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EXTERNAL ENVELOPE
Are pitched roof underlays ‘easy to install’? T
he marketing of pitched roof underlays should avoid the phrase ‘easy to install,’ which is subjective and depends on user experience. Pitched roofi ng is a skilled trade, and suggesting that an underlay is ‘easy’ to install implies it can be done well even with limited experience. For that reason, the phrase features in the document Words and Phrases to Avoid Using, published by the Code for Construction Product Information (CCPI). Nevertheless, pitched roof underlays can include features and characteristics that make them as user- friendly as possible for experienced installers. Essential repairs and renovation are being carried out on a parish church in Oxfordshire, as part of which St Mary’s Barton is receiving a new pitched roof covering and underlay. The roofi ng work has been carried by contractors Speakman Roofi ng.
out The
church’s pitched roof specifi cation was the responsibility of the roofi ng contractor, and Speakman Roofi ng put forward Proctor Air® as their preferred underlay. “We use Proctor Air on nearly every project. The feedback from our installers is that it’s good to use. It
gets all the little things right that matter to the people using it” said Andrew Speakman, director of Speakman Roofi ng.
Feedback on the positive and negative aspects of a construction product, like a pitched roof underlay, can signifi cantly alter how that product (and its manufacturer) is perceived in the marketplace. Feedback from end users is crucial. If a product is diffi cult to install, even for an experienced contractor, then the manufacturer needs to understand that. Otherwise, contractors will complain to their merchants and suppliers, and simply move on to an alternative they prefer. Or the
feedback might reach the architect and the product simply doesn’t get specifi ed again. Speaking on this topic on the Proctor Podcast, Will Jones, head of business development at Proctor Group said: “At Proctor Group, we pride ourselves on making products that are fi t for purpose. Contractors sometimes speak to us about cheaper alternative products they’ve had a bad experience with, and we carry that feedback into our product development processes.” At St Mary’s Barton, Andrew Speakman, explained: “The one product can cover all eventualities so it’s cost effective – we don’t have to stock different rolls of different membranes.” “The air permeability of Proctor Air makes it very versatile for us,” said Andrew Speakman. “St Mary’s Church featured a traditional pantile on a mortar-bedded creasing tile eave. Proctor Air gave us a breathable
roof without 01250 872 261
proctorgroup.com/products/proctor-air sacrifi cing the
traditional elements, and while maintaining the original appearance of the building.”
WWW.ARCHITECTSDATAFILE.CO.UK
ADF OCTOBER 2025
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