What to specify: Roofing

Rooftop support systems

Manufacturer of rooftop building services support systems, Big Foot Systems, has launched a new range of HVAC plant applications. The new range contains the Fix-it Foot, the Multi Foot and the H Frame Set. The company claims the products within the range have been designed to protect lightweight, modern roofs and offer a range of benefits including cost, time-effective installation and improved system aesthetics without penetrating the roof top. All applications included in the range are compatible with industry standard components.
Big Foot Systems
www.bigfootsupport.com

Roof insulation

Dow Building Solutions is preparing for the UK commercial roll-out of XENERGY SL. The new flame-retardant XPS roof insulation product will be produced in the UK at King’s Lynn, following significant investment by Dow in the UK. The company decided to go ahead with rolling out the product following a successful pilot launch. The company claims the XENERGY SL offers extremely high insulation values, offering conductivity gains in 140mm, 160mm, 180mm and 200mm thicknesses.
Dow
www.building.dow.com

Roofline & Rainwater Products

Roofline and rainwater applications from Swish Building Products have been specified by Broadacres Housing Association for installation on over 3,500 homes. Black half-round gutters and round downpipes are being supplied along with fascias and soffits to replace the existing PVC products. The company said their products were chosen following a review carried out by the housing association for its technical specifications. The project was split into two phases, with phase one consisting of upgrades to 191 homes, with a further 161 homes being upgraded in phase two.
Swish Building Products
www.swishbp.co.uk

Clay tiles

Marley Eternit has launched a new range of premium handmade clay tiles. The tiles will be handmade by craftsmen, using locally sourced Etruria Marl. This traditional process includes shaping and pummelling the clay by hand into a mould before being sent for drying and firing. The company said the Canterbury tiles will give a beautifully distinctive handmade finish to the roof. The new tiles will be available in three colours; Chailey (orange), Loxleigh (antique) and Burford (brown) with its own handmade fittings range. 
Marley Eternit
www.marleyeternit.co.uk

Roof panels

Kingspan has announced that its TEK cladding panels are now available in a new 172mm panel thickness.  The cladding panels comprise two layers of oriented strand board type 3 (OSB/3) either side of a high performance insulated core. The company says that the new thicker panels can easily achieve U-values as low as 0.10 W/m2.K, as the system’s proprietary jointing system offers excellent air tightness. The panels are designed and factory pre-cut to each project’s specifications by one of the Kingspan TEK delivery partners.
Kingspan
www.kingspantek.co.uk

Slates

Approximately 40,000 fibre cement Westerland slates from Cembrit have been chosen for the Laureate housing development in Devon. Each home is finished in either combination brick or render and roofed with the Westerland slate. The company said the Westerland slate was chosen as it has an attractive riven surface and natural dressed edge, which makes it an ideal solution for situations where a traditional appearance is important. Laureate Heights is a small development consisting of 85 homes situated to the north of Sidmouth.
Cembrit
www.cembrit.co.uk

Green Roof

Alumasc’s green roof system has been specified for the Buchanan Street development in Glasgow. The green roof system addressed the need for a suitable growing medium to be supplied that could be deposited onto the 5-storey building’s roof in large volumes. This was required as a result of the development being in a busy city-centre location. The company says their green roof system was chosen due to its versatility and ability to be installed quickly on site. Around 2,000m2 of green roof was installed.
Alumasc
www.alumasc.co.uk

Roof insulation

7,500m2 of Knauf Insulation’s Polyfoam ECO Roofboard Extra in 205mm and 220mm and Slimline Membrane has been supplied for the new Woburn Forest Village project at Center Parcs. The new 362-acre Center Parcs village in Bedfordshire consists of modern lodges and leisure facilities including a subtropical swimming paradise, a spa and a variety of restaurants, as well as a corporate events venue - all of which have had Knauf Insulation’s Polyfoam ECO Roofboard products installed to the roofs. The company said the Polyfoam ECO Roofboard was chosen due to its ability to meet the environmental requirements for the project, producing a conductivity value of just 0.033 W/mK across the whole range.
Knauf Insulation
www.knaufinsulation.co.uk