"roof screeds"

The increased levels of thermal insulation found within the roof voids of a modern house is intended to reduce the amount of heat that is lost from the warm living spaces of the property over time. However breaks in this insulation layer, such as through the loft access door, will severely compromise its effectiveness. This editorial explains how to avoid losing heat in the loft space and therefore losing money.

The London Wall Place is a circa 300,000 sq ft building arranged over 12 storeys. The innovative design provides floor plates of circa 9,000 sq to 42,000 sq ft and includes over 35,000 sq ft of roof terraces for exclusive tenant use.  Location: LondonContractor: Brookfield MultiplexArchitect: Make ArchitectsAspex supplied: Doorsets & Ironmongery

The curved teaching space and the auditorium block are connected by a curved segment known as ‘The Link’ which runs through each floor of the building. This linking component features Schüco FWS 50 curtain walling both in the construction of the walls and horizontally in the roof skylights to let natural light into the centre of the building. The Link also acts as an important device to separate the two geometrically opposed buildings.

The archive’s single-storey extension was clad in Corten steel Hook-on cassettes on both the walls and the mono-pitch roof. These weathered steel panels naturally oxidise to form a patina veneer, giving the façade a distinctive “rusted” look that shifts from a vibrant orange before settling to a dark red after several years of exposure to the elements. Architect: Hugh Broughton Architects

A large commercial client of EnviroBuild required a contemporary and low maintenance decking solution for their purpose built flat refurbishment project in South London. The decking would be supported over a flat roof surface, plug on balconies and garden decking areas, so required a versatile decking bearing system.The SolutionThe project used 400 m² of Hyperion Granite Pioneer decking installed on a sub-frame made of non-rot Manticore recycled plastic lumber. To support the decking over the low profile balconies and taller flat roof sections, adjustable decking supports were used. The various sizes of pedestals, allowed both very shallow decking heights and other sections to be supported securely with minimal installation time.Customer FeedbackThe client loved the look of the Granite Pioneer decking against the classic redbrick building. Combined with the modern glass balustrade, they created the perfect outdoor living spaces.Project DetailsSize: 400 m²Product: Granite Hyperion Composite DeckingSubstructure: Mesa Adjustable pedestals & Manticore Plastic LumberLocation: London

Hale Brown Architects were appointed to redesign 6 Middle Street with the brief to redevelop it into a modern office space that incorporates new sustainable design elements.Set within the narrow cobbled streets along the eastern boundary of the Smithfields Conservation Area this refurbishment included demolition of existing roof structure and replacing it with a feature glazed roof, creation of a mezzanine floor and installation of a cantilevered staircase. The concept was to open up the space to create free-flowing natural light throughout all floors, open up views, create natural ventilation and maximise ceiling heights while incorporating a timber slatted raft concealing service.3v provided a full ironmongery service for this project which including a mixture of brass and matt black products. Black products were used on timber doors and bespoke textured brass pad handles on black frame glass doors, the pad handles were chosen to compliment the detailing in the timber slatted ceiling raft and wall panelling. We think they work seamlessly together! Photography: Neil Kenyon

The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre at Sydney Harbour in New South Wales, Australia and is one of the 20th century’s most famous and distinctive buildings. The roof was created to resemble the sail of boats, this creative and very unique roof made it one of the most photographed buildings in the world. Interfloor was proud to supply 11,000 sqm of our Technics 5 underlay to all the carpeted public areas in this building. Duralay Technics 5 was chosen due to its superior flame retardancy, sound insulation properties & durability. With an End Use Classification (BS 5808: 1991: HC/U) of Heavy Contract Use, Technics 5 has an excellent recovery from compression which is essential as the building attracts nearly 11 million visitors each year! Not only is Technics 5 great for heavy footfall but it also acts as a sound reduction for both impact sound and airborne sound, so for commercial buildings like the Sydney Opera House, having underlay that also acts as sound reduction can really boost performance.

Daventry International Rail Freight Terminal (DIRFT) is a rail-road intermodal freight terminal with an associated warehousing estate in Northamptonshire. Owned by Prologis, the business park was originally built in the 90’s, but a recent expansion has added around 4 million square feet of storage and office space. Some buildings are already occupied by leading brands such as Royal Mail, BooHoo, Dunelm, Tesco and Sainsburys.DIRFT’s Unit DC628 (DC10) is a net zero carbon building with 627,707 square foot warehouse space rated BREEAM Excellent. Among its features are solar PV systems, a roof terrace, and enhanced external amenities.Our team was commissioned to provide seating and planting solutions for the outdoor amenity space and roof terrace by BCA Design, Landscape Architects for the project.Our RailRoad modular seating solution with Delta supports, and FSC iroko timber slats, that are left untreated to allow natural weathering, was installed in the outdoor amenity area adjacent to the car park - along with Parallel picnic tables and benches and Zenith 500 litter bins - creating an outdoor lunch break environment in which employees can enjoy during warm weather.Decking supplied by Outdoor Deck was installed on the roof terrace of the building, complete with our AKRI 300 steel planters with 500mm high panels, manufactured from triple process recycled steel, to form a variety of linear shapes filled with plants and greenery to create a peaceful oasis with a view of the countryside.Seating and benches made from FSC Iroko timber which included armrests on some, were integrated onto the planters to provide warehouse staff with quiet spaces to relax. The rooftop planters were complemented by the addition of our Hollo range of freestanding low seating / tables

Balance pedestals form Wallbarn provide ultimate in precision and performance for roof terrace construction.This large roof terrace in a luxury residential redevelopment of a commercial block next to the Royal Courts of Justice demanded a high end finish. The roof deck had been waterproofed and insulated and 50mm limestone slabs needed to be raised and supported to achieve optimum drainage and ventilation to the structure.The client wanted a flat upper surface with no ridges or interruptions between individual slabs and the Balance self-levelling pedestals were able to create a smooth upper surface with reduced trip hazard and more attractive aesthetics across the terrace.The self-levelling nature of the headpiece meant any blemishes on the surface beneath such as laps between the waterproofing layers and drains, services etc. were accommodated easily without any noticeable effect on the upper surface.Because the self-levelling headpiece has an optic type mechanism it moves in all directions and achieves a perfectly flat upper level by itself, there is no need for installers to wind up and down separate segments of the head. it creates a better finish in much less time. The installer on this project simply loves Balance and will not use any other brand for self-levelling solutions. The limestone slabs were installed in a staggered layout and the Balance pedestals coped with this easily as the positioning lugs could be snapped off at T junction and other detail areas to create clean finishes. Weight tolerance was a major issue as heavy planters, a large barbecue, seating and other furniture were to be placed onto the slabs. Balance pedestals have a normal weight tolerance of 683kg each and a break point of over 1 tonne, so could cope with the additional weight easily. The end result was stunning. The client was delighted with the result and used this terrace on the show flat for the whole development.

As evidenced by previous case studies, Metrotile Lightweight Roofing has developed into a premier choice for specifiers that need to refurbish non-traditional (or ‘pre-fab’) properties across the United Kingdom to bring them up to Government Decent Homes standards. In Cannock Chase, Staffordshire, Cannock Chase Council and Keepmoat Housing oversee housing stock that includes Cornish Units and Reema properties [cont. at the link]

Rising up from its Thames-side site at Pimlico at the meeting of Millbank and Vauxhall Bridge, River Walk is an elegant new development of 116 high specification apartments with 170 crescent-shaped balconies, all of which need to be carefully waterproofed. Specialist roofing contractor Knight Asphalte Co Ltd is carrying out this task, using Hydrostop AH-25 liquid waterproofing.

Plygene Gutterline – the first choice for First Bus Depot. Continuous leaks in the roof of First Bus’s depot in Boyle Street, Manchester defied all remediation attempts. First operates a fleet of over 600 buses with around 2,200 staff and a network of over 300 routes serving Greater Manchester including Bury, Bolton, Rochdale, Oldham and Tameside. It is one of the biggest bus operators in the region.

Prior Weston Primary, located in the City of London, required a large south facing free standing canopy that would create solar energy for their school whilst also protecting their pupils from the elements. Able Canopies designed and installed a variation on the Kensington Dual Pitch, incorporating IPV (Integrated Photovoltaic) solar glazing panels into the roof panel design to provide a solar power facility for the school.

In 2018, pioneering polycarbonate roofing supplier Twinfix marked the first use in the UK of its premium bolted glass canopy. In fact, two of its new “spider-bolt” contemporary canopies have been used at the new Trumpington Park Primary School which supports the new Great Kneighton housing development near Cambridge, along with an existing secondary school and existing library building.

This sociable housing project located on a backlands site behind terraces of Victorian houses in Beckenham comprises six homes, with coach house and is an exemplar low carbon, flood resistant scheme. As in all sociable housing schemes, private space is combined with valuable shared amenity which contribute to and support community. The project combines a number of products including ANTHRA-ZINC standing seam roofing. 

A brand new hospital in Middlesex will deliver efficient and much improved care to it’s patients. The hospital includes new wards, an extension on one of its existing wings as well as the relocation of its existing energy centre. With so much investment in the new hospital including state-of-the-art equipment, the roof design needed to be robust, provide security and require minimal maintenance throughout its lifetime.

CUPA PIZARRAS’ CUPA 18 natural slate has been used to achieve a high-quality finish on three luxury, modern, new build properties in one of the most desirable areas of Whitstable in Kent. The new properties, built by local property designer and developer specialist Kapra Developments, are located in Island Wall, Whitstable, close to both the town centre and the scenic Kent coastline. The three storey, five bedroom luxury properties are each in excess of 360 square metres and benefit from views over the nearby golf course.  The unique design of the houses features extensive use of dark grey aluminium glazing systems including rooftop lanterns and large sloping roof windows. The placement of the expansive glazing as well as the layout and orientation of the buildings was devised to maximize the natural light and make the most of the surrounding landscape. In addition to the CUPA 18 natural slate, the design also includes high quality natural timber cladding, sedum green roofing and natural stone blockwork. Kim Brown, Director at Kapra Developments explained: “For the properties on Island Wall, the quality of the materials was very important and the coastal location meant that a durable product was essential. We had used CUPA PIZARRAS’ products on previous projects and so we were confident that the CUPA 18 slate would provide the look, quality and longevity we wanted.” CUPA 18 is a lighter grey slate with a smooth matt surface and has a superior, homogenous finish with only minor variations allowed in the thickness and flatness of the slate. The slate roofs were installed by Bates (Kent), a family owned contractor based near Canterbury, who has worked with Kapra Developments on a number of previous projects. David Clarke, Company Secretary at Bates said: “The Island Wall properties presented a few complexities and challenges due to the steep pitch of the roof and the need to integrate the slate with the other elements such as the large format glazing.  “We’ve used CUPA products on a number of contracts and found the slates very easy to work with. The strength and quality of the slates means that we are able to reduce the amount of wastage compared with other products.” Kim Brown concluded: “To achieve the intended result for these properties has required hard work from everyone involved. We are once again delighted with CUPA PIZARRAS’ products and are pleased with how that element of the build has progressed.” CUPA PIZARRAS’ natural slate is sustainably extracted from quarries in northern Spain. It has an exceptional life span of 100 years and requires minimal maintenance throughout its lifetime.

The Westfield Centre in Shepherd‘s Bush has one of the largest roofs ever designed in central London to cover the retail floor area of 150,000 m² (about 30 football pitches).The centre was developed by the Westfield Group at a cost of £1.6bn, choosing PermaQuik over the huge selection of waterproofing systems to provide the long term security necessary to protect one of the most expensive areas of retail space in the world.

A survey of architects and housebuilders commissioned by Renderplas, the PVCu render beading manufacturer, provides an interesting insight into attitudes toward sustainable building products in the face of increasing environmental obligations for the construction industry. The survey explored to what extent a product’s sustainability shapes specification, and whether system components like external render beads are subjected to the same environmental scrutiny as the main building elements such as windows, walls and roofs.

Ascent anchor posts were chosen to protect workers accessing the roof of the UK's highest building - the mountain café on the summit of Hafod Eryri (Mount Snowdon) at the heart of the Snowdonia National Park and Wales highest mountain at 1085m above sea level. The Ascent Anchor posts form the structural anchors to secure the Latchway mansafe guided type fall arrest system to the structure of the granite & oak clad building.

Epiphany House is owned by the Trustees of Epiphany House Truro and is a Grade II Listed Building (listed on the 29th of December 1950) in the heart of Truro, Cornwall. It is used as a thriving retreat for the clergy of the Diocese of Truro and provides conference facilities for all kinds of events. The roofing and cladding proposals for an extension to the listed building, adjoining the main house to create additional accommodation. Visit our website to read the full article.

Designed by architectural practise Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners, the distillery consists of five cells that seamlessly blend into The Macallan’s traditional Speyside estate as undulating, green-roofed earthworks. Four of these would house the brand’s production operations and one would be the visitor centre. The industrial elements of the site were provided with Flowfresh HF LT, while the new centre utilised a range of decorative resin flooring solutions.

Furnitubes' RailRoad design was the perfect choice for the roof-top of award-winning apartments Green Dragon House, with its modular design allowing seating and planters to be linked to create large structures that can be left freestanding, without the need to bolt down. The RailRoad products were complemented by the use of the Hollo range coffee tables, and a bespoke dining table with Hollo stools completed the suite of products supplied.

Speltham Contacts Ltd. contacted us because they were working on a project at St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School in Haywards Heath, West Sussex. They were undergoing a big extension to allow them to cater for 105 extra children. Morgan Carn Partnership Architects who were also working on the project, specified a curved free standing timber canopy with a polycarbonate roof system and aluminium guttering.

The Burrell Collection’s renaissance is an ambitious refurbishment which will allow visitors to explore all three floors in the building, set out as galleries, visible stores and special exhibition spaces. Arup was tasked to improve and reinstate the entire envelope of the building. The goal for the failing metal standing seam roof was to replace it with a new waterproofing system incorporating falls to provide effective drainage and to incorporate sustainable technology in the form of solar PV.

National Innovation Centre for Ageing and Data Science (NICAD) is a flagship building in Newcastle upon Tyne on the high-tech, city centre Helix Science Site where a number of building are being constructed. The client wanted an integrated PV system that didn’t compromise the integrity of the green roof solution being installed. Bauder were asked to design and supply a 30.78kWp system, generating an estimated 26,140kWh per annum.

The site at Knock Rushen is located by the sea in an exposed area, Rivendale fibre cement slates were selected to withstand the force of the natural elements. The slates offered Hartford Homes a cost-effective solution that seamlessly blended in with the local environment. Houses in Castletown are predominantly finished with natural slate roofs but Hartford were confident that fibre cement would enable them to create a finish that would be sympathetic to the local surroundings.

The site at Knock Rushen is located by the sea in an exposed area, Rivendale fibre cement slates were selected to withstand the force of the natural elements. The slates offered Hartford Homes a cost-effective solution that seamlessly blended in with the local environment. Houses in Castletown are predominantly finished with natural slate roofs but Hartford were confident that fibre cement would enable them to create a finish that would be sympathetic to the local surroundings

Cardiff City Stadium is the new home of Cardiff City FC and Cardiff Blues rugby union team and was opened in July 2009 in time for the start of the 2009/10 season. The stadium is a striking landmark that was developed alongside a new retail park in the Leckwith area of the Welsh capital. 18,000m² of doubled sided profiled steel was manufactured and supplied by Euroclad in Colorcoat HPS200 Ultra® for the vast roof structure.

The aim was to build a new dairy of the highest welfare standards which would present dairy farming at its best. Shand Building Design (SBD) produced a unique building that focussed on key issues that they discovered were affecting the welfare of livestock and working processes. This included a major redesign of the roof structure moving away from the typical steep pitch to a stepped 15 degree pitch greatly improving airflow.

Location: Skelton Lakes Motorway Services, Leeds Project Type: Retail, Infrastructure, Leisure, Mixed-use Development Cost: £60m Products: Meridian Coping, Fascia Soffit, Privacy Screens, Rainscreen Cladding Finish: RAL 7014 Graphite Grey Client: Extra MSA Group Architect: Architecture 519 Main Contractor: Morgan Sindall Group PLC Sub Contractor: Cawston Roofing Ltd

Extensive use of parapet capping from the Pendock Linea building linings range has helped improve weather resistance and aesthetics at a modern student accommodation building in Kingston-upon-Thames.Bespoke manufactured from high quality aluminium with a grey PPC finish, the flat PC-F style parapet capping's are fitted to the entire building to improve the integrity of the flat roof and stop the ingress of water.

DCM Surfaces were delighted to install Wetpour onto the Rooftop Terrace at Burdett Road in Canary Wharf.The affordable housing project, which rises from 7 to 11 stories, included the development of 56 residential units, amenity space, cycle parking, and a play area on the roof terrace.Four colours of Wetpour was used to create a variety of graphics at various depths around the play equipment area.

Five domed design... CHALLENGE The idea of the architect was to design a building with 5 parabolic roof surfaces or domes. The unique five domed design comprises of pods finished in a range of different materials, each contributing to the development’s remit to blend into the park landscape. The biggest issue for the architect was how to connect these different materials to become a complete watertight building. SOLUTION Each dome is waterproofed using a RENOLIT ALKORPLAN system and whilst the complex is thought to be the UK’s largest timber-built geodesic project, it also demonstrates possibly the most innovative use of single ply membrane ever seen in the UK. By using the RENOLIT ALKORPLAN membrane as the main layer to waterproof the five domes an easy joint could be made by means of hot air. On one dome our RENOLIT ALKORPLAN A membrane was used in combination with PVC profiles providing geometric aesthetic detailing. On another dome a RENOLIT ALKORPLAN L membrane was used under a green roof system. On the other domes the RENOLIT ALKORPLAN F membrane was used in combination with our RENOLIT ALKORSOLAR fixing system supporting respectively glazed aluminium sheeting and cedar shingle tiles.

Lead developer A2 Dominion is running the initial phase of the North West Bicester Eco town project, which has the long-term vision of providing up to 6,000 sustainable new homes and is the first of four planned Eco towns in the UK. Announced in the Government’s Planning Policy Statement in 2009, the Eco towns are designed to achieve zero carbon development and more sustainable living using the best new design and construction. The initial phase of the North West Bicester project is called the Exemplar and main contractor Wilmott Dixon has already started to build the first 94 of the 393 planned highly efficient true zero carbon homes which will create the UK's first zero carbon community that is using Rivendale Fibre Cement Slates for its roofing. Bicester Eco town was designed to achieve zero carbon development and more sustainable living using the best new design and construction. Rivendale fibre cement slates were specified for the roofs on the Exemplar phase by main contractor Wilmott Dixon. The homes are highly efficient true zero carbon homes which helped to create the UK's first zero carbon community.

A Degafloor Approved Installer - The National Flooring Company Ltd were approached by a A 4-star hotel, in the South of England, who had decided to update their flooring system around the swimming pool. The existing floor tiles, which had started to debond posed a trip hazard and therefore needed to be replaced. The client also advised they were experiencing problems with standing water.Following the removal of the existing floor tiles, the installation of a new screed was required to build back the levels and ensure there were adequate falls in the floor for water to run back into the pool. Throughout the installation, the gym remained open, and it had been advised that the pool closure needed to be kept to an absolute minimum. The National Flooring Company installed the Degafloor Deep Fill Mortar Repair system, a fast-curing underlayment, which ensured the refurbishment programme could continue with no downtime due to curing.The existing drain was removed and replaced, along with the light box and leveller covers, which all received new stainless-steel units. A new trim was fixed around the perimeter of the pool and the Degafloor resin system, which has an excellent bond to metal surfaces, was abutted up to all the stainless-steel items. The Degafloor QTA system used within the project, is a quartz trowelled system that can be laid to falls. The system is broadcast with aggregate to provide an extremely slip resistant finish, even under wet conditions, making it ideally suited to a swimming pool surround. Coved skirting was installed around the perimeter of the room creating a completely impervious finish, with no weak spots and therefore reducing future maintenance costs. The full refurbishment was completed over 12 days, ensuring that the closure was kept to a bare minimum.The clients main requirements were they required an anti-slip floor that would eliminate the current situation they had with standing water. They specifically requested that the closure was kept to a minimum as they are a "member's club" as well as facilitating the hotel, which remained open throughout the installation. The client was extremely satisfied with the end result and felt they now have a floor finish that is much better suited to their environment.