In 1996, the year that English football fans prayed that football really was coming home, and The Simpsons was shown in the UK for the first time, Ultraframe’s glass roof system became the first conservatory roof to attain accreditation from the British Board of Agrément (BBA). Twenty-five years later, the company still proudly holds the accreditation.
Alex Hewitt, Ultraframe’s marketing director, said: “Ultraframe was the first conservatory roofing company to pass Europe’s most stringent testing regime and achieve BBA certification. We are extremely proud of this milestone, and the fact that we still hold the accreditation 25 years later. The certificate indicates that an Ultraframe glass roof will have a lifespan of at least 25 years, although we know of many of our glass roofs from the early days that have far exceeded this milestone! When Ultraframe first achieved the BBA accreditation, it provided the platform for the UK retail conservatory market to grow to where it is today. We are also very proud of our part in this.”
The BBA certificate is a mark of excellence based on rigorous national and European standards. The mark validates a construction product’s quality, technical capabilities and uniqueness. Mark Hanson, a member of the Ultraframe team who has worked at the company for more than 20 years, reflected on his memories of the Ultraframe glass roof achieving BBA accreditation: “It’s hard to believe that it’s 25 years since Ultraframe first gained BBA accreditation. I remember, at the time, the investment from Ultraframe, both in time and money, to gain the accreditation was huge, but we felt that it was a crucial step in the growth of Ultraframe, our glass roof, and indeed the conservatory sector as a whole.”
Key factors on which the Ultraframe glass roof was – and still is – assessed, in order to achieve and retain its BBA accreditation, are strength and stability, weathertightness, ventilation and solar heat gain, thermal insulation, condensation risk and durability.
Ultraframe worked with the BBA to develop and define these testing parameters for conservatory roofs. Ultraframe’s Classic Roof is the only conservatory roof system that still holds the prestigious accreditation.
Since it was first awarded BBA accreditation 25 years ago, the Ultraframe glass roof has been continually developed to ensure it has remained at the cutting edge of conservatory performance technology. The most recent enhancements have included a chambered box gutter, a structural design guide, a suite of bolstered eaves profiles and a slimline ridge. To find out more about the BBA-accredited glass roof, visit www.Ultraframetrade.co.uk.
