Basic Design Standards of Pitched Roofs

The design of a pitched roof must follow a series of government set regulations to ensure that the structure does not pose a danger to anyone within the vicinity of the building. There are basic capabilities the roof must uphold. These include:

The roof must be able to support both its own weight and that of imposed loads. 

• Imposed loads include non-voluntary such as snow loads and also the possible application of insulation, solar panels or water tanks in the future.
• The force induced upon the roof by wind must also be taken into consideration during the calculations of roof strength. The design of the roof must also resist wind uprooting. This may involve straps to hold down parts of the structure if the weight alone is insufficient.
• Holding straps may also be required in some parts of the UK. Straps are generally steel with a galvanized finish with appropriate fixings.
• Rafters supporting the roof and ceiling joints must not be more than 600 millimeters apart. Ceiling joists are horizontal supporting beams, rafters are the sloped supporting beams.
• Ceiling joists must also be calibrated by the size and thickness of the plasterboard or other material that the ceiling is constructed from. For example, for plasterboard sheets of 9.5 millimeter thickness, joist spacing must be no mote than 450 millimeters apart. For plasterboard sheets of 12.5 and 15 millimeter thickness, this joist spacing increases to 600 millimeters.
• Tile battens are used to provide a strong anchor for nails and clips that secure tiles/slates and also give rigidity to the structure. For natural slate battens, 25x50 sized battens can be used with both 450 and 600 millimeter spacing. Fibre cement or concrete slates must also be 25x50 for 600 millimeter spans, but can be 25x38 for 450 millimeter spacing.
• The size for nails fixing battens should be 10 gauge or 3.35 millimeters by 54 millimeters long. Nails can be either ring shank or galvanized smooth round types. The ring shank type should be used where the maximum basic wind speed is over 26 metres per second.

BPM Maintenance are a property maintenance and building company located in the city of Bath that have skilled and experienced roofers able to take care of any Bath roofing problem.

Air Conditioning Inspections Part 4: What will be in the report?

As seen in part 3 of our air conditioning inspection series, property owners may often expect more from an air conditioning inspection that it actually provides. Following EU directives and initiatives related to sustainability and efficiency; regulations focusing on the future of Europe and the newer generations. What an air conditioning inspection will not do is inspect the safety and installation; that will require a separate inspection. However the primary inspection is required by law.

What will I see in my air conditioning inspection report?

• The name of your inspector
• The date of the inspection
• The name of the accreditation that the inspector has
• The name and address of the company the inspector works for, such as BPM Maintenance.
• The address of the building containing the air conditioning system inspected.
• Areas of the building served by the air conditioning system.
• Specification of the air conditioning system.

What will the report assess?

• Temperature control
• Time control
• Maintenance regime
• Controls & sensors
• Metering
• Loads

How will it assess these features?

The air conditioning inspection report will provide assessments detailing the effectiveness of the system and how it could be improved in cost effectiveness and energy efficiency. Methods to achieve this may include changing how the controls are used, times the system is on for, cleaning and repairs that may improve efficiency.

 The inspector will not carry out any of the recommendations that he gives, such as cleaning or changes to controls as this may pose some form of risk to his safety. If the inspector has the competence, skills and qualifications to do the work, and offers the service, then the inspector may carry out this work. However this would not be in any way connected to the inspection and must be arranged as a separate job.

As the inspection does not cover the actual maintenance or installation of the air conditioning system; it is often the case that the changes are simple, especially for issues such as the controls or time the system is active for. Therefore the building manager or administrator may be able to make the changes personally, during the inspection.

BPM Maintenance is a property maintenance company located in Bath that offers air conditioning installation and maintenance, as well as roofing, plumbing, electrical and many other services.