Potential game changer for the future of commercial grade flashings
Posted: September 26, 2017
For many years the cold roll forming industry in South Australia has only been able to offer 0.55 BMT (Base Metal Thickness) in Colorbond flashings, gutters and downpipes. As architecture progressed into the twenty-first century, there’s been an increasing demand by architects and builders pushing the boundaries of what is possible in thin gauge light weight metal.
As sleeker more contemporary light weight metal walling profiles become available to the market, so does the increasing demand for custom flashings and gutters to suit. This issue only expands further in the commercial space where flashings are becoming larger and longer, which leads to high risks of oil canning. It’s safe to say that our new Euro Plus wall cladding profiles and custom flashings can significantly decrease its aesthetic appeal when too much oil canning occurs.
In most commercial and residential applications flashings are constructed with 0.55 BMT. This seems to be the industry standard as there was nothing thicker available until now. Revolution Roofing are the only supplier in South Australia to now offer a commercial grade 0.8 flashings to the market. Not only will this considerably decrease the severity of oil canning, your flashings or wall cladding if you choose to upgrade will be noticeably stronger making it harder to damage or dent.
Even the Department of Planning Transport and Infrastructure (DPTI) will always specify that 1.0mm downpipes and 0.8 BMT flashings and gutters be installed on government developments especially school buildings works. In the four years I’ve been in the industry, I have not seen any supplier being able to honour the specification in Colorbond until now. It’s disturbing to think how many projects have been completed in South Australia that have been installed with the incorrect flashings, gutters and downpipes. What’s worse I wonder if this information is even communicated to back to the Architect from the builder? My gut feeling it isn’t.
So architects and building designers, I’ll leave you with this, combine your construction project with the right grade steel accessories. Rather than just selecting the standard market offer for metal wall cladding and flashings being .55BMT, think twice about how you can best increase the buildings durability, longevity and overall external aesthetics. Shawn Stevens and Eric Lien at Revolution Roofing will be happy assist you through the process.
Written by Shawn Stevens