Where products are identical it can be argued that it doesn't matter to customers if the products are identified clearly or not, although the standard of packaging and labelling on most products is generally good and improving. But roofline and cladding products are not all the same, and if you are a fitter the differences are significant, as many have been finding out.

One third of cellular PVC-UE roofline and cladding brands are lead free, offering a guarantee against costly pinking problems, while two thirds of the market are still using lead based formulations and carry a risk of future pinking problems. However with many roofline and cladding brands supplied without clear branding or product identification at point of sale it is not easy for the installer to select the right product.

Tony Walsh, Managing Director of Freefoam Plastics, a fast growing supplier of lead free roofline and cladding systems, comments: “The evidence is building up that Pinking is a far bigger problem for installers and stockists than had been thought. Installers need to be able to identify brands at point of sale and know if they have a lead-free board or not. Knowing what we now do about Pinking, buying blind is just not worth the risk. All Freefoam cellular foam boards are despatched with a printed adhesive tape that not only identifies the boards and protects them on-site during installation, but it reassures fitters they are using 100% lead-free products.”