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Cassius, the large format natural clay roof tile from Sandtoft Roof Tiles has been selected by the Gladedale Group for a house development in Westhoughton, near Bolton. According to the manufacturer, its Antique Slate colour-option offers a superior finish when compared with slate effect concrete and fibre-cement products, whilst providing a much more economical option than natural slate. The development incorporates a large number of four bedroom houses, on which the architect intended to use slate, but Cassius provided a lightweight alternative. Alan Drysdale, from the Gladedale Group, said: 'Cassius offered a more cost-effective roofing solution than slate, but we were still able to use a natural material that really looked the part. The tiles were very quick and easy to install, and the fixing process ran very smoothly. The finish and colouring are perfect for the development and the completed scheme looks fantastic.'

Details for Sandtoft Roof Tiles

On average, roofing battens account for only 3% of the total cost of building a roof, but if a batten fails the consequences can be both serious and costly. Inspectors demand that the entire roof be stripped if battens are found wanting, or worse, it could result in a fall. With JB-RED pre-graded battens from John Brash, this is not a worry. John Brash, responsible for the idea of pre-graded battens, has teamed up with Bracknell Roofing for a number of large projects for clients including Redrow, Bellway and George Wimpey. Bracknell Roofing started using pre-graded battens in March, and is reportedly so delighted with the performance that it is now only using JB-RED for its batten requirements. Alan Chumley, MD of Bracknell Roofing, said 'Our roofers can work with the added confidence that each of the individually strength-tested battens will provide the safest possible working access environment possible. Installation is easier too because the battens are lighter in weight due to the special preservative treatments used.'

Details for John Brash & Co Ltd

Three types of fibre cement roofing and cladding materials from Marley Eternit were specified to bring both aesthetics and practicality to the redevelopment of a nursery school in East London. Kintore Way Children's Centre uses Marley Eternit's profiled sheeting on the roof and upper elevations and Multiclad rainscreen cladding on the lower elevations of a new extension as well as Rivendale slates on the roof of an existing 1930s nursery. The pitched elements of the roof are covered with the company's fibre cement profiled sheeting painted in blue, green, white and orange and complemented by translucent GRP sheets.

Details for Eternit UK Ltd

Three types of fibre cement roofing and cladding materials from Marley Eternit were specified to bring both aesthetics and practicality to the redevelopment of a nursery school in East London. Kintore Way Children's Centre uses Marley Eternit's profiled sheeting on the roof and upper elevations and Multiclad rainscreen cladding on the lower elevations of a new extension as well as Rivendale slates on the roof of an existing 1930s nursery. The pitched elements of the roof are covered with the company's fibre cement profiled sheeting painted in blue, green, white and orange and complemented by translucent GRP sheets.

Details for Marley Eternit

Topdek from Ward Insulated Panels has been used to give a private care centre in Staffordshire a new lease of life. More than 380m² of Topdek insulated single-ply roof panels 80mm and 100mm thick were used to roof the Guardian Care Centre, as part of a major refurbishment. Andy Worley, who specified Topdek, said: 'We needed the new roof to be installed and sealed quickly and Topdek allowed us to do this much faster than conventional single-ply methods.' Ward Topdek is a factory pre-engineered composite roof panel that offers faster onsite assembly compared to traditional single-ply roofing methods.

Details for Ward Building Components

Part of natural slate’s aesthetic appeal is in its characteristic variation in colour, size and texture. Natural slate has been used in British construction for centuries and is ideal for specification in both new builds or when re-roofing to match the traditional or local character of the area. The benchmark in the UK - and possibly the world - has been set by the Welsh slate industry. However, restricted availability and downward pressure on market prices has over the last 30 years led to the growth of imported slate. The markets’ desire for low priced slate combined with a lack of understanding of all the quality issues, product standards and convoluted supply chains, has led to some problems on site and confusion for choosers and purchasers. Recent financial difficulties in the Welsh slate industry have probably done nothing to ease the concerns of those in need of a steady source of reliable natural slate. Such slate does, however, exist in eastern Canada where Cembrit Blunn source their Glendyne, Glacier and Trinity ranges. Being a relatively new source with an emphasis on the use of technology and attention to quality assurance, output is less variable than most other sources. Glendyne could well be the most approved slate currently available in Europe with certification to the relevant British Standard European Norm, French NF marque, Belgian STS standard and American ASTM standard.

Details for Cembrit Blunn

A new Products, Systems and Design Guide will detail Roof-Pro's rooftop support systems. The products are designed for efficient installation of a wide variety of roof-mounted services and fixtures. By supporting services above roof level, complex detailing and decommissioning for maintenance is unnecessary. Bases and frames are available to support equipment on flat roofs.

Details for Roof-Pro

The Flat Roof Alliance (FRA) and The Mastic Asphalt Council (MAC) have pledged their formal support for the Green Roof Campaign. The campaign, fronted by Dusty Gedge and sponsored by Permanite Engineered Roofing Systems, aims to increase support for a solid government policy on green roofs in the UK, whilst raising the awareness of green roof technology amongst the general public. There is growing interest in how green roofs can be developed into the building fabric in the UK. The Green Roof Campaign aims to lobby at local, regional and national level to raise awareness and ensure policy makers embrace this proven technology. The campaign was launched at Ecobuild. The opinions canvassed revealed: a 2:1 preference of incentives (29 %) over legislation (14%) with grants being the preferred incentive type, slightly ahead of tax relief. However, 22% of those surveyed believe that a mixture of legislation and incentives is needed.

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An open-air roofing underlay called Permo Air has been launched by Klober. The new underlay is said to be BBA approved and has the lowest water vapour resistance (0.08Mn/g) and highest water vapour transmission (2736 g/m²/day) which, the company says, is 13% better than any product currently available. As insulations standards continue to improve and homes become more airtight, Permo Air allows vapour in the roof space to be removed quickly. This, Klober stresses, is the best guarantee of avoiding roof space condensation. Hydrophobically treated, Permo Air is suitable for cold and warm roofs and has exceptional nail tear resistance.

Details for Klober Ltd

Wizard magic Hall 7, Stand K29 Asta Development will launch version 3 of Asta Easyplan, it's 'seriously simply project planning software'. Seven wizards are included in the new version, which assist users with activities such as creating a project, adding tasks and organising them. The system also enables data exchange with Microsoft Project and Primavera software.

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