Recent updates to LABC Warranty technical content

LABC Warranty’s Technical Team are constantly assessing the advice and guidance in our technical blogs.

As part of that task, we’ve updated the guidance in nine technical articles. In this blog we’ll round up which articles have been changed, and how our guidance has changed.

Let’s take a look at what’s new. 

The latest changes to LABC Warranty technical content

Structural floor boards for timber joists and their weather resistance

This article contains a significant update to our guidance on the use and weather resistance of structural floor boards for timber joists, and how to approach this weather resistance as they are installed on an ongoing site.

This includes advice on storage, exposure, and installation.

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Specifying the use of timber externally

Choosing the right kind of timber for external use. This article updates our warranty requirements guidance on choosing the appropriate timber for external use on a development.

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Vapour control layers

An update to our guidance around the use of a vapour control layer (VCL), including a significant update to the forms of VCL that are recommended.

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Assessing plywood specification

How to determine what kind of plywood to use on site to meet the requirements of the LABC Warranty Technical Manual.

This guidance updates some of the standards that installers should look for, and the guidance they should seek when using plywood on a development covered by our warranty.

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Substitute materials

Materials from an original design may occasionally be substituted. This article updates our guidance around those changes, and what kind of certifications and standards LABC Warranty will be looking for when accepting changes.

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Thatched Roofing: Interactions with modern construction techniques

This article is a significant update to LABC Warranty’s guidance on using thatched roofs and modern building techniques.

Some of the changes align the guidance with the requirements laid out in the Technical Manual, and others outline performance and specification changes.

Other changes include updates to weather resistance, structure, durability, and more.

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Gaps around windows

Another significant overhaul of our guidance, this content brings the blog into line with the requirements in the latest Technical Manual.

This includes the evidence that we want to see ahead of time, the standards of timber specified, the certifications that we expect to see, and some of the tolerances that your surveyor will be expecting to see on site.

This is an important update to anyone designing windows, especially those specifying timber windows.

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Ponding on flat roofs

This minor update to our guidance on preventing ponding of water on flat roofs, bringing our published guidance in line with the latest requirements of the Technical Manual.

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Batten space ventilation for pitched roofs

Another minor update to our guidance on roofs, bringing the guidance on the website in line with the latest requirements in the Technical Manual.

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Questions about this content?

If you have any questions about applying the guidance in these technical articles on your site, you’re always welcome to get in touch.

Your risk management surveyor would be happy to help you, or you can contact the LABC Warranty Technical Team directly through technical.referrals@labcwarranty.co.uk

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Please Note: Every care was taken to ensure the information in this article was correct at the time of publication. Any written guidance provided does not replace the reader’s professional judgement and any construction project should comply with the relevant Building Regulations or applicable technical standards. However, for the most up to date LABC Warranty technical guidance please refer to your Risk Management Surveyor and the latest version of the LABC Warranty Technical Manual.

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