Before the umpires yelled “Play Ball!” this season, prepainted metal products were already in the starting lineup at many stadiums helping to make the game safer, more attractive, greener, and more comfortable for the teams and fans.

Whether you cheer for the minor league’s Jacksonville Suns or the Major League’s Washington Nationals, prepainted products made from coil coated metals can be found in ballparks throughout the country and overseas.

Field of Dreams
By including certain coil coated metal products in their project designs, both new and refurbished ballparks may qualify for LEED-certification (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) from the US Green Building Council.

Major League Baseball’s Washington Nationals opened their new, first-ever LEED-certified stadium in 2008. To help Nationals Park gain the LEED Silver rating, project managers included 6,300 square feet of sustainable “cool” metal roofing, made from coil coated metal, above the concession stand and bathroom facilities. Thanks to cool metal roofing’s unique ability to reflect heat, fans stay cooler and energy needs are reduced.

Cool metal roofs even help curb the “Urban Heat Island Effect” that occurs when dark areas like asphalt roofs and parking lots absorb and release the sun’s heat. The cool metal roofs at Nationals Park also were designed to better manage storm water runoff, earning additional project LEED points. And because cool metal roofing is 100% recyclable, future landfill deposits will be reduced.

Fan Friendly
Long-lasting and beautiful prepainted surfaces also are a hit inside modern ballparks, often found on bleacher seats, vending machines, medical/training carts and HVAC systems (made with special antimicrobial precoatings), colorful wall panels, signage and much more. With prepaint, America’s favorite pastime has never looked better.