statues, and decorative elements) cast zinc in the modern marketplace can be used for cladding, facades, and wall paneling in a variety of styles and functionalities. From flatlock panels of varying shape and size, to slot-in facade and cassette panels, to corrugated panels that regulate light and temperature around a building’s exterior, zinc has an incredible range of uses in modern architecture, and MetalTech Global is at the forefront of this next evolution of architectural metals.

Choosing Zinc for Your Next Project

With years of experience in the field, MetalTech Global is a trusted manufacturer and distributor of sustainable architectural metals. We envision a world where buildings are constructed with efficiency and durability in mind, intentionally designed to stand sustainably for decades with little need for repair or replacement. Because it’s durable, highly recyclable, more cost effective than similar metals, and easily cast into different shapes, zinc is the ideal material for meeting our goal. 

In addition to practical benefits, cast zinc is aesthetically pleasing and flexible, and with the ability to fabricate cast zinc to order for construction projects, MetalTech Global can generate anything from simple paneling to unique artistic creations. For example, carefully perforated zinc sheets are used to produce our “PixArt”, as seen on The Star, home of the Dallas Cowboys, or the Solar Decathlon in China

As the largest stocking center for architectural zinc in the United States, MetalTech Global is here to offer its expertise in realizing the full potential of your company’s next project. Request a quote for your project today!

Although roofers in Europe have long been familiar with zinc as a construction material, this metal is only just beginning to come into fashion in the United States. However, in Europe, especially countries like Belgium, France, and Germany, many to most urban homes use zinc roofing (roughly 85% of roofs in Paris are made of zinc). Its popularity is no small wonder, given that zinc offers a wide variety of advantages over other similar materials used in roofing and cladding. 

This article will offer insight into the reasons why this zinc is so highly desirable. In particular, we will consider the advantages of zinc and consider just how suitable it is as a construction material.

Durability

Perhaps the single most desirable aspect of zinc is its incredible durability as a construction material. This strength comes from the fact that zinc roofing will naturally last for decades (up to a century) before needing replacement, and requires very little maintenance in order to do so.

Longevity

Zinc will naturally last much longer than the other common roofing choices in America. Asphalt shingles (currently the most common material for roofing in the US) will need to be fully replaced roughly once every ten years. Cast steel sheets are certainly more durable in comparison, but in order for steel to last as long as zinc, it must be galvanized (generally with a coating made up of aluminum and zinc). The only other roofing material that can naturally last as long as zinc is copper, but it tends to be a much costlier option, potentially even prohibitively so. Zinc offers a perfect middle ground of extreme durability while still being competitively priced. 

Low Maintenance

The next major factor contributing to zinc’s incredible durability is the fact that, not only will zinc roofing last for several decades, it will require very little maintenance in order to do so. This is thanks to zinc’s patina, a protective outer layer that will form naturally over time. When a zinc roof is first installed, it will start off a very dark gray color. Over time the metal will oxidize and change to a lighter gray or bluish color. 

This patina process protects a zinc roof in two ways. Firstly, the oxidized outer layer will naturally protect the metal from rust or any kind of damage that may result from exposure to moisture or air over time. Secondly, zinc’s patina actually allows the metal to self-heal from damage. While a zinc roof can be scratched or damaged on the surface, the continual oxidation process will eventually “heal” over the damage with a fresh layer of patina, eliminating the need for repairs on anything but major damage. 

Due to the desirable qualities of a patina, it’s possible (and common) to purchase zinc roofing that is pre-patinated so that this defensive layer is already established as soon as the roof is installed. 

Other Benefits of Zinc

Apart from its incredible lifespan, there are several other factors contributing to zinc’s overall attractiveness as a roofing material.

Natural Antimicrobial Properties

In addition to its other benefits, zinc has one more strength that contributes to its longevity as a construction material – it is naturally antimicrobial. Zinc is even commonly used as an ingredient in oral hygiene products for this very reason. This means that algae, moss, lichen, and mildew will not be able to take root and grow on a zinc roof, eliminating yet another maintenance need common in other roofing materials. 

Sustainability

Zinc’s sustainability is another factor making it a good choice for roofing in the long run. Zinc requires less energy than aluminum or copper to smelt and process, is up to 100% recyclable, and is a naturally highly abundant metal (the 24th most common found on Earth). This sustainability means that not only will zinc roofs last a long time, we can continue to produce them for a long time with reduced harm to the environment. 

Using Zinc for Your Next Construction Project

MetalTech Global is the nation’s premiere distributor and fabricator of coil, sheet and finished architectural metals products. Working with our affiliates, we are promoting the use of sustainable metal products in the building. 

We envision that home and commercial construction will be committed to using only durable and reusable products. MetalTech Global can help your commitment be successful as durability, reusability, and sustainability is our area of expertise. We work with companies like elZinc America, VMZinc, Lorin Industries, and Hussey Copper to provide the highest quality architectural products in natural metals. 

While zinc has been used extensively in Europe for hundreds of years, it is a relatively new building metal in North America, and its potential for robust, beautiful structures is unmatched. As of 2021, MetalTech Global is the largest stocking center of architectural zinc in North America, with the capability of re-processing sheets and coils for customers on demand.

Contact us today for architectural metals, coils, panels, metal fabrication and cutting, folding, and more!

Any modern architect working in the world today knows that the range of potential materials available for construction projects is larger than it ever has been, and likely to only increase over time. This brings us to zinc – a material that humanity has used in construction and architecture since approximately the 19th century. 

While zinc has been in use in the world of architecture for well over a century, it hasn’t always been a popular or commonly used material, though its use is becoming more widespread in modern architectural projects. There are a variety of reasons for this rise in popularity, not least of which is the fact that zinc is a material that allows for a variety of unique shapes and structures in construction. It can be used for singular and visually fascinating designs, or more simply as an effective option for roofing or siding. Due to its flexibility, zinc should be a strong consideration for any architect interested in creating unique designs with custom metal fabrication.

But modern construction prioritizes more than aesthetics, as environmentally friendly construction becomes more and more in demand to accommodate both new regulations and independent green initiatives. This article will offer an overview of the key environmental considerations of zinc as a construction material.

Zinc Production

 Let us first take a look at how zinc sheet is produced. This process breaks down into four basic steps:

Alloying is the initial step, where zinc ore is melted into liquid and combined with a carefully measured amount of alloying elements like copper, titanium, or aluminum. 

Casting is the process where the liquid metal is poured into a casting machine and solidified in the form of a solid sheet of metal which is usually 12 millimeters thick and one meter wide. This carefully controlled process allows the machinery involved to produce a fine, homogenous grain structure in the metal. 

Rolling involves passing the zinc sheet under heavy rolling machinery three to five times to reduce it to the desired thickness and cool the metal. Again, the process is carefully monitored and controlled to produce the desired mechanical properties in the material.

Slitting and packaging is the final stage involves cutting the now rolled zinc into either sheets or coils so it can be sold and used. 

Environmental Benefits of Zinc

Zinc is an environmentally friendly option for construction and architecture. Its “green” benefits can generally be broken down into three categories – the production process, its effective lifetime as a construction material, and its recyclability. 

Production:

Like nearly all construction materials, zinc must be extracted from the Earth with mining technology and techniques. However, zinc does offer an ecological advantage over other similar materials. Due to its lower melting point, less energy is required to process zinc ore into a metal, needing only around half of the heat energy needed to produce copper or steel, and only 25% of the energy needed for aluminum. Likewise, the amount of zinc present in the earth has seen no appreciable decline in the history of its use as a production material.

Lifetime Duration:

Zinc offers another distinct ecological advantage in its longevity. When processed into its pure form used in construction, zinc develops a thin outer layer (or “patina”) over its surface which protects the metal from environmental forces such wind or rain. This patina can also protect the metal from scratches or other forms of direct physical harm, as it is self-healing, preserving its aesthetic and durability. 

These characteristics make zinc a popular choice in a variety of architectural needs, but especially as roofing and wall cladding. Many European countries contain houses whose zinc roofs were originally built in the 19th century and are still in good repair today. 

On top of the added perk of a reduced need for maintenance, this durability offers an obvious ecological benefit in that zinc installations will last for a long time without needing to be replaced, and thus reducing demand for creating new materials. This is an obvious benefit over previously popular options like asphalt shingles, which need to be thrown out and replaced after about a decade. 

Recycling:

The final environmental advantage that zinc offers is that it’s completely recyclable. This means that it can be produced easily and effectively from old material taken from demolished or re-roofed structures. Indeed, zinc as a raw material is nearly 100% recyclable, a figure that drops only to 95% recyclable when dealing with zinc used as roofing or cladding. 

All of this reduces the demand for raw zinc extracted through mining, which offers a huge ecological boon over other materials with less robust recyclability. Between 90 to 95% of zinc used in the architectural industry comes from recycled materials. Old zinc panels or sheets will be used as raw material in the alloying phase of production, being melted down and recombined with alloying elements to create new zinc sheets. 

Using Zinc Sheet for Your Next Project

MetalTech Global is the nation’s premiere distributor and fabricator of coil, sheet and finished architectural metals products. Working with our affiliates, we are promoting the use of sustainable metal products in the building. 

We envision that home and commercial construction will be committed to using only durable and reusable products. MetalTech Global can help your commitment be successful as durability, reusability, and sustainability is our area of expertise. We work with VMZinc to provide the highest quality architectural products in natural metals. 

While zinc has been used extensively in Europe for hundreds of years, it is a relatively new building metal in North America, and its potential for robust, beautiful structures is unmatched. As of 2021, MetalTech Global is the largest stocking center of architectural zinc in North America, with the capability of re-processing sheets and coils for customers on demand.

Contact us today for architectural metals, coils, panels, metal fabrication and cutting, folding, and more!