Posted on:
11 November
By: Colin Yeates
Just wondering, as I look down from my office window at the builders merchants yard next door which is half empty, what we have to do to get the industry back constructing again, and what contractors (and us) need to look at to meet the challenges of these times.
While the metal roofing and cladding industry remain in the current change mode, it's adapt or die in many cases. This has been forced by the decline in demand for traditional metal roofing since the 2008 recession, so many contractors are turning to wider building envelope applications.
All of us should make the effort to evolve with the shifting market. Materials and architectural designs are becoming more complex as demand has become more sophisticated and manufacturing has developed to accommodate for a new era of design, and all with impressive aesthetic results. We are seeing the rise of the "envelope contractor".
Shed construction used to be our bread and butter. No longer – schools, hospitals, offices and larger domestic construction have filled the demand hole. Materials like glass are being specified more regularly due to its visual appeal and ability to add new dimensions within construction, including rainscreens.
Terracotta materials, used worldwide for many years are now much more in demand across the UK. Their aesthetics and durability are valued, specifically in façades and rainscreens. Many lead OEMs have innovated in this sector bringing a wide range of façade choice.
So as well as protecting the direct exterior of a building from weather and other extremities, trends in modern architecture have made rainscreen systems as fashionable as they are functional. This has resulted in their increased specification, particularly within the growing retrofit market.
More of us than ever have been involved in refurbishment than new build projects during the last 12 to 18 month. This is because there are many advantages: greater cost savings; increased speed to market due to the reduced demolition time; fluid cash flow as the building can usually remain open and functioning during work; original building features can be retained; and projects are usually more sustainable with a lower impact on the environment.
Those roofing contractors who have benefited from this shift have done so by expanding their knowledge. The latest generation of systems, with more skills to design and install them correctly, are required to deliver an increasingly complex outer shell. The contractor must ensure a building performs and functions efficiently and meets the necessary standards and regulations.
We know that EPCs (Energy Performance Certificates) and Building Regulations must be adhered to in any instance, but in a retrofit project the most likely area in which a building may fail is at the interface. So if you are an envelope contractor, you must become an expert not only in your specialist area but in all elements of the building envelope.
For example, the installation of a rainscreen façade, as opposed to a composite panel or typical built up construction, differs in application and requires a different skill set. Without the skills and knowledge required to deliver these progressively more complex specifications, you could lose out on vital business.
You are not alone. Organisations like The Rainscreen Association (TRA), which has very recently been launched, have been created to provide contractors and installers with guidance on industry best practice and training programmes to help them keep up to date. Constituted within the National Federation of Roofing Contractors (NFRC), the launch of the TRA training programmes will help contractors to qualify to an NVQ level.
You need this kind of formal training. If you install rainscreen and façade systems incorrectly, it can have a negative impact on your business.
For example, you must be aware that carbon steel fasteners must not be used with aluminium sheeting or structural elements. The likelihood of electrolytic reaction between the dissimilar metals may lead to rapid corrosion of the fastener; it is only austenitic stainless steel fasteners which can be used alongside aluminium. Get this wrong and the safety of the building could be at risk.
Alignment of façades is another installation discipline where you need the insight that training can provide. A poorly aligned façade can be an expensive disaster.
Only if you equip yourself with the proper knowledge and expertise will you be able to compete within the new total envelope business. Increasing sophistication and the need for improved quality of build is what is in front of our industry; knowhow and minimising the risk of getting it wrong through innovation and training will help.