Press Release Issued March 2010
Smart systems are increasingly the norm
By David Himmons, Director of
smartroof®
Ltd
The downturn was fierce and construction had to get smarter and adapt to a
changing market place. Housebuilders have had to cut back accordingly but, just
as importantly reassess how they build and ensure that it is as lean and
efficient as possible. At the same time, the fast-approaching deadline for all
new houses to be ‘Zero Carbon’ by 2016 means build methods and quality have to
be constantly improved.
smartroof®
was first launched in 2004 after four years of extensive research and
development but, whilst ‘times were good’, there was almost no need for
housebuilders to change. The last 18 months, however, has seen the system
trialled by nearly all major housebuilders and now being increasingly adopted as
the norm for ‘room in the roof’ house types.
The factory-insulated, interlocking roof panel system has now been used on more
than 500 homes, and it now has six licensed manufacturers with a capacity of
nearly 2000 roofs a year; fast growing to cope with demands!
RoofSpace Solutions, part of Avonside Roofing Ltd, the country’s largest tiling
company, has also had to expand rapidly as it has an exclusive agreement with
smartroof®
to offer complete ‘everything above wallplate’ supply and fix
smartroof®
packages. The company offers the housebuilder a ‘one stop shop’ for all roofing
requirements, roof panel installation, fascias and soffits, GRP dormers and
chimneys and full tiling package. The further benefits are that this is all done
for a fixed cost by fully trained operatives, to an agreed schedule and fully
compliant with HSE regulations.
smartroof®
has also continued to develop and adapt to market requirements, gaining both
NHBC and Robust Detail approvals, as well as working on a range of insulation
options for schemes right through to Code Level 6. The Barratt Green House at
the BRE Innovation Park is a great example of how housing is changing and
evolving; smartroof was challenged to keep U Values as low as 0.09!
smartroof®
comprises design software which is part of the Wolf Systems’ timber engineering
design package and has been developed to allow flexibility in design so allowing
roof designers to design new roof shapes and features which are unique to a
sideways spanning panel system.
The next stage for smartroof is working with housebuilders’ technical and design
teams to exchange construction methods and to ensure that all of these benefits
are fully utilised and the inherent cost savings realised.
It has been a very exciting last couple of years as we have moved very much away
from being a ‘new system’ to an established build method. The feedback has been
great and we have continued to develop the
smartroof®
system in advance of ever-advancing regulations.
RoofSpace Solutions takes responsibility for everything above the wallplate
meaning that the housebuilder has complete cost certainty. The company can take
a plot at wallplate and hand it back just a couple of days later tiled and ready
for follow on trades.
|
|
December 2009 -
Donaldson Timber Engineering get Super Smart
 Leading engineered wood products manufacturer, Donaldson Timber Engineering Ltd
(DTE) is proud to announce that it is now an official manufacturing licensee of
smartroof®.
smartroof® is a revolutionary interlocking panel system which brings a new
dimension to roof construction. Unlike other systems,
smartroof®
spans from
gable end to gable end, and is weather resistant within one day, with
construction of the system taking only 3-4 hours per slot.
Managing Director of DTE, Jonathan Fellingham comments: “We have been
manufacturing, on average, around eight roofs per week for the last six months,
and we see great scope in developing this product type. We have therefore come
to an agreement with
smartroof®
DTE is one of only five licensed manufacturers of smartroof® in the UK and
Ireland.
|
October 2009 -
Avonside - The Complete Package.
 smartroof®
are pleased to announce that Avonside Roofing have taken over the RoofSpace
‘complete supply and fix’ brand.
RoofSpace offers major house builders everything above wallplate;
smartroof®,
roof windows, dormers, fascia & soffit and tiling packages, all supplied and
fitted by fully trained staff. A typical pair of town houses can be taken from
wallplate to complete in just a week!
House builders are fast understanding the benefits that RoofSpace can bring
them; speed, health & safety, cost certainty, increased living space, better
insulation values and increased air tightness. Avonside Roofing, with their
national coverage and strength in the market place will enable RoofSpace to grow
in order to keep up with the expanding market for smartroof
|
|
January 2009 -
1st
smartroof®
package for Barratt Homes completed
 Roofspace
Ltd have completed their first
smartroof®
package for Barratt Homes on a site in Winstanley, Wigan.
From wallplate level
to a finished tiled structure it took just a week to complete 4 plots.
 Roofspace
Ltd offer a package that incorporates all elements of the Room In The Roof build
process from installation of the
smartroof®,
through to the dormer, Fascia / Soffit and tiling package. As developers
continue to build the ‘3 Storey Town House’ design they are increasingly looking
to source a One Stop Package that fulfils their needs within a fixed and
increasingly constrained budget.
|
July 2008 -
smartroof® joins UK Green
Building Council
 smartroof®
are pleased to be welcomed by the UKGBC to
promote the associated environmental
benefits of the
smartroof®
system and to work together on future issues
relating to the wider built environment.
|
April 2008 -
Robust Detail Approval
smartroof®
are pleased to announce that we have
successfully completed all of the necessary
sound testing of our system and that our
construction details will appear in the next
edition of the Robust Detail Handbook.
 This
will allow the use of
smartroof®
onto both a range of masonry constructions
as well as timber frame and will be
available from summer 2008.
|
Jan
2008 - The Barratt 'Green House' has
smartroof®
 The Barratt ‘Green
House’ was chosen as the winning design in
the British Homes Awards 2007 voted for by
both readers of the Mail on Sunday and
viewers of Real Estate TV. Designed by
architects Gaunt Francis, the home will be
the first UK house that not only meets the
UK Government's zero carbon criteria but is
also suitable for volume production.
Barratt, Britain’s largest house builder by
volume, began work at the BRE on the project
in October 2007, with completion due in
April 2008.
smartroof®
were able to achieve the exceptionally low u
values required for this energy efficient
scheme by incorporating the new 200mm thick
PIR board from
Celotex as the primary insulant. Insulation specialists
Warren
Insulation oversaw the technical development
of the product to ensure the required
compliance with Level 6 of the Code For
Sustainable Homes.
 smartroof®
licencee
RK Timber, supplied the panel roof
system and are currently developing sales of
smartroof®
across the UK. David Himmons, Director of
smartroof®
comments: “This has been an exciting project
for all involved and means that
smartroof®
is at the forefront of the drive towards
zero carbon housing.”
Housing Minister Yvette Cooper has asked the
BRE to assist the house building industry in
achieving zero carbon homes by 2016. The
‘Green House’ will be the first house to be
built by a mainstream homebuilder qualifying
as zero carbon and therefore zero stamp
duty.
|
|
May 2007 - Modern Methods Of
Construction
The BRE was recently commissioned to prove the
MMC status of
smartroof®.
They concluded that
smartroof® MMC attributes were as
follows:
►
It is quick and efficient to build.
►
The quality assured processes give a good
end product.
►
It is arguably safer than traditional
build methods.
►
smartroof®
therefore now qualifies for use in both Housing
Corporation and English Partnership funding
schemes.
Click
Here to download a copy of the full report
(2.6MB).
|
March 2007 - Air Tightness
Advantages
 The Building Regulations now stipulate that a
proportion of all new build properties are
tested to ensure that they are sufficiently air
tight.
smartroof®
has carried out independent tests with Chiltern
Dynamics to prove that the interlocking design
of the smartroof panels has inherent advantages
in ensuring the air tightness of the completed
structure.
Current Building Regulations are for contractors
to achieve results below 10 M3/H/M2 @ 50 Pa. A
recent traditional build scheme for a major
house builder utilising
smartroof® achieved
an exceptional 2.40 M3/H/M2 @ 50 Pa.
|
|
January 2007 - Robust Detail
Sound Testing
 smartroof® has commenced testing of its
spandrel panel construction to Robust Detail
standards. Our initial batch of testing has
proved that the spandrel panels out perform the
underlying blockwork by up to 10db.
The successful completion of this testing
programme will give our customers the
flexibility to work either to Robust Details or
give them the confidence that pre completion
testing will be in excess of the current
Building Regulations.
For further details regarding
smartroof®
sound testing please do not hesitate to contact
us.
|
December 2005 -
smartroof®
secure repeat order from Willmott Dixon
Willmott Dixon has recently
placed their second order for
smartroof®
insulated structural timber roof
panels for another development in the Greater
London area. Delivery of roof panels which
speedily form light & spacious living
accommodation are scheduled to commence within 6
weeks.
smartroof®
licensee Wyckham Blackwell will manufacture &
deliver the panels to site where installation
usually takes about 2 hours per house. The
initial contract with Willmott Dixon specified
smartroof®
panels in combination with light
weight steel frames, whilst the latest order
features conventionally constructed masonry
walls.
Richard Evans, Technical Director
of Wyckham Blackwell Ltd commented that he was
delighted to receive this vote of confidence in
the
smartroof®
system. He said that it clearly
demonstrates the versatility of
smartroof®
which may also be used in combination with
timber frame & concrete panel walls.
|
|
June 2005 -
BRE Offsite 2005
 smartroof®
exhibited at the BRE Offsite exhibition again this
year which was attended by over 3000 people. These
were key decision makers from industry and
government involved in the procurement, design and
construction of buildings using off-site and
modern methods of construction.
The show was officially opened by Deputy PM, John
Prescott who said “Modern methods of construction
have a wonderful opportunity to meet the UK
housing shortage”.
The
smartroof®
system is factory produced saving time on site,
improving quality and reducing overall build
costs.
|
January 2005
Tests were carried out at The
Building Test Centre in October 2004 to see whether
spandrel panels could provide the Part E 45dB
sound reduction requirement for party walls.
The
spandrel panel exceeded this by a
staggering 20db!!
Read the test results
here
|
|
September 2004
Sixteen
smartroof®
units are currently under
construction for delivery to a Housing Association
contract in East Finchley. This is a just-in-time,
fast track build program requiring factory made
quick assembly items which the smartroof system is
highly qualified to achieve.
|
 July 2004
smartroof®
has it’s first export success with units
delivered to Ireland. The unique
construction of
smartroof®
panels makes them ideal for transporting to
remote sites and maximises container space.
|
|
 April 2004
The
smartroof®
system is runner up at the
Interbuild New Product Awards in the Best
On-Site Product category.
|
|
|
