Sustainability

"Immediately save up to 20% on the environmental impact of your project.

You’re in control..."

Abbey Metals calculates that UK Architects and Specifiers, by specifying the correct Colour Code to a wider variety of thickness of Lead to be installed on their projects, will immediately save the energy and all the costs associated with manufacturing and distributing some than 4000* tonnes to the UK market - per annum.

Abbey Metals, as a manufacturer of BS EN 12588 Rolled Lead Sheet products, managing lead sheet as an environmentally sustainable construction material is not only a moral commitment, but also a commercial imperative.

 

The greater the recycled yield, the stronger the commercial argument, and the lesser the impact on the environment.

 

Abbey Metals commitment to the environment:

 

• All of its products are made from 100% recycled lead.

• All of its lead drosses and offcuts are collected and recycled, no waste goes to landfill.

 

 

Energy efficient

 

• Lead has a lower melting point (327°) compared to other metals and other man-made products.

 

Real sustainability

 

Optimising the thickness of lead used is a ‘real, immediate’; and importantly, a ‘transparent way’ to specify/install a quantifiable, sustainable saving that will considerably reduce the impact on your pocket and the environment.

 

Durability:

 

It’s suggested that it will take 1000 years to erode 1mm of lead and that Rolled Lead Sheet fitted today will exceed 60 years or more, easily out performing the real-life use of other building products, probably the building.

 

Dangers of over-specification to the environment

 

Over-specification is the greatest drain on resources and energy...

 

You may have read statements such as “Lead is more than likely to outlive the building to which it is applied”; this will be found in the introduction to many a lead manual.

 

But why specify a thicker colour code than necessary? In modern buildings, change of use, refurbishment, building design trends and the lower life expectancy of surrounding substrates means that most lead used in modern buildings will be stripped off way before the life expectancy of the lead product comes into questions.

 

Other considerations with regards to the thickness of lead sheet comes down to changing working practices. In the 1970’s, it’s been said that ‘bossing’ (the act of shaping malleable lead metal, with bossing tools to fit a surface) represented up to 70% of the install.

 

 

Today, a change in working practices means that welding is now more commonplace and therefore, thinner lead sheet can be used.

 

 


Lead features in the BRE Green Guide with a rating of A+ or A.

Rolled lead sheet and flashing has been awarded BRE Green Guide ratings as high as A+ when manufactured to British Standard BS EN12588. 

*By Abbey Metals calculations.