Over 3700m2 of Filon Monarch F GRP barrel vault rooflights have been installed at the Lidl Distribution Centre in Runcorn, Cheshire as part of a refurbishment program by Ascot Property Maintenance Ltd.
The existing polycarbonate barrel vault rooflights had started to fail, resulting in water ingress in some areas of the building. A further long-term problem with the existing rooflights was direct, un-diffused light which was causing glare and localised heat build-up: both unwelcome characteristics in a food storage warehouse environment.
Darren Fletcher of Ascot Property Maintenance takes up the story: “We were aware of the light diffusing capabilities of Filon GRP rooflights, so we contacted Filon Products to help us demonstrate this to Lidl’s Facilities Management team.”
Filon’s technical team responded with samples and recommended the company’s Monarch F GRP barrel vault rooflights as the ideal replacement solution due to their excellent light diffusing properties and suitability for use on curved metal profiled roofs.
In addition to meeting Lidl’s needs for improved light diffusion, Filon rooflights offer high strength, allowing the installation to achieve the required Class B non-fragility rating.
High energy efficiency was another key factor in the rooflight specification and in this respect, Filon was also able to meet the challenges posed by the Lidl project.
Darren Fletcher continued: “Filon’s technical support has always been excellent and this project is another example of their commitment and versatility. In order to meet the required U-value for this building to achieve compliance with Part L2 of the Building Regulations, the Monarch F system was modified to incorporate an additional multiwall polycarbonate glazing sheet between the GRP inner and outer skins.”
The new rooflights now provide the required high level of evenly distributed natural daylight – with no unwanted glare, reduced internal temperatures and no ‘hot spots’. This creates improved storage conditions and makes life easier, safer and more comfortable for staff.
The Runcorn Distribution Centre is one of a number of Lidl facilities around the UK where Filon GRP rooflights have been specified.