UK storms lead to discussion on the
implications on single ply roofing

In the last few days, Scotland and much of northern England has been battered by Storm Gertrude, resulting in gusts of up to 90mph and red warnings issued meaning a danger to life.

Jim Hooker, technical director, of the Single Ply Roofing Association (SPRA), believes there is no room for complacency for the SPRA’s members, who boast excellent records for resistance to wind loading.

“SPRA’s reputation rests partly on its members’ excellent record on resistance to wind load. Where failures have occurred, they have most often been due to a lack of calculation or too optimistic assumptions about calculation parameters or the quality of the substrate to which the components are attached,” said Hooker.

“We have adopted innovation, for example, by reducing the size of insulation pressure plates and where possible by calculation, their density.

“But such changes have been carefully evaluated and never adopted because of commercial pressures. We should exercise extreme caution when planning for the future.”

As members of the SPRA, Sunsquare has a responsibility not only to its clients but the SPRA itself to supply flat roof window products rigorously tested for air permeability, weather tightness and, more pertinently, wind resistance.

We are the UK’s only flat roof skylight manufacturer to obtain the BSI Kitemark for our weather facing product range; surpassing their testing standards by quite some margin.

Refined through rigorous prototyping, all our products underwent careful examination at the BSI labs for extreme wind loading, setting a new benchmark for the UK skylight industry and beyond.

Hilary Roberts, product marketing manager at BSI, said: “Sunsquare’s range of skylights underwent rigorous testing by our team which involved recreating extreme weather conditions.

“They are the first skylight makers to be verified to BS 6375-1:2009 and should be proud of this achievement.

“By receiving a verification certificate, Sunsquare has shown a commitment to best practice and continual improvement, providing customers with the confidence that their skylights meet strict performance requirements.”

If you would like to see our products in situ please don’t hesitate to arrange a factory visit to our headquarters in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk. Alternatively, we are proud BRE partners, and you can visit our permanent display at the BRE Innovation Park in Watford.