Your Guide to Fade, Rust and Dent Protection

By Evelyn Witterholt. 

Learn what goes into the protection of Central States Manufacturing’s metal panels. 

Fading, rusting and dents are three major concerns owners have when it comes to their metal roofs and walls. With the look of metal being a large part of its appeal, a faded metal panel is less than attractive. Rusted metal and dented metal from hail damage are not only a concern from an aesthetic standpoint, but this also makes the material less durable and functional. 

Here’s the protective measure Central States Manufacturing has taken to ensure their panels are protected from these common concerns: 

Fade protection 

In order for a metal panel to be resistant to fading, it has to be made with a quality paint system. Central States Manufacturing panels are painted with a CentralGuard® protection system that has a cross-linked matrix resin and UV blockers. It also resists chalk, a white powdery substance on a panel that happens when the finish’s carbon bonds breakdown. 

In terms of measurement, Fade is measured in Hunter Units with one Hunter Unit measuring a small degree of color change. The lower this number, the better. Over the course of 30 years, Central States roof panels see only seven Hunter Units of fade, whereas substandard roof panels see 10 Hunter Units. 

Dent protection 

In order to determine the impact resistance of a roofing material, Underwriters Laboratory has their UL 2218 test. This test is administered by dropping different sized steel balls onto a roofing panel to see how resistant it is to the impact. Central States Manufacturing uses metals with Class 4 impact resistance rating, meaning that it resisted dents from the largest steel balls in the impact resistance test. 

Rust protection 

Central States Manufacturing uses galvanized and Galvalume® coatings, the two most popular rust-inhibitive coatings on the market. Galvanized coatings offer great short-term protection against rust for the first 10 years of a metal panel’s life. Galvalume coatings offer longer-term protection with a 20-year rust-through warranty. The thicker the coating on the panel, the more effective it is at resisting rust.  

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About Evelyn  

Evelyn works as a writer for RoofersCoffeeShop, MetalCoffeeShop and AskARoofer. When she isn’t writing about roofing, she’s either at the gym lifting weights or curled up on the couch watching a movie.