|    Home    |    Benefits    |    Site Photos    |    Video    |    Manufacturers    |    Partners    |    Contact
   About smartroof
   Customer Support
   Production
   Panel Construction
   Supply & Fix
   Health & Safety
   Downloads
   Technical
   News

smartroof® News

 

 

News

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

Donaldson Timber EngineeringLeading 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.

Avonside Roofingsmartroof® 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.  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 joins UK Green Building Councilsmartroof® 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.

smartroof® achieves Robust Detail ApprovalThis 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' 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.

The Barratt 'Green House' has smartroof®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

Air Tightness AdvantageThe 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

Robust Detail Sound Testingsmartroof® 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. Repeat Order from Wilmott Dixon secured!

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

BRE offsitesmartroof® 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.
 
Export SuccessJuly 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.
 

InterbuildApril 2004

The smartroof® system is runner up at the Interbuild New Product Awards in the Best On-Site Product category.
 
 

smartroof Limited, Old Station Road, Hampton in Arden, Solihull, West Midlands B92 0HB
tel 01675 44 2345 fax 01675 44 3095, email info@smartroof.co.uk

The smartroof® concept and system are fully protected by UK patent GB 2391026
smartroof Ltd © 2009