Top to bottom: IMAX theater, Science Center of Iowa; private residence in the Bahamas; custom colored tiles.

Stainless-steel roofing and siding tiles in a rainbow of colors
Illinois-based Millennium Tiles claims to be the only manufacturer of stainless-steel roofing and wall tiles worldwide. Initially targeted for the residential market, the tiles can be used in commercial and institutional projects as curtain walls or as a “green” roof to collect potable water or cut down on air-conditioning needs. Competitively priced with high-grade cedar, slate, clay, or other metal-roofing products, the Dade County–approved tiles are made of approximately 75 percent recycled material and are 100 percent recyclable. A built-in “shadow cup” adds the dimension of a more traditional shingle while significantly reducing noise.

In addition to the traditional silver color of stainless steel, Millennium Tiles can be colored with a prismatic process that raises the chromium-oxide layer of the stainless. This process prismatically separates visible light into different wavelengths, resulting in different colors within the clear oxide surface. Since the oxide layer is clear, it is never subjected to UV deterioration, and the color will stay the same for the life of the steel. The only color change occurs in response to the light available during the day.

Currently, the tiles are produced in 9'' x 15'' or 7.75'' x 9'' sizes. In the next few months, Millennium will make the product in sheets as large as 48'' x 120'', which will allow for larger sizes to be fabricated. A complete accessory line of accent shingles and trim is available. Millennium Tiles, Barrington, Ill. www.millenniumtiles.com   [ Reader Service November 2005 # 210 ]

	Premium Grade poplar bark siding (detail, above), and a residential application (top).

Handcrafted bark siding makes a comeback in the Appalachians
Once the staple cladding for summer retreats in the Appalachian Mountains, Chestnut Bark became unavailable after the chestnut blight of the 1940s. Today, Highland Craftsmen, a North Carolina–based manufacturer, is part of a “Bark House” revival, crafting shingles from more durable poplar bark.

Highland Craftsmen’s bark siding is kiln-dried, which prevents shrinking and cracking once the bark shingles are applied to a structure. The bark contains no chemical additives, yet resists infestations and can meet stringent municipal building-code standards for flammability.

Using careful harvesting methods, the team loosens whole cylinders of bark from trees felled for other uses. The cylinders of bark are flattened and cut by hand into standard shingle length. After damaged or cracked sections are removed, the shingles are carefully stacked and then placed under pressure to prevent curling. The stacks are kiln-dried to the proper moisture content, sterilized, and stored in a climate-controlled warehouse until ready to use.

The company offers a full range of complementary products to enhance a bark-shingle home, including handrails, posts, mantel pieces, custom furniture, and bark panels and sheets for interior applications. Highland Craftsmen, Blowing Rock, N.C.
www.barksiding.com [ Reader Service November2005 # 211 ]

Fascia system for next Katrina
W.P. Hickman’s new Safeguard NP (nonpenetrating) fascia system has been redesigned to meet even higher wind-resistance than the original Safeguard NP. This redesigned product comes with the company’s Category 5 warranty, a 25-year, 155-mph wind-resistance guarantee. The exterior fascia system is available in extruded or formed aluminum and galvanized steel. W. P. Hickman, Asheville, N.C. www.wph.com [ Reader Service November 2005 # 212 ]