Sheet types and profiles
Polyester
Polyester is a very useful in the agricultural uses as it has been stated as an acceptable material by a number of agriculture authorities. Also polyester is a cheaper alternative for roofing to other materials available. The polyester is coated upon zinc-coated steel in accordance to BS EN 10147. This type of roofing has a medium lifetime and should be recoated every five to ten years or less if there is pollution.
When handling polyester care must be taken as the polyester coating can easily be scratched.
Also sheets should not be slid against each other as this can also cause wear in the surface coating.
Tile Effect Sheeting
Profiled Galvanised steel
Now the base material for the Polyester and Plasticol roofing sheets, galvanised steel sheets have been used for over 100 years.
As long as the material is fitted and treated properly then it can last a number of years, however the material is very susceptible to corrosion especially the steel underneath the zinc coating, and with serious pollution can require replacing in as little as 18 months.
Curved sheets
Curved sheeting has a number of uses in the form of profiled galvanised steel, however more recently there has been a demand for plasticol and polyester curved sheets.
Curved sheeting can be used on a number of structures, such as Dutch barns and Romney huts and useful for roofing grain pits and silos.
Due to the shape of the sheets it is best to double overlap the sheets to give added rigidity.
Mordant solution
Mordant solution will allow you to treat your galvanised steel roofing when it is not possible to paint them. During the first 12 months of life, the sheeting should not be painted as they can suffer from sun damage. The answer to this problem is to use Mordant solution, which should be used to coat the roofing after which you will be able to coat the steel with paint.
Mordant solution is a phosphoric acid based product and also contains alcohol, glycol ether and a copper salt solution to display that the sheeting has been completely covered.
Painting on top of the solution should be done after 30 minutes and within twenty-four hours.
Grain walling profiles
For grain stores the most appropriate profiles to use are GR60 and GR100. A number of zinc coating thicknesses are available. For the protection against impact damage it is advised that thicker steel is used at ground level, either .9 or 1.2 mm thickness are advised.
Ventair
A good amount of ventilation is crucial for the housing of livestock as poor air circulation can cause increased temperatures and humidity.
Ventair are ventilated cladding sheets, which contain louvers to allow the transfer of air in and out of the structure.
The louvers are cut horizontally to the sheets therefore allowing a wide range of choice on the length of the sheets.
Overcladding Asbestos cement roofs
This product is a plasticol-coated steel Overcladding designed to be placed over an existing asbestos/cement roof or used with a spacing system.
This method is a more cost effective solution to the problem by not having to spend money on labour, material and disposal costs. The plasticol is a cheap material and also has a long lifespan lasting 40 years.