Paul Duffy, Managing Director of Onduline Building Products, the lightweight roofing systems specialist, looks forward to 2021 and predicts that low pitch roofing and ‘green’ solutions will be high on the agenda for roofing contractors.
It’s been a year we will never forget. One when lockdown led to slowdown and changed the way we live and go about our work.
For many it’s meant closing the office and working from home. But a roof cannot be built via video conferencing.
Rightly, the government identified the construction sector as essential in getting the economy moving, and a number of important announcements have given added impetus to this strategy.
Increased demand for low pitch roofing
Changes in planning rules mean home owners will be able to add two extra floors to their houses without needing full planning permission. But careful consideration will still need to be given to the impact on neighbours and the appearance of such an extension.
This revision of Permitted Development is sure to lead to increased demand for low pitch roofing, as architects and homeowners seek to maximise the habitable space available.
Robust underlay
The ‘holy grail’ here is to make the pitch as low as possible while retaining the integrity of the roof structure so it remains weathertight.
For tiled roofs this can be achieved with a robust underlay, such as the ISOLINE ONDUTILE system, which is a sustainable ‘roof beneath a roof’ designed for beneath clay, slate or concrete tiles.
Here, the pitch can be as low as 12.5° for interlocking concrete tiles, 17.5° for clay pantiles, natural and fibre cement slates, and 22.5° for plain double lap tiles.
It is a great selling point for roofing contractors, to be able to tell the client ‘we can add additional habitable space without harming the visual environment’.
This is an area we plan to invest further in during 2021
Sustainability will again be a big focus, and while not directly related to roofing, the government’s Green Homes Grant Scheme has given this issue added momentum.
ISOLINE roofing underlays also meet this ‘green agenda’, as the material is made of a minimum 50% recycled cellulose fibres, contain no asbestos and do not release any hazardous substances. Importantly, they also have BBA certification.
One consequence of the pandemic has been that people are spending more time in their gardens, a trend we expect to continue. This has caused a lot of homeowners to spruce up their garden buildings, but this has not been restricted to sheds and pergolas.
The light weight, easy handling and quick installation of bituminous corrugated sheeting has seen an increase in interest in garden rooms as home offices, with materials such as ONDULINE CLASSIC for roofing.
It’s also popular as an innovative solution for architects looking to convert structures such as old agricultural buildings into holiday lets, or adding an extra floor to a redundant workshop to turn it into a two-storey home.
So, while there will be challenges in 2021, we can be confident of plenty of opportunities for roofing contractors as the sector continues to show resilience and an ability to innovate and adapt.