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JANUARY 10 - FLASH OF INSPIRATION



A progressive church is providing inspiration for its growing congregation and community and simultaneously meeting the challenge of building in the 21st century, in part with help from Z-Led Aluflash.

St Andrews Church in Malvern, Worcestershire, designated a centre for mission by the Archdeacon of Worcester, nestles at the foot of the Malvern Hills; it has taken its location as additional inspiration for its refurbishment and extension aimed at serving the local community in a professional and effective way, whilst taking into account latest Regulations and ecological demands. The new community building features a 200m2 sedum roof mirroring the undulations of the Hills behind, with areas of the entire roof, new and old, finished with Z-Led’s innovative Aluflash environmentally-friendly lead flashing alternative.

Barry Austin, on behalf of the church, explained, “Our church family has grown since the original buildings were built, and the facilities needed to be enlarged to reflect the number of people using the premises, especially young people and community groups. We wanted the building to be as ‘green’ as would be financially viable so encouraged as much use of sustainable materials as possible.”

Added site manager Brian Eaton, for contractor Rok Building Ltd, “Z-Led’s Aluflash gave us enhanced lifetime costs over traditional lead- the church has in the past had quantities of lead stolen from its roof- so it overcomes the issue of replacement costs for materials and labour. It also brought ecological benefits and we found it was easier to lay, particularly over the complex curves of the new roof.”

The completed building provides an enhanced church entrance, extended foyer to allow greater interaction between people, six additional meeting rooms and improved parking, to enable all, regardless of ability, to optimise access to the church.

Z-Led Aluflash is the only material of its type to have attained an AA fire rating, enabling unrestricted use regardless of proximity of neighbouring buildings. Aluflash uses a combination of corrosion-resistant aluminium with a solvent lacquer coloured surface and self-adhesive butyl backing to create a material that provides a viable alternative to traditional, heavy lead. It can be used wherever lead flashing would traditionally be employed- and beyond: its non-toxic construction means it is suitable for use with rainwater harvesting installations, and prevents oxidisation over time.

Z-Led has developed two unique surface finishes for Aluflash, depending on the application, but both of which are compatible with all common roof materials. The embossed surface is designed for applications requiring less complex shapes, such as pitched roof valleys, soakers and box gutters; the unique cross-corrugated surface is designed for use where the flashing has to be moulded over and around complex shapes, and allows the Aluflash to be dressed in more than one direction. A 100% recyclable polymer ‘release’ backing sheet helps keep the self adhesive butyl layer clean until required, ensuring a secure bond.

AluFlash is unaffected by temperature, can be laid effectively in hot or cold conditions. The material is supplied in manageable 5m rolls, in widths from 150mm- 600mm in 50mm increments, minimising wastage and time spent cutting to fit. It does not require specialist tools or skills to install. The surface finish can be simply wiped clean to remove site dirt and debris such as cement mortar, and comes in a traditional ‘lead grey’ to compliment the building aesthetics.

Aluflash is just part of Z-Led’s comprehensive range of materials to defend buildings against damp and gas penetration, and optimise fire protection. Part of the Building Product Design Group, Z-Led specialises in developing innovative yet practical solutions to meet changing demands in its specific markets.

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