ROOFS , ROOFLIGHTS & LANTERNS
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All Atlas Roofs products are built to exacting standards , with ultra-slim sightlines , exceptionally high-quality aluminium , and attention to detail that only comes with years of crafting expertise . This delivers a beautifully installed , technically outstanding glazed roof , that proves excellent value for money . Given the potential heat-loss from a glazed roof , it is worth advising customers to look for the roofing systems which demonstrate the maximum heat efficiency to give the reassurance of knowing that they aren ’ t losing heat – and money .
Upgrading to a triple glazed conservatory or lantern roof will result in even more savings on energy bills over the lifetime of the installation – providing that the triple glazing is specified correctly and has the optimum spacer size .
Atlas now has a range of 19 stock roofs ready for dispatch , with roof and glazing delivered in one vehicle ; offering installers assurance that they can complete jobs on time , in budget . www . atlasroofsolutions . co . uk
GETTING ROOFLIGHTS RIGHT
» NARM , THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION of Rooflight Manufacturers , is the trade association representing the UK ’ s rooflight industry . With the growing popularity of rooflights and roof windows * among homeowners seeking bright , airy interiors , instances like these are increasing . One practice in particular has come to our attention , raising deep concerns :
Rooflights should always be supplied to site as complete units or assemblies , by a reputable specialist rooflight manufacturer and installed by a qualified person , to the manufacturer ’ s guidelines . Never consider fabricating a rooflight on-site using a double-glazed sealed glass unit ( DGU ).
We have seen several instances recently where a DGU has just been bonded to a timber upstand leading to a significant safety risk when a pane has failed . In one instance the unit was ‘ stepped edge ’ with only the outer pane being supported by the upstand . The seal of the DGU was not structural , yet the inner pane was hanging from it without any other means of support and probably not a silicone seal , causing it to break down due to UV exposure . The seal between the two panes failed allowing the inner pane to just drop from the roof into the room below . It only broke on impact with the floor . If that had hit someone , the likelihood is that they would have been seriously injured , if not killed .
In another recent case , both panes were sitting above the upstand . Only the inner pane was bonded to the upstand – and that shattered . It was a toughened glass pane , not laminated , as strongly recommended by NARM for this very reason . After the inner pane shattered , the outer pane could have just lifted away from the inner pane in the event of a strong wind . An additional danger was the issue of the glass fragments falling into the building below . Also , even without any wind to lift the outer pane : the building is no longer secure as the outer pane could just be lifted off the opening . On this installation , there were exposed metal screw heads immediately under the glass . It was likely that contact with these metal screw heads caused the inner pane to shatter in the first place . It ’ s also worth noting that the upstand was well inside the recommended minimum thickness of 100mm to achieve a 0.35 u-value , so this installation was not only unsafe , but also thermally inefficient .
www . narm . org . uk
Read NARM ’ s advice on what makes a rooflight fit-for-purpose in November Clearview .
* Roof windows are covered under BS EN 14351-1:2006 + A2:2016 . The standard stipulates that roof windows must be installed in the same orientation and ‘ in plane ’ with the surrounding roof , typically at a minimum 15 ° pitch . The term ‘ rooflight ’ typically refers to a glazed unit installed on a flat roof or where installed on a pitched roof it is likely to be fitted out-of-plane with the level of the roof finish .
42 OCTOBER 2022 CLEARVIEW-UK . COM