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Engineered
Timber
Roofing Components
Engineered
Roofs Trussed Rafters
Bolted & Feature
Trusses 'I' Beam
Roofs Flat,
Mono, and Curved Pitch Roofs Exposing
Roof Timbers Sarking
& Roof Decking Water
/ Moisture Membranes Battens
(Laths) Dormers
Roof Lights & Sun Tubes
Room-in-the-Roof
Loft Conversions Facias,
Barge Boards & Soffits
Although you don't
have to use a Timber Frame for your structural and other walls, in
all probability, as
with your floors,
you will construct your roof using timber components.
Whether you have cut
or trussed rafters, ceiling joists, purlins, beams, dormers,
soffits, fascias, and so on - all are likely to be in
timber. After all, it has been the traditional material of
choice almost since man first started to build houses.
Engineered
Roofs
And even if you aren't
using a complete timber frame, your building inspectorate,
building insurers (e.g. NHBC, Zurich), and mortgage
lenders will insist on your roof being properly
engineered. This means more than just checking that the
timbers will span the rooms and hold the roof tiles, or other
covering up.
To satisfy them
you will need to calculate the loads that the roof may be subject
to from snow and wind, as well as the covering and self
weight. And some of these assumed loads will vary depending
on the geographical location, orientation and exposure of your
building site.
Besides the
downward loads, you will also need to calculate the likely upward
lift and vacuum pressures, caused by the wind, that could
literally displace or even suck your roof off the walls of your
property.
It therefore makes
sense to have your roofing components designed, manufactured and
supplied by a firm that already provides a full structural
engineering service. Benfield ATT do this for all their
engineered timber structures.
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Trussed
Rafters
These are one of the
most conventional timber engineered roofing products that we
supply. In all cases we use only the highest grade of stress
graded structural quality timbers for our trusses. We are
also proud users of highest quality Germano /Austrian 'Wolf'
pressed steel truss plates. These have to pass strict load
tests and be positioned very precisely in accordance with complex,
computer engineered and generated manufacturing instructions.
Attic Trusses are
a particular speciality of ours. Designed and manufactured
especially for 'dormer' or 'chalet' type houses, these combine
rafters and floor joists to create large, 'room in the roof'
spaces.
While it not
strictly necessary, depending on customer requirements the timbers
we use are treated against rot, fungus and insect infestation, in
the same way as our timber frame materials.
Further details on
the range of these can be found on our dedicated Trussed
Rafters
page.
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Bolted
& Feature Trusses
In response
to the growing interest in the use of exposed roof timbers inside
buildings, we design and manufacture bolted and other feature
trusses. As an alternative to prepared timbers, we often use
'glulam' (glued laminated timber) to facilitate greater spans and
architectural features.
Get your architect to
contact us to discuss the most appropriate components for your
property, as well as the detailing necessary to incorporate these.
Short lead times
and fast turn-round available.
Call us on 01291
437 050, or click here
to e-mail us your requirements, now.
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'I'
Beam Roofs
Sometimes
a design may call for a more accessible and / or usable roof space
area than can be provided using truss rafters, or even cut
timbers.
In such cases the
use of 'I' beams may be called for. Just as when used for
floor joist frames, these lightweight, but extremely strong 'I'
Beam Components
can span greater
distances than solid timbers of the same dimension. However,
they do need to be engineered as part of the whole building
structure and have special fixings to avoid the risk of the roof
spreading under load.
Short lead times
and fast turn-round available.
Call us on 01291
437 050, or click here
to e-mail us your requirements, now.
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Flat,
Mono & Curved Pitch Roofs
If your design
requires anything other than a pitched roof of over 12.5 degrees,
then you are likely to need a specially designed mono, curved, or
flat pitch roof. For these the load calculations, span
widths, and connection details all need special engineering
consideration.
The use of
different types of engineered timber materials and advanced
technology products, like shaped glulams and Laminated Veneer
Lumber (LVL), may also be preferred.
Indeed, this may
be necessary if non conventional roof surface treatments, like
'green' roofs of turf or other planting.
A special
advisory service is available for architects and other design
professionals considering using such approaches.
Call us on 01291
437 050, or click here
to e-mail us your requirements, now.
Short lead times
and fast turn-round available.
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Exposing
Roof Timbers
As with other parts of a timber frame structure, one of the
benefits of using timber is that it is often possible to integrate
this as a finished surface feature for both the interior and
exterior design.
If you or your
architect / other design professional would like further
information, or help and advice on how best to incorporate the
natural warmth and harmony of wood into the design of your new
building, contacting us as early as possible in the design process
may enable us to help you both increase the scope and reduce the
costs.
Call us on 01291
437 050, or click here
to e-mail us your requirements, now.
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Sarking
& Roof Decking
In many countries, including Scotland, it is usual to 'sark' the
roof with a covering of timber boards or sheet composite over the
rafters. However, in England and Wales it has become common
practice to leave out the timber and use only a 'sarking felt'
over the rafters and below the tile battens.
In our view, this
can be a false economy, since timber or sheet board sarking acts
as a racking membrane and can eliminate the need for timber
bracing, while providing an overall stronger and better insulated
roof.
Using a sarking
board also opens up the way for exposing the underside of this
board and the roof timbers, since it becomes possible to support
the roof insulation material on the top side of this.
Preserve your
options by talking to us as early as possible in the design stage
of your project.
Call us on 01291
437 050, or click here
to e-mail us your requirements, now.
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Water
/ Moisture Shield
Whereas a simple bituminous felt material used to be the main
protection against wind, rain and snow penetration underneath the
tiles - indeed it still is in many low specification buildings
- today we specify a tough, tear proof, breathable webbed
membrane that allows moisture vapour to escape from the inside of
the building, while providing permanent protection against water
ingress.
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Battens
(Laths)
The size of the laths,
or battens, upon which the tiles or slates are fixed, need proper
calculation. In some situations it may also be advisable for
these to be treated against rot, fungus, and insect infestation.
Short supply lead
times and fast turn-round available.
For further
information on what is recommended for your structure, call
us on 01291 437 050, or click here
to e-mail us your requirements, now.
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Dormers
Please remember that the walls, or 'cheeks', of dormers are in
fact external walls. As such they need to be designed,
engineered and manufactured with the same care and consideration
as any other wall in a timber-frame structure. Indeed,
since, with a timber, tile, or slate cladding, they often
form the outside walls of these parts of a building, they must
receive special consideration as, for instance, for the sound and
thermal insulation design requirements.
These elements can
be designed, manufactured, supplied and fixed independently from
any other parts of a timber framed structure.
For further
information on what is recommended for your structure, call
us on 01291 437 050, or click here
to e-mail us your requirements, now.
Short lead times
and fast turn-round available.
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Roof
Lights and Sun Tubes
Fixed along the same roof plane as the roof finish (tiles, etc.),
roof lights can allow roof space to become useful rooms,
especially where, for planning or other reasons, it is not
possible to create roof dormers. However, the size, design
and type of roof light (e.g. opening or fixed, shading and blinds,
etc.) can be crucial to the effective use of these. Designed
correctly, some roof lights can also be used for roof / balcony
area access, or fire exits.
If you want to get
natural light into an internal room, or otherwise dark area of a
building, then 'Sun Tubes' can be the answer. Available in a
range of styles and sizes, they are equally applicable for
commercial, educational, and domestic buildings.
Get your architect to
contact us to discuss the most appropriate components for your
property, as well as the detailing necessary to incorporate these.
For further
information on what is recommended for your structure, call
us on 01291 437 050, or click here
to e-mail us your requirements, now.
Short lead times
and fast turn-round available.
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'Room-in-the-Roof'
Loft Conversions
Various of the
components referred to above, like Attic Trusses, Dormers,
Roof-Lights, and Sun-Tubes are, of course, all ideally suited to
creating extra space - often up to 60% of the existing area - by
simply converting the roof space. However, please
remember that the structural components must be properly
engineered. Also that each property is different and will
usually require a professional survey to determine how the
underlying structure can be adapted to cope with your extension.
We provide a full
design, manufacture and erect service to help you and make your
'Loft Conversion' as simple and easy as possible.
For further
information on what is recommended for your structure, call
us on 01291 437 050, or click here
to e-mail us your requirements, now.
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Facias,
Barge Boards and Soffits
While standard
machined softwood and plywood or other or other composite sheet
materials are often used for fascias, barge-boards and soffits, we
also supply pre-treated and/or factory pre-finished (painted)
components for these.
We also offer a
specialist service for fretwork barges and fascias, e.g.
Victorian, Austrian, Swiss and fretwork sculpted mouldings.
Get your architect to
contact us to discuss the most appropriate components for your
property, as well as the detailing necessary to incorporate these.
Short lead times
and fast turn-round available.
Call us on 01291
437 050, or click here
to e-mail us your requirements, now.
Top
Engineered
Roofs Trussed Rafters
Bolted & Feature
Trusses 'I' Beam
Roofs Flat,
Mono, and Curved Pitch Roofs Exposing
Roof Timbers Sarking
& Roof Decking Water
/ Moisture Membranes Battens
(Laths) Dormers
Roof Lights & Sun Tubes
Room-in-the-Roof Loft
Conversions Facias,
Barge Boards & Soffits
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