Insulation acts as an effective barrier to heat-flow & is crucial for keeping your home cool in the summer and warm in winter. A well-insulated & well-designed home provides comfort right through the year. It cuts heating and cooling bills by upto 50%. In turn, this reduces all types of greenhouse gas emissions.
Climatic conditions always influence the appropriate level & type of insulation. If you want to make sure that your metal roof is BCA compliant, establish whether its insulation is required specifically to keep the heat out or in/ both. Insulation has to cater for seasonal and any kind of daily variation in temperature
Where is Insulation Required?
With reference to insulation, roofs, ceilings and walls work in tandem and you will have to:
- Install insulation right under the roofing material in order to reduce the radiant heat-gain. Install sufficient insulation in your ceiling to reduce heat-gain & loss. In most situations, ceiling insulation is specifically installed between joists
- In order to reduce risk of any kind of electrical short-circuiting, it is important to ensure that electrically conductive insulation is not laid across the ceiling surfaces/ceiling joists, or even under subfloors
- Electrically conductive insulation must also be secured with non-conductive staples
- The veranda roofs should always be insulated in very hot climates where these outdoor living spaces are extensively used. This reduces the radiant heat gain. The heat build-up under your verandas affects the space just below but also affects the conditions inside the house
- The bulkheads (wall sections that exist between the ceilings of varying heights) have to be insulated to the exact same level as the ceiling, since these are subjected to those same temperature extremes
- The external walls will have to be insulated to reduce the radiant, conducted & convected heat-transfer.
The BCA’s main function is to ensure that the acceptable standards of “health and safety, amenity and sustainability in building” are maintained at all times. The BCA also sets out all the technical requirements that building-design professionals and roofing contractors have to meet, in order to fall in line with these requirements.
A Matter of Quality
When it comes to metal roofing, it is very important that you ensure the solution you are opting for, is in compliance with BCA requirements. Not all steel that is available in Australia meets BCA standards and there is a lot of imported steel that does not fall in line with all the set guidelines. Therefore it is important to opt for high-quality metal roofing products like Colorbond that are made Completely BCA compliant. These standards cover a number of aspects of the roofing trade with set specifications for the products that are made from coated sheet-steel materials, as well as their installation. These cover:
- Design & installation of metal roofing
- For corrugated sheet-steel
- For metal rainwater goods
- The selection & installation of all metal rainwater goods
High-Quality Products
When you opt for a product that is BCA compliant, the manufacturer provides builders & certifiers assurances such as:
- The products are 100% Australian made & fully-traceable upto the point of production
- Conform to all the relevant standards – such as – AS 1397- This relates to the metallic-coating & substrate, and AS/NZS 2728- This covers all performance requirements for sheet metal that has been pre-painted
- Fully branded & easily identifiable
- Full documentation – such as test certificates & data sheets as well as project warranty are also available.
The Smart Choice
When you make sure that you are using these BCA compliant products, you know that you are getting optimal thermal performance which is a requirement for the harsh climate that exists in Australia. The metallic coated steel is also very durable and has an extended warranty as well as a reduced environmental footprint.
It is in your interests that you be cautious when you are choosing metal roofing. It is a major investment and a lot of time and trouble goes into its installation. This makes it crucial for every property owner who wants metal roofing, to ensure that they are buying a BCA compliant product.
For more information about which metal roofs are BCA compliant and ideal for you, contact one of our friendly team members today via phone or our contact page.
Thanks for reading,
RO Steel Roofing
(02) 9660 5937
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