Roofing

GRP Roofing
There’s No Harm in Using Lead
Alternatives
John Godley, Technical Manager at Hambleside Danelaw
Innovation in construction materials and methods is critical
to the future of our industry. In a time when the roofing skills
shortage is a real threat, simplicity of installation onsite
delivers cost benefits and value. The popularity of lead
alternatives, and, indeed, alternatives for a wide range of
metals, is ever-growing and manufacturers are responding to
this demand.
Modern materials offer lightweight solutions which are
easier and safer to handle at heights, preformed options to
speed up installation, and increasingly can offer a long
service life at a far lower cost than traditional metals, such
as lead, zinc and copper.
Lead theft
Theft of lead continues to be an issue and as such these
alternatives stop criminal activity in its tracks, as they have
no value. Secured by Design is a police initiative to guide
and encourage those engaged within the specification,
design and build of new homes to adopt crime prevention
measures. Owned by the Association of Chief Police Officers
and supported by the Home Office and the Department for
Communities and Local Government, Secured by Design
publicise a range of accredited lead alternative roofing
products.
What is GRP and how is it used?
The most common lead replacement material used for roof
flashings and flat roofing is glass reinforced polyester,
widely known as GRP. With a long service life of up to 50
years, GRP is a fibre-reinforced plastic that is prevalent in
the construction industry for use in architectural mouldings
and also as a substitute. GRP came to the fore in World War
II when the British Military developed it for a number of
applications, but nowadays, you’ll find it just about
everywhere from boat building and car manufacture to our
own roofing market.
GRP is a lightweight and durable material that is simple to
install and can imitate the appearance of lead, particularly
with preformed roof flashings, trims and flat roofing systems.
These component-based flat roofing system topcoats can be
manufactured in multiple colour options, which also allows
for a similar appearance to other metals such as zinc and
copper.
Health benefits
As well as the similar aesthetics, GRP has none of the
associated health and safety risks that arise when working
with and handling lead. These risks come with a duty of
care to ensure the health and safety of those working on site.
Of course, these issues can be negated by minimising the
use of lead, which is banned in roofing applications in some
countries.
Due to its non-toxic properties, GRP can be used to safely recycle water. It does
not produce harmful run-off or streak or stain, which makes it suitable for grey
water systems. This is an important factor to consider with the current move
toward ‘greener’ methods and materials with the bigger picture of a warming
environment and the predicted increase in yearly droughts and water shortages.
Considerations
Where there is the need to form around a bespoke or an irregular shaped detail,
such as a valley head intersection, flexible flashings can be used to provide the
desired results. Due to lead’s capabilities it is still commonly used for these
details as it is easily formed and will provide a long service life with no
maintenance. One thing to bear in mind when focusing on these details is that
the lead alternative options are more compatible with dry fix solutions and meet
the latest BS 5534 standards.
For more information about Hambleside Danelaw products visit
www.hambleside-danelaw.co.uk
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Page 54 Roofing Today
Roofing Today Page 55