August 2020

Fixings
FASTENING SYSTEMS: HOW TO SPEED
UP FLAT ROOFING INSTALLATIONS
The UK’s economic recovery needs construction’s frontline staff – installers and contractors –
firing on all cylinders and working at a faster pace than ever before. With this in mind,
Martyn Holloway, Business Development Manager – Flat Roof at SFS, discusses how
innovative fastening systems can help accelerate single ply flat roofing installations.
It is no secret that the construction industry is
a key part of our economic recovery. With
680,000 employees on furlough at one point
during the height of lockdown, projects have been
at a standstill.
Of course, this cannot continue. ‘Build Build
Build’ has been the recent rally cry from the
government. It is vital though that we can turn
this rally cry from mere words into practical
measures for those on the front line of
construction – our contractors and installers.
The number one challenge – speed of
installation
Increased site productivity is more important
than ever. With COVID-19 causing delays and
also limiting the amount of people allowed on
sites due to new social distancing procedures, it
is likely that construction progress will be slower
than expected. Also, autumn and winter is
coming, piling on more traditional challenges
such as extreme weather conditions to contend
with.
Then there’s the shortage of skilled
labour, which has been worsened
by a heavily furloughed workforce.
This, combined with an ageing
workforce, means there is a real
need to train new site operatives.
Building regulations and guidance
document amendments are adding
complexity to the industry, which in
turn is increasing time pressure on
site. Plus, after all the above factors
that largely cannot be controlled,
there are the intricacies of flat
roofing installation itself.
Tapered insulation makes for tricky
installations
One such instance is ‘cut to fall’ insulation
systems. These systems are popular for new
build projects, but can be particularly challenging
for installers.
Also known as tapered roof insulation, the aim of
this system is simply to provide drainage when
Martyn Holloway, Business
Development Manager –
Flat Roof at SFS.
the roof deck itself does not
provide adequate falls. This is
achieved by increasing the
thickness of the insulation to
provide the slope and run off for
the rainwater.
When using a conventional
mechanical fixing solution to
install the insulation however, to
allow for the change in insulation
thickness, there is typically a
myriad of different fastener lengths
needed. This in turn increases the
complexity and time on the job for roofers.
Concrete deck challenges
Installation can also be slower if ‘cut to fall’
insulation is being secured to a concrete deck.
This is because of lengthy drilling times – if
installers are using conventional flat roofing
fasteners, these may require pilot holes up to
100mm deep in order to rationalise fastener
lengths.
Complications with adhesive systems
If adhesive systems are being used to secure the
membrane and insulation layers, these can often
be one of the biggest challenges and source of
delays for installers. Design is limited by
maximum wind load requirements and weather
conditions on the day can severely hamper
progress. Priming the deck and to adhere each
separate layer, including the Air and Vapour
Control Layer (AVCL), insulation and membrane
also take a significant amount of time.
38 TC AUGUST 2020