Lee Hall, Commercial Manager of SIG Industrial Roofing, answers some of the most frequently asked questions his team tackle every day.
As you can imagine, the guys at the SIG Industrial Roofing Centre get asked a wide range of questions on everything from what certain products do, to what to fit. There are, however, a number of questions that crop up on a regular basis. Here are a few of the most common.
I NEED A STANDARD SIZE
Unfortunately, there isn’t one! Although this is a regular request for all products within the industrial roofing range, from flashings to composite panels and fibre cement, the reality is there isn’t a standard size; everything is made to order so that it fits your projects as it needs to.
The only product that is made in set lengths is fibre cement – with both profile 6 and profile 3 having a range of sizes available that do not need to be made to order. All other products are made to order with single skin profiled sheet available in lengths up to 10m, composite panels available in lengths up to 13m, roof lights (fairs and single skin) available in lengths up to 8m and flashings and trims available in lengths up to 8m.
I NEED A STANDARD PROFILE
But alas there isn’t one! There are over 1,000 profiles that have been previously manufactured or are currently in production. To identify the right profile, the best place to start is to ask if the contractor is matching into an existing profile on the roof or wall. If the answer is yes, then we need to ensure we match the profile so the project remains water-tight. If the answer is no, we can work with the contractor to agree the best profile.
A number of metal profiles have been discontinued and there are now only a handful of profiles currently manufactured – however you can still get hand folded profiles to suit some of these discontinued profiles (to a maximum length of 8m). If it is a replacement roof light that was metal and no longer available then 99% of profiles can still be made by the manufacturers in GRP.
Help is always at hand, if you’re unsure – profile identification sheets are used by the majority of suppliers to work with contractors to help them to simply identify the right profile solution.
HOW DO I FIT MY SHEETS?
The answer to this question varies depending on the type of product. All sheets use a tech screw or self-drilling fixing designed to self-drill through your sheet and fit directly into the purlin. The fixings can come as plain head (hex head) and you can put a colour cap on separately or with colour heads already moulded onto them (bi-hex). Both types of fixings need to be fitted with an adaptor to suit your screw gun. When speaking to your supplier you’ll need to know what your purlin is made from and depending on the material the fixings drill point will vary. The three options available are timber, light section (up to 2.5mm thick steel) and heavy section (3mm and above).
CAN YOU DELIVER DIRECT TO SITE AND WHAT TIME CAN YOU DO THAT?
A general requirement for industrial deliveries is that there is access for an articulated truck and off loading facilities (i.e. a fork lift truck) to accept delivery. Some customers aren’t aware that manufacturers can offer a flexible service when delivering materials to site, with several manufacturers offering rigid vehicles or MOFFETT assistance off load (there’s normally an extra cost for these).
There are many myths and rumours swirling around the industrial roofing sector. Hopefully, that answers some of the most common questions the guys at SIG Industrial Roofing Centre have to face!
Call the SIG Industrial Roofing Centre on 0870 264 7766 or email [email protected] and their expert term will be happy to answer your questions, as well as give you advice and support for your next industrial roofing job.
