Roofing: we've got it covered

A Because it’s halfway up a mountain

Installing a new roof on the visitor centre 1,085 metres up Mount Snowdon presented some unique problems for main contractor Carillion: there was no space to build roof modules on site and the wet weather conditions meant sticking to the timetable was vital. More than 300 square metres of Corus Kalzip’s Hi-Point modular roofing was manufactured offsite at the firm’s factory in Haydock, Merseyside, before being transported to the foot of the mountain and delivered to site by the railway link. The lightweight structure was then craned into position for finishing by roofing contractor Sterling in 32 sections.

It took less than four days to install compared to four or five weeks for a traditional roof in the same conditions. Corus Kalzip site manager Ralph Ellis said: ‘As the main construction and assembly of Hi-Point takes place at ground level within a factory, the dangers associated with working at height are minimised.’
www.kalzip .com

B. Because it’s resilient

Driving rain and wind on the north Wales coast presents a stern challenge for the roofing on the new training school building at Glan Clwyd Hospital. Architect Steve Taylor of TACP specified a rainwater system from Guttermaster to complement the new raised seam aluminium roof. All concealed gutters, fascias, verges and downpipes are made in aluminium to resist the weather and they require little maintenance other than periodic cleaning. ‘It was essential to use materials with natural resilience against the harsh elements and which had low maintenance characteristics,’ explained Taylor. The Guttermaster products were installed by roofing specialist Ervyk UK and the main contractor was Wynne Construction.

www.guttermaster.co.uk

C. Because it has guaranteed performance

Sheraz Valli of Valli Architectural Services needed a product that would last longer than traditional systems, due to the unusual shape and height of the roof on the new Masjid e Tauheedul Islam mosque in Blackburn. ‘I came across Nu-Lok by accident while looking through an old Kingspan catalogue,’ he explained. ‘As soon as I read the article on Nu-Lok with its unique installation system and 50-year guarantee, I knew I had found what I was looking for.’

Nu-Lok’s installation system does not need nails or timber, but instead relies on galvanised steel battens and stainless steel clips. Installation was carried out by Killeen Roofing and was completed within a month despite the complex design of the mosque roof.

www.nu-lok.com

D. Because it’s bendy

Curved and circular roofs at the local care centre at Mount Gould, Plymouth, needed a highly flexible membrane to make them waterproof. Main contractor Midas found the ideal solution with 7,000 square metres of Flagon SRF membrane from Flag UK. The waterproof layer was installed across four separate roofs and was flexible enough to cope with intricate detailing on the circular building. Flagon SRF was mechanically fixed to a metal deck and work included a 1.5mm overhang where the membrane was glued to the ply and aluminium curved eaves. The hospital job highlighted Flagon SRF’s easy-weld properties and the membrane also has no dimensional shrinkage, is puncture resistant and insensitive to changes in temperature.

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E. Because it’s so quick to install

Speed is of the essence in volume housebuilding, which is why timber systems specialists Wolf and Wyckham Blackwell developed Smartroof. The pre-fabricated and pre-insulated panels create a totally unobstructed loft living area. The system is installed gable-to-gable rather than the traditional ridge-to-eaves method and gains its strength from a close-nailed, stressed inner skin of oriented strand board. The system is proving popular with social and private housing developers that build high-density affordable housing.

The record installation time so far is a terrace of five houses which were made weathertight between dawn and dusk.
www.wolfsystem.co.uk