FC&A February 2012 Supplement

Supplement

Roofing, Cladding & Insulation Supplement February 2012 www.fca-magazine.com

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Roofing, Cladding & Insulation Mixed Media Information Barham Court, Teston, Maidstone, Kent, ME18 5BZ Tel: 01622 232702, Fax: 01622 816874 www.fca-magazine.com www.mixedmediainfo.com

Editor Dawn Frosdick-Hopley dawn@mixedmediainfo.com 01622 232702

In association with

Welcome

...to our Roofing, Cladding & Insulation special

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Publishing Director Sam Ball sam@fca-magazine.com 01622 232702

ike all parts of the building industry, the roofing, cladding and insulation sector Is operating in challenging times. But as always, those company’s which are forward-thinking and have embraced product diversification and adaptation to meet changing markets, are likely to fair much better.

Publication Manager Steve Gull steve@fca-magazine.com

With greater emphasis on energy efficiency and renewable technologies, it is good to see roofing, cladding and insulation companies taking welcome steps in helping reduce CO2 emissions. Time and cost efficiency are also at the forefront of many of this sector’s product developments.

Account Executive Adele Mason adele@fca-magazine.com Design & Production Chris Lilly chris@mixedmediainfo.com Accounts Manager Vickie Crawford creditcontrol@mixedmediainfo.com 01795 509103 Terms and Conditons:

Contributions are invited and when not accepted will be returned only if accompanied by a fully stamped and return addressed envelope. No responsibility will be taken for drawings, photographs or literary contributions during transmission or in the editors hands. In the absence of an agreement the copyright of all contributions, literary, photographics or artistic belongs to Mixed Media Information Ltd. The Publisher accepts no responsibility in respect of advertisements appearing in the magazine and the opinions expressed in editorial material or otherwise do not necessarily represent the view of the publisher. The Publisher does not accept any liability of any loss arising from the late appearance or non publication of any advertisement.

In this special FC&A supplement, we take a look at some of these companies and the products and services they offer, all of which have sustainability at the heart of their performance. As always, if you would like to comment on any of the articles featured, or tell me about your own projects, then please do get in touch.

Dawn Frosdick-Hopley Dawn Frosdick-Hopley Editor Future Constructor & Architect

Contents

5 Inverted roof insulation:

The importance of getting it right from the start, when specifying insulation for inverted roofs.

Front cover:

7 Ceramic granite:

How ceramic granite ventilated cladding is transforming projects across the UK.

8 Fibre cement envelope:

A look at the increasing demand for using fibre cement products across the whole building envelope.

10 Airtightness:

The choice of membrane can make a significant impact on a building’s levels of thermal performance and air leakage.

12 Prefabricated roofing systems: 14

Distinctive Sureclad ‘Croston’ ceramic granite ventilated façades at North Tyneside Area Command Headquarters in Wallsend.

The building achieved Excellent BREEAM rating

How the versatility of prefabricated roofing systems is helping developments in both private and public sectors.

Roof safety:

The importance of including safety systems in living and green roofs within the initial roof design.

16 Rainscreen cladding:

Should housing specifiers stick with traditional render insulation or opt for ‘modern’ rainscreen or rear-ventilated cladding systems?

18 Fascias & soffits:

Focusing on how low-maintenance PVC fascias and soffits can be incorporated into sustainable housing developments.

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Roofing, Cladding & Insulation

Decision time! roof may be only 2% of the overall budget of a build, but in terms of the usability, longevity and performance of a structure, a roof’s value far outweighs its cost, meaning it’s vital that the right decisions are made when it comes to system design, material choice and installation. In recent months long-term performance and drainage issues have been dominating my conversations as teams tackle decisions about thermal insulation choice for inverted roofs and there are two key things to remember right from the start: • Has the roof been designed with an inverted roof solution in mind?

• Have all the relevant correction factors necessary for a U-value calculation been taken into account?

Our position at Dow is in line with BS 6229:2003: that an appropriate fall be accommodated within the roof design and that the roof must be adequately drained to prevent ponding.The location, size and number of rainwater outlets should be designed in accordance with BS EN 120563:2000 and the deck should be without deflections or depressions in which water may pond. Drainage points should provide drainage at two levels: above the insulation and at roof deck waterproofing levels.

We all know that for cost reasons, ‘zero-pitch’ roofs are not uncommon. BBA

Information Bulletin No 4 advises that in such cases it is particularly important to identify correct locations for drainage points and to ensure that the drainage provided is sufficient and adequate.

However, it is clear that ANY roof should not have areas of ponding as a result of back falls, and because insulation must not be permanently immersed or submerged in water, they should be removed before insulation is installed.

Thermal resistance European Technical Approval Guideline ETAG 031-1 states that possible water absorption over time is determined by evaluating the performance of the insulation in respect of two mechanisms for water absorption: by diffusion and post freeze/thaw. Corrected thermal values are determined by assessing the total water absorption potential – and it is these corrected values which ETAG 031-1 advises should be used in any U-value calculations for inverted roof systems.

ROOFMATE SL-A the STYROFOAM extruded polystyrene product we offer for inverted roofs, has a closed cell structure which results in low water pick-up over time, despite the rigorous conditions on exposed rooftops.

FKLMAIL@dow.com

Rainwater able to reach the waterproofing layer on an inverted roof will absorb heat from the underlying structure and affect the thermal performance of a roof system.Therefore, the initial U-value of a roof system must also be corrected by adding a rainwater correction factor according to Section 7 and Annex D.4 of BS EN ISO 6946:2007.

Dow Building Solutions offers a water-flow reducing layer, ROOFMATE MK, which reduces the proportion of rainwater reaching the waterproofing.

Using ROOFMATE MK in combination with ROOFMATE SL-A helps to minimise heat loss due to rainwater cooling and therefore the amount of insulation required.

STYROFOAM products are CE-marked, meaning specifiers, installers and end-users can rely on the fact that declared lambda values are made in accordance with BS EN 13164:2008 abd BBA datasheet No 40/10. Additionally, recent improvements to thermal conductivity of STYROFOAM-A across the product range of 0.002 W/mk – combined with the material’s high compressive strength and excellent moisture resistance – will no doubt continue to make ROOFMATE a popular choice in inverted roofing.

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Richard Powell, Roofing Manager of Dow Building Solutions, discusses the importance of getting it right from the start, when specifying insulation for inverted roofs.

203 ROOFMATE SL-A supports a green roof design on the Giant’s Causeway Visitors’ Centre designed by heneghan.peng.architects

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Roofing, Cladding & Insulation

Sureclad a sustainable alternative

Offering a highly sustainable way to protect and enhance a building, Sureclad ceramic granite ventilated cladding from Shackerley, has been transforming architectural projects across the UK.

Above: Distinctive Sureclad ‘Croston’ ceramic granite ventilated façades at North Tyneside Area Command Headquarters in Wallsend. The building achieved Excellent BREEAM rating Below: The ISS Building at Lancaster University, clad with highly polished and riven Sureclad ceramic granite façades, achieved Excellent BREEAM rating

substructure and building exterior compare very favourably with traditional cladding materials. Supplied in a myriad of colourways, styles and finishes to reproduce natural stone such as granite and marble, this innovative material offers an almost limitless array of design options.

“Sureclad ceramic granite ventilated cladding doesn’t just transform a building aesthetically”, says Shackerley Chief Executive, Brian Newell: “It’s also a highly sustainable way to protect and enhance a building and has contributed towards BREEAM ratings of Excellent and Very Good in architectural projects across the UK.”

Sustainable solution Not only is ceramic granite an attractive, durable and versatile façade option, it is also a sustainable solution.The manufacturing process recreates the forces of nature. A blend of carefully selected refined clays, quartz, feldspars and metal oxides are dry pressed at up to 12500 tonnes and fired at 1260°C to form ceramic granite slabs. No bonding agents or resins are needed. No waterproofing chemicals or coatings are used in the finishing stages.

Shackerley’s ceramic granite is sourced and manufactured in compliance with the European Ecolabel Certification scheme and many ranges also have L.E.E.D (Leadership in Environmental and Energy Design) credits.To an increasing degree, recycled material is being incorporated

info@shackerley.com

into the ranges offered; in some cases the material has 40% recycled pre-consumer waste content.

Fully vitrified with virtually zero porosity, ceramic granite is unaffected by climatic extremes and conforms to all international standards for water absorption and freeze and thaw resistance. Façades will not absorb airborne contamination or dust, nor will they support algae growth.They are impervious to acids and alkalis and resistant to graffiti damage. Completely inert, they do not release radon or any other radioactive gases and remain unaffected by UV light.

The Sureclad substructure is constructed from high grade (6063/T6) aluminium, selected for its corrosion resistance, formability and exceptional strength to weight ratio. It also contributes to a more sustainable system as this versatile building material is one of the most globally abundant metals and it can be easily recycled at the end of its useful life. (In the global construction industry up to 90% of aluminium is recycled, re-smelted again and again without loss of performance in a process using only 5% of the energy required for primary extraction).

Shackerley is committed to continuous research and the development of its environmental credentials.To see how UK architects are successfully employing the Sureclad system in sustainable building projects, please request a copy of the latest brochure.

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he environmental benefits of ventilated façade systems are well understood.They protect buildings from the elements and enable highly effective thermal and acoustic insulation to be fitted between the building shell and the façade, significantly improving energy efficiency.The all-important ‘ventilated’ cavity helps to eliminate thermal and acoustic bridging and the air flow minimises condensation risks and allows the building to ‘breathe’, serving to maintain a healthy indoor climate.

An engineered material made entirely from natural constituents, ceramic granite is exceptionally hard, durable and strong, offering a proven façade solution with known performance. Slabs of just 12mm thick offer outstanding building protection, so loadings on the

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Roofing, Cladding & Insulation

Rise of the fibre cement envelope One of the most popular trends that specifiers need to be aware of in 2012 and beyond, is the benefit of using fibre cement products across the whole building envelope – from roof slates through to cladding. Charlotte Hughes, campaign manager at Marley Eternit, discusses what is driving this increasing demand.

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ibre cement is a composite material made up of sand, cement and cellulose fibres. A critical factor in the increasing demand for fibre cement is the tightening environmental legislation when it comes to construction processes and building materials.This means that the sustainable properties of fibre cement as a construction material, together with its aesthetic versatility, are attracting considerable interest from specifiers in both the public and private sector alike.

We are increasingly starting to see many building designs which incorporate not only fibre cement roof slates but also fibre cement façade systems.

When it comes to roof covering, slate has always been a fashionable choice and over the years fibre cement slates have become increasingly popular as a cost-effective and sustainable alternative to natural slate both in the public and private sector. Fibre cement gives the visual appearance of traditional roof slates but is cheaper, lighter and easier to install.

The introduction of the Code for Sustainable Homes in 2007 has been an important factor in driving demand for fibre cement slates because it makes the BRE’s ‘Green Guide to Specification’ product rating even more significant.

This is because the Code for Sustainable

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Roofing, Cladding & Insulation Homes gives maximum credit for materials which provide the best environmental performance based on the BRE product rating which grades the environmental impact of building products from A+ to E. UK produced fibre cement slates are listed as achieving an A+ rating (Element 812410008) in the BRE Green Guide, so they have become a very attractive material for specifiers.

However, it isn’t only the environmental credentials that are driving the increased use of fibre cement slates on roofs.

Not only are they lightweight, strong and durable, which allows them to be transported, stored and installed with ease, but the fact that fibre cement slates are manmade means they can be manufactured to uniform dimensions. So instead of struggling to sort slates to consistent thickness and size, as is necessary with natural slates, fibre cement slates can be easily and quickly installed on roofs with a pitch of 20° or above.

Regional differences and easy to handle, which makes them a practical solution for both new and existing buildings.With a life expectancy of at least 50 years, along with fire and acoustic properties, they are becoming an integral part of a building’s overall design.

The aesthetic versatility is a key factor driving the increased demand for this material because it can be used across many different types of sectors, creating distinctive looking buildings from housing through to hospitals.

One of the reasons for increased demand for fibre cement cladding is that it helps to bring older building stock up to the current exacting standards cost-effectively and with minimum disruption to building occupants.This is a particularly noticeable trend within local authorities and where the benefits of this type of cladding really come into their own, as energy efficiency targets are continually being raised in the drive towards zero carbon buildings.

Indeed, the thermal inefficiencies inherent in legacy building stock will almost certainly need radically upgrading to meet today’s exacting regulations, and fibre cement rainscreen cladding offers an aesthetic, cost-efficient and sustainable solution to help achieve this goal.

info@marleyeternit.co.uk

In addition, specifiers are coming under ever-greater pressure to procure buildings that offer the very highest standards of thermal efficiency and sustainability. Fibre cement cladding also enables a structure to achieve improved energy efficiency, thereby reducing its environment impact.

This is achieved when the cladding panels are used in conjunction with, for example, mineral wool insulation to create an effective and highly efficient rainscreen cladding system for new buildings or upgrading existing wall constructions.

These types of systems, which can accommodate a wide range of insulation types and thicknesses to meet Code for Sustainable Homes and BREEAM requirements, can also be used to great effect on older buildings by over-cladding the existing solid walls which may not be able to be insulated effectively using other methods.

So it’s easy to see why specifiers are paying so much attention to fibre cement as a material – both in the form of roof slates and different types of cladding. It not only offers them the sustainability credentials that are so important but gives them the versatility to use it across the whole building envelope.

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Fibre cement is also a popular cladding material, offering specifiers many advantages when used on the building façade.The UK was once characterised by distinct forms of vernacular architecture – whereby building designers use materials and styles that reflect the local area. Modern cladding systems enable building designers to retain these regional differences, if they wish, or make a break from the past with engaging colours that challenge the building users. Panels are available in a range of colours, textures and finishes and are visually striking, lightweight

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Roofing, Cladding & Insulation

Matt McAndry, Glidevale Technical Manager, looks at the demands of the new Approved Document L, and solutions to cost-effectively attain them.

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study by the Energy Efficiency Partnership for Homes showed that NONE of the 100 new homes surveyed achieved the new ‘best practice’ airtightness requirement under Document L of 3m3/h/m2, and over 30% didn’t even achieve the base level of 10m3/h/m2!

The choice of membrane can make a significant impact on a building’s levels of thermal performance and air leakage.

Workmanship can further impact, for example, just leaving a 1mm unsealed joint between abutting edges of a membrane can increase moisture migration by a factor of up to 1600! But specifiers and contractors have to balance airtightness alongside the need to ventilate: the adage of ‘Build Tight Ventilate Right’.

There are numerous products now on the market, all with differing claims of air leakage, thermal performance, vapour control, and which need to be properly balanced with controlled background ventilation – in effect, expecting people to live in a sealed box!

Sealing of the building fabric to eliminate uncontrolled air leakage will significantly reduce ‘fortuitous’ ventilation, so the need for controlled ventilation to provide good air quality and prevent condensation and mould growth becomes increasingly important.

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Day-to-day living generates up to 8 litres of water vapour within the home every day: moisture that must be removed to avoid health issues for people and the building caused by damp, condensation etc.The aim is to keep heat in but let moisture out.

Under the new Document L, upper limits for U values to achieve the base Level 3 of the Code for Sustainable Homes are 0.20W/m2K for the roof, 0.30W/m2K for walls, and 0.25W/m2K for the floor, equivalent to a 25% improvement over the previous (2006) requirements.The designer is charged with identifying the components that form the insulation and air barrier layer in each part of the construction, developing details that achieve continuity of those components, and communicates those to the builder.

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Airtight compliance

membranes such as Protect VP400 will always be airtight, but will also always allow moisture vapour to diffuse out. Reflective vapour permeable membranes such as Protect TF200 Thermo will allow moisture out, but optimise heat retention.

The builder then has to ensure the actions are completed to achieve the levels demanded, which places much onus on the level of workmanship and site practice.

Even the smallest of gaps can dramatically reduce the thermal performance of the insulated structure, with just a 1mm gap worsening heat transfer by a factor of 4.8 and moisture migration by a factor of 1600!

Lapping, sealing with appropriate tape and clips, overcomes most workmanship issues and helps achieve the airtightness required.

Correct choice and specification of the airtightness and/or vapour control layer is key to achieving optimum thermal performance. Careful consideration at complex junctions, service entries etc and the correct use of sealing technology, will increase the likelihood of achieving the reduced air leakage requirements and thus the need for subsequent post-build modifications.

If a structure does not achieve the Regulatory requirements, it cannot receive appropriate certification from Building Control, NHBC etc, which can have costly implications. A little care along the build process, and technical consultation, should help obviate that situation. Glidevale, as the UK’s leading specialist in construction membranes and ventilation solutions, offers CPD seminars on compliance with the new airtightness criteria, and at very least will help offering advice on which materials and membranes to use to minimise risk.

Understanding required There needs to be understanding of the different membranes, and what each type does. A vapour control layer, such as Protect VC Foil, whether low emissivity or not, will always be air and vapour tight. An airtight barrier like Protect BarriAir will always be airtight, but is not a vapour control layer. Vapour permeable

Above left: A vapour control layer, such as Protect VC Foil, whether low emissivity or not, will always be air and vapour tight Above: Specifiers and contractors have to balance airtightness alongside the need to ventilate

info@glidevale.com

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Roofing, Cladding & Insulation

Intelligent roofing James Jones & Sons’ highly insulated, pre-fabricated JJ-IntelliRoof™ system, developed using the company’s UK manufactured, FSC registered I-Joist, is being utilised in a number of high profile public and private sector projects.

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The RoofSpace I-Roof™, is being used at Derwenthorpe to fit a particular house type, and incorporates roof cassettes which span 12m and which deliver a U Value of 0.15; and spandrel panels which deliver a U Value of 0.17.

Patrick Wilson, RoofSpace’s Design Manager, explains their approach when supplying the IntelliRoof-derived RoofSpace I-Roof™ to David Wilson Homes: “We take a holistic approach to the design of our system and are keen to promote how our system interacted with all other elements of the building to successfully pass the stringent fabric requirements at Derwenthorpe.”

Room in the roof Results from independent monitoring of The Glasgow House project, an innovative prototype designed to address fuel poverty, has confirmed it is out-performing current regulations.The pilot project, a three-way partnership between PRP Architects, City Building and Glasgow Housing Association, comprises two masonry houses, and two timber frame houses.

Both house types used the James Jones & Sons’ JJ-IntelliRoof™ which combined highly insulated JJI-Joist pre-fabricated roof sections, 300mm Rockwool flexi insulation and either concrete or rubber roof tiles, the latter recycled from car tyres. Designed to deliver U-values of 0.13W/m2K, the roof

structure also offered the potential of loft space for future adaptation.

Jim Cooke, City Building’s Head of Design, explains that IntelliRoof’s ‘room in the roof’ made specifying the product an easy choice: “It’s the Glasgow House’s ‘hidden secret’ – from the outside it looks like a two-storey building, but because of IntelliRoof we have a third storey.”

Bryan Galloway, City Building’s Head of New Housing Construction also paid tribute to the IntelliRoof’s pre-fabricated manufacturing process: “We were simply able to crane in the IntelliRoof, which saved a significant amount of time. It also reduced the risks associated with on-site construction.”

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J

ames Jones & Sons has recently undertaken a number of high profile projects utilising its JJ-IntelliRoof™ system which the company will be showcasing at Ecobuild 2012.The projects include a major development for the Joseph Rowntree Foundation at Derwenthorpe and a highly successful pilot project, the Glasgow House by City Building, which is addressing the issue of fuel poverty.

The IntelliRoof is also being used by three top UK house builders and demand is such that key fabricators now include National Hickmans and North Yorkshire Timber.

Originally designed for a limited range of applications, the system is now being produced in long spans, for example for Derwenthorpe; in hipped roofs; and for what Timber Systems’ Business Development Manager Mark Tilston describes as: “lots of more interesting and non-standard roofs.”

Manufactured using pre-fabricated roof panels, floor cassettes and spandrel panels, the IntelliRoof delivers on speed and cost of erection. Mark Tilston puts it succinctly when he says: “Builders look at the bottom line – and Intelliroof means there’s a lower cost in erection.”

Together with specialist contractor RoofSpace Solutions, James Jones Timber Systems has developed a high performance prefabricated roofing system, the RoofSpace I-Roof™.This is being used by David Wilson Homes in a mixed development of 64 for sale/to rent homes at Derwenthorpe required to comply with Code Levels 4 or 5.

Above left: 12m span JJI-Joists are incorporated in the RoofSpace I-Roof™ for David Wilson Homes at Derwenthorpe Above: IntelliRoof delivers on speed and cost of erection

sales@jji-joists.co.uk

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Roofing, Cladding & Insulation

Maintenance and inspection of living and green roofs can be made safer by including Safesite’s fall arrest and restraint systems within the initial roof design.

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s we becoming increasingly conscious about the environment and green issues, the demand for sustainable construction has grown. This has lead to an increase in demand for living and green roofs, particularly in cities where they are seen as an important part of combating the effects of climate change.

The benefits of living and green roofs are substantial. As well as being aesthetically pleasing, they are an important and costeffective means of enhancing biodiversity, help increase the life expectancy of the roof membrane, improve the quality of water and run-off, provide a sound insulation barrier, and improve air quality.

Their greater thermal mass also has a positive impact on a building’s energy consumption by improving its thermal performance.

Although they are self sustaining, these roofs still require maintenance. This may be vegetation maintenance, removing

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unwanted plant material and replacing failed plants or checking drain outlets and fire breaks, inspecting flashings and mastic or the roofing membrane itself.

Rooflights and solar panels will also need to be cleaned, antennae serviced and litter and debris removed from the roof.

Taking all this into account, it is likely that maintenance will need to be carried out at least twice a year, which according to the HSE is frequent activity.

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Designing in safety

limited experience and training when it comes to working at height.

There will be occasions however, such as for technical, design or aesthetic reasons where collective measures are not suitable. In these situations, fall restraint or fall arrest systems including roof anchors and lifelines provide an alternative solution. Lifelines such as Safesite’s Horizontal Lifeline allow the user continual hands-free protection along the length of the system without the need to detach. Alternatively, roof anchors such as the Mobile Man Anchor can be used as a single unit or as a series of anchors linked together via the Safesite horizontal lifeline to provide user protection. Whenever possible, these systems should be used as fall restraint, preventing the user from reaching the leading edge. If the user does need to work in an area where a fall is possible, the system will become fall arrest and should only be used by those who have been trained on both the equipment and rescue.

“With demand increasing for environmentally and ecologically friendly construction methods, the popularity of living and green roofs is growing,” comments Graham Willmott, Safesite’s Marketing Director. “As with any form of work at height, safety on the roofs must not be overlooked. By considering safety at the design stage, systems can be installed before planting, allowing the roof to grow ‘around’ the system, making it less obtrusive but still ensuring that work can be carried out in complete safety.”

Collective measures Maintenance requirements for living and green roofs should be planned for at the design stage and provision made for safety systems so work can be carried out safely.

When considering a safety system, the general rule is for collective measures such as guardrails to be the first priority, especially when many of those accessing the roof, such as landscapers, will have

Above left: Green roofs can ‘grow’ around a safety system Below: Maintenance requirements for living and green roofs should be planned for at the design stage

marketing@safesite.co.uk

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Roofing, Cladding & Insulation

Rainscreen cladding the safer choice The BBA’s recent announcement of its support for the mass roll-out of Solid Wall Insulation (SWI) to meet the Government’s climate change targets, is going to leave housing specifiers in a quandary, according to cladding manufacturer Steni UK.

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Steni UK Managing Director, Ian Anderson comments: “In fact, in the current climate of risk minimalisation, any specifier choosing to go down the render route is actually increasing the risk element on several levels.”

He explained that maintenance-wise, render degrades over time, and particularly quickly in aggressive environments such as coastal regions, then requires patching or complete replacement – a messy job.

It even suffers from being cleaned.This is not the case however, with a rainscreen system that is resistant to anything the UK climate can throw at it, including airborne salt water.

“While most building materials have a limited life, rainscreen cladding systems

Above left: A property pictured after refurbishment using rainscreen cladding Below: During refurbishment with rainscreen cladding

are designed to last more than 60 years without loss of functional effectiveness,” explains Anderson.

Environment-wise, disposing of waste render can be difficult. Specifying a rainscreen system removes this challenge as the panels are produced in the factory – in Steni’s case, to bespoke sizes – for minimal wastage on site.

Weather resistance Weather-wise, render is subject to the vagaries of the British climate and cannot be applied if the weather is inclement, leading to costly delays on-site and increased disruption to residents if they are already in-situ. Rainscreen cladding systems are generally resistant to water, moisture, UV rays and temperature extremes, are a modern, dry trade and can be installed whatever the weather.

Aesthetics-wise, a render finish is fairly standard while rainscreen cladding systems are available in render-like aggregate finishes that include ultra-fine stone as well as smooth finishes with varying gloss levels, with both available in a variety of standard colours and almost any special colour from the NCS, RAL or BS colour system.

Then there are whole-life costs. “Render may be more cost-effective than cladding to initially install,” explains Anderson, “but over the life of a building that temporary saving is going to come back to haunt the specifier and the client.”

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ousing specifiers will be faced with two options following the BBA’s recent announcement – whether to stick with traditional render insulation or to opt for ‘modern’ rainscreen or rear-ventilated cladding systems that have actually proved themselves over the centuries in Scandinavia.

The BBA’s agreement to work with the Solid Wall Insulation Guarantee Agency (SWIGA) and the National Insulation Agency (NIA) will involve the BBA conducting an initial assessment of installers’ competence to survey properties and subsequently the decision made on which solid wall system is best for the job.

This assessment and surveillance scheme will cover external and internal wall insulations and hybrid systems which combine both on the same property.The initiative forms part of a SWI industry framework developed by the NIA and SWIGA to bring about a tenfold increase in SWI capacity in a controlled manner.This will support Government targets under the Green Deal and the recommendation by the Committee on Climate Change that around 2.3 million SWI installations will need to be carried out by 2022 to achieve Government climate change targets.

Steni warns that while render has been used as a weathering and aesthetic finish to a building since time immemorial, even technological developments have failed to qualify it as a Modern Method of Construction.

info@steni.co.uk

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Responsible rooflines

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Leicestershire-based developer Cawrey Homes has specified Swish fascias, soffits and cladding in hazy grey for its new 34 homes eco development at Fielding Meadow, in Ratby.

but at height need regular maintenance and that equates to higher costs.The Swish products in hazy grey delivered a strong aesthetic quality and critically required little to no future maintenance.”

Swish Building Products recently joined a handful of companies that have secured the responsible sourcing standard BES6001 delivering instant point gains to house builders under the Code for Sustainable Homes and Eco Homes. In securing the standard across its PVC fascia, soffit, cladding and window board ranges, Swish Building Products is able to offer developers maximum points under the Code (tier level 1), matching FSC timber specifications in Mat2 and Mat3.

Greg Wilde, Swish Building Products, said: “Roofline maintenance costs can be significant, in part because roofline products are in exposed locations and because maintaining or repairing them at height is more complicated and therefore more costly.

“PVC is low maintenance and as such, as long as they’re installed properly, once fitted, roofline products require little to no maintenance.They’re also increasingly the sustainable option. Swish offers BES6001 across its roofline range after its commitment to responsible sourcing of raw materials was recognised by the BRE. It gives developers those few extra points which can make all the difference in tipping the balance in favour of a higher code rating.”

Left: The eco development at Fielding Meadow, in Ratby includes Swish fascias, soffits and cladding in hazy grey Below: Once fitted, roofline products require little to no maintenance, making them an increasingly sustainable option

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onstructed to exacting standards, the two, three and four bedroom homes at Fielding Meadow in Ratby, have been designed to incorporate the latest energy saving technology to achieve a Code for Sustainable Homes Level 4 rating.

Also including a focus on long-term maintenance savings, the properties feature low-maintenance fascias and soffits from Swish Building Products and external cladding, used by Cawrey to house solar panels.

Dave Walgate, Buyer for Cawrey, said: “We wanted a development

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which delivered significant energy and lifetime savings at a sensible cost. More broadly, the development features air source heat pumps, thermally efficient windows, insulated floors and ‘green’ sedum roofs.

“We put a lot of emphasis on the building envelope and energy efficiency, for example increasing cavity wall insulation from 75mm to 200mm, but we also looked at the longterm maintenance costs of the properties.

“Natural wood finishes clearly look good

info@swishbp.co.uk

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