HEAVYSIDE
STORM SEASON SIGNALS ROOFING REFRESH
With a number of significant storms expected this coming winter, Ariel Plastics’ sales director, Jen Brookes, suggests that now is the time for merchants to brush up on their knowledge of roofing products.
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ive major storms hit the UK last autumn and winter, six if you include storm Floris, which struck in August. Storms Ashley, Bert, Conall and Darragh all struck between October and December 2024, and Éowyn was a powerful and record-breaking extratropical cyclone which was arguably the most destructive when it struck in January this year. Although this was roughly half that of the year before, it doesn’t take away from the widespread damage and chaos each storm causes – and as a rule of thumb, you can judge the severity of a storm by how long it takes for clips of trampolines being blown down streets or into neighbouring gardens to pop up on social media channels.
Brush up on your knowledge As the winter nights draw in, if there is one piece of advice that we’d offer merchants, it’s to grab a copy of the Ariel Plastics Product Price Guide and start thumbing through it for two key reasons.
The first is that it is a complete catalogue of the products available from Ariel Plastics – the UK market leader in the supply of UK- made roofing sheets, rooflights and roofing accessories. There’s a lot packed into the 80- page booklet, with a portfolio that includes extensive roofing sheet options in polycarbonate, PVC and bitumen; roofing accessories; polycarbonate roofing systems, flat glazing; dome rooflights; roof drainage and ventilation; and cladding for commercial and residential construction projects. Merchants may only stock a limited selection of our products, so it’s always worth knowing what else we offer – especially as we may have solutions that teams within merchant branches are not aware of. This may mean that they lose sales or, worse, sell a “make-do” solution that may do the job but we all know isn’t the right one. The second is the detail about each product. Let’s take Corotherm (a multiwall polycarbonate) as an example, which starts on
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for polycarbonate (multiwall and flat glazing), solid PVC, foam PVC, PETG, acrylic and styrene. And we can get materials delivered to sites across the UK, within 2 to 5 days. This is a really useful service for merchants to know about and signpost customers to in situations where precise sizes or shapes are required, such as conservatory roofs.
Further help is at hand The Product Price Guide has been designed to be a comprehensive first port of call for anyone who wants to know more about roofing sheets and accessories, and it should be more than enough to help merchants answer any questions that their customers may have. However, there are two things to note if merchants still have questions:
page 18. It’s a lightweight, impact-resistant glazing and roofing material suitable for use in a range of roofing assemblies with minimum 10° pitch.
The next few pages list all the different options – such as thickness, size and colour choices. But for me, four things leap off the page: • Energy efficiency – there’s a table outlining the relative U-values of each sheet thickness. • Key installation points – which list eight key points for installers and DIYers to follow. • Applications – a list of where Corotherm sheets can be installed, including conservatories, extensions, carports, porches and swimming pool covers. • QR codes to videos – there are two QR codes that readers can scan to be taken directly to either a video guide to the product or an installation guide.
One last thing to mention: on page 66 is an introduction to what is unintentionally Ariel Plastics’ best-kept secret; our Cut to Size service. We offer a bespoke cutting service
Training – if a branch identifies that there’s a requirement for additional training or product knowledge, we are more than happy to arrange for the nearest member of our UK sales team to call in and host a session. As well as focusing on products, our team will also mention some of the key benefits of our products, such as the fact that they are made in the UK. They’ll no doubt also mention our Sheet Happens – We’ve Got You Covered campaign, which – with our tongues firmly in our cheeks – is proving to be a great way to stand out in a competitive marketplace.
At Ariel HQ, we have a technical support team who are always happy to help either merchants or merchants’ customers directly if required. It is staffed by a team who can offer the very best advice and technical expertise to customers, with trained, competent staff ready and willing to answer queries.
We have the products and the support to ensure merchants aren’t caught out when the next storm hits because they will be on the front foot when it comes to helping customers find the right solutions to replace roofing that has been blown away. BMJ
www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net November 2025
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