With a population of approximately 12,000, the small port town of Newhaven stands at the mouth of the River Ouse, surrounded by the South Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Newhaven is home to the Harbour Primary School, a nursery and primary school run by the East Sussex County Council.

Clarke Roofing, a trusted family business serving the South East since 1949, won this cheerful school’s re-roofing project via a mini competition under the East Sussex County Council Planned Maintenance Framework. Its value was just under £300,000. As the management team required the school to remain fully operational during works, the company had to carefully plan every step of the project, ensuring minimal disruption and safety at all times.

Clarke Roofing partners with leading manufacturers and suppliers, always seeking the highest quality and most appropriate materials for each assignment. This is why Roofshield® was, once again, the company’s underlay of choice. However, the project's tight time frame left no room for unexpected delays; all of the necessary materials needed to be available promptly.

For Roofshield®, the forever original air and vapour permeable roofing underlay, shortages and delays have never been an issue since its 1996 market debut. As the UK’s only vertically integrated construction membrane manufacturer, Don & Low produces Roofshield®, along its entire construction membrane range, at the company’s modern facilities in Forfar. This guarantees that stock is readily available throughout the country, enabling roofers, builders, and contractors to conveniently receive the membranes they want where and when they need them, always in the specified quantities.

Following the stripping of the existing roof structure, Clarke Roofing has carefully installed Roofshield®. Thanks to the membrane's straightforward installation and flexibility, the company's experienced team achieved the correct overlaps without any wrinkles or gaps quickly. Roofshield® is designed to allow the passage of moisture vapour from the roof space while preventing water ingress, offering exceptional breathability and enhanced durability. These properties also help mitigate problems related to condensation and mould growth, ensuring a healthy indoor environment for Harbour Primary School’s students and prolonging the roof's life.

The BBA has certified Roofshield® for use in unventilated cold and warm pitched roofs in both fully supported and unsupported roofing applications. With no slate vents or additional ventilation required, Roofshield® enables savings on both material and labour expenses, all while speeding up the roof’s completion – another key benefit for projects that must be delivered on time. Clarke Roofing covered the school’s renovated roof in new fibre cement slates.

For nearly 30 years, Roofshield® has been continuously tried by the industry in real-world conditions, demonstrating consistent performance and unmatched reliability. Roofshield® is also NSAI-certified and NHBC-accepted, while its wind uplift resistance allows use in all zones (1-5).