26 / 132
2 6
PLUMBING CONNECTION
WINTER 2015
METAL ROOFING
I
gnorance continues to run amok across the building
industry in terms of useful knowledge that can be shared
and applied to all building and construction work.
Unfortunately, as you will read later, this pits our small
family publishing business hard up against a billion dollar
public company which couldn’t care less about you or your
businesses’ welfare. It’s a sad fact.
But let me get back to important things you should know
about the next metal roof you install or repair.
DON’T GET SCREWED OVER
If there was ever a faith product, it is metal roof screws.
They are the most weather-exposed part of any building and
first to fail if the products’ corrosion resistance coating is
not fit for the purpose.
Rusty roofs have brought many a roof installers business
to its knees. In more aggressive atmospheric environments
it doesn’t take long for rust to show up on the fixings – well
before any 6-year builder’s warranty sunsets. And with
BlueScope’ now offering very long warranties on their roof
sheet, your fixings and standard of installation work needs
to align with those.
Unfortunately with a naked eye inspection it is impossible
to tell if a screw has 5 or 55 microns of Zinc/Tin alloy coating
– so you have to trust your supplier and buying by price may
not even be a true marker.
Until recently you’d ask your supplier for a Class 3 or Class
4 fastener conforming to AS3566.2-2002 but as Standards
Australia advises, that Standard is no longer relevant, which
could open up the industry to cowboys, so don’t get caught
in the crossfire.
For an independent view on this important issue we
contacted BlueScope Steel, which is in the process of
updating its Technical Bulletin Number 16 (TB16) to take
into effect the knowledge gap in this Standards writing area.
BlueScope’s view is that AS3566.2-2002 is now obsolete
as opposed to withdrawn. That status will remain until
a Standards committee can be formed and agrees on a
common testing regime – but you may be waiting a while.
Presumably different suppliers have their own views about
product testing standards. Even though it is around 12
months since the Standard was deemed obsolete, there may
still be some Class 3 and Class 4 stock around and it is quite
legal for suppliers to sell down this existing stock.
In the interim, until the fully updated Technical Bulletin
from BlueScope is available they have supplied this
summarised statement:
“In order to recommend fastener’s that are appropriate
to the material, environment & application etc… builders,
plumbers, installers and specifiers should be requesting
and using fastener’s that are suitable for the relevant ISO
9223 category. Many fastener companies already reference
this, especially when promoting their new fasteners that
are superior to Class 4. Remember to also ask for a fastener
that is suitable for the product being used i.e. Galvanised
screws for COLORBOND® steel & COLORBOND® Ultra steel.
The Bluescope technical bulletin TB-16 is currently being
reviewed to reflect the industry move away from AS3566
reference, and to reference and provide assistance via more
detailed commentary around ISO 9223.”
With any product you are installing, check the product
warranty claims and if you are unsure, ask to see test
inspection reports, after all, it is your neck that is on the line.
As there appear to be some new products coming through
in this category that claim to offer improved coatings, it is a
subject we will revisit in the near future.
FAIR SUCK OF THE SAUCE BOTTLE
YOU MIGHT ASK WHAT TOMATO SAUCE HAS TO DO WITH METAL ROOFING, WELL IN THIS CASE, QUITE A LOT
WHEN WE TELL YOU THE EFFORT WE GO TO IN BRINGING YOU USEFUL INFORMATION YOU WON’T STUMBLE UPON
ELSEWHERE. PLUMBING CONNECTION PUBLISHER
JEFF PATCHELL
EXPLAINS.
Metal roof screws are the first parts to fail if the products’
corrosion resistance coating is not fit for purpose.