Marley Eternit’s guide to the new dry fix British standard; BS8612

BS8612: Dry-fixed Ridge, Hip and Verge Systems for Slating and Tiling came into force on 31 January 2018. The new Standard has been developed by the British Standards Institute, following concerns about the performance of some cheaper dry fix systems.

BS 8612 covers dry fixed ridge and hip systems connected to timber ridge / hip battens, ridge boards or hip rafters and dry-fixed verge systems, which are installed with slating and tiling.

Whilst it won’t have as much impact on roofing contractors as recent revisions to BS 5534 did, BS 8612 is still very significant because it sets minimum quality standards for dry fix systems for the first time. This means that it should make it much easier to differentiate between the products on the market and reduce the number of inferior systems available.

What do roofing contractors need to do about BS8612?

Contractors don’t need to worry too much about BS8612 because established manufacturers like Marley Eternit have already been preparing for the new Standard.  However, there are some actions that roofing contractors will need to take themselves as well:

1. You will need to make sure that any dry fix systems you use that require BS 8612 compliance, meet the requirements or have BBA certification.
2. Under the new Standard, dry verge products can no longer be installed just with a nail fixing into the end grain of the batten. Instead, mechanical engagement must be on the faces of the batten. In anticipation of this change, Marley Eternit has developed a new Batten End Clip, to help you ensure that the dry verge is fixed securely into the end of the batten.  The new clip requires no nails and has sharp teeth which grip firmly onto the batten, making it extremely secure, as well as being very quick to push or hammer into place.
3. Switch over to BS 8612 compliant products as soon as possible and make sure you update your buying policies.
4. Be aware that BS 8612 only sets minimum performance requirements. This means there will still be quality differences between compliant products, so watch out for this when choosing a system as some will still be superior to others.
5. If you have any queries, you can contact Marley Eternit’s technical team on 01283 722588, or visit their website for advice about BS8612.

Marley Eternit’s dry fix products, that fall under the scope of the new standard, have been put through rigorous testing to ensure they meet, or exceed, the expectations of the new BS 8612 standard.