The Building Envelope

For the offsite sector, the focus is not just on building efficiently but also building efficient and healthy buildings. To achieve both aims, offsite manufacturers need to be able to rely on their supply chain partners to make sure every aspect of a build is as efficient as possible. Close and early collaboration is key, as the fabric first approach demonstrates with more efficiencies achieved when important ‘hidden protectors’ are designed in from the start.

Building Product Design Ltd, which encompasses three subsidiary companies – Glidevale Protect, Passivent and Kingfisher Louvres, is an excellent example of this industry collaboration in practice and as Adam Ford, director of technical & marketing at Building Product Design Ltd explains, the company has developed
a package of specialist support and healthy solutions tailored specifically for the offsite sector.

Building design preferences are as prone to change across the decades as any other trend; but one element of construction that never falters from one generation to the next, is the need for quality; in terms of both aesthetics and performance.

Infinity Steel from Alumasc Water Management Solutions (AWMS) is a range of lightweight rainwater solutions suited to both traditional and contemporary buildings, and to secure its continued popularity for future generations it is now available in the timeless new colour,
RAL 9007: Grey Aluminium.

Since our first article in HA flagging up lightweight metal roofing systems as a viable and attractive option for social housing related roofing projects, we at Metrotile have had a load of requests for more information, many of which highlighted that the enquirer didn’t really understand the concept of lightweight metal roofing, so we’re taking the opportunity to revisit the basic information we shared to re-introduce readers to what exactly it is and what it can do for you and your projects.

For many people mention a ‘metal’ roofing system and they will conjure up a vision of corrugated metal sheets on a shed roof. They are missing out on possibly the most sustainable, eco-friendly and low maintenance roofing systems available in today’s roofing sector.

Many people have now heard of lightweight metal roofing systems, but many have not seen one in action. Because they look so much like a traditional roof, its easy to miss. A recent example of an award winning roof from Metrotile is the replacement roof for a hospital in South Wales.

When Metrotile was asked to provide options for re-roofing part of Glanrhyd Hospital in South Wales, the company’s Barry Jordan suggested Metrotile Woodshake for a number of reasons and John Rhys-Williams, the Project Officer for Capital Planning agreed.

Revised standards and a new Government bill to better protect people living in social housing are putting a fresh onus on the correct product and system specification, including roofs.

Stuart Nicholson, Roof Systems Director from Marley, says working with a single source supplier that understands the implications and can collaborate to ensure regulatory compliance should be a strategic imperative for local authorities.

In these difficult times, it’s important to look at your options when making a decision on which type of roof to use on new build or replacement roofing projects and to consider why it is that many social housing organisations are switching to using lightweight metal roofing systems for a number of their projects.

The list of benefits that come with using steel roofing panels is a long one and its one that needs careful consideration before going with more expensive options. Can these lightweight metal roofing systems be cost effective and easy to fit, as well as looking good?

Aluminium windows and doors are an increasingly popular choice for contemporary buildings, both from a residential and commercial standpoint.  What are the advantages of specifying aluminium windows and doors.
Energy efficiency. Aluminium is light, malleable and easy to work, its doors and windows offer high levels of wind, water and air-tightness for optimum in-house energy efficiency, resulting in warmer, less draughty homes and lower energy bills. Aluminium is also recyclable, which significantly reduces the carbon footprint of any aluminium windows and doors. In fact, recycling aluminium requires only 5% of the initial energy consumed to create it.