Protecting future roofers with the ultimate roof system

Welcoming trainees, architects and engineers since 1927, the Federal Education Centre for Carpenters and Finishing Trades in Gladbeck, Kassel helps preserve interest in timber construction – both traditional and modern – in Germany.  The sprawling facility spreads over 13,000 m², with learning taking place in workshops, training and seminar rooms. The bulk of the centre’s expansion took place during the 1980s.

The challenge

With a goal to improve energy efficiency, most of the facility was renovated during 2017/2018. Responsibility for the roof areas fell to the local craftsmen from Kühne GmbH, and to master roofer, Dirk Flörke.

"The Federal Education Centre has been expanded again and again. New buildings have been constructed and extensions added over time,” explains Dirk Flörke. “So for us, it wasn’t about upgrading the roof structure of a homogeneous building complex, but about processing many different roof structures and geometries. That’s what made our job tricky and exciting at the same time.”

In total, 36 individual roof areas covering around 5,500 m² needed refurbishment and modern insulation installed. Even removing the old roof coverings was challenging, as many used asbestos corrugated sheets that needed to be dismantled and disposed of properly. And to add to the complexity of the project, the refurbishment needed to take place during term time when school was running.

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The solution

The diversity of different roof shapes and structures meant that ROCKWOOL Meisterdach – a flexible and high-performing stone wool insulation system – was the perfect choice for the project. Not only would the roof insulation help minimise heat loss and reduce heating bills for the Centre, the stone wool would also secure fire and sound protection – both important benefits for a school environment.

The first step involved installing a ROCKWOOL vapour barrier followed by non-combustible and pressure-resistant stone wool boards. As these boards came with a factory-applied water tight membrane on the outer surface, they provided an almost instant weather protection – which resulted in being very useful as the weather was particularly wet during the renovation period!

The team installed counter battens on top of the insulation layer, followed by Eternit panels. The entire roof structure was safely anchored with 300 mm long-thrust screws, screwed in at an angle of 90°, and 320 mm long-suction screws at a 60° angle. Kühne GmbH relied on expertise from ROCKWOOL’s technical service to make the complex static calculation for the screws.

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Easy insulation for an intricate installation

For Flörke and the team from Kühne GmbH, the fact that the ROCKWOOL insulation material is easy to cut and prepare proved to be a substantial benefit. They needed to follow the varied geometry of the roof structures and navigate difficult connection areas. The shed roofs above the workshop halls were particularly demanding, requiring experience and a professional eye with an accurate sense of proportion to cut the insulation panels precisely. So it was relief for the team that they could cut and shape the stone wool to fit perfectly with the roof structure, avoiding air gaps and any possible errors.

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