4 Things to consider when choosing mechanical fixings

4 Things to consider when choosing mechanical fixings

With over 60% of all single ply roofs in the UK being mechanically fixed it’s critical that the correct fixings are used for the individual application. After all, these are the key components that secure the roof in place for its lifespan. After all, these are the key components that secure the roof in place for its lifespan.

The aim of this blog is to provide a greater insight to what questions you should be asking yourself and your supplier when choosing mechanical fixings for roofing projects.

1) What am I fixing down?
One of the crucial things to consider when choosing mechanical fixings is what you are actually fixing with them. When fixing, either the thermal insulation or membrane in a warm roof construction, it is common to use a combination of a plastic tube and an integral washer in conjunction with the steel fasteners appropriate for the chosen substrate.

2) What am I fixing into?
The three most common types of substrate that are used in modern roof constructions are trapezoidal steel decking, timber (plywood or OSB) and in-situ or pre-cast concrete. It’s important to select the correct fastener for the particular substrate being fixed to as fastener design can alter to suit each material. Selecting the incorrect one can affect the design load of the fastener and could potentially lead to failure.

3) Is the fastener suitable for the job?
As well as selecting the correct fastener for the substrate, it is also important that the fastener is covered by a current ETAG 006 certificate and should have a minimum resistance to corrosion as defined by Clause 2, UEAtc directive; ‘Supplementary Guide for the Assessment of Mechanically Fastened Waterproofing’.

4) Am I installing the fasteners correctly?
everal types of drive heads are available, the most common being recessed Torx and Phillips head drives as well as hex head fixings. Care should be taken to ensure the correct drive bit and tooling is used to install the fasteners.

As a leading manufacturer and supplier of single ply roofing systems and components, IKO Polymeric can offer advice on the most appropriate fixing as well as carrying out pullout tests and undertaking wind load calculations on a project specific basis.

For the full article please visit the IKO Polymeric website

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IKO PLC

IKO PLC

IKO is a market leader in the manufacture of various flat roof waterproofing systems in commercial, industrial, retail, education and residential sector. Product systems include hot melt, mastic asphalt, bituminous membranes, cold applied liquid and...
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