Glidevale Protect sheds more light on the Future Homes Hub’s latest solar roofing advice

Leading product manufacturer Glidevale Protect is renewing its commitment to support both housebuilders and roofing contractors as they navigate the changing requirements of solar roofing installations, following the launch of the Future Homes Hub’s latest campaign in readiness for the official launch of the Future Homes Standard.

Glidevale Protect welcomes the new Future Homes Standard Essentials campaign, recognising it as an important and practical step from the Future Homes Hub to help the housebuilding industry prepare for the transition to low‑energy, zero‑carbon‑ready homes. By setting out seven critical actions to de‑risk delivery of the new residential buildings, covering fabric performance, ventilation, overheating, services and solar integration, the campaign provides much‑needed clarity for the sector as it works towards creating more sustainable homes.

As solar PV roofing is expected to become a more standardised feature of new build housing, Glidevale Protect recognises that manufacturers at all levels of the supply chain play an important part in supporting these installations with reliable ancillary product solutions that are backed up with technical transparency. For example, as the rapid growth of integrated PV systems brings new considerations for roof design, condensation control and long‑term performance, contractors and specifiers need confidence that the specified roofing systems are installed with a suitable combination of a pitched roofing underlay and ventilation strategy that will perform as intended. Glidevale Protect continues to champion technical data transparency in compliance with relevant standards, in order that the most suitable underlay and ventilation solution is selected for a specific project, along with recommendations on counter battening to help ensure that the interface with the back of the in-roof solar panel is not subjected to the risk of moisture. This can ensure that solar roofing systems work as designed and provide the intended benefits.

The National Federation of Roofing Contractors (NFRC) has also voiced its support for the Future Homes Standard Essentials campaign and has gone one step further by highlighting the areas where soar roofing installations require the greatest focus. These potential weak spots include fire and electrical safety risks from poor installation practices, compromised roof integrity and waterproofing issues, incorrect fixings, cracked tiles and detailing failures, and installations undertaken without adequate understanding of the roof system.

Glidevale Protect shares this concern and highlights that product manufacturers also have an ethical responsibility to provide transparent technical guidance, independently tested products and collaborative support across both the supply chain and industry bodies.

John Mellor, Head of Marketing at Glidevale Protect, commented:

“The use of solar panels is no longer a specialist add‑on. It is becoming a standard part of new build design and the roofing systems behind it must be future‑ready. Our role is to give contractors and housebuilders the confidence that their solar installations are supported by proven, technically sound membrane and ventilation solutions that work hand in hand to lower the risk of condensation issues in the roof space. The Future Homes Standard Essentials campaign is a positive step because it encourages collaboration and clarity at a time when the industry needs both. Manufacturers like Glidevale Protect now have a part to play in continuing this shared vision and for our part, technical transparency is and always will be the ethos at the heart of our business.”

Glidevale Protect offers a wide range of type LR vapour permeable, air and vapour permeable and type HR impermeable pitched roofing underlays, including Protect A1 Solar, designed to work effectively with integrated PV roofing systems on both cold and warm pitched roofs. As per NHBC Standards, where arrays of integrated in-roof solar roof panels are used, the whole roof covering should be treated as air impermeable unless the panel manufacturer is able to demonstrate that their system is air permeable. This means that when combined with its high and low level ventilation products, Protect A1 Solar and other Glidevale Protect HR underlays ensure a holistic approach that removes the need for a counter‑battened ventilation space, eliminating the risk of water vapour escaping out through the underlay and then getting trapped in the underside of the in-roof solar panel. This ultimately also helps reduce labour, save time and cuts material costs when being installed on site.

The company also provides impartial technical support on product specification, including tailored condensation risk analysis and visual flowchart guides for both permeable and impermeable roofcoverings to help contractors and specifiers determine the correct ventilation strategy that is required with each type of roofing underlay in compliance to BS 5250, the code of practice for the management of moisture in buildings. The company’s commitment to UKAS accredited third‑party product certification and technical problem‑solving underpins Glidevale Protect’s approach to supporting the industry as the use of in‑roof solar PV becomes more widely adopted.

For more information on the Future Homes Standard Essentials, visit www.futurehomes.org.uk/future-homes-standard-ready.

To find out more, visit www.glidevaleprotect.com, call +44 (0)161 905 5700, or email info@glidevaleprotect.com. Follow Glidevale Protect on LinkedIn.