Posted on

Native Wildflower Green Roof

An image of a wildflower green roof

As well as the sedum trays, Wallbarn plants up a wildflower mix into the M-Tray®. We have developed a new native wildflower green roof which was planted at the end of last year and will be ready for dispatch and installation this summer.

Wildflower green roofs contain a mixture of native flower species to attract native insects and birds.

A varied mix of at least six different native species has been selected. All these flowers and herbs are low growing, hardy species, chosen to be pollinators for butterflies and bees.

The ideal way to introduce wildflower seed mix

In order to get more wildflowers into the system, Wallbarn has developed wildflower green roof trays with a wildflower seed mix at the point of harvesting and packing.

This seed mix is designed to attract bees and butterflies, so will increase the biodiversity and environmental impact of the roof.

Wildflower green roofs still require maintenance

There are certain things to consider: these flowers are chiefly annuals, so will die off at the end of the growing season.

Therefore, in order to have flowers the next year, the roof will need to be reseeded. Users can harvest the seeds in this season’s crop to sow the next year, or purchase another seed mix (available from Wallbarn) the next spring.

Also, these wildflowers can grow very high, up to 80cm and will have much more fibrous structures than sedum (which is succulent) so the dead stalks and other vegetation will not rot but remain on the roof after the flowers have died off.

This makes the roof look unsightly and is also a potential fire risk, so these dead stalks should be removed every autumn. Clients should bear this additional maintenance in mind when choosing wildflower – if the roof is inaccessible this can prove a major problem. The additional costs of more maintenance should also be factored.

Posted on

Find Out How Green Roofs Can Transform Almost Any Lost Space

A close-up of an M-Tray installation in Whitstable

Whilst the name ‘green roofs’ will undoubtedly make many people look to the skies as they automatically think of the building rooftops, the versatility of the M-Tray® ensures that they are suitable for a wide variety of open and lost spaces, regardless of size, with some projects taking place much closer to the ground!

One of our previous projects resulted from a request from a residential customer who wanted to ensure that a recently installed garden storage unit on the back of his home was more attractive.

By giving it a green roof. The M-Tray®, being modular in shape and incredibly easy to install, lent itself perfectly to the job.

Providing Easy Access

The green roof components needed to be walked through the house to access the garden. Traditional roll-out green roof systems, with their bags of aggregate-based substrate and sedum blankets spilling compost and plant matter, are extremely messy to transport and install.

The M-Tray® is self-contained within the walls of the plastic tray and comes with fully established, sustainable vegetation.

Taking a closer look at the M-Tray®

Our M-Tray® modular green roofing system has been further improved to make sedum roofs easier to install with less disruption to both the plants and the structure. M-Tray® is also designed to give a more seamless, verdant finish and an instant green roof.

Wallbarn is at the forefront of developments in the green roofing sector and has always provided products that combine top-quality ingredients with user-friendly, hassle-free maintenance. The purpose of M-Tray® is to enhance rooftop living.

What makes the M-Tray® green roof unique?

  • Mature, established vegetation
  • Click-together trays create a seamless connection
  • Easy to transport and install
  • Specially-mixed substrate for the longevity of plant life
  • 100mm deep cavities for healthy roots
  • Optimum drainage means stronger plants
  • No sharp edges or mess meaning minimum disruption to plants, deck structure and inhabitants!

For more information, please visit the dedicated area of our website by clicking here.

Contact Us

Wallbarn’s friendly and helpful team are here to answer any of your questions. Please give us a call on Tel. No. 0208 916 2222, send us an e-mail or use our ‘live chat’ option and we will be happy to help in any way that we can.

 
Posted on

Non-Combustible Pedestals and Supports

Wallbarn Logo

New legislation was introduced on 21st December 2018 which specifically relates to the fire requirements of external balconies in England and Wales.

For the first time, balconies are now counted as part of the external wall and classified as a “specified attachment”. For building works which commenced after 20th February 2019, the following now applies:

The construction of either:

new buildings which are:

  • over 18m, and
  • in which people sleep; or

for the refurbishment of existing buildings where:

  • changing the cladding would result in lower safety (i.e. recladding over concrete), or
  • the building is changing in use

then the new legislation indicates that all components of the wall must be individually tested as non-combustible (European Classification A2-s1, d0 (limited combustibility material) or A1).

Significantly there is no longer the ability to test a complete wall (or therefore balcony) system using BS8414.

Making the Adjustment

At Wallbarn, we are pro-actively reacting to the changes in fire safety regulations to ensure compliance with our products.

Based upon our ASP design to help distribute weight effectively, we are currently developing a steel adjustable pedestal which will be a Class A1 product and which is due for launch in quarter one of 2020.

Offering a similar base to our universal pedestal, we will provide different headpieces for both decking and paving to ensure maximum versatility.

Using stainless steel to ensure extreme temperature tolerance, we are developing this bespoke product from scratch and it will be subject to extensive independent testing to ensure that it is fit for purpose.

Stay tuned for details of the MetalPad…….

What do A1 and A2 ratings mean?*

The government’s official guide to rules on fire safety – Approved Document B – defines products achieving an A1 classification as non-combustible and products achieving an A2 classification as being of limited combustibility. A-class products – those classified A1 and A2 – make no significant contribution to fire growth while products with a rating of B-F are classified as combustible.

The European Classification system for combustibility classifies construction products using a series of tests. Class A materials have the best performance in a fire and are divided into two sub-classes, Class A1 and Class A2.

Class A1 – Products are described as having no contribution to fire at any stage. The BS EN 13501-1 test sets several thresholds for combustion performance when tested to both EN ISO 1716 and EN ISO 1182. One of these thresholds is a maximum heat of combustion of 2MJ/kg. Typical products meeting this classification include most inorganic materials such as metal, stone, and glass.

Class A2 – Products are described as having no significant contribution to fire at any stage. BS EN 13501 sets several thresholds for combustion when tested to EN ISO 1182, or both EN ISO 1716 and EN 13823. One of these thresholds is a maximum heat of combustion of 3MJ/kg. A typical product meeting this classification is plasterboard.

An A2 certified product has higher combustibility and can sustain flame for no more than 20 seconds. In contrast, A1 has lower combustibility and no sustained flaming when tested.

*These definitions were taken from the Architects Journal, please click here for the full details.

 

Posted on

8 Reasons Why You Should Choose a Sedum Green Roof System From Wallbarn

A close-up of an M-Tray installation in Whitstable

A close up image of the sedum used in the M-Tray

With continuing research and development, a sedum green roof system is now more attractive, durable and cost-effective than ever.

Introducing the M-Tray® modular green roofing system

The M-Tray® is a ready-grown, fully-established sedum or wildflower green roof modular solution offering a variety of unique benefits, including:

  • Our M-Tray® green roof system consists of specially-designed modular trays containing superior, engineered substrate and fully established flowering sedum
  • Easy-to-carry trays which click together to form a seamless green roof
  • Fully established sedum plants nurtured from seed at our own UK nurseries

Why Choose a Sedum Green Roof System?

Our sedum green roof system provides an environmentally-friendly, sustainable living wall system for design and construction professionals.  Our high-quality team of technicians can achieve environmentally-friendly, sustainable solutions guaranteed to deliver cost-effective benefits.

Not only do these systems offer design solutions for awkward urban spaces, but they also add beautiful flora and fauna, colour and biodiversity to buildings and city centres.

Our systems combine great design scope with key ecological and performance benefits:

  1. Creates habitat for birds and insects, increasing biodiversity
  2. Acts as an effective soundproofing barrier
  3. Helps regulate the building temperature
  4. Air purification – plants are efficient filters of pollution
  5. Easy installation
  6. Ideal for retrofitting or refurbishment projects.
  7. Delivers instant greening of a roof with sedums and other species able to flourish in our climate.
  8. Cost-effective solution.

Huge Variety of Options

The horticultural options are vast. Sedum, exotic grasses, ferns, ivy and herbs are the most common plants used. We aim to get a fair mixture of vegetation to ensure a diverse mix of textures, colours and flowers across the year.

We design the planting so that shade-loving plants are respected, nothing gets overrun by aggressive species, those requiring higher or lower amounts of water and additional feed are planted in the correct place, and an overall pattern is attractive, both close up and from a wider viewpoint.

As well as the sedum trays, Wallbarn plants up a wildflower mix into the M-Tray®.

A varied mix of at least six different native species has been selected. All these flowers and herbs are low growing, hardy species, chosen to be pollinators for butterflies and bees.

Bespoke options are available.

For more on the M-Tray®, please click here.

 

Posted on

Do Green Roofs Offer Noise Reduction Qualities?

M Tray installation through a window|The M Tray Modular Green Roof

A close-up of an M-Tray installation in Whitstable

Green roofs have increased dramatically in popularity in recent times, thanks in large part due to the number of ecological and economic advantages they offer.

These include:

  • Increased thermal insulation
  • Floodwater management
  • Improved air quality
  • Enhanced biodiversity

However, did you know that green roofs can also be effective at reducing noise?

Noise reduction qualities

Green roofs have important acoustic benefits as well. A study has shown that:

“Because the typical substrates used for green roofs are (highly) porous and thus allow sound waves to enter the growing mediums. Because of the large number of interactions between sound waves and substrate particles, attenuation occurs. As a result, less noise will reach the back façade or the roof apartment compared to the situation with a non-vegetated roof that is most often made of highly reflective material (e.g. concrete).”

Please click here for more on this study.

Taking a closer look

Zaloa Azkorra, an agricultural engineer of the UPV/EHU-University of the Basque Country, is currently conducting some fascinating in-depth research at the University School of Mining and Public Works Engineering into the benefits provided by green walls.

The researcher has concluded that walls comprising plants offer great potential for absorbing noise and could be used as acoustic insulation.

Temperature & acoustic benefits

The researcher is proposing that green walls be used in buildings, inside and outside, as they can improve the temperature and, what is more, they can achieve acoustic improvements. Furthermore, “they are attractive and cool,” said Azkorra. But she also admitted at the same time that having such systems is costly and that, what is more, the systems need to be improved. As Azkorra pointed out, “apart from having plants on the walls, they have to be maintained and that is quite expensive”. So right now she sees no alternative but to fit them in special buildings.

Now that the plant modules have been cultivated, she has begun to carry out thermal studies on them to study what benefits they can bring from the temperature perspective.

For more on this story, please visit – https://phys.org/news/2015-01-green-walls-effective-acoustic-insulation.html

Green Roofing Benefits

The huge range of benefits offered by green roofing systems is something that the team at Wallbarn wholeheartedly endorse.

To view many of the benefits available, please take a moment to visit the dedicated ‘green roofing’ section on our website by clicking on the following link –  https://www.wallbarn.com/green-roofs/m-tray/

For more on our pre-grown sedum green roof product, supplied in easy-to-handle plastic tray units, please check out the video below.

Posted on

Slip Resistant Decking – Perfect For Poolside Installations

Enhancing Your Outdoor Space With Hardwood Decking

One of the primary concerns relating to the installation of a new outdoor decking system relates to safety, especially when the completed deck is located near to a swimming pool, jacuzzi or near the beach and therefore likely to come into regular contact with water.

Creating a Slip Resistant Finish

iDecking have spent many years perfecting an innovative, environmentally-friendly, non-splinter timber decking solution offering all the good looks of the real thing but without the flaw of other products. 

Unlike many other traditional decking materials, the systems which have been developed by iDecking, completely waterproof your deck or roof deck area with an attractive, durable and slip-resistant finish.

Offering Further Evidence

To help offer further evidence relating to the slip resistance of the iDecking boards, we have carried out some slip tests on our decking products recently. The tests are carried out according to BS7976 -2 Pendulum Slip Test.

The test is carried out via a pendulum testing machine in at least 2 directions, both in a dry state and in a wet state. The results are as follows:

Selecting The Correct Products

It really is not possible to over-emphasise the importance of choosing a decking product which offers the longest lasting and safest solution for the particular project. Designers should always be aware of the uses on schemes which they are specifying and therefore select the correct decking products accordingly.

With a number of cheaper, inferior products on the market, it is essential that designers and installers choose products which are specially designed and selected to fit the purpose of the project. Thankfully, the range of iDecking products ticks all of the right boxes.

Composite decking is widely accepted to be one of the most effective decking products available due to the fact that it boasts a number of qualities highlighted by a longer lifespan than traditional wood.

Introducing Eco-Friendly Composite Decking

Whilst many of the old composites were made from sawdust mixed with cheap polymers, so they absorbed a lot of moisture. They were also susceptible to attack from insects, mildew, turned green and very slippery over time and were also prone to rotting due to the high wood fibre content.

However, the introduction of the iDecking Revolution products offers a new generation of materials which have been developed to look and perform much better in the long term.

Developed by iDecking Revolution, DURO is a brand new material which has been developed with the following goals in mind:

  • Fast and easy installation using no screws
  • 100% Eco-Friendly
  • Ultra-Low Maintenance
  • Custom Colours

Exceptional Durability

These new systems offer a new mindset for artificial decking. They will not fade significantly, absorb hardly any moisture and do not swell or split. In addition to this, any scratches or blemishes can also be sanded down to almost French-polish the scratches out, since it is solid throughout, ensuring that long term maintenance is possible and effective.

These products are high end, top quality materials, and are designed to ensure that they do not fade significantly. Essentially, they are in many ways better than tropical hardwood. Despite its formula being kept as a secret, DURO’s main ingredient is Rice Husk; a by-product in the processing of rice. This husk, when blended together with virgin polymers, makes it an incredibly versatile, strong and durable material.

For More On iDecking Click Here

Posted on

Why Non-Combustible Pedestals Are Now Essential Components

Wallbarn Logo

Previously viewed as specialist products, non-combustible pedestals and pads are now going to be essential components with regards to ensuring compliance with fire regulations affecting the construction industry which are now significantly more stringent.

A Ban On Non-Combustible Pedestals

Following the Grenfell fire,  amended regulations are now in place which bans the use of combustible materials in certain building projects.

For the first time, balconies are now counted as part of the external wall and classified as a “specified attachment”. For building works which commenced after 20th February 2019, the following now applies:

The construction of either:

new buildings which are:

  • over 18m, and
  • in which people sleep; or

for the refurbishment of existing buildings where:

  • changing the cladding would result in lower safety (i.e. recladding over concrete), or
  • the building is changing in use

then the new legislation indicates that all components of the wall must be individually tested as non-combustible (European Classification A2-s1, d0 (limited combustibility material) or A1).

What Is The Effect?

These updated regulations mean that combustible materials are no longer permitted on the external walls of new buildings or material alterations to the buildings covered by the regulations.

The Regulations require that materials which form part of the external wall or specified attachment have to achieve the requirements of European Classification A2-s1, d0 or A1 (Classified in accordance with BS EN 13501-1:2007+A1:2009 entitled “Fire classification of construction products and building elements). There are limited exceptions, such as door frames and doors, electrical installations, certain parts of roofs, window frames and glass.

Introducing The MetalPad

At Wallbarn, we are pro-actively reacting to the changes in fire safety regulations to ensure compliance with our products.

Based upon our ASP design to help distribute weight effectively, we are currently developing a steel adjustable pedestal which will be a Class A1 product. Further details will be announced shortly.

Designed to meet the needs of a wide variety of both commercial and residential projects, our Class A1 product will be a fully adjustable stainless steel pedestal to provide durability, strength & versatility where it is needed most.

Key Advantages Include:

  • Suitable for paving slabs and timber decking
  • Superior quality
  • Suspended system
  • Fully adjustable

Offering a similar base to our universal pedestal, we will provide different headpieces for both decking and paving to ensure maximum versatility.

Using stainless steel to ensure extreme temperature tolerance, we are developing this bespoke product from scratch and it will be subject to extensive independent testing to ensure that it is fit for purpose.

 

Posted on

What Will Make Our Fire Rated Pedestal Different?

Wallbarn are at the forefront of cutting edge industry developments and are ready to launch a designed-for-purpose, non-combustible, fire-resistant pedestal early in 2020.

Based upon our ASP (Adjustable Support Pedestal, now known as the Universal pedestal) which is designed to help distribute weight effectively, we are currently developing a steel adjustable pedestal which will be a Class A1 product.

Offering a similar base to our universal pedestal, we will provide different headpieces for both decking and paving to ensure maximum versatility.

Using stainless steel to ensure extreme temperature tolerance, we are developing this bespoke product from scratch, which will ensure that it is not compromised during transport or installation, and it will be subject to extensive independent testing to ensure that it is fit for purpose.

Key Features

  • Developed from scratch to ensure a bespoke product which is fit for purpose
  • Class A1 product
  • Stainless steel (ensuring extreme temperature tolerance)
  • Telescopically adjustable
  • Different headpieces available to ensure suitability for both decking and paving installation
  • Similar base to our universal pedestals
  • Independently tested

Why Is This New Product Needed?

Building Regulations prohibit the use of combustible materials in external walls on “relevant buildings” over 18 metres above ground level. These regulations have been in force since December 2018.

For the first time, balconies are now counted as part of the external wall and classified as a “specified attachment”. For building works which commenced after 20th February 2019, the following now applies:

The construction of either:

new buildings which are:

  • over 18m, and
  • in which people sleep; or

for the refurbishment of existing buildings where:

  • changing the cladding would result in lower safety (i.e. recladding over concrete), or
  • the building is changing in use

then the new legislation indicates that all components of the wall must be individually tested as non-combustible (European Classification A2-s1, d0 (limited combustibility material) or A1).

To view the full list of building regulations in England covering fire safety matters within and around buildings, please click here.

 

Posted on

Changes In Fire Safety Regulations For Balconies

Wallbarn is working at Riverlight in Vauxhall

New legislation was introduced on 21st December 2018 which specifically relates to the fire requirements of external balconies in England and Wales.

For the first time, balconies are now counted as part of the external wall; and classified as a “specified attachment”.

Government bans the use of combustible materials in buildings over 18m

Amended 1 March 2019

The Government has published amendments to Building Regulations in England restricting the use of combustible materials in the external walls of certain buildings over 18m in height.

The restrictions apply to the external walls and specified attachments for residential blocks of flats, student accommodations, care homes, sheltered housing, hospitals and dormitories in boarding schools with a storey above 18 m in height.

Definitions of external walls and specified attachments

The amendments require that all materials which become part of an external wall or specified attachment achieve European Class A2-s1, d0 or Class A1.

The external wall of a building includes a reference to:

  1. anything located within any space forming part of the wall
  2. any decoration or other finish applied to any external (but not internal) surface forming part of the wall
  3. any windows and doors in the wall
  4. any part of a roof pitched at an angle of more than 70 degrees to the horizontal if that part of the roof adjoins a space within the building to which persons have access, but not access only for the purpose of carrying out repairs or maintenance.

Specified attachment means:

  1. a balcony attached to an external wall
  2. a device for reducing heat gain within a building by deflecting sunlight which is attached to an external wall
  3. a solar panel attached to an external wall.

Components exempted from this requirement include:

  1. cavity trays when used between two leaves of masonry
  2. any part of a roof (other than any part of a roof which falls within paragraph (iv) of regulation 2(6)) if that part is connected to an external wall
  3. door frames and doors
  4. electrical installations
  5. insulation and waterproofing materials used below ground level
  6. intumescent and fire-stopping materials where the inclusion of the materials is necessary to meet the requirements of Part B of Schedule 1
  7. membranes
  8. seals, gaskets, fixings, sealants and backer rods
  9. thermal break materials where the inclusion of the materials is necessary to meet the thermal bridging requirements of Part L of Schedule 1
  10. window frames and glass.

Transitional Provisions

The Amendment Regulations came into force on 21 December 2018. However the Amendment Regulations will not apply where an initial notice has been given to, or full plans deposited with, a local authority before 21 December 2018 and either the building work to which it relates:

a)    had started before that day; or

b)    was started before 21 February 2019.

Material change of use

Where the use of a building is changed such that the building becomes a residential block of flats, student accommodation, care home, sheltered housing, hospitals or dormitories in boarding schools with a storey above 18 m in height the construction of the external wall, and specified attachments, must be investigated and, where necessary, work must be carried out to ensure they only contain materials achieving European Class A2-s1, d0 or European Class A1 other than those exempted components listed above.

For more on this, please click here to visit the NHBC website.

The government’s official guide to rules on fire safety – Approved Document B – defines products achieving an A1 classification as non-combustible and products achieving an A2 classification as being of limited combustibility. A-class products – those classified A1 and A2 – make no significant contribution to fire growth while products with a rating of B-F are classified as combustible.

The European Classification system for combustibility classifies construction products using a series of tests. Class A materials have the best performance in a fire and are divided into two sub-classes, Class A1 and Class A2.

Class A1 – Products are described as having no contribution to fire at any stage. The BS EN 13501 test sets several thresholds for combustion performance when tested to both EN ISO 1716 and EN ISO 1182. One of these thresholds is a maximum heat of combustion of 2MJ/kg. Typical products meeting this classification include most inorganic materials such as metal, stone, and glass.

Class A2 – Products are described as having no significant contribution to fire at any stage. BS EN 13501 sets several thresholds for combustion when tested to EN ISO 1182, or both EN ISO 1716 and EN 13823. One of these thresholds is a maximum heat of combustion of 3MJ/kg. A typical product meeting this classification is plasterboard.

An A2 certified product has higher combustibility and can sustain flame for no more than 20 seconds. In contrast, A1 has lower combustibility and no sustained flaming when tested.

*These definitions were taken from the Architects Journal, please click here for the full details.