The Building Envelope

Following on from his seminar presentation at this year’s Fire Safety Event, held in April at Birmingham’s NEC, Dr. Karthick Govarthanam, General Manager for FIREFLY®, explores some of the issues surrounding fire risk in roof voids.

voestalpine Metsec has become one of the earliest adopters of the Code for Construction Products Information (CCPI), introduced by the Construction Products Association in response to Dame Judith Hackitt’s review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety, set up following the Grenfell Tower tragedy.

CCPI assessments are undertaken by Assessors from Construction Products Information Ltd. and are carried out on a manufacturer’s specific products and systems, not the company as a whole. As such, an organisation or brand cannot, in itself, gain assessment or make any claims of conformance beyond a specific product set.

Finding suitable roosting spots in urban areas has become increasingly difficult for bats in recent years due to improved building practices and materials that reduce defects. However, the innovative Manthorpe Bat Ridge Roost™ provides a solution by offering these important pollinators a new home among the rooftops.

Housing associations are increasingly looking to deliver low carbon, energy efficient housing for tenants. As such, the refurbishment, retrofit or new build landscape for housing associations requires continual evaluation.

A combination of government net zero targets and the cost-of-living crisis, fuelled by high energy prices, means the pressure is on for social housing providers to find solutions to the growth of people living in fuel poverty. Yet, in doing so, the sector also needs to remain compliant with the changing legislation demands, which are designed to create a low carbon housing future for all.

Window and door technology has advanced significantly in recent years to the point where today’s profile systems, glazing and hardware enable housing specifiers to deliver ever safer, more secure and energy efficient homes. But for the benefits of these new generation products to be fully realised, it is crucial that the specification of window and door fasteners is not left to chance.

The Social Housing Regulation Act 2023 marks a significant turning point for the social housing sector, ushering in a new era of resident empowerment and a resolute commitment to delivering safe, secure, and sustainable homes. 

EJOT’s growing range of innovative solutions for the installation of ETICS (External Thermal Insulation Composite Systems) – also known as EWI (External Wall Insulation) systems – is playing an increasingly important role in enabling quality and performance to be optimised in external envelope refurbishment and new build projects. Mark Newell, EJOT UK’s ETICS specialist explains why.