Glossary

The RoofSURE Glossary is here to explain some of the words and phrases used throughout the site.

Batten
Roofing battens are used to provide the fixing point for roofing sheet or roof tiles.

BS476 Part 7
BS476 Part 7 is a test that shows the spread of flame across the surface of a material to give an indication as to its ability to spread fire grading the material from 1 down to 4. RoofSURE’s Polyurethane spray foam conforms to BS476 part 7 to give a class 1 surface flame spread.

BUFCA
BUFCA stands for the British Urethane Foam Contractors Association who ensure that the highest standards of quality and service are provided by its members.

Fair Trades
Fair Trades is the sign of a reputable business. RoofSURE has passed the stringent vetting procedures required by Fair Trades and are on an elite register of approved home improvement companies.

Insulation
Insulation reduces unwanted heat loss or gain and can decrease the energy demands of heating and cooling systems. The effectiveness of insulation is commonly evaluated by its R-value.

ISO9001
The ISO 9000 family of standards relate to Quality Management Systems and are designed to help organizations ensure they meet the needs of customers. RoofSURE has been assessed and approved by QMS to the following administration systems, standards and guidelines; BS EN ISO 9002: 1994.

Joist
A joist is one of the horizontal supporting members that run from wall to wall, wall to beam, or beam to beam to support a ceiling, roof, or floor.

Nail Fatigue
Nail fatigue is a term used to describe the nails that hold your roof slates to the timber battens when they have rusted through.

Polyurethane Foam
Polyurethane foam is the most commonly known foam type. Polyurethane formulations cover an extremely wide range of stiffness, hardness, and densities. One of these is Low-density rigid foam used for thermal insulation.

PU Foam
The common abbreviation of polyurethane foam.

PUR Foam
The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry abbreviation of polyurethane foam.

Purlin
A purlin (or purline) is a horizontal structural member in a roof. Purlins support the loads from the roof deck or sheathing and are supported by the principal rafters and/or the building walls, steel beams.

R-Value
R-value is a measure of thermal resistance used in the building and construction industry whereby the bigger the R-value, the better an insulation's effectiveness.

Rafter
A rafter is a vertical, sloping timber used to form the shape of the roof

Retrofitting
Retrofitting refers to the addition of new technology or features to older systems. In this case retrofitting refers to the addition of polyurethane insulation to your roof.

Spray Foam
Spray foam is an informal term used to refer to various materials that are used in building construction to provide thermal insulation. Polyurethane is one type of foam used in this application.

Trust Mark
Trust Mark is an award-winning scheme supported by the Government, the building industry and consumer protection groups to help you find reliable, trustworthy tradesmen to make improvements and repairs inside and outside your home.