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VIDEO: WOOD VS. ARCHITECTURAL METAL MOULDINGS PART 2 - SCRAPE TEST

Many architectural projects must back up their beauty with backbone. It’s not enough to create a great design -- it’s got to stand up to wear and tear in a mass-shared space, too.   That’s why this video series attempts to answer, "What is the most durable type of base trim in the industry?" Wood mouldings? Vinyl mouldings? Architectural metal mouldings? We put five materials through an abrasion, or scuffing, test. The goal: How do popular mouldings react to a glancing blow as might occur in a hotel, airport, or other public place? RELATED VIDEOS AND ARTICLE: Part 1: Moulding Impact Test Part 3: Moulding Flame Test ARCHITECTURAL METAL MOULDINGS VS. THE WORLD: WHY PERFORM A SCRAPE TEST? Durability matters. There are plenty of common instances where scraping or scuffing may occur to architectural mouldings. You can probably think of many yourself, but here are a few: Airport corridors and other transportation areas. Lots of foot traffic and suitcases banging around the halls. H...

DURABLE HOTEL INTERIOR DESIGN IDEAS FOR HIGH-TRAFFIC AREAS

You might offer the greatest hotel experience in the world. Amazing service staff. To-die-for food. But a run-down, beat-up aesthetic can permanently affix a negative perception in your guest’s mind. Unfortunately, optics are (almost) everything in the hotel business. Keep reading as we put high-traffic areas under the microscope and identify hotel interior design ideas that’ll keep your work looking beautiful for ages. While this article is purposed for hotel interior design, you can also borrow these ideas for airports and other commercial spaces. You see a lot of stainless steel in airports these days, but it has no decorative quality -- It’s just a flat piece with no design intent. You’ll see below that durability and beauty don’t have to be mutually exclusive! WHY HOTEL INTERIOR DESIGN IDEAS SHOULD ACCOUNT FOR DURABILITY Any successful hotel has 100s, if not 1,000s, of occupants going in and out each week. Failure to account for unavoidable wear and tear in your design is like thr...

THE CASE FOR ROLL FORMING SERVICES: COST, CAPABILITIES, QUALITY

You’ve got a project. You’ve also got options for how you complete it, one of those being roll forming services. Indeed, roll forming is far from the only game in town. Today, there are four main metal forming services used in the manufacturing industry: Roll forming Braking Stamping Extrusion Guess which metal-forming method is best for you? (Hint: It’s in our name.) Why should you feel this way, too? Let us count the ways. … BUT WHAT ARE ROLL FORMING SERVICES? First off, for the uninitiated: Roll forming is a metalworking process that uses contoured tools to bend flat material into a finished, uniform profile. Engineers and architects request roll forming when they require a bend -- sometimes multiple bends -- of a metal channel, angle, or complex shape. Manufacturers can roll form before, during, or after other fabricating steps. The process is repeatable over long runs. ROLL FORMING COST Tooling for roll forming can get expensive, but long-term use will eventually net you cheaper l...

COMMERCIAL INTERIOR DESIGN IDEAS: DECORATIVE METAL TRIM FOR FURNITURE

Decorative metal trim for furniture isn’t new. In fact, it's many centuries old. It had a long existence as a symbol of wealth and status -- why not bring that back? Metal mouldings add perceived value (and real value!) when used for furnishings in high-end homes, hotels, and other commercial buildings. From brads and tacks to cladding, metal lends a look of timeless and tasteful luxury and sophistication. However, metal trim isn’t only for high-end use. Let’s explore commercial interior design ideas for trim that are both high-end and cost-efficient! DECORATIVE METAL TRIM FOR FURNITURE You have a lot of leeway in choosing how and where to use decorative metal trim for furniture. That’s one of the reasons it’s a creative gold mine. You can opt for trim made from a variety of metals and apply it in an artistic or practical (more on that in a sec) manner. Or both! The range of choices makes for considerable creative freedom. Here are a few ways to use metal to enhance the appearance,...

INSIDE PEEK AT STEEL DOOR FRAME COMPONENT MANUFACTURING

Metal manufacturing is fascinating because it’s always getting better. Take steel doors and frames -- today’s manufacturers can produce doors that are not only simple to customize and paint, but also will last a lifetime. There's a whole lot of roll forming in door frame components, so let’s take ‘em apart and break down their construction! We’ll also check out where roll formed parts are ideal in doors and frames, and where brake formed parts are more popular instead. THE MAKING OF STEEL DOOR AND FRAME COMPONENTS steel door frame components (Photo courtesy Anderson Door & Window Mechanics) Many residential and commercial steel doors aren't actually steel all the way through, but instead consist of a steel exterior with a paper honeycomb, fiberglass, or foam insulation core. This is called a hollow metal door. Solid metal ones do exist in marine or military applications but are too heavy for any other applications. Steel door and frame manufacturers sometimes roll form thei...

ARCHITECTURAL WIRE MESH & PERFORATED METAL PANELS: 3 BENEFITS, 10 USES

Architectural design aims to balance economy, elegance, and efficiency. Perforated metal paneling and wire mesh certainly apply to all three. Architectural perforated metal panels are solid pieces with holes punched or cut into them. Architectural wire mesh is metal wire that’s woven with corrugated wire using a loom, much like yarn woven into quilts. Here's what these non-traditional materials can do for 10 design applications (and whatever else you can dream up): 3 REASONS TO USE ARCHITECTURAL WIRE MESH & PERFORATED METAL PANELS Are you going for a unique aesthetic? Like other metal architecture components, wire mesh and perforated metal have their own feel. The aesthetic is versatile based on specified hole size, hole pattern, and material. These architectural metal products offer a few other natural perks: 1. Acoustic Benefits (in Tandem With Sound-Absorbing Fill) Industrial soundproofing Busy roads Meeting places Other privacy/quiet needs 2. Ventilation/Filtration of Light...

BENEFITS OF NON-FERROUS METALS IN ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN

Non-ferrous metals are what brought us out of the Stone Age and into the Copper and Bronze Ages. From 4500 B.C. to 1500 B.C., copper and bronze dominated our primitive manufacturing systems. Despite iron claiming the title as the most popular alternative for tools, weapons, and armor in 1500 B.C., copper, brass, and bronze remain a staple in designer trades, like jewelry, interior design, and architecture. Every metal and alloy (iron-based or otherwise) comes with unique benefits and drawbacks, so making sure that the right metal was chosen for the architectural job at hand is crucial. WHAT ARE NON-FERROUS METALS? Non-ferrous metals are metals (including alloys) that don't contain significant amounts of iron. Nearly all metal alloys contain at least some trace of iron, though it's typically less than 1% of the alloy's composition by weight. These small traces of iron do not, however, make the metal alloys magnetic. Examples of Non-Ferrous Metals in Architecture There are pl...