Here, Brett Martin’s Head of Product and Application Development, Paul Smith, looks back at some of the key changes that have occurred in the rooflight industry in the past 25 years. He also highlights how the organisation has evolved too – in order to provide the best possible solutions.
A key priority for manufacturers in the last couple of decades has been about addressing safety concerns. As the importance of safety in construction increased, Brett Martin, alongside its competitors within the National Association of Rooflight Manufacturers, collaborated with the HSE to develop standards and guidance for rooflight non-fragility. Now rebranded as the Rooflight Association, this key group of manufacturers continue to play an important role in promoting safety and driving positive change in the industry.
The way the industry is structured has also changed significantly, with rooflight installation being carried out by a broader selection of contractors. Where previously a specialist glazier may have installed the product, today general contractors and roofers are often responsible. As such, we have invested in making rooflights easier and faster to install, but crucially without compromising on safety or functionality. Our Glass Link is an ideal example, as almost infinite lengths can be configured and installed thanks to its modular design and use of standard fixings and equipment.
In addition, everyone’s understanding of the importance of natural daylight in building projects has also changed dramatically since the early 2000s. Although it was widely understood that increasing the provision for natural light by using rooflights could help reduce dependency on artificial lighting, there was little research that supported the positive impact daylight has on a building’s occupants. However, in recent years, national standards like EN-17037 have helped to reinforce the key role that daylight should play in the design of interior spaces. Supported by research from BREEAM, WELL and the Rooflight Association, more buildings than ever are utilising rooflights to maximise daylight and support health and wellbeing.
Other recent changes include the way that U-values of rooflights are calculated. Originally using the same vertical calculation for windows and rooflights was mandated within UK Building Regulations. In 2022, the regulator changed this to assess rooflights in the horizontal plane, as they are used.As part of the Rooflight Association, Brett Martin contributed to the development of guidance explaining this, promoting greater transparency and enabling specifiers to select products correctly.
Finally, Brett Martin has significantly diversified its own product portfolio in response to the demand for more natural light in buildings. At the turn of the millennium, our focus was primarily on GRP rooflights and polycarbonate domes for the industrial and commercial sectors, but our range has now expanded significantly to include large continuous polycarbonate rooflights, polycarbonate panel glazing systems, and glass rooflights, for all sectors including residential. Our Marlon Clickfix panels demonstrate this diversification, providing an alternative to vertical glass that is lightweight, affordable and easy to install, but still enables designers to maximise interior light levels.
Looking forward to the next 25 years, we expect efficiency and sustainability to continue to grow as important issues. With the whole life environmental impact of building materials increasingly in the spotlight, Brett Martin is leading the way with products such as BioPlus polycarbonate. This innovative solution replaces 89% of the fossil fuels within the material with bio-derived alternatives and utilises 100% renewable energy for production. It’s likely that, as with safety, manufacturers will continue to lead the way and drive positive change.
To find out more about Brett Martin’s daylight systems and to get in touch with a member of the team, go to www.brettmartin.com/daylight-systems.
