Component Parts of a GRP Roof

Tools and Materials

Stages of Installing a GRP roof

Stage 1 - Laying the Deck

Stage 2 - GRP Edge Trims

Stage 3 - Laminating

Stage 4 - Topcoating and Finishing

Catalyst Addition

Materials estimation chart

General Advice When Laying a GRP Roof

Overview and Datasheet

Overview

The GRP roofing Installation Manual contains practical guidance for installaing a GRP roof. It is recommended for installers to attend a training course before attempting to lay a GRP roof. COSHH data for the GRP roofing system can be here.

Product Description

GRP roofing system.

Standards Compliance

Part L Building Regulations Complicance (as of April 2006:)

For refusbished flat roofs GRP can be specified with a calculated ‘U’ value of 0.25W/m2K for (Calculated in accordance with BS EN ISO 6946)

For new build flat roofs GRP can be specified with a calculated ‘U’ value of 0.20W/m2K for (Calculated in accordance with BS EN ISO 6946)

Introduction to GRP Roofing

What is GRP?

Diamond Glass Reinforced Polyester (GRP) is a composite material made from a polyester resin which is reinforced by Chopped Strand Mat (CSM) glass fibres to form a GRP laminate.

History of GRP

GRP was discovered in the late 1940’s. It was quickly adopted during the 1950’s and 60’s for a wide number of applications where its corrosion proof properties, allied to its high strength and excellent appearance soon proved to be invaluable. Today, it has become the standard material for the construction of small craft, water tanks, processing vessels, building cladding panels and roof lights.

When used for roofing, GRP provides a completely weatherproof system without any of the problems associated with traditional roofing materials. Its unrivalled performance protects millions of square metres of roofs throughout the UK, to the extent that there are GRP roofs laid more than thirty years ago which are yet to show signs of deterioration.

While Diamond GRP roofing boasts qualities that make it the best roofing system money can buy, these qualities are dependant on how the roof is laid. A GRP roof will fail if it is laid incorrectly. The performance of the roof is therefore reliant on the installer’ ability to lay it.

Other Uses for GRP

The durability and lightweight qualities of GRP make it an ideal construction material for applications as diverse as lorry aerofoils and roofs, transport containers, micro-light body parts and automotive body panels. GRP is also used in hostile industrial settings for applications such as tanks and underground pipes. This is due to its ability to withstand high temperatures and its resistance to chemicals.

Unlike any other roofing material, GRP has properties that render it ideally suited to small craft construction. As well as being an inexpensive material, it is robust, flexible and will never corrode. A number of RNLI lifeboats are constructed completely from GRP. Lifeboats such as the Atlantic 75 are used in heavy weather for inshore rescue. GRP is also used throughout the automotive industry for after-sale body kits, body repair kits, kit cars, and body panels for production cars.

The GRP Roofing Market

GRP has been used for roofing applications for over fifty years. Technological advances in resin production and altering its material properties over the last thirty years have led to the manufacture of resins specially formulated for roofing. GRP roofing started to gain popularity in the mid eighties and now accounts for between 1-2% of the UK's roofing market covering millions of square metres of the UK’s roofs.

What is a GRP Roof?

The Diamond GRP roofing system is constructed from a single-ply GRP laminate applied in situ over 18mm OSB3 deck. The roof is finished with GRP edge trims and a coat of Diamond GRP topcoat.