Technical comparison between zip seam and trapezoidal tiles for industrial roofing — watertightness, spans, fixings and total cost.
Trapezoidal tile uses exposed screws fixed directly into the metal sheet. Each screw is a potential infiltration point over time, especially under thermal expansion.
The fbZIP® zip seam tile eliminates screws on the roof field: standing seam uses hidden clips under the zipped ribs.
Trapezoidal tiles have length limited by road transport. Large covers require multiple transverse joints — critical leak points. The fbZIP® tile is on-site rolled: 40 to 120m continuous lengths.
Trapezoidal tile has lower initial cost per square meter. However, preventive maintenance recurs every few years. Over 15 years, maintenance often exceeds the initial savings. fbZIP® zip seam has higher initial cost but lower TCO over 20+ years.
