EXTERNAL ENVELOPE 61 Evolution for the perfect pitch
Gareth Wright of Manthorpe explores how updates to British Standards supporting the use of dry fix solutions are driving innovation in pitched roofing across the UK.
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t is no exaggeration to say there has been a significant evolution in pitched roofing over the past few decades, largely due to advances in British Standards covering roofing. This is particularly the case for BS 5534: the British Standard Code of Practice for slating and tiling for pitched roofs and vertical cladding. Dry fix systems for roof junctions, such as ridge and verge, have been around since the 1970s, but it was the 2014 revision to BS 5534 that really drove the changes needed to encourage the use of dry fix systems. The other main driver has been innovations in dry fix systems being continually developed by manufacturers. In 2014, BS 5534 was revised to include new requirements for the mechanical fixing of roof tiles and associated components such as ridge and hip tiles, verge and eaves tiles. No longer can components solely rely on mortar for their security. Mortar can still be used, but a mechanical fix or connection to the roof structure is now also required. In practice, this means that dry fix systems, which secure components using mechanical fasteners such as nails, screws, clamps and interlocking units, are a better option. Until the introduction in 2018 of a new British Standard, BS 8612: Specification for dry fixed ridge, hip, and verge systems for tiling and slating, dry fix systems were generally unregulated. BS 8612 provides material specifications and durability criteria for dry fix components, as well as performance criteria for rain resistance and mechanical resistance against wind loads. For materials already covered by an existing standard, BS 8612 simply refers to the relevant standard.
A dry fix system has several major functions; it must remain durable for its expected lifespan, it must withstand predicted wind loads, calculated in accordance with BS 5534, to prevent the system and associated ridge and hip tiles from being dislodged, and it must resist the ingress of driving rain and snow. An added benefit of a dry ridge system is that it can
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