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here was a time when you’d only ever see shingles used on the gorgeous houses featured on TV programmes such as Grand Designs – where all those involved in the build (including the homeowners, the developers and even the architects) would rabbit on about the aesthetics of shingles and focus on features like how they weather beautifully over time.
However, all that is starting to change – in no small part because of the lockdowns that occurred because of the Covid-19 pandemic. SR Timber has seen a 25% increase in sales of shingles over the last year, and while it may not sound like much, it’s a significant rise when you consider that shingles are being used on a broader range of projects than ever before. We’re hearing anecdotally from our merchant partners about shingles being considered for use on some new build houses but its on DIY projects - on structures such as summer houses, and outhouses as a replacement for traditional felt – where the momentum is gathering pace. Sales of shingles aren’t going to overtake traditional tiles any time soon but one big thing on their side are their sustainability credentials – especially at a time when the government and the construction industry has laid down clear markers about the direction of UK construction, which includes the housebuilding sector. The government’s Future Homes Standard, for example, will see changes to Part L and Part F of the Building Regulations for new dwellings. New-build homes will need to be future-proofed with low-carbon heating and world-leading levels of energy efficiency. This will be brought in by 2025.
As well as legislative change, we’re seeing industry change too. The timber industry has come together with the ‘Wood CO2ts less’ initiative, which aims to create more- sustainable buildings through methods such as the Chartered Institute of Building’s ‘Carbon Action 2050 toolkit’. The ‘Wood CO2ts less’ campaign’s organisers are calling on the construction industry to continue engaging in climate-friendly actions by using more wood. So, sales of shingles are increasing, and the
SUSTAINABLE DRIVE PUSHES SHINGLE SALES
Sales of shingles are on the rise, fuelled in part by their usage on DIY projects since the start of the pandemic according to SR Timber. Trading Director Shaun Revill tells BMJ that sales will continue to grow, because shingles tick so many sustainability boxes.
direction of travel on sustainable materials is only going one way.
There’s a widely held view that shingles sourced from responsible suppliers are carbon- neutral, or close to it – even when you consider factors such as transportation.
The Cedar Shake & Shingle Bureau says that shingles are the environmentally responsible choice because they are renewable, recyclable and sustainable – and points to key factors such as the amount of carbon dioxide that young, growing forests remove from the air. The bureau cites research from the Edinburgh Centre for Carbon Management that found that, on average, a typical tree absorbs the equivalent of 1 tonne of carbon dioxide for every cubic metre of growth while producing the equivalent of 0.7 tonnes of oxygen. Then there’s sustainable forest management. The bureau says that in Canada and British Columbia alone, more than 175 million seedlings each year are planted to reforest areas after logging, wildfire or insect infestations. The good news for merchants and their customers is that all of our Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) – certified shingles offer a full chain of custody to demonstrate complete forest-to-roof sustainability and traceability. BMJ
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WHAT MERCHANTS NEED TO KNOW ABOUT SHINGLES
• Shingles can be fixed at a roof pitch as low as 14 degrees.
• Their life expectancy is over 50 years – when treated with Tanalith E preservative. • Western Red Cedar Shingles are classified as ‘durable’ and offer excellent natural insulation properties because of their low thermal conductivity; with a value of K=0.1067 W/m°C at 12% moisture content. • Blue Label Shingles (the ones SR Timber supplies) are 100% heartwood and edge grain, and can be used on all roof and vertical applications.
• Standard shingles (random widths from 75 mm to 325 mm) are typically 400 mm (long) x 10 mm (butt) x 2 mm (tip).
• The use of silicon bronze nails or stainless steel annular ring fixings is very important, as other metals react with the tannins in the shingles.
• Shingles are always sold by the bundle. The coverage of the bundle is dependent on the pitch of the roof, as different batten gauges are recommended for different pitches. For example, most roofs are above 22 degrees, and the coverage is 2.28 m2 per bundle when using a 125 mm batten gauge.
www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net June 2021
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