When ordering metal roofing panels from a manufacturer, your sales representative is going to ask what specific features you want for your panels. Some of the things you’ll be asked to specify are the panel profile, gauge, and color you want your panels to be. However, there is another customization you can make when choosing standing seam panels: clip relief.
At Western States Metal Roofing, we offer clip relief on our standing seam panels at no additional cost to the customer. We highly advise our customers to include this into their panels, however, it’s a decision that is entirely up to you.
In this article, we discuss what clip relief is and why you might want it included in your panels.
What Is Clip Relief For Standing Seam?
Clip relief is a stiffening rib for standing seam panels that is put into the panel on the female and male sides to allow a recess for the clip to not show up through the panels. It helps prevent denting and stress on the panel where the clips are located.
How Do Metal Panels Benefit From Having Clip Relief?
Clip relief’s main benefit is to allow room for expansion and contraction of metal which helps minimize oil canning. Oil canning, or the wrinkly look that occurs on metal roofing, can be present on any type of metal panels. However, it is most noticeable on a panel such as a standing seam that has a flat surface area. While clip relief doesn’t make oil-canning go away completely, it does help control it.
Why Would You Choose Not To Include Clip Relief On Standing Seam Panels?
The biggest reason why people decide to not include clip relief on their panels is for aesthetic concerns. The ribs have a slightly raised appearance that someone who wants the flat panel look of standing seam may not appreciate.
If you are concerned about what clip relief will do to the appearance of the panel, it’s important to consider what oil canning does to the appearance as well. Oil canning will occur in all types of profiles, but oil canning on standing seam roofs without clip relief is more apparent.
The reason you don't want to use clip relief in the first place is to avoid panels looking unflat. But once you consider how inevitable oil canning will have the same effect, it's easy to see how you're trading one problem for another.
What Are The Alternatives To Clip Relief That Can Decrease Oil Canning?
- Striations
- Stiffening Ribs
- Heavier Gauge Panels
If you choose to not use clip relief, there are other methods for standing seam panels that help control oil canning and do not affect the cost of the panels.
Stiffening Ribs
Stiffening ribs are low profile indentations created with ribbed rollers.
Stiffening ribs are available in different pattern designs including:
- Pencil rib panels have narrow, circular ribs that look like pencil indentations.
- V-rib panels consist of narrow ribs that come to a point in a triangular pattern.
- Bead ribs have rectangular indents and have the widest ribs of all the panel types.
In this photo: Stiffening Ribs on Standing Seam
To learn more about stiffening ribs, check out our article: What Is Standing Seam Metal Roofing? A Guide On Panel Systems And Stiffening Ribs
Striations
Striations are a pattern of linear grooves on the flat surface of the panel which runs parallel to the standing seam.
The biggest difference between the two are that striations are located throughout the entire panel which increases panel strength and effectiveness at disguising oil canning.
In this photo: Striations on Standing Seam
Heavier Gauge Metal Panels
Since metal panels are more vulnerable to oil canning when their composition is thinner, it’s best to use a thicker, or heavier, gauge metal which will help reduce the possibility that oil canning will occur. Consider a stronger, thicker panel material of at least 24 gauge or heavier to reduce the chances of oil canning.
Choosing Standing Seam Metal Panels With Clip Relief
To help prevent the wavy, wrinkling appearance of oil canning, we highly advise our customers to choose including clip relief with their standing seam panels. This is a default feature for the panel that can be excluded if you desire. There is no extra cost associated with including clip relief in your panels.
Discover which type of standing seam panel is right for you here or by watching:
