3.0 Substrate & Installation Overview
Information to help the design and specification of the sub-structure immediately below a Gerard pressed steel roof; rafters, battens, underlays and fixings are covered in detail.
This section and it’s numbered points (3.1;3.2; etc.) correspond to the equivalent parts of the Gerard Roofs Specification Manual.
Rafters and valley boards are to be correctly installed by the builder before roofing can start.
Refer to Gerard Roofs Technical Note - Builder Check List.
Where exact number of tile courses is not possible, the top row of tiles will be trimmed to fit and then bent up beneath the ridge flashing.
Select batten size to suit rafter or truss spacing. Battens are to be treated to H1.2 and graded on site.
| Truss spacing (mm) | Batten size (mm) | Situation |
|---|---|---|
| 900 | 40 x 50 | Standard |
| 1200 | 50 x 50 | Occasional |
| 1500 | 50 x 65 on edge | Unusual |
| 1800 | 50 x 75 on edge | Unusual |
| Table O2 Batten/ Spacing | ||
Corona, Colortile, Tuffcoat Milano, Rockport and Alpine profiles
A row of battens fixed directly behind the fascia with the second batten 330mm up the truss. Subsequent battens are spaced at 370mm (or as specified for profile and coating finish). The final top row of tiles is 365mm or less, depending on whether the top row needs cutting due to rafter length.
Senator
A row of battens fixed directly behind the fascia with the second batten 330mm up the truss. Subsequent battens are spaced at 368mm. A centre support batten (40x50 mm) positioned 185 mm behind the front face of the tile batten is installed and held in place with a single batten nail. Tiles are not fastened to this support batten. The final top row of tiles is 365mm or less, depending on whether the top row needs cutting due to rafter length.
NB. The second batten up from the fascia is left out to allow the roofing underlay to maintain an angle above horizontal.
Oberon
A row of battens fixed directly behind the fascia with the second batten 280 mm up the truss. Subsequent battens are spaced at 160mm. The final top row of tiles is 155mm or less, depending on whether the top row needs cutting due to rafter length. Tiles are not fastened to intermediate support battens.
NB. The second batten up from the fascia is left out to allow the roofing underlay to maintain an angle above horizontal.
Eaves tiles at gutter fascia
Tiles should extend into the gutter by 40mm. This may vary slightly depending on the rafter length and roof pitch.
| Tile Profile | Batten spacing | |
|---|---|---|
| Textured | Satin | |
| Colortile | 369mm | 370mm |
| Tuffcoat | 369mm | 370mm |
| Corona | 370mm | 371mm |
| Alpine | 368mm | |
| Rockport | 368mm | |
| Milano | 368mm | |
| Senator* | 368mm | |
| Oberon^ | 320mm | |
| Table 03 Batten Set-Out | ||
*Centre batten 185 mm, second batten from eave not installed
^Centre batten 160 mm, second batten from eave not installed
Gerard Roofs require that all 40 x 50 mm battens fastened to rafters at 900 mm centres are to be fastened with 2 x 90 mm gun nails in all wind zones up to and including the very high wind zone.
In extra high wind zones a screw fastener must be used for all batten rafter junctions.
This meets or exceeds the requirements of NZS3604:2011
| Wind zone | 900 rafter 50x40 mm | 1200 rafter 50x50 mm |
|---|---|---|
| Low 32m/s | S | S |
| Medium 37m/s | S | S |
| High 44m/s | S | T |
| Very high 50m/s | S | T |
| Extra high 55m/s | T | T |
| SED +55m/s | Contact GR | Contact GR |
| Table 04 Fasteners for Tile Battens -Wind Zones – NZS3604. | ||
*In SED Specific design situations refer to Gerard Roofs Technical Notes on installation in SED wind areas.
Must comply with standard NZS 2295– pliable and permeable building underlays. Roofing underlay is installed under the battens but over the bottom batten.
Roofing underlay shall be installed horizontally with a minimum overlap of 75 mm.
All vertical laps to be taken past rafters and lap by a minimum of 150 mm.
The Roofing underlay is self-supporting up to 1200 mm and does not need mesh.
Valley trays should be made from 0.55 mm AZ150 coated steel. Typically the steel will be pre-painted. Install valleys in a weatherproof workmanlike manner. Do not fix through valleys. Where more than one valley length is used in one run, have an overlap of at least 150mm. Tag valleys at the top edge of the valley join to eliminate valley creep.
Gerard Roofs have proprietary solar brackets which can be installed at the time of roofing or after. These brackets do not require holes to be cut into the surface of the tiles offering complete weather security.
Refer to Gerard Roofs for more information.
Care must be taken when handling, cutting, bending and installing to avoid damage to the surface. In particular, the paint finish must be kept clean.
Use rubber soled work shoes during installation and protective / synthetic padding on tile bending equipment.
Where work is still to be carried out on upper storey dormer windows or walls, tiles can be left off to avoid profile damage or fall out from paint or plaster coatings. Alternatively, a plank embedded into 3 sand bags along its length can be used on top of the tile, with the sand bags placed over the support batten near the nose of the tile.
Where work is progressing above installed tiles, dust sheets must be used held down with sand bags.
Colortile, Tuffcoat and Milano
Colortile, Tuffcoat and Milano can be installed at a minimum of 12° and may be laid left to right or right to left. All laps to be the same way on each plane.
Corona
Corona can be installed at a minimum of 15° and should be laid left to right or right to left. However, the laps should be laid facing away from prevailing winds or line of vision. All laps to be the same way on each plane. Courses must be staggered in a random pattern for Corona Shake, to avoid patterning as you progress up a hip, or gable.
Senator, Rockport and Alpine
Senator, Rockport and Alpine can be laid to minimum of 15°, these profiles are laid one way depending on the profile they should be laid in a random pattern with staggered start points.
Senator are installed with an intermediate batten is installed at 185mm to support roof traffic. This makes Senator the strongest roof traffic system in the market.
Oberon
Oberon can be installed at a minimum of 20° and should be laid right to left. Reference can be made to the Manufacturers Instruction Manual. Courses must be staggered in a random pattern for Oberon, to avoid patterning as you progress up a hip or gable.
Eaves tiles
The front rows of tiles are fixed to the battens alongside the fascia by driving nails through the top face into the eave batten. These nails are positioned at points of low water run off. Eaves nails for Satin finish have a synthetic washer installed under the nail head, eaves nails on textured finishes are sealed with the touch up kit basecoat and chip.
Nailing tiles
Successive rows of tiles are fixed by driving 50mm nails through the centre of the tile nose into the face of the battens. These nails are spaced as shown/described in the Tile Specification profile sheets at the back of this specification manual.
Only Gerard Roofs approved nails should be used in the installation of tiles and accessories.
Valley tiles
Tiles are cut at the valley angle at appropriate points and bent down into the valley, but not touching the valley tray. At the ridge, tiles are cut and bent up under ridge accessories.
Ridge, Hip, Gable and Wall flashings
Only factory produced flashings and trim as supplied by Gerard Roofs must be installed. Tiles are turned up by a minimum of 40 mm and covered by Gerard Roofs accessories to the prescribed coverage. Special flashings can be formed and coated to order.
Wall roof lower junctions
Gerard Roofs have proprietary PVC stop end flashings that direct roof/wall run off water into the rain water gutter system.
Membrane areas If flat membrane areas such as Butynol overlap onto product surfaces, these can be painted with the touch up kit or base coated and granite textured.
Weather sealing
Proprietary or custom made rubber or metal flashings require neutral-cure silicone or MS sealants acceptable to Gerard Roofs to be used for weather-sealing services penetrating the roof. Sealant shall be applied between the flashing and tile surface and mechanical fasteners (rivets, Tek screws) installed to permanently fix the flashing in place.