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Thanks to the typically British weather, the increasingly popular application of rainscreen cladding is consistently put to the test. However, many contractors which have adjusted their businesses and skills in order to take on the new application of rainscreen cladding, have come across many installation challenges due to the major differences to traditional metal roofing and cladding.

But, by removing some of the complexity of handling and installation, from the design process through to its construction, system and component suppliers are now taking rainscreen to the next level and ironing out any existing imperfections.

I have compiled my top five innovations in rainscreen fixing systems which are helping to ease the installation of this popular system.

1. Primary fixings for masonry substrates: Universal fasteners cleverly designed for all masonry substrate applications eliminate the risk associated with installing the wrong anchor. They feature a unique 'fin' design on the fastener sleeve which gives additional grip, preventing the fastener from rotating and providing high pull out resistance in application. The unique collar design also ensures "knock in protection", avoiding premature expansion of the fastener which would ultimately lead to loss of function.

2. Self drilling fastener for aluminium subframes: For secure fastening of aluminium to aluminium subframe components, look for a self drilling fastener with a 6mm diameter body, as it will give an increased shear load value over traditional rivets and fasteners. With specially designed thread geometry, installation error is eliminated as it prevents overdriving or unwinding due to dynamic loading, and gives the user a quick and secure fixing.

3. 316, 316, 316: When specifying fixings for high design led materials like rainscreen, they have to be grade 316 stainless steel. It's worth paying a little bit more at the outset to ensure optimum performance in all but the harshest chlorine environments. This grade of steel will protect your build against corrosion from class C1 - indoor, no environmental stress, right up to Class C5-l - severe industrial environment and pollution. The large headed rivet for example, gives long lasting, high performance attachment to steel and other materials. With a 15mm diameter head and a body and mandrel made entirely from 316 grade stainless steel, the rivet will deliver high tensile value strength and prevent corrosion in even pollution and coastal environments. And with the additional benefit of colour matching the rivet head to the façade panel, you can create a truly blended fixing design.

4. Panel fixing kit: A panel fixing kit is a must for every façade installer - whether a professional or rainscreen newcomer - as it incorporates a drilling tool with interchangeable self-centring nosepieces. The kit ensures the installer will have accurate hole centralisation on every face fix, allowing for optimum build speed in even the most demanding façade designs.

5. The "blind" rivet: New innovations on the market are making the invisible attachment of high pressure laminate façades much quicker and increasingly error free. Unlike many screw type fasteners available for this application, the new "blind" rivet cannot be overdriven. The new mandrel design pulls back through the body of the fastener expanding it radially, creating a hollow fastener body. This ejects any moisture or debris collected in the pre-drilled panel hole through the fastener and not the front of the panel, leaving a perfectly smooth, dimple free panel front, just as the design intended.

All good things take time to bed in, but now that rainscreen has evolved, these new advancements will make things much easier for the industry overall.

After many challenging and enjoyable years working within the roofing business I find myself discussing the subject of 'warranty' more and more. Never has this word been more poignant in our day-to-day discussions, or for investors' pockets.

Gone are the days when we used to supply mainly carbon steel fixings, maybe with a SELA head. Rarely was life expectancy asked about, "10 years will do" was the norm, and we shipped millions without question. Post recession things have changed, 25 years plus is now very typical for a building's design and "costing" life, and for this, a warranted product is essential.

There is no doubt that this has been driven by the increasingly onerous Building Regulations and the concerns of the building owner and/or landlord whose asset value, and/or rental value, is closely tied to regulation compliance. Too many have paid high prices for a poorly performing building; lessons sadly are still being learnt. The investor and developer are increasingly looking for assurance that the structure will perform within Building Regulations and at least achieve its investment and cost plan throughout its lifetime. Therefore, it is increasingly vital that the products being installed combine to facilitate Part L criteria such as reduced air leakage, and be able to stand the test of time and perform structurally and aesthetically for the full 25 years investment period.

It is then no surprise that the demand for a genuine performance warranty from contractors is drastically on the increase and will influence tender acceptance. This is becoming a part of the pre qualification process. While some contractors may be happy to offer any warranty in order to gain advantage, street wise developers will probe to ensure that the warranty is valid and securely backed, not just a simple headline.

So, what can the responsible contractor do? My advice is to seek detailed equivalent warranties from the manufacturers; the devil is in the detail, we all know this! Taking just a few minutes to go over a short check list will minimise potential liabilities for the solid and successful contracting business.

• Is the product and warranty supplied by a manufacturer or a re seller?
• Check who is really manufacturing your purchase and to what quality standards and warranty term? 
• A number of re sellers "manufacture" a very limited range in the UK and source the bulk of their products from lower cost sources around the globe. Dig deep and check the paper warranty from a UK manufacturer really covers product that is out sourced. 
• Which business is responsible for the warranty liability?
• What is the "full" warranty term? Is it decreasing liability?
• Does the issuing business really have the financial strength to support the warranty? If not is it really worthless?
• Are there limitations in the event the warranty is invoked? E.G. claims are limited to the value of product supplied on the project. Claims are limited to the free issue of replacement fasteners or sealant only. There is some sort of excess due by the contractor?
• Are consequential costs covered in any way?
• Beware insurance backed warranties, this is a minefield, most companies fall back on product liability insurance, very, very few have specific insurance for a warranty and those that really do have cover for a max of 10 year periods.

I appreciate that small components such as fasteners are often seen as an insignificant part of the total value of the materials purchased, yet I cannot reiterate enough the essential role they play in sustaining the building's long term integrity.

It remains bewildering therefore, given the lesser value of these components, that contractors significantly increase their total risk in order to save only a few pence short term. The pursuit of profit for further investment in any business is an obvious driver, but one that must be balanced with common sense risk management decisions. Investors are trying to find ways to minimise their risk and building component warranties are a tool here to stay.

So even when times are tight and contracts are fiercely contested, we all need to think carefully about critical product specification compromise. Developers and management contractors will be scrutinising contracts and tenders ever more carefully, looking for unacceptable corner cutting; that competitive edge you think you hope to get may cost you much more than you save.

Have you had any similar experiences with warranties or building failures? It would be great to hear feedback on the challenges others face when matching Building Regulation criteria and cost so please share your thoughts below.

Sat on a train from Cheltenham to Leeds, I thought I would share my thoughts on the events of 2010. The year began with great uncertainty as projects planned for quarter one and two were placed on hold and quickly reduced in number. The project "bank" was at its lowest for over 15 years. On existing projects, poor weather conditions at the start of the year also caused massive delays for businesses across the supply chain, inevitably increasing the amount of pressure to complete across a shorter time scale.

Investors awaited financial clarity as the general election beckoned. Money was there to invest but the environment was far too uncertain and high risk to take chances. Demand for warehouses and distribution centres was at a record low.

The slow start to the year was quickly followed by a more productive quarter two and further improvements in project starts and tenders in quarter three. Activity started to reflect at least budget levels, but big projects were still being put on hold. Following the general election, we found that project delays began to reduce and the industry as a whole got back on track. It was good to see many large projects being kick-started and although there will be cut backs within the PFI sector, this will not be significant until 2012. And all of this as revisions to Part L of the Building Regulations were again implemented on 1st October.

Against these many challenges, it was pleasing to see so many lead specialist contractors and manufacturers survive through the year. There is now a more constant stream of work moving into 2011, in comparison with the latter end of 2010. We are all coming to terms with the implications of the revisions to the Building Regulations with further changes to airtightness specifications and an increase in ‘built’ costs, to name but a few. We can all draw positives on this as the stricter guidelines mean the assurance that a building will be airtight, now holds more ‘weight’ with clients and architects.

Post recession, manufacturers which have experienced the "innovate or die" conundrum have thrown themselves feet first into the development of new products, bringing exciting new innovations such as the TIA mechanical fix for easy tapered installation, to the fore. In addition, we have seen an increase in the number of quotes and tenders being completed by contractors, but they continue to face challenges on price levels. The good news is that work is being won but at barely above overhead recovery levels. Any profit to be had is very small as the building procurement process differentiates the simplest way it can - ever lower prices.

At SFS intec, we haven’t just sat by and watched this happen but looked to see how we can help. Never before have application and fastener solutions that truly take cost out of the build been more needed. Building in the same way as last year, accepting an even lower price for the same products and services, may result in business failure. I fear many will still experience this next year.

SFS intec and a number of our partner system manufacturers are, and have brought to market, innovative products and services that bring real in-place cost savings compared to thinking and doing things the way we ‘always’ have. ‘Game’ changing product design now exists, allowing the enlightened contractor to move with the times with reduced risk. For example, the modern and high performance thread design of the New Generation SX fastener maximised in design with secondary steelwork, allowing significant cost savings in steel purchases.

As we continue to face economic challenges, collaboration between parties in the supply chain at the early design stage will save thousands of pounds at the contract stage, as we have proved time and time again. The contractor must adapt and liaise with the manufacturer early in the process to take advantage of product and service innovations, and allow them to help reduce project costs at the tender stage. The sector cannot survive on lower prices for long. Now more than ever, we need to embrace the innovation that is out there, designing smarter without increasing business risk. A closer partnership between manufacturers and envelope contractors will provide the win-win situation for a more prosperous year for all.

Since the launch of our i-Van training initiative in September 2008, our demonstrations at customer premises have gone from strength to strength. The mobile service provides a truly hands-on industry training session all across the UK, from the Highlands of Scotland to the City of London.

On our most recent tour we visited Ireland and teamed up with Tech Fasteners to introduce ourselves and the i-Van service to roofing contractors in the local area. We visited a number of companies across two weeks and got a very positive response. All who attended were really impressed with the new generation SX range of fasteners and said how beneficial it was to be able to see a digital read out of a pull-out test comparison.

We often find that contractors have preconceived ideas about products and services, especially if they are new or unknown to them. But I can safely say that the i-Van team are able to abolish these by providing free and essential, interactive tutorials and demonstrations, so when we leave at the end of the training, the customer is much more aware of the vastly improved fastener performance particularly when used against lower quality products. For example our new pod cast shows the huge difference in drilling times that can be achieved with the new generation SX14 for hot rolled applications - over 3 times faster than competitor products.

The seminars last approximately one hour and introduce contractors to the latest stainless steel fastener innovations. We demonstrate how to optimise the full structural performance of the new SFS intec fasteners which enable value engineering options to be taken, removing the cost out of the whole construction. A short presentation on the new changes to Part L of the Building Regulations is also included, highlighting what we can expect in the future.

The i-Van touring service is valuable and beneficial for contractors and can easily be fitted into a working day. For more information or to book a visit from the i-Van team, please contact your local SFS intec representative.

•    Paul Priestly, South West and Wales, email: prpa@sfsintec.biz
•    Stewart Morgan, North East, email; most@sfsintec.biz
•    Craig Winstanley, North West, email; wcra@sfsintec.biz
•    Mick Steeples, Midlands and South East, email; smic@sfsintec.biz
•    Dave Osborne, Scotland, email; osda@sfsintec.biz

Chris Duffy, Specification Manager for SFS intec, provides an update on SFS intec’s new CPD seminar.

“As we all brace ourselves for the next changes to Part L of the Building Regulations which will take effect next next year, we have been busy preparing a new seminar to soothe the transition. 

With RIBA accreditation, this new CPD seminar on Airtightness and Thermal Efficiency provides advice for architects and specifiers when designing building envelopes to meet the more stringent airtightness and energy efficiency requirements demanded by the new legislation.

Air leakage and ingress through the building envelope is recognised as a principle area of heat and energy loss. Airtightness will be a key factor in meeting the proposed 25% reduction in CO² levels suggested in the 2010 revision of Part L2 Building Regulations and specifiers have made it clear to us that they are eager to understand simple best practice.

The 1 hour seminar covers:
- The main points of energy loss with examples and case studies
- How this can be overcome in several different design details
- The major changes in the new Part L Regulations
- The future for energy efficient and air tight envelope design 
- How control of airtightness through design and specification of purpose  designed fasteners and sealants is the most effective method to meet the 2010 efficiency requirements

The Specification team has already been touring the country with the seminar and enjoyed 150 bookings in the first six months!
 
If you have any specific questions regarding the changes to Building Regulations or fasteners for roofing and cladding, please give the technical team a call on 0113 2085 500.

To find out where the seminar’s are taking place in your area, contact Claire Pearson on 0113 2085 500.