Architects are always pushing the boundaries to create ever more beautiful buildings, and with zinc playing a part, SIG Design Technology has looked at how the material can be used on the whole building envelope.
Because zinc roofing and cladding can perform well at pitches between 5 and 90 degrees, it can be used all over the building envelope. As a thin (commonly 0.7mm) material, it can be shaped to follow curves and angles, and is a perfect cladding material for your more unusual forms. If you want to go below 7 degrees, you might want to switch to single ply membrane in parts of your roof.
Zinc is weatherproof, corrosion resistant, and not degraded by Ultra Violet light. A patina on the surface protects it from moisture. As a result, zinc roofing and cladding has a very long service life, and can in theory last up to 100 years without degradation. There are examples of NedZink in both Belgium and The Netherlands in excess of 100 years.
The long life of a zinc roof makes it cost effective when considering whole life costs, but in fact zinc roofing can also be cheaper to start with – it compares really well at the moment to alternative metals such as copper and lead (of course) and even stainless steel.
The material is also 100% recyclable and takes just half the energy to products from ore than steel or copper, and a quarter of the energy required for aluminium.
The benefits of using SIG Design Technology to help you with your zinc roof include:
• A fully conversant technical team with decades of experience;
• Free advice on design and detailing;
• UK Fabrication, including bespoke designs;
• Reliable supply by SIG plc, our nationwide logistics network;
• Installation by a trained and DATAC approved contractor;
• Full technical support off site and on site including inspections;
• Professional Indemnity Insurance for all our advice and design work;
• Full system guarantees.
SIG Design Technology provides ‘fabricated in the UK’ Zinc systems. The service is support by metal processing expert Steadman & Sons (an SIG company based in Carlisle) and Bolton fabricator Metal Solutions, enabling specifiers to get fast access to a comprehensive range of zinc roofing, cladding and accessories.
Want to see the Zinc in the flesh? Apply for a set of samples here.