NOW IT'S EASY BEING GREEN
Whether it's for a new commercial building or a replacement flat roof for the extension to a domestic semi, the level of choice for clients, customers, and installers, grows every year. The only thing that doesn't change is the demand for new roofs which are 'green' in almost every sense of the word.
As technology marches ever onward, so too does the need for us to take responsibility for the choice of products we use, and their impact on our environment. We need to toe the line laid down by the rules and regulations, and the choice we make for the wood products we use is no different, but there is plenty of information out there to make our lives a whole lot easier.
The Central Point of Expertise on Timber Procurement (CPET) website provides information and advice on how public sector buyers and their suppliers can meet the UK Government's timber procurement policy requirements in practice. This is essential for those local authority contracts and good practice for the private and domestic projects too.
Carbon reduction and carbon footprints are also moving up the list of priorities and systems like single ply roofing can make a significant contribution to carbon reduction; they're simple, durable, and highly insulated, easy to integrate with energy capture equipment such as photovoltaic, solar heating and wind power, and they are a reliable, durable base for green roof systems.
But the most straightforward way of making sure these boxes are ticked is to make sure you're using the best performing and environmentally responsible wood product possible for your timber deck.
SmartPly oriented strand board (OSB), part of Coillte Panel Products, is at the top of a very short list of high performing and truly eco-friendly wood based products. Being part of Coillte, the Irish forestry and forest products company which owns the forests, also puts SmartPly in a unique position. Owning the raw material - wood fibre - which is used to make their OSB means that they can guarantee supply in a way which other producers can't match. Each SmartPly OSB panel is clearly and properly marked and with its credentials, including FSC certification, there for all to see, the panels can be easily identified as fit for the job.
SmartPly OSB3 square edge and tongue and groove products make them ideal to use with any GRP fibreglass flat roof systems, but it is SmartPly's technical support which makes it stand out from the crowd of options for your timber deck. Not only are their regularly updated series of technical datasheets online for free, but telephone support is also available, putting you in touch with people who know their product inside and out and who have the answers to your questions.
So whether you're installing a single ply or GRP system, or even the greenest of green, a living roof, all the information you need is at the tips of your fingers. It really can be easy to be green!
12 July 2011