Building element with varying surface characteristics

Abstract

A building element ( 10 ) is formed from sheet material having opposite major surfaces ( 11, 12 ) that extend between longitudinal edges ( 13, 14 ). Margins of the sheet adjacent the longitudinal edges are turned out of a mid-plane of the sheet to form opposite profiled sections ( 15 and 16 ). The major surfaces ( 11, 12 ) of the building element have different surface characteristics, and one profiled section has one of the major surfaces as its outer surface, and the other profiled section has the other major surface as its outer surface.

1 - 10 . (canceled) 
     
     
         11 . A method for providing an elongated building element for use in construction, comprising:
 providing a sheet of material having opposite front and back major surfaces extending between opposite longitudinal edges of the sheet;   applying paint to one of the major surfaces whereby that surface is painted a first colour;   applying paint to the other of the major surfaces whereby that surface is painted a second colour; and   profiling the sheet so that margins of the sheet adjacent the edges form opposite longitudinal profiled sections wherein one of the profiled sections has the paint of the first colour as its outer surface and the other profiled section has the paint of the second colour as its outer surface, thereby providing the building element with two colours that are simultaneously visible on front and back sides of the element.   
     
     
         12 . A method according to  claim 11  wherein the building element is a fence rail, fence picket, or a barrier element of a barrier panel, for construction of a fence. 
     
     
         13 . A method according to  claim 11  wherein the profiling of the sheet comprises folding the sheet to form the opposite profiled sections. 
     
     
         14 . A method according to  claim 13  wherein the folding of the sheet comprises roll forming the sheet. 
     
     
         15 . A method according to  claim 11  wherein the profiling comprises turning the margins out of a midplane of the sheet to form the profiled sections. 
     
     
         16 . A method according to  claim 11  wherein the profiling comprises turning one of the edge margins back on itself to form one of the profiled sections and turning the other of the profiled sections back on itself in the same direction to form the other of the profiled sections. 
     
     
         17 . A method according to  claim 16  wherein the profiled sections are formed as hollow closed sections. 
     
     
         18 . A method according to  claim 17  wherein the profiled sections are substantially identical in cross section. 
     
     
         19 . A method according to  claim 11  wherein a web extending between the profiled sections is defined by the profiling of the sheet. 
     
     
         20 . A method according to  claim 19  wherein the profiled sections are disposed to one said side of the web. 
     
     
         21 . A method according to  claim 19  wherein the web is planar. 
     
     
         22 . A method according to  claim 20  wherein the profiled sections are aligned side by side with respect to one another in a notional plane parallel to a plane of the web. 
     
     
         23 . A method according to  claim 21  wherein the profiling of the sheet comprises forming a transition section between the web and a first of the profiled sections, the transition section displacing the first profiled section to the one side of the web. 
     
     
         24 . A method according to  claim 23  wherein the formation of the transition section provides a longitudinal channel between the transition section and the first profiled section, the channel being defined on an opposite said side of the fence element to the profiled sections. 
     
     
         25 . A method according to  claim 11  wherein the sheet of material is sheet metal strip. 
     
     
         26 . A method according to  claim 12  wherein the building element is a fence picket.