The Building Envelope

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.

When you’re looking for a roofing solution for social housing – for either new build or replacement roofs – you should take a closer look at the option of lightweight metal roofing from Metrotile. Amongst the benefits is a 40 year weatherproof guarantee that comes with the tiles.

Light metal roofing systems are widely used for a range of roofing requirements from housing association, local authority and private development housing projects, to health centres, leisure centres, fire stations, ambulance stations, refurbishment projects for BISF and Cornish projects, park homes, garden rooms and conservatories and in modular building projects where roofs are assembled off site and transported to site. Its flexibility is the key to its success.

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

Compared to pre-industrial times, average land temperatures have risen about 1.2 °C. By 2052, global temperatures will likely exceed pre-industrial levels by 1.5 °C. The Met Office is warning that heat waves will become more frequent and more intense, predicting prolonged heat waves every other year from 2050 onwards, with temperatures exceeding 40 °C. How will the UK housing stock fare in all this? Not well, as two major 2021 studies have shown.

UK manufacturing is at a seven month high, accounts for around 10% of economic output and employs around 2.6million workers, whilst construction accounts for around 7% of economic output and employs approximately 1.4million workers.

Increased labour rates and shortage of skilled labour is going to be an issue in traditional construction and it will drive prices up and cause project programmes to lengthen.

I hear every day from roofing contractors across the UK and other areas of construction, of how less and less trades people are now available.