Whether shopping for a roof hatch for the first time or upgrading an existing one, selecting an access hatch that best meets your requirements is crucial to its successful performance. This article provides all the information you require in making this choice.
Roof hatches can make any home more accessible and comfortable for its inhabitants while improving energy efficiency by keeping drafts out.
Safety
Convenient and safe roof access hatches allow workers to perform maintenance or renovation work on HVAC equipment and other buildings more quickly and safely. Unfortunately, an open roof hatch poses a fall hazard for workers, so building owners should enforce appropriate safety regulations.
Building owners have several ways they can increase rooftop safety for workers in their employ. First, they should ensure all access hatches are closed during periods of inclement weather to help protect workers from falling onto their roofs and potentially leading to severe injuries or deaths.
Finally, they must include an automatic self-closing mechanism that will close as soon as a worker ascends the roof – this prevents anyone from accidentally closing and injuring themselves while climbing to work on top of it.
Material selection should also be critical; common choices include galvanised steel and aluminium; however, stainless and copper products can also be great options depending on your application needs.
Not only should these products be durable, but they should also be fire-rated to prevent the spread of flame and smoke. For example, a fire within a roof hatch could potentially damage surrounding areas; therefore, this opening must feature an effective fire protection system.
These systems can include fire extinguishers and sprinklers, as well as ladder safety posts attached to the top two rungs of a fixed ladder inside a roof hatch for safe worker entry and exit, providing them with a stable place to hold while entering or exiting, helping keep their bodies upright and balanced.
Though these features aren’t essential for every hatch, they can enhance the safety of your facility and make employees’ work environments safer. Furthermore, these features may reduce fire insurance premiums as the risk associated with fire in roof hatches is significantly less than fire in another part of a building.
Convenience
Roof access hatches provide quick, safe access to roofs for maintenance or simply enjoying roof terraces. In the past, caged ladders were the only means of reaching commercial buildings’ rooftops; now, various hatches can be easily installed into buildings of all sizes to simplify performing different jobs on roofs.
Hatches can also transport large equipment between locations, such as air conditioning units, generators and electrical panel boxes. Most often, these double-covered hatches will accommodate the size and shape of any required pieces of equipment.
Hatches come in various materials, from galvanised steel and aluminium alloys to custom combinations of these metals. Furthermore, you can customise them with finishes to complement the exterior design of a building and offer added corrosion resistance.
Hatches are designed for easy opening and closing action while often being energy-efficient with their gasket sealing against curbs to block water entry into structures. This feature helps minimise heating/cooling requirements and maintenance costs while cutting maintenance expenses.
Some hatches feature polycarbonate dome covers that add the benefits of skylights to illuminate dark workspaces in industrial facilities while lowering energy costs by maintaining natural lighting in the building.
Durability
Roof access hatches are designed to make it easy for maintenance personnel to access the roofs of buildings. Made from metal, these sturdy hatches can withstand extreme weather conditions while their insulation helps maintain a consistent temperature inside the structure.
Roof hatches can be custom-fabricated in various sizes to meet the specific requirements of a building and come in materials like aluminium and steel. Some offer ladder access, while others feature ship or service stairs so people can safely access rooftops without climbing ladders.
Most hatches feature thermally broken insulation to reduce heat escaping during winter and to maintain the indoor temperature, keeping employees and visitors comfortable while doing business.
Customisation
Roof access hatches are an integral component of commercial buildings that can be tailored to suit your specific requirements. Easy and safe installations make roof hatches the perfect addition to metal structures.
Aluminium, galvanised steel or stainless steel is used to construct these custom curb flanges with either a mill finish or custom colour option for optimal integration into any metal roof system. Curb flanges may also be added for seamless integration into existing metal roof systems.