Living life on the edge

By Emma Peterson. 

Edge metal is the key to building a safe and secure roofing system. Learn why it’s so important and how to pick the right product for your job. 

In this RLW webinar, Heidi J. Ellsworth hosted Nick Musel and Hank Booney of Mule-Hide Products to talk about edge metal. Nick is a technical field manager at Mule-Hide. In his 22-year career, he has worked for two large manufacturers and seen the industry inside and out. Hank is almost at four decades in the industry and works as a territory manager for Mule-Hide. Prior to getting his position in 2015, he had worked on the fastening technical side, distribution and field inspection.  

These two know their way around a roofing system and both attest to the importance of edge metal in keeping the building secure. Nick explained why it's so important, “Typically, when we see catastrophic roof failures it starts with the edge metal. So having a well-designed system, pre-manufactured pieces that have been tested in a laboratory, that have been bent and fabricated in a shop and delivered directly out to the roofing installers helps protect and defend the entire roof system.”  

Hank re-emphasized Nick’s point about tested systems, “Having those tested components would certainly lead precedence through a manufactured and tested system to prevent or at least minimize the extensiveness of damage.” This testing can come from a variety of organizations. When it comes to edge metal you want to make sure it has been tested for design pressures and wind uplift. These organizations include ANSI/SPRI, ASCE and Factory Mutual. Nick explained what to be looking for when looking at who tested the product, “It's important when designing these roofs to understand the criteria. In different parts of the country, you'll get different wind pressures and need products tested at different levels.” 

Read the transcript, Listen to the recording or Watch the webinar to learn more about finding the right edge metal for your project.