ALUMINIUM, LEAD OR COPPER ROOFING? COPPER AND SILVER ART AS THE PERFECT ALTERNATIVE

Aluminium, lead, and copper roofing create a stunning look, but these natural metal products also have their disadvantages. Soprema’s FLAGON Copper and Silver Art presents a more than worthy alternative that helps you save costs and prevent theft, while guaranteeing an equally great aesthetic finish and durability. ABOUT FLAGON COPPER AND SILVER ART GENERAL BENEFITS FLAGON Copper and Silver Art, being synthetic roofing membranes, offer all of the advantages that our other single-ply products bring to the table. Namely: - extreme versatility - excellent waterproofing protection - light weight (resulting in a lower permanent load) - durability (with a product life of more than 35 years) - flexibility (even at low temperatures) - high mechanical resistance - exceptional dimensional stability - full recyclability - BBA certification SOPRACOVER warranty (with no minimum requirements in terms of project value or surface area) AS COMPARED TO METAL CLADDING As compared to traditional aluminium, lead, and copper roofing, FLAGON Copper and Silver Art offer important performance benefits. Cost savings Aluminium, lead, and copper roofing last exceptionally long, but so does a synthetic alternative like Copper or Silver Art. Moreover, the latter products substantially reduce the build costs of your project: FLAGON Copper Art costs 50 to 60% less per square metre than copper. UV and weather resistance With heat waves becoming more and more common, it is good to know that our PVC waterproofing membranes do not expand and contract in hot temperatures – contrary to metals like copper. Moreover, whereas the latter’s movements cause excessive noise, Copper or Silver Art does not click or creak. Reduced risk of theft Copper and Silver Art have no scrap value, so thieves will not be tempted to steal it. Copper and lead roofing, by contrast, have high monetary value. You therefore heighten the risk for your building insurance provider by installing these metals, especially to low level or easily accessible roof areas. Your insurance provider will evaluate the risk, and this will be reflected in the future premiums. Easier to install Light-weight and flexible, Copper and Silver Art are easier and quicker to install than aluminium, lead, or copper roofing. All three metals may be soft and malleable, but there are far less design limitations with Copper and Silver Art. After all, a synthetic roofing membrane can be installed to any shape, including complex curves that would require endless joints and cuts with metal. The aesthetic finish of FLAGON Copper and Silver Art equals that of copper, lead or aluminium. Our synthetic membranes retain their patina for decades and they come with decorative profiles that mimic the standing seams of traditional metal roofs. COMPATIBILITY OF SINGLE-PLY WATERPROOFING FLAGON Copper and Silver Art can be used with all Soprema insulation products that are compatible with standard PVC membranes, such as PUR, EPS or PIR. SYNTHETIC WATERPROOFING: INSTALLATION TECHNIQUES FLAGON Copper and Silver Art can be either fully adhered or mechanically fixed. Both installation techniques require hot air welding. Because our synthetic membranes behave in the same way as standard single-ply products, installers who are experienced in installing PVC membranes will have no problem applying FLAGON Copper and Silver Art. The membranes can be installed to ensure the maximum aesthetic finishes. The decorative profiles can be placed to hide any joints, but they must be placed in such a way that they do not impede rainwater run-off. To guarantee an aesthetic design that also considers technical performance, the expertise of Soprema is imperative during the design process. FIRE TESTING AND OTHER SERVICES All of the calculations and other roofing services that we offer for standard single-ply membranes apply to FLAGON Copper and Silver Art as well. Think of drainage calculations and U-value calculations. Likewise, we offer advice and on-site support for your project. For instance, we can help architects who are looking for a specific aesthetic finish write their specifications, so they can achieve exactly the result they’re aiming for. All of the BROOFT4 testing on our standard PVC membranes will cover FLAGON Silver and Copper Art systems as well. Lastly, our training centres offer one-day sessions on how to install our PVC membranes with copper and aluminium particles. Although, as an experienced PVC installer, you should have no trouble applying FLAGON Copper or Silver Art, we can walk you through the slightly different welding techniques and explain how to set everything out. If you are interested in our training sessions, do not hesitate to get in touch. INSPIRING PROJECTS Copper and Silver Art have been specified for numerous inspiring projects throughout the UK, such as the Ramsgate Beach Retreat, Leigh Road Baptist Church and the North Liverpool Academy. The Beach Retreat The wave form roof of Beach Retreat in Ramsgate was first specified in natural copper to respect the planning requirements of the conservation area. Yet the specification was quickly changed to Copper Art with standing seam profiles because, as a synthetic membrane, it would be cheaper and easier to install while offering the same aesthetics. Another advantage of our single ply-alternative is that it is easy to repair. Holes can be fixed by welding over them a piece of the same Copper Art membrane. The ease of repair was put to the test when a vehicle left the cliff top road and crashed into the building, damaging the structure and the Copper Art roof. As the resulting damage was easily repairable, the building was quickly restored to its former, highly aesthetical appearance. Leigh Road Baptist Church When the project to replace the main spire of the Leigh Road Baptist Church was nearing completion in 2009, thieves stole £12,000-worth of copper tiles by scaling the scaffolding. Copper Art with standing seam profiles was then used as an alternative. The PVC membrane also proved ideal for the eight-sided cupola topping off the new build extension to the church. As the cupola is situated at a lower level, surrounded by flat roofs, it is an even easier target for opportunist thieves than the main church spire and being a synthetic membrane, Copper and Silver Art have no scrap value. North Liverpool Academy Being built on a former airport site, North Liverpool Academy benefitted from the installation of a Silver Art membrane. The flexibility of this membrane was of the utmost importance to ensure that the vision of the architect became a reality, namely: producing a complex airplane fuselage that needed to be dressed in waterproofing. The waterproofing product had to deliver the required aesthetics whilst maintaining a top-notch technical performance, too. Fortunately, Soprema’s experts were on hand right through the design process. Our on-site support for the installing contractor was another important aspect to complete the vision of the architect.

For more information on ALUMINIUM, LEAD OR COPPER ROOFING? COPPER AND SILVER ART AS THE PERFECT ALTERNATIVE talk to SOPREMA UK