Metrotile Qube & Shingle Used In Unison To Transform Commercial Building

Barlow House in central Manchester is a busy commercial building that had been struggling with a series of persistent roof issues. The existing traditional roof covering had began to fail, with leaks appearing across multiple sections. Poor ventilation meant condensation was building up within the roof structure, and to complicate matters further, the existing solar installation had not been fitted correctly — raising both performance and safety concerns. A complete and carefully managed refurbishment was needed.

A Dual-System Solution: Qube for the Roof, Shingle for the Facade

Given the complexity of the building design, Metrotile provided a hybrid solution using two of its lightweight metal tile systems:

• Metrotile Qube was selected for the main roof areas. Its crisp, contemporary flat profile complemented the building’s urban aesthetic while providing outstanding durability.

• Metrotile Shingle was chosen for the vertical cladding on the building’s face. Its versatility and secure fixing method made it the ideal profile to meet the design requirements where traditional cladding materials had proved unsuitable.

This combined use of roofing and vertical cladding allowed for a consistent finish and a fully integrated weatherproof envelope.

Above: Metrotile Shingle used to provide strength and striking aesthetics to the facade of the building.

Fixing the Root Problems: Ventilation, Weatherproofing & Solar

The project wasn’t just about replacing the tiles, it was about correcting long-standing structural and performance issues.

• Ventilation Upgrades: The original roof suffered from insufficient airflow, causing internal condensation. The Metrotile system incorporated enhanced ventilation details, eliminating moisture build-up and providing a healthier, long-term solution for the building.

• Leak Prevention: The watertight, lapping design of both Qube and Shingle immediately addressed the leak problems that had plagued the previous covering, with 8 secure fixing points per panel.

• Solar Integration Done Properly:
  The building already had solar panels, but they had not been mounted correctly. As part of the refurbishment, Metrotile’s own PV brackets were installed to provide a secure and fully compatible fixing point. A Renusol Bar System was then mounted onto these brackets, allowing for correct orientation, load distribution and safe ongoing performance of the solar array.

Delivered by an Approved Installer

The roofing and cladding works were completed by JB Roofing, an experienced Metrotile Approved Installer. Their familiarity with both Qube and Shingle ensured the refurbishment was delivered efficiently, safely and to manufacturer specification, despite the challenges of working on an occupied city-centre building.

Above: The completed main section of Barlow House by JB Roofing in Metrotile Qube with Solar Panels securely fit via Metrotile PV Brackets.

A Weatherproof, Modernised & Future-Ready Roof

The result is a completely transformed roofscape that resolves long-term issues while enhancing the building’s appearance. Thanks to the combination of Qube and Shingle, improved ventilation and fully compliant solar integration, Barlow House now has a reliable, low-maintenance roofing system built to perform for decades.

Is your roof facing issues that a Metrotile roof system could help fix? Contact us today to see how we can help.