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28 Nov
August 31st 2014 saw an update to the British Standard for Slating and Tiling (BS 5534). This update is designed to help with the overall security of roofing structures, and contains a number of welcomed changes.
The standard will have a 6 month coexistence period where both the old and new standards will exist together, meaning that either one can be used in the interim period until the end of February 2015. Any roof which has not been started by the end of February 2015 will have to be installed to the new version. The following guide gives a run through of what you need to know.
The British Standard for Slating and Tiling BS 5534 is provided to give users in the industry guidance on the best practices relating to the installation of a roof. The standard contains a wide array of information on roofing, including fixing methods, specifications and other criteria.
There are numerous reasons for the updates, but the main points are the increase in extreme weather in the UK and alignment with European standards. The changes are also some of the most comprehensive revisions to the industry in a long time.
The UK is experiencing increasing levels of extreme weather, including higher amounts of gale force winds, rain and flooding, which in turn is placing increased strain on roofing throughout the UK.
As with recent Construction Products Regulation, the European Union increasingly wants to align different country’s rules and regulations. The update to the British Standard for Slating and Tiling ensures that the UK is more closely aligned with standards and practices in the Eurocode equivalent.
Numerous important changes have been made, with the aim of improving roof security and structure. The changes can be split into three main areas, which are as follows:
Whilst deemed sufficient in the past, the use of mortar as a sole means of fixing roof tiles and fittings is no longer the case. In addition to taking care when creating a suitable mortar mixture, tiles and fittings must also be accompanied by a mechanical fix. In short, it means that tiles, ridges and hip tiles must be mechanically fixed.
Lightweight underlays are now commonplace, but new guidelines have had to be introduced to ensure their secure installation and longevity. Many of the lightweight underlays used today can ‘balloon’ within the roof space, which can cause the roof covering to be dislodged. With underlays taking a major proportion of wind load on tiled and slated roofs, this change is actively welcomed.
Wind load calculations have been updated, which has had an effect on the usage of slates in roofing. With higher wind loads, single lap tiles will have to be mechanically fixed, using either a clip or nail. This change also takes into account a number of other factors, with many being concerned about the possible increase in installation time and costs.
It is important to be aware of these changes due the changes in methods and possibility of increased installation time. Although these are drawbacks, they will ultimately give a better result which will look great and last longer.