Built to Last
03 September 2008
Steel roofing manufacturer supply the demand for sustainable building products.
Across the social housing sector, local authorities, housing associations, architects and contractors are increasingly taken into consideration sustainability and environmental factors when making product specification decisions. And whilst these factors only form part of the selection process, which must also balance technical, aesthetic, performance, quality and cost considerations, they are nevertheless of significant importance.When assessing roofing products, for instance, there are a range of issues that need to be addressed, encompassing product manufacture, distribution, installation and maintenance. Leading lightweight steel roofing manufacturer, Metrotile, has supplied a wide range of social housing projects across the United Kingdom, many of which have been influenced by the material’s sustainability credentials.
Given the nature of the material, its light weight offers a number of advantages. With the weight of traditional clay or concrete tiles up to seven times that of lightweight steel, (typically 6.6kg/ m2 compared to 40 to 45 kg/ m2), the cost and environmental impact of transportation is significantly reduced. But not only is the required number of loads reduced (by up to a factor of seven), but also correspondingly fewer pallets and packing materials are consumed – an important consideration given the need to recycle, or otherwise dispose of waste materials from site.
But it isn’t only in transportation that lightweight roofing offers advantages; there are also construction and site benefits to be gained. Supplied in large format sheets (each covering 0.46 m2), the material is fast to install and being dry-fix, there is no need for sand, concrete or mastic in the construction process. So, without the need for wet trades, on site wastage is considerably less and particle emissions are minimised.
It is also worth noting that although steel production is a relatively energy intensive process, the lightweight nature of the roofing material means that for the same roof area, concrete tiles actually produce a little over four times the amount of CO2 during manufacturing. Whilst steel produces around 60% more CO2 in manufacture, per tonne, than concrete tiles, one tonne of lightweight steel roofing covers an area of 150m2, compared to 23m2 for an equivalent weight of concrete tiles.
Steel also has a high recycled content, with the proportion of recycled material used in manufacturing set to increase each year given the growing emphasis on recycling and sustainability. Metrotile’s products are also fully recyclable at the end of their useful life; they are finished in a stone coating from sustainable resources and treated with non-toxic algaecides and water-based acrylics.
So, lightweight steel roofing offers a number of sustainability benefits for social housing schemes. Whilst also providing a wide range of design, colour and texture options to meet planning and design needs, as well as technical performance for even the most demanding applications, the product is increasingly proving to be a winning combination in a diverse range of projects across the UK.
Other Press Releases By This Company
- 28/05/2012 - Metrotile: Ready for Anything You Can Throw At It
- 28/05/2012 - Whatever your Roof Size, Choose Metrotile Lightweight Roofing
- 30/04/2012 - Metrotile Lightweight Roofing Presents: Shingle
- 30/04/2012 - Don’t Compromise. Choose Metrotile Lightweight Roofing.
- 30/04/2012 - Metrotile Lights Up Defford Cum Besford Village Hall
- 30/04/2012 - Metrotile Lightweight Roofing - The Rooftop Has Evolved
- 30/04/2012 - Metrotile Roofing: The Public Sector Problem Solver
- 30/04/2012 - Outstanding Roofs for Outstanding Schools
- 29/03/2011 - Metrotile Lightweight Roofing Continues to Impress Housing Authorities
- 22/06/2009 - Metrotile Shingle perfect choice for verticle refurbishment projects
- 07/10/2008 - Safe as Houses with Modern Roofing
- 09/04/2008 - Metrotile refurbishing BISF housing stock
