SON Orders Additional Coating Of Roofing Sheets

SON Orders Additional Coating Of Roofing Sheets

The Standards Organisation of Nigeria has raised the standard of coating materials for steel roofing sheets from just zinc to zinc, magnesium and aluminium.

The agency said the standard was the latest in steel roofing sheet technology and in line with global standards.

SON said this during a stakeholders’ meeting in Lagos on Friday, adding that the aim was to enhance the durability of steel roofing sheets.

The new product, according to the agency, would last five times longer than the normal zinc roofing sheets used for building construction.

The Director-General, SON, Osita Aboloma, who was represented at stakeholders’ meeting by the Assistant Director in charge of the Mandatory Conformity Assessment Programme, Fred Akingbesote, said that Nigeria must comply with the new global standard.

Apart from using zinc as coating medium for roofing sheets, three different chemicals, given as zinc, magnesium and aluminium, were being used, he stated.

He said that the organisation recently carried out a nationwide verification of the coating thickness of roofing sheets and discovered that most of the companies could not meet up with the coating requirements for steel roofing sheets.

“Instead of roofing sheets to stay for 10 years before accumulating rust, what usually happens is that it starts rusting two years after on the roof.

“We have tested this improved version of roofing sheets in the laboratory and discovered that the lifespan is not less than five times what we have presently.”

According to Aboloma, the technology will not only be useful for builders but for automakers and other steel product users.