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Roofing manufacturer, Marley Eternit, is to expand its Hawkins clay plain tiles range with the introduction of a new colour, Blue Smooth. The addition of the new colour means that the Hawkins range is now available in Staffordshire Blue, Staffordshire Mixtrue, Dark Heather and the new Blue Smooth. Marley Eternit reports it has achieved an 'A' rating for its clay plain roof tiles in the BRE's Green Guide to Specification. This allows specifiers to obtain environmental credits for buildings under the BREEAM and Eco Homes schemes. Marley Eternit has made an investment of £19 million at its clay plain tiles facility in Keele, Staffordshire, as part of its on-going commitment to making clay an affordable option. By adapting manufacturing processes to improve efficiency and cutting carbon emissions, the company hopes to change the perception that clay tiles are unsustainable and expensive. Marley Eternit marketing manager, Sarah Hanlon, said: "This new colour gives specifiers the opportunity to create a quality finish, which is continually underlined by PPS3."

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Decra has ventured online to demonstrate the advantage of its lightweight steel roof tiles over traditional roofing materials. The tests include a comparison of speed and security of installation and impact resistance. The online speed demonstration uses a test roof area of 4m² and compares Decra's Oberon and Classic/Elegance tiles against traditional concrete, clay plain tiles and concrete interlocking tiles.

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The world famous March Stand at Goodwood Racecourse has been overhauled with Decothane Delta 25 - a hardwearing liquid roof coating from high performance weatherproofing supplier Liquid Plastics. The March Stand had begun to suffer from water ingress and was in need of a solution that was durable, cost effective and, critically, flame free.

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Installed on 23 new affordable, low carbon homes in Rotherham, Solarcentury's Complete Solar Roof will offer buyers and tenants protection from energy price rises. The Complete Solar Roof is a system of solar PV and solar thermal roof riles that look like standard roof tiles, while generating electricity and hot water for the home, offering significant savings. Each home is also installed with an import/export meter for monitoring. The largest installation of the product yet, it will allow homeowners to greatly reduce their carbon emissions.

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The new Dussindale Primary School in Norfolk is set for completion in September 2007, ready for the brand new school year. The £5m building, designed by the architects department of Norfolk Property Consultants Ltd, has made extensive use of the latest materials and systems in construction. For the roof glazing, Pilkington Activ Blue glass was specified as an integral part of the overall design, both for aesthetic appearance and for practicality.

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A bespoke FPP preSelect timber roof window from Fakro has been used in Osbourne Homes' Demonstration House at the BRE Innovations Centre. Awarded an EcoHomes 'excellent' rating by the BRE, it demonstrates how to build affordable, sustainable and energy efficient homes. Design consultants Baily Garner, WSP and Tully De'Ath used the model for its FSC accreditation and energy saving panes which achieve an overall U-value of 1.0Wm²K. The close-grain redwood pine is guaranteed to be knot-free, while a patented operating mechanism assures security and stability in any position and offers the facility to change from top hung to centre pivot opening at the flick of a switch in the frame. Eco Homes is the homes equivalent of BREEM. In April 2007 the Code for Sustainable Homes replaced EcoHomes as the assessment of new housing in England.

Details for Fakro GB Ltd

With the price of lead rising and thefts from roofs on the increase Kemperol Waterproofing Membranes from Kemper System could provide the answer to an otherwise serious problem. Priced at a fraction of the cost of lead, Kemperol has for many years been used as a reliable and cost effective substitute for lead.

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A new way to discreetly increase natural daylight in dark rooms is being introduced by Glidevale. The Cheshire-based company, manufacturer of the Sunscoop domed tubular rooflight, has developed an 'in-plane' version suitable for its 250, 350 and 530mm diameter systems. Fitting virtually flush to the roof, Sunscoop In-Line is therefore unobtrusive once installed, providing a discreet and aesthetically pleasing way of naturally lighting the building.

Details for Glidevale Ltd

A new way to discreetly increase natural daylight in dark rooms is being introduced by Glidevale. The Cheshire-based company, manufacturer of the Sunscoop domed tubular rooflight, has developed an 'in-plane' version suitable for its 250, 350 and 530mm diameter systems. Fitting virtually flush to the roof, Sunscoop In-Line is therefore unobtrusive once installed, providing a discreet and aesthetically pleasing way of naturally lighting the building.

Details for Glidevale Ltd

Development No.1: Renowned pioneers in lightweight steel roof systems, Decra have complemented their counterparts in glass with the launch of a dry roof tile with self-cleaning characteristics. A new coating on the company's Elegance tiles contains high levels of Teflon and silicon to create a non-stick, highly water repellent surface with the enhanced self-cleaning properties. Rainwater is shrugged off, taking dirt with it. This improves the lifetime of the roof, particularly in aggressive environments such as coastal areas where salt is corrosive. The coating also reduces maintenance which improves health and safety factors - no cleaning equalling no-one on the roof. As well as being a non-stick coating, it is also non-toxic and environmentally friendly which means rainwater run off can be harvested for re-use.

Details for Decra Roof Systems (UK) Ltd