Brussels, Belgium–based Umicore Building Products and Allentown, Pa.–based Atas International have joined forces to donate a new standing seam zinc roof to the Fire Island Lighthouse on Fire Island National Seashore, N.Y. In anticipation of a transition to electrical lighting, the original large lens was removed in 1933 and stored in the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia. When the Fire Island Preservation Society decided to build a new educational facility and bring the 1858 lens home, Umicore offered to donate its VMZinc coil, and Atas donated its services to manufacture the roof. Kenneth J. Herman of Amityville, N.Y., donated design services and managed construction.
“Fire Island is a uniquely shaped, marine environment application,” says Erik Berg, former North American applications manager for Umicore. “To achieve the longevity desired and to maintain the integrity of the beautiful gray aspect [of the zinc], proper detailing and installation was critical.” Volunteers, material donors, and money from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funded the project. For more information, visit www.fireislandlighthouse.com.