Tag Archive for: copper roofing

Your Premier Contractor for Las Vegas Metal Roofing

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Discover the numerous benefits of metal roofing for your Las Vegas home or business. From its durability and longevity to its energy efficiency and environmentally friendly nature, metal roofing offers a range of advantages. However, it’s essential to consider the potential drawbacks such as cost and noise. Explore the different types of metal roof materials, including copper and zinc, and unleash the customization possibilities for a unique and stunning architectural design. With Prestige Roofing, the premier metal roofing contractor in Las Vegas, you can trust our professional and experienced team to deliver exceptional results. Choose the best metal roofing solution for your needs and enjoy a long-lasting, visually appealing, and high-performance roofing system

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Copper Roofing: A Durable, Elegant Choice for Homes & Buildings

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Copper roofing is a stunning, long-lasting, and environmentally friendly choice for homes and buildings. Discover why it’s the premier option for metal roofing.

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Famous Copper Domes Around the World

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Historic Berlin Cathedral (Berliner Dom) with copper domes copper roof and copper statues

Historic Berlin Cathedral (Berliner Dom)

The Historic Significance and Utilization of Copper Roofs

Copper has been prized as a roofing material by architects for hundreds of years. Once copper changes color from brass to its prestigious green patina — think of the Statue of Liberty — it actually becomes more durable. The oxide-sulfate coating on the outer surface of copper makes it especially resistant to corrosion in most environments. Tests were conducted on 18th century copper roofs in Europe and the tests found that copper roofing can last approximately 1,000 years (at least in theory).

A dome-shaped roof is an architectural style that has been around for thousands of years. One of the most important Buddhist sites in India, the Great Stupa at Sanchi, was built in the 3rd century B.C.E. The dome structure is incredibly durable as well, as its shape lends itself to wind resistance. Dome homes are popping up along the Gulf and East coast in hurricane zones as a defense against the damage those storms can deliver.

In other words, dome-shaped roofs and copper domes are an enduring form of architecture sure to be around for a long time.  Here is a closer look at some old and new copper domes and roofs around the world.

Berlin Cathedral Church (Berliner Dom)

Berliner Dom showing bright patina copper domes and Fernsehturm in front of blue sky

While it is not a cathedral in the technical sense (a bishop has never been seated there), the Berlin Cathedral Church, or Berliner Dom, is one of the most majestic buildings in Germany. On a site continually occupied by a church since 1465, the current building was completed in 1905. Built in an ornate Renaissance style after St. Peter’s in Rome, it has five copper domes and several copper statues, all of which are a beautiful patina green. The Berlin Cathedral underwent extensive restoration after World War II. It can be visited on Museum Island in the Mitte borough.

Macon City Auditorium

The Macon City Auditorium in Macon, Georgia is actually the largest copper-domed roof in the world. It was completed in 1925 and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The circular assembly hall is approximately the same size as the Pantheon in Rome, making it a truly incredible structure. A beautiful mural inside the auditorium captures four centuries of history of the Macon area. Today, it’s a busy cultural center, hosting music, theater and other events for local residents and tourists.

Wales Millenium Centre

The Millenium Centre Cardiff Bay in sun with copper roof reflecting light

The dome on the Wales Millenium Centre is actually constructed from steel. The architect wanted the dome to maintain its bronze color throughout its lifespan, so he went with steel that had been treated with copper oxide. The Millenium Centre is an arts center with a main concert hall and two smaller halls which house restaurants and shops. The entire Centre covers 4.7 acres in Cardiff, Wales.

The Rotunda at UVA

The Rotunda at the University of Virginia was designed by Thomas Jefferson. It has a 77-foot domed copper roof and Jefferson designed it to represent “the authority of nature and the power of reason.” The Rotunda’s construction began in 1822 but was not completed until shortly after Jefferson’s death in 1826. Jefferson toyed with the idea of designing the interior of the Rotunda dome as the first planetarium in the United States, but that idea was abandoned.

Temppeliaukio Kirkko, The Helsinki Rock Church

Temppeliaukio rock church famous modern architecture landmark interior in helsinki finland

It is difficult to even find words to describe the Temppeliaukio Church, also known as the Church of the Rock, located in Helsinki, Finland. The church was literally carved out of solid rock. A skylight framework holds up the massive copper dome roof. Due to the rock walls and the copper dome, the acoustics provided are incredible and the church is often used for musical performances. The Temppeliaukio Church is one of the most visited tourist attractions in Finland. Its construction had to be completed in stages over several decades due to the interruption of World War II. When you consider this unique building and its dome, think about this:  The design was actually scaled back to one-fourth of its original planned size!

Belvedere Palace, Vienna

Upper Belvedere Palace beautiful baroque palace with copper roofing Vienna Austria

The copper roof of the Belvedere Palace in Vienna has been in place for some 300 years now, which once again speaks to the durability of copper as a roofing material. It was built in the early 1700s as the palace for the ruling Habsburg Dynasty. The Belvedere Palace has a copper roof that includes four copper domes at each of the roof’s corners.

The Academic Building – Texas A&M University

The Main Building at Texas A&M, known as “Old Main,” burned down in 1912 and was replaced with the Academic Building which still stands today. Inside the building you’ll find a replica of the Liberty Bell. On the outside, the most noticeable feature is, of course, the patina-green dome. The dome of the Academic Building actually features in one of the most time-honored traditions at Texas A&M. A ceremony is held to pay tribute to a passing current student in which a variation of Taps, called Silver Taps, is played from the dome.

Nevada Supreme Court Building Copper Dome, Las Vegas

View from below copper cupola spire and lady justice statue Nevada Supreme Court in Las Vegas

Prestige Roofing is proud to have built the new copper dome for the Nevada Supreme Court Building in 2016. To add dignity and grandeur to the copper dome atop this important seat of justice for Nevada, the shiny new dome was finished to a protective green patina with a treatment that accelerates the oxidation process that otherwise occurs naturally over time. Prestige is proud to think that Nevadans will be able to enjoy the classic beauty of this dome for many years to come.

Prestige Roofing specializes in quality copper roofing, as well as a range of quality new roof and roof restoration services. Contact us for help with your roofing needs.

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Copper Roofing Fixtures Add Beauty and Function

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Decorative Archway on Copper Roof desplaying green copper patinaA well-designed copper roof adds a special beauty to any building. Copper roofing and fixtures represent one of the best investments you can make whether you’re looking to improve the resale value of your home, add more glamour to your place of business, or give any structure real eye catching appeal.

Beyond the copper roof’s beauty, style and function, the sheer durability of copper alone makes it a worthwhile addition to any building project. A copper roof will last 50 to 100 years, is low maintenance and weather-resistant, and at the end if its life the metal is recyclable, making it a smart investment in durability and sustainability.

Copper only gets better with age as its surface transforms into a rich patina, taking on the timeless, rich look of the classic roofing material used on many great buildings around the world. The glowing shimmer of new copper and the dignified allure of weathered copper will add grace and character to any building for decades to come.

Style and Function with Copper Roof Fixtures

Copper is a malleable metal and perfect for molding into curved designs and custom fixtures that make your copper roof project unique and the result a work of art. Each copper roof is a unique project and can be enhanced with functional and decorative fixtures that add even more beauty to the project.  Copper fixtures come in a variety of types and forms. Here are some that you might consider adding to your copper roof project:

View from below copper cupola spire and lady justice statue Nevada Supreme Court in Las VegasCrowning Copper Cupolas

The preeminent utilization of copper in roofing fixtures, cupolas deliver grace, elegance, and style to any building. They bring with them great cultural significance while adding immeasurable curb appeal to a home or office. Cupolas are naturally sturdy and will add significantly to the durability of the complex structures they adorn.

Decorative Copper Dormers

These distinctive copper roof fixtures are the products of serious craftsmen who labor for years to master their art. These handsomely crafted exterior components add immeasurable class and character to a building while protecting sensitive underlying structural components from the elements. Commercial dormers are less artistic but attractive and functional additions to the copper roof, adding height and visual interest.

Peak of a gazebo with a copper spireCopper Cornices

Add beautiful accents which enhance the architectural effect of a structure with copper cornices, or decorative roof edging. This prominent feature adds structural integrity and beauty to any building by protecting the most vulnerable parts of a roof, gracefully directing rain and snow away from the building. Cornices add visual heft and solidity to the roof, giving the building a stronger profile.

Copper Finials & Spires

Nothing spells distinction like a well-placed decorative spire or finial. These stylish finishing touches contribute a sense of culture and heritage to any building. They may come in a variety of metals depending on your design needs and can be even modified to function as a lightning rod.

Copper Rain Gutters

Replace ordinary and inferior drain gutters with a beautiful copper gutter system. Copper gutters are stronger, better able to direct water away from the perimeter.  Made of durable copper, they last longer copper rain gutter on tile roof homethan ordinary gutters and downspouts. They add an attractive look to the exterior walls and roof line of the home, offering the discriminating designer a way to adorn all the edges of the rooftop with a beautiful copper finishing touch.

Copper Louvers, Soffits, & Vents

These functional, practical, and handsome fixtures offer improved ventilation and admit natural light into areas that might be difficult to illuminate and vent naturally in other ways. These come in a range of styles and also offer valuable protection to a part of a building where vermin and moisture might otherwise do a great deal of damage.

Copper Roof Panels

The workhorse of any copper roofing fixture arrangement, copper roof panels fully cover and seal the rooftop away from rain, snow, sleet, wind, falling debris and other natural threats to the integrity of your rooftop. They can be made to fit nearly any type of roof and come in a range of standard shapes and types. There is no other roofing system that will impart the same high degree of extremely long-lasting structural integrity and beauty as copper roof panels. Copper panels may be used to adorn and protect custom entryways and can be fitted to almost any corner, entryway or archway to create a portal of unique beauty and design.

copper fixture decorative custom copper overhang on luxury home front entryway

Copper Coil & Copper Sheeting

The basic component of most copper roofing fixtures, pre-production copper sheet and coil is a good choice for architects, designers, and contractors, experienced in working with this fine material to create custom fixtures to suit an unusual structural element or to create an entirely unique design that simply cannot be found prefabricated.

Copper Roofing Specialist

Prestige Roofing specializes in providing custom copper roofing for clients in Southern Nevada and nearby locations, including communities in Arizona and Utah. Our highly skilled copper artists prepare custom designed copper panels and fixtures in our advanced sheet metal facility.  Our most recent public project was fabricating and installing the decorative copper cupola on the new Nevada Supreme Court Building in Downtown Las Vegas in 2016. For more examples of our work with copper, visit our image gallery.

Let our expert copper roofing team craft, deliver and install your beautiful copper fixture or roof. Your copper roof will be energy-efficient and provide years of service and enjoyment. Contact Prestige Roofing for more information on copper roofing and fixtures today.

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Prestige Roofing’s Copper Cupola Project: A Nevada Landmark

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The Journey from Construction to Delivery of the Expertly Crafted Copper Roof

three roofers completing work on top of a copper cupola dome on the roof of a new buildingPrestige Roofing has delivered and mounted the new cupola, an inspired copper dome design, commissioned to grace the roof of the new Nevada Supreme Court building in downtown Las Vegas. The classic design of this new state building that will serve the people of Nevada’s as its highest court is perfectly complemented by the cupola whose classic look recreates the dignity of famous buildings worldwide. The Prestige team is proud to have participated in building and delivering the dome. We’d like to share some of the images as it happened.

The Copper Dome Project Beginnings

The dome project began with building the underlying structure and cutting, shaping and installing the copper on the dome’s steel frame. The dome was designed and built so that it could be dismantled in sections for transport to the installation site.

As a final step in the construction process, the brilliant new copper was aged to give it the classic patina that beautifies copper domes and copper roofs atop structures around the world. The classic green Copper dome preparing the bottom of the copper cupolapatina was achieved with an acid mixture that accelerates the normal oxidation process that results in the changing coloration. Left to itself in the dry desert air, the dome would have turned a “dirty penny” brown patina, while the more attractive and recognized aged copper green patina, which needs moisture from the surrounding air to form, happens most quickly in coastal areas. With a little help from us, the dome was able to achieve that natural effect and present itself from the start in its most beautiful colors.

Copper Cupola’s Smooth Delivery to its new Home

A quarter piece of copper cupola dome being installedOnce the dome, or cupola, was complete and ready to go, it was disassembled in quarters for easy transport. Fully complete, the dome itself weighs about 7,200 lbs and is 14 ft tall with a diameter of 20 ft. The circumference is 63 ft, so transporting it across town was made easier by sectioning the large structure. The sections were loaded and transported from our facility in North Las Vegas to the downtown Las Vegas construction site of the now nearly complete Nevada State Supreme Court building.

crane basket lift allowing worker to access roof dome spire atop Nevada Supreme Court building in Las VegasPrestige had already completed the flat membrane roof on top of the building where the cupola would be installed. Each quarter of the copper dome was separately hoisted by crane onto the lantern, or elevated section of the roof, which serves to raise up the decorative cupola and spire for better visibility from below.

The four sections of the cupola were then reconnected to reform the entire structure in its new home. Once the cupola was in place and secured, we were ready to install the decorative spire and statue of Lady Justice to cap off the beautiful structure. Using a crane and lift, we secured those finishing touches place.

A Special Roofing Project for Nevadans to Enjoy

View from above copper cupola and spire newly added to the Nevadas Supreme Court building in Las VegasThe entire copper cupola project took several months and put our sheet metal talents, experience with roof dome structures, and our copper roofing expertise to the test for a one-of-a-kind project. We’re very pleased to have had the opportunity to participate in helping to write a new chapter in Nevada history.

For more pictures from the installation and to see a photo of the entire finished cupola, visit our Nevada Supreme Court Cupola Dome project page. If you have any questions about the cupola project, a monument that now belongs to all Nevadans, contact us and we’ll be happy to answer them.

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