Reducing Risk and Maximising Quality in Metal Roofing and Façade Projects

The extensive range of technical guidance documents, design guides and advice notes published by the MCRMA provides an essential knowledge-base for installers looking to deliver building regulations compliant metal projects with confidence while exceeding client quality expectations.

Available free to download in pdf format, these documents give architects, design specialists, engineers and installers involved in metal building envelope projects expert technical insights and best practice. Developed over more than 35 years, the quality of these publications is renowned across the roofing and cladding sector, not only in the UK but internationally.

Most importantly, the publications offer a clear route to delivering compliant projects because they are written collaboratively by working groups involving technical specialists representing manufacturers, designers and installers. The result is a library of practical guidance on the correct way to use products and systems in all the most common types of application, as well as how to handle more unusual requirements.

Extensive Technical Guidance

Amongst the most recent publications are GD42 and GD42A, two guidance documents which advise on how to incorporate fire resistant metal members – known as capable members – within metal cladding. These are required in boundary elevations to ensure a metal façade retains its integrity for a specified period in the event of a fire, so it is crucial that everyone in the supply chain understands who is responsible and how they should be fitted.

Several of the guidance documents apply specifically to metal roofing projects, offering insights and tips on how to achieve the highest quality installation, as well as maintaining compliance. Illustrating the breadth of topics covered, these include GD38 ‘Over-roofing guidance document’, GD22 ‘Installing renewables on metal roofs: a checklist’ and GD13 ‘Non fragility of roofs: a checklist’.

A number of the MCRMA guidance documents are also approved as online CPDs by the CPD Certification Service, making them an excellent set of resources for anyone involved in a formal training and development programme. These include GD19 ‘Effective sealing of end lap details in metal roofing constructions’ which can help installers get the best results when sealing end laps in projects with interfaces of profiled metal to metal, profiled metal to rooflight, sandwich panel to panel, and sandwich panel to factory assembled rooflight.

Maximising Quality

In addition to the published resources, the MCRMA can assist more generally and help anyone working in the metal roofing and cladding sector to deliver better projects.

The association’s membership includes many of the leading manufacturers of steel and aluminium products and systems, fasteners and fixings, insulation and other key components, along with installers, specialists in design and calculations, plus independent inspectors. This mix of disciplines means the membership can provide solutions to whatever technical challenge is being faced on a metal project.

Find out more on the MCRMA website.

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