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Hall 5, Stand D55/E50 Solar electric roof tiles from Solarcentury, lightweight and designed to lock together for easy installation, will be on show at Interbuild. Thirty six of the tiles will produce 1,500 units (kWh) each year, enough to power over a third of the average sized three bed home saving over 19 tonnes of CO2 emissions over its 25 year guarantee. Solarcentury are now offering a series of courses to help operatives develop the skills and knowledge they need to install solar pv systems correctly. ' 0207 803 0100 www.solarcentury.com

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The maker of Fibreglass products for the house building market, Stormking, has boosted its manufacturing capacity by nearly a quarter. The company has bought a 40,000 square foot building to bring the number of manufacturing sites in their Tamworth base to six. The acquisition enables the company to concentrate all its dormer roof production into one location and includes the wood frame manufacturing for the dormers. Established in 1985, the company is now believed to be the largest manufacturer of construction related glass reinforced plastic mouldings in the UK.

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When a roofline intersects with a concave or convex cavity wall it presents the designer with a problem. How best to externally flash and protect the structure against wet penetration? Cavity Trays of Yeovil now manufactures curved cavitrays that could offer a ready-to-use solution. The dimension of each tray is individually and compositely computer calculated to take into account the arc of the wall and the masonry coursing. Curved cavitrays can be supplied with the lead flashing already attached. Flashing dimensions are calculated to provide optimum weathering, deflection and overlap protection. Within the masonary wall the cavity is protected by self-adjusting cavity upstand flaps that can take up the cavity width encountered.

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Almost 40,000m² of Ziplok standing seam from Rigidal Systems is being used in the Park Central regeneration projects in Birmingham. Almost the whole of the roof area for the project will consist of Rigidal Ziplok in plain milln stucco embossed in aluminium, and many of the apartment blocks feature the Ziplok in a 'roof to wall' application. In order to preserve the clean lines of these roofs, the Ziplok was in many cases smooth curved down to radii as tight as 4m. Most of the Ziplok for the various buildings is supported on structural decking which offers simplified construction by dispensing with the need for purlins. Built up standing seam roofs, with other metal roofing systems, are said to offer durability, cost-effectiveness and speed of installation, and the ability to curve and taper sheets offers several design possibilities. It is available in a wide selection of colours and finishes, and with perimeter

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Cold roll-forming specialist Metsec has supplied 32 long span, lightweight steel trusses, plus zed purlins and 'C' sections to support the roof of a curved riverside development in Chelmsford. The crescent-shaped roof was complicated to design as the hipped ends and valleys were not square, so the trusses and purlins needed to be set out to fit around a radius. The trusses were designed to be light weight, high strength and to have a long span.

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A dry-fix solution to finishing the verge of a roof has been launched by Manthorpe Building Products. The SmartVerge Linear Dry Verge is designed for use on a 15° or 55° pitch roof with slates and interlocking plain tiles, and is said to provide a strong mechanical fixing method which secures tiles to the roof, preventing wind uplift problems. The verge is manufactured from uPVC and features a selection of ridge end caps that keeps out birds and large insects. As it is mortar free, it can be fitted in all weather.

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Ensor claims that its metal roofing systems help developers keep housing affordable while reducing their carbon footprint. The tiles have a traditional look which reduces the cost and according to Ensor, it cuts carbon emissions in manufacture, transport and handling, making roofing projects much greener.

Details for Renolit (UK) Ltd

Building membranes manufacturer Icopal has launched a cold-applied liquid roofing system. The Parapro waterproofing system incorporates a polyester reinforcing fleece between two layers of liquid polyurethane-based coating. This can be applied wet-on-wet, eliminating the need for drying time between coats. Roofing that cannot be renovated using traditional methods can also benefit from the system, and because it is applied cold using rollers, brushes or squeegees it may also help reduce insurance costs.

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Pupils at a Preston primary school may have been disappointed that solvent-free Kemperol cold liquid waterproofing was used to repair their leaking roof, for it meant that classes went ahead without disruption and the expected 'day-off', had a traditional solution been used never materialised. Supplied by Kemper System, BBA-certified Kemperol 2K-PUR is believed to be the UK's only solvent free cold liquid waterproofing. It is applied wet-on-wet, which means projects are completed more quickly and, because there are no laminations it is has an expected working life of 25 years.

Details for Kemper System

Rainwater systems from the new Life4 range from Marley have been used on a housing development in Crossgates, Scarborough. The 112 x 60mm Flowline white square gutters and 68mm circular downpipes were installed on the five luxury three bedroom bungalows to complement the contemporary red brick. The guttering is designed to combine all the practical and aesthetic characteristics of the Flowline range but with increased colour retention and high gloss levels. Brian Wharton, site manager at Thompson Homes, in charge of the development, said: 'The longevity and durability of the Life4 gutters were a major factor in the choice of system and the high gloss provides an attractive finish that won't fade over the years.' The Life4 range is said to have stable colour retention of up to four times longer than standard PVCu systems.

Details for Marley Plumbing & Drainage