RESIDENTIAL // COMMERCIAL // INDUSTRIAL
ADVERTORIAL: COVER STORY
Safintra takes the lead
We walk the talk to deliver roofs that have long-lasting value.
By Safintra | Photos by Safintra
St Johns, KwaZulu-Natal.
Today ' s focus to design buildings that reduce environmental impact is helping drive the metal roofing market to new heights. This implies that roofs are designed to be fit for purpose, to last a minimum of 20 years and provide protection of the items inside against the elements outside.
The application of value engineering( VE) ensures that we derive the maximum‘ value’ of the materials used – by either reducing the cost or improving the function. VE is a systematic method we use to improve the‘ value’ of goods, products and services by using an examination of function. Value, as defined, is the ratio of function to cost. It is a primary tenet of value engineering that basic functions are preserved and not reduced as a consequence of pursuing value improvements.
Over the past two decades, metal sheeting for roofs has gained significant ground as a preferred roof covering option for residential, commercial or industrial buildings, providing lasting value not only for aesthetics and performance, but also an increase in building value.
The functional life of a metal roof system depends on the choice of sheeting material and appropriate sheeting profile, the quality of system components, the quality of installation and specifying the installation detailing that makes the roof a fully designed system, which will perform for 20 years and more. Sheeting is not a roof, it is merely a component of the final system that provides a weatherproof outer skin to the building.
Whether it is a business or a school, a home or a hospital, the common Afrikaans expression‘ Goedkoop is duur koop’( literally translated to‘ Buying cheaply is more expensive’) couldn’ t ring truer. In the realm of roof performance, reducing upfront costs for short-term savings inevitably leads to increasing costs and liability down the road.
A roof is one of the costliest property repairs or replacements on a building and it is estimated that the costs double every 12 to 15 years. Add in the increasing costs of skilled labour and the numbers climb even further. A real return on investment can be realised by buying the right system of goodquality components of equal lifespan, to ensure minimal in situ replacement or repairs before the expected service life of the roof expires.
Know what you’ re getting
Understanding the bottom-line benefits of rooftop longevity is critical to specifying appropriate metal roofing solutions.
Choose the right material
Choose a roof sheeting material appropriate to the weather and wind conditions of the location so that it will last for the expected service life.
See more on page 14
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JULY 2018