Posts

Genuine handmade Brookhurst Wentworth clay roof tiles at beautiful Hever Castle

Hever Castle & Gardens, in the perfect setting of the High Weald of Kent and once the seat of the Bullen family, is now also home to the Brookhurst Wentworth natural clay roof tile. It has been specified for the refurbishment of a variety of buildings in the grounds of the Castle including the Courtyard Shop and Head Gardeners offices, both adjacent to the romantic lakeside Loggia and newly refurbished Guthrie Pavilion restaurant.

Spanning more than 700 years the history of Hever Castle is both rich and varied. The original medieval defensive castle, with its gatehouse and walled bailey, was built in 1270. The double-moated castle was the seat of the Bullen family from 1462 – 1529 during the Tudor dynasty and the childhood home of Anne Boleyn, second queen consort of King Henry VIII of England. The Castle later came into the possession of his fourth wife Anne of Cleves.

“The roof tiles look really very good indeed and blend beautifully within this established site,” comments chief executive Duncan Leslie, Hever Castle Limited. “In fact, the roof tiles used on a more recent building adjacent to the refurbished Courtyard Shop are quite inappropriate by comparison. Eventually we would hope to replace them with the Brookhurst Wentworth.

“This tile has an authentic hand crafted appearance which immediately looks far better than the more commonly available machine made versions. It would have been very expensive and difficult to source a number of authentic reclaimed tiles to complete this project so the Wentworth is a great find.”

Brookhurst tiles are made from the highest quality clay material using traditional hand moulding and coal firing techniques. Whilst these glorious traditions are maintained, Brookhurst tiles meet the highest technical standards and are fully compliant with BSEN 538 and 539 test standards for strength, durability and weather protection.

“This is another successful project on which the Brookhurst hand-made tile has been specified and we are proud of the traditional aesthetic that it has helped to create,” says Iain Webster, director of Sahtas UK Limited, distributor of Brookhurst tiles, bricks and paviours. “It is a small project by many standards but few have this hallmark of authenticity.”

Brookhurst clay roof tiles are hand-made following the traditional methods that have evolved since the 3rd millennium BC. Blocks of selected clay from a private quarry are thrown on to sanded wooden moulds, cut, flattened and shaped by skilled hands. The tiles are fired in coal-fired kilns at 1070° for more than six days and then cooled slowly.

The soft sand granulation on the tile surface allows the tiles to weather and mellow rapidly; this aging gives the impact of a matured roof in a very short time. The artisan skills of Brookhurst production has also founded a vast inventory of bespoke designs, intricate and unique shapes and varied components with refined colour matches essential where extensive renovation is undertaken with conservation regulations in place. Brookhurst offers this bespoke facility alongside the high quality, high capacity plain tile supply chain.

Brookhurst tiles reflect the elegance of tradition coupled with the highest technical performance worldwide. They exceed frost test standards to offer over 100 years of protection, supreme flexural strength test standards, and advanced permeability testing, to provide a waterproof building with a 30 year manufacturing guarantee.

Polegate Roofing Limited, East Sussex, a specialist roofing contractor serving the counties of Sussex and Kent and a member of the Guild of Master Craftsmen, carried out the tile application. “We take on all types of tile and slate roofing projects and specialise in re-roofing works to older properties such as churches, manor houses, period and listed buildings,” says Ian Mepham, director.

“We were immediately impressed with the colour, quality and durability of the Brookhurst tile, not to mention an extremely competitive price. We have increasingly specified the Wentworth since using it on the Hever Estate and we always receive good feedback which we attribute to the aesthetic of the tile. The Brookhurst range of tiles and fittings blend well with reclaimed tiles, blending old with new, for a weathered and authentic appearance, even to new roofs.”

Of note the Astor family were owners of Hever Castle for 80 years from 1903 and made many important and notable additions, in particular that of the the Astor wing and the Anne Boleyn Wing, originally the Tudor Village, which is attached to the Castle and connected inside. The Village was commissioned by American millionaire William Waldorf Astor.

More product information is available at www.sahtas.co.uk. Alternatively telephone 01908 311411 or email sahtasuk@sahtas.com
/0 Comments/by

The Log Pod Ltd Chooses Metrotile

At Metrotile, we our proud of how our industry-leading Lightweight Steel Roofing Systems are suitable for the full spectrum of pitched roofing applications, from the largest sprawling educational campus to the smallest conservatory or outbuilding. As an innovative roofing material, Metrotile is often paired with innovative buildings and projects, such as the camping pods built by the Carmarthenshire-based company The Log Pod Ltd.

Originally conceived in 2011 to “to design and build a camping hut that had several key features”, the original Log Pod is a portable timber-frame construction that was initially aimed at the leisure industry, such as using the temporary buildings to boost campsite usage within the colder months. The pod’s are easy to move around site and install – they arrive flat-packed and can be moved around via wheels at their base. The use of natural materials ensure their aesthetic blends in perfectly with the surrounding scenic countryside. As customers became more aware of the benefits offered by Log Pods, the customer base expanded beyond the leisure industry to customers wanting to own them for their own camping trips, or for other home applications such as garden offices.

As the customer base expanded, so did the range and finish options. The Log Pod Ltd’s Director, Trevor Richardson, found that he required a rooftop solution that was robust, had the aesthetics of a ‘traditional’ roofing material, yet was also at a weight that would not compromise the transportability of the pods. Mr Richardson found that the solution was to utilise Metrotile Lightweight Roofing – specifically, the Metrotile Shingle profile:

“We chose Metrotile Shingle as the rapid installation time and absence of exterior fittings was a huge plus over other options. During the past four years, we’ve built up a strong relationship with Metrotile and I see us continuing to use their products for years to come.”

The Log Pod is a truly innovative design that Metrotile is very proud to be involved with. Like all Metrotile roofs, any Log Pod fitted with Metrotile Shingle is covered by our Forty Year Weatherproof Guarantee.

If you would like to find out more about The Log Pod Ltd’s products, you can visit their website via www.thelogpod.co.uk or contact them by phone via 01269 850005.

Watch video below:

 

For more information about Metrotile Lightweight Roofing, visit www.metrotile.co.uk or follow us on Twitter via @metrotileuk
/0 Comments/by

JJ Roofing Supplies to host Specialist Roofing Trade Show

JJ Roofing Supplies is excited to host one of the primary roofing trade shows of the year on Tuesday, July 4th at their Cricklewood branch, Staples Corner Business Park. Exhibiting the biggest brands in the business, new products and the latest in roofing innovations and practices, this is a leading event in the industry calendar and attendance is free of charge.

All the key brands in the roofing industry will be showcased including Velux, IcoPal, Redlands, Marley Eternit, Cromar Building Products, FloPlast, Klober, Duratech Roof Windows and DeWalt among many others. Production demos will also be performed giving insight into supplier practices.

The expert staff from JJ Roofing Supplies; Dom and his knowledgeable team, will support, help and advise on any queries you may have when making a purchase. Fantastic, cost saving offers will be available on the day only, including competitions, games and giveaways.

Thousands of products are in stock at low prices and boast the JJ Roofing Supplies Price Match Guarantee, where they match any cheaper quote you receive elsewhere, this is an excellent opportunity for those in the trade. In addition, next day delivery nationwide is provided, offering a quality, all-inclusive service from start to finish.

For more information in relation to the event visit: jjroofingsupplies.co.uk/roofing-trade-show Interested parties can register for a free ticket via Eventbrite and join the relevant Facebook group @jjroofingsupplies It’s very simple, just sign up and show up on July 4th. Guests are welcome also.

By registering, you are entitled to receive a free goody bag worth £25 on the day, which consists of a T-Shirt, handy Advent Tape Measure, a Roofer Survival Kit and useful Travel Mug. Other added extras on the day include free bacon rolls, hot dogs and refreshments, so come and have breakfast and lunch on JJ Roofing Supplies.

The trade show takes place from 7am – 4.30pm at Unit 1 Staples Corner Business Park, NW2 6LU. A relaxed, open plan event, those in attendance are welcome to browse and stay all day.

For further information please contact JJ Roofing Supplies Cricklewood Branch, on 0333 700 00 00 (option 2) and see www.jjroofingsupplies.co.uk/roofing-trade-show/
/0 Comments/by

Glendyne complements prestigious new property

Cembrit Glendyne, a top of the range natural roofing slate from Canada, has added distinctive style, character and impressive performance to a newly built private house in Flintshire.

Situated in a well-established area of Northop Hall village in Flintshire, the newly built property is constructed to blend seamlessly into the surrounding countryside. The property is a four bedroom detached house which features an attractive pitched roof with five pediments, five velux windows, two valleys and some lower roof slopes.

Jewson, a leading builders’ merchant supplied 240m2 of Cembrit Glendyne to the project through its branch in Buckley. Having worked with Cembrit before, Flintshire-based roofing contractor, Daniel Crossley selected 508×254 blue-grey Cembrit Glendyne natural slates for the project and installed approximately 4,000 slates on the roof of the house and 500 on the garage roof. The slates have been fixed using copper nails in line with best practice for natural slate fixing and long-term durability of the roof.

“With all the gables and pitches, the roof was certainly a challenge from an installation point of view,” says Daniel Crossley. “We chose Glendyne for the project due to its consistency, as that makes it easier to install, as well as the aesthetic appearance and durability. The end result is impressive and Glendyne really brings out the character of the property.”

Glendyne is a high quality slate that combines first-class performance with all the inherent beauty of natural slate, making it the ideal ‘natural’ choice for specifiers and roofers. Available exclusively from Cembrit in the UK, Glendyne is a distinctive blue-grey colour. The Glendyne quarry is one of the most modern slate quarries in the world. The quarry operates a quality management system based on EN ISO 9001 which is externally audited. This standard is adhered to rigidly, as are all quality standard procedures required by each regional market the quarry supplies. Glendyne, like all natural slate from Cembrit, is tested to BS EN European standard, BS EN 12326-1:2014 which requires many of the laboratory tests (‘type testing’) to be performed at least annually and the factory production control (FPC) performed and recorded as a matter of routine by the producer.

For further information visit www.cembrit.co.uk, email sales@cembrit.co.uk or tel: +44 (0) 208 320 1184.
/0 Comments/by

The search for Britain’s Best Cafe 2017 is on!

Following the success last year of SIG Roofing’s national competition to find Britain’s Best Cafe, the 2017 campaign is now under way.

Announced with the help of last year’s winners, Gail and Chris Murray, from the Super Sausage Cafe in Potterspury, near Milton Keynes, the competition will once again inspire hundreds of the nation’s cafes to canvass votes from their local customers and supporters.

2016 really showed that cafe customers value their regular stop-off for a great British breakfast, a tasty lunch or simply a strong cup of “builders’ tea”. With support from SIG Roofing’s 120 branches nationwide, who will be encouraging their own customers to vote and support their favourite local cafe, this year’s cafes will be vying to win a glorious trip to Cuba – to sample the stunning sun, sea and local delicacies.

In November, after all the votes have been counted, Andrew Wakelin, SIG Roofing Managing Director, will present the lucky national title holder and 14 regional winners with their awards at a ceremony in a prestige London venue.

Commenting on the Britain’s Best Cafe competition, he said “With a network of local branches covering the length of the UK, from Inverness to Plymouth, we have long-standing and close relationships with contractors right across the country. Knowing them and their daily routine inspired the idea of supporting and promoting the cafes that help them through the working day. These are businesses which, like us, understand the value of great product along with high service standards.”

Marketing Manager Janine Brady was involved with every aspect of the 2016 competition and says that SIG Roofing and cafe customers alike can look forward to another exciting competition this year.

With voting opening in July, SIG Roofing and their branch teams are gearing up for the competition, which last year attracted 500 entries from cafes and tens of thousands of public votes.

Janine Brady concludes, “We’re delighted that our 2016 winners Gail and Chris Murray had such a great time in New York City and they are determined to defend their title in 2017. Everything points to a bigger and better turnout this year and we can’t wait to support all the cafes that enter through our local branches, with this national competition.”

For more information please visit www.sigroofing.co.uk.
/0 Comments/by

Sarnafil plus has Market roof covered

The roof refurbishment of Kirkgate Market in Leeds is a story of problem solving and partnership. Rising to the challenge, Protech Roofing and Sarnafil Plus delivered an exemplary solution, which allowed the market to remain open throughout.

Europe’s largest covered market, Kirkgate has 800 stalls attracting over 100,000 visitors a week. As part of a £14m refurbishment to improve the market for the stallholders and the public, the leaking roof, extending over both the 1976 and 1981 halls, needed renewing while the building was fully operational. Being such an important and iconic city landmark, viewable from many of the surrounding buildings, attention to detail and aesthetics were also incredibly important to the final result.

The Sarnafil Plus team did the groundwork to secure the tender with the architect, asserting the benefits of a Sarnafil system, Sarnafil Plus technical support and guarantee. Following this, Protech Roofing, a registered Sarnafil contractor, spent many hours visiting the site and attending meetings, gaining the trust of all parties.

Eamonn Cahill, Interserve senior project manager, said “Protech showed outstanding levels of proactive problem solving and integrity throughout the project. The Sika Sarnafil membrane has given the market hall roofs a smart, clean finish with the durability to keep the building weatherproof for years to come.”

The original design specification called for the existing felt waterproofing to be removed back to the metal decking. However, as this would cause massive disruption and with no guarantee of a watertight building. To combat this issue, Protech recommended a mechanically fastened Sarnafil system that could be overlayed onto the existing substrate.

A full Sarnafil Plus survey and moisture mapping revealed the worst areas for water ingress before the project started to assist with planning the work.

The nine-month project saw a team of between eight and 10 people working on the roof through all four seasons, including rain showers and temperatures of over 27°C., without the project or waterproofing ever being compromised.

Sarnavap 5000E SA a cold applied, self-adhesive vapour control layer was used to ensure temporary waterproofing for the market while the roofing work was being carried out. The SarnaTherm insulation boards were mechanically fixed into the existing roof and installation of Sarnafil S327-15EL Light Grey membrane with stainless steel fixings created a durable, weathertight and aesthetically pleasing finish. Sarnafil membranes are certified by the British Board of Agrement to have a service life in excess of 40 years, giving the client confidence in the durability and longevity of the roof.

A further feature of Sarnafil roofing systems that appealed to the client was that the Sarnafil S327-15EL Light Grey membrane is cold applied – welded together using hot air rather than with a naked flame. The system can be used without restrictions as it meets the fire performance requirements of BS476-Part 3:2004 and BS EN 13501-5:2005. This was an important safety consideration as the market had suffered a terrible fire back in 1975.

Six rooflights over 51m long were replaced with SarnaLites, situated close together in rows, making sure that the market continued to benefit from natural daylight. This part of the refurbishment was carried out at night to limit any disruption to the market below.

Sarnafil Plus visited the site regularly and a successful final inspection resulting in the issuing of a Sarnafil Plus guarantee.

For more information on Sika Sarnafil’s products and services, call 01707 394444, email sarnafilroofing@uk.sika.com or visit http://gbr.sarnafil.sika.com.
/0 Comments/by

Cembrit continues to expand its slates sales team

Image: Justin Ranstead, UK Sales Manager (left) and Simon Porter, Regional Sales Manager Fibre Cement and Natural Slates (right)

Cembrit, the leading roofing and cladding specialist, has announced two further additions to its UK sales force. Justin Ransted and Simon Porter have joined the pitched roof sales team to drive sales of natural and fibre cement slates in UK and South East England respectively.

Justin Ransted joins Cembrit UK as UK Sales Manager. With over 25 years’ experience in the construction industry, Justin brings with him a wealth of knowledge. He joins the company following roles at Icopal, Triton, Sika Ltd, Acheson & Glover Ltd and Hanson UK. As part of the sales team in all these roles, he was responsible for selling building products to contractors, property developers and self-builders.

“I am delighted to be joining Cembrit UK and relishing the challenge of leading the sales team to a successful 2017 and beyond,” comments Justin. “The company manufactures a broad range of innovative pitched roofing solutions and has a reputation for delivering reliable products in the market. The skills and knowledge I have developed in my previous roles will equip me to grow Cembrit sales across the country.”

Simon Porter is taking on the role of Regional Sales Manager and will be centered at Cembrit’s Reading office. Simon draws on over 15 years of construction industry experience, including three years with Monier Redland, and over ten years with Wavin UK. With wide-ranging industry contacts and knowledge, Simon is in an excellent position to grow Cembrit’s presence in the South East area.

“Cembrit manufactures high quality products and has a great customer service philosophy, so I was very keen to take up the opportunity of joining the company,” says Simon. “The company has enjoyed an impressive period of growth recently, and I look forward to contributing to the future success of the business.”

For further information visit www.cembrit.co.uk, email sales@cembrit.co.uk or tel: 0208 320 1184.
/0 Comments/by

Sika-Trocal’s watertight roofing membrane provides sanctuary for stunning new church

The flexible, easy-to-apply, aesthetic properties of Sika-Trocal ’s watertight single-ply membrane proved the ideal solution for a stylish and unusual roof design – the crowning glory of a new, multimillion pound community church.

The £4.5million C3 Centre in Cambridge was built to host community events as well as serve as a place of worship. The two-tier building’s architecturally-striking feature is its ‘fantail’ roof. Tapering to a point at one end, the roof’s design presented a challenge to Farrans Construction, main contractors of the church building project.

The company required a roofing system which not only offered the optimum watertight performance; it had to complement the structure’s eye-catching design. With Cambridge Flat Roofing specified to carry out its installation, the Sika-Trocal SGK system met the contractor’s brief to perfection.

Suitable for both new build and refurbishment applications, in both warm roof and cold roof construction, Sika-Trocal SGK is the best-cost performance bonded membrane for use on all types of substrates. Offering excellent flexibility and high resistance to ageing and weathering, Sika-Trocal SGK ensures a long-lasting, low maintenance roof covering.

Wayne Farrington, Director at Cambridge Flat Roofing, commented “The roof looks pretty spectacular and certainly offered a challenge in terms of its construction. There’s no doubt the Sika-Trocal SGK system’s specification aided the building process.

“It not only looks as good as it performs, it was simple and quick to install. It made a potentially tricky installation, quite straightforward.”

Work on the church roof started in March 2015. As well as the installation of Sika-Trocal SGK on the 1,500m2 main roof, Cambridge Flat Roofing applied Sika-Trocal’s Type SGmA single-ply membrane as part of a sedum roof build-up on a lower area of the building.

The fully-adhered Type SGK roofing membrane is approved by the British Board of Agrément (BBA) to have a life expectancy in excess of 35 years. Its easy application ensured the church’s stunning roof was completed ahead of the client’s strict eight-week deadline to ensure this gloriously-designed building will remain watertight and functioning as a vital community hub long into the future.

For more information please call 01707 394444, or visit www.sikatrocal.co.uk.
/0 Comments/by

Cembrit’s Brazilian scores on cricket ground

Two cricket teams in Nottingham now have a new home, thanks to Cembrit and its Alpina natural slates, as the aesthetically pleasing material has completed the look on a newly built cricket clubhouse.

Called the Field of Dreams, the new cricket clubhouse is based at the Meadows Recreation Ground in Nottingham’s Victoria Embankment. The project, which received a £150,000 Sport England grant, was the vision of the Trent Bridge Community Trust. With the original pavilion being old and dilapidated, the new clubhouse was built to provide four changing rooms, a kitchen, disability access, rooms for officials, and external viewing area.

Nottingham-based architect, Maber worked with construction giant, Willmott Dixon, while J Wright Roofing, was sub-contracted to provide an economical roofing system. Familiar with the benefits of Cembrit’s roofing products, J Wright Roofing specified and installed approximately 8,500 Alpina grey/green natural slates. Supplied quickly and efficiently via leading distributor of high-quality natural slates, East Midlands Roofing Supplies, the roof was installed within a month.

“This was an exciting project to be involved in, as it attracted the support of many local businesses and benefited from fundraising efforts” explains Jason Wright, Managing Director of J Wright Roofing Ltd. “The aim of the project was to ensure that cricket continues to be played at this site for the next 100 years. Thanks to the durable and high performance features of Cembrit Alpina slates, the roof will last the lifetime of the clubhouse.”

Alpina is a Brazilian natural slate, selected from the finest deposits and produced at some of the best facilities in Papagaios, Brazil. It is available in two colours, graphite and grey/green and in a variety of sizes. With its flat surface and pleasing shade variations, Alpina slate can be relied upon to create an attractive, high-performance roof.

Alpina slate is a tough natural material which has been tested to ensure it meets the current national standard, BS EN 12326-1:2004. Alpina slate has virtually no unstable minerals such as pyrites, graphite, carbon and un-oxidised irons and will withstand the most severe weather conditions: they are unaffected by sunlight, ultraviolet light and even acid rain. Laid correctly Alpina slate will last the lifetime of a building and are ideal for use on any type of project.

For further information visit www.cembrit.co.uk, email sales@cembrit.co.uk, or for a copy of the technical data sheets, tel: +44 (0)20 8301 8900.
/0 Comments/by

Bauder delivers largest solar array in higher education sector

The University of the West of England (UWE) in Bristol has recently quadrupled its solar generating capacity through the installation of 1,731 solar panels, which will enable it to produce over 400 MWh of electricity each year and making it the largest solar panel array in the UK university sector.

The new solar array has been installed on the roof of the University Enterprise Zone (UEZ) and the Bristol Robotics Laboratory, which have both undergone extensive refurbishment as part of the required works. Prior to the solar panels being installed, approved contractor Mitie Tilley Roofing overlaid the original failing single ply waterproofing with over 12,000m2 of Bauder’s lightweight, robust PVC single ply waterproofing system Thermofol. The solar modules, which weigh just 12Kg/m2, were then fitted onto the waterproofing using a unique penetration-free, welding method by renewable energy specialists Dulas. This installation technique means that the roof is not compromised by penetrations for fixings nor is it ballasted, which would add additional weight loading to the roof.

The new photovoltaic system will generate at least 74.32 Megawatt Hours of solar power each year which should; cover half of the energy consumed within the building, save around 200 tonnes of carbon and provide annual savings of over £50,000 a year. The university is highly committed to sustainability and energy efficiency, and this solar project is just part of a much wider plan to achieve its carbon reduction goals and enhance local renewable energy capacity.

Fabia Jeddere-Fisher, Energy Engineer at UWE, stated, “From its conception, we chose a roofing system that would mean the flat roof would not need to be strengthened if we chose to add solar panels. Normally, panels placed on flat roofs require either weighing down or fixings that penetrate the roof membrane, which can introduce the risk of leaks. The system we have chosen means that the panels are welded into place, reducing load, and reducing the need for roof penetrations. The University will use 100% of the power generated by the PV array, which will be equal to the amount generated by nearly 200 homes with solar panels. As a large organisation we want to set an example for others to undertake similar projects.”

For more information please visit www.bauder.co.uk.
/0 Comments/by