"roofing membranes"

The British Horse Society headquarters is on a listed deer park with many protected trees. The building’s circular design posed key construction challenges. The single storey office building was constructed in a doughnut shape, to ensure that a mature oak tree on site was preserved. In keeping with its green surroundings Spectraplan SM120 Dark Grey, a polyester reinforced TPE waterproofing system was mechanically fixed to a composite metal deck, ready to receive a sedum blanket.

Plans were passed in 2012 for the construction of an outstanding hotel in Birmingham city centre. The build was the first in a group of five, four-star hotels planned to open over a period of five years under the Hotel La Tour brand. The 174 – bedroomed luxury hotel was developed at a cost of £24 million and comprises a restaurant, bar with terrace and conference facilities. RCM’s Cemboard was used as a primary sheathing board on the project

A successful refurbishment of a disused building translated into 42 beautiful one and two bedroom apartments. The building ‘Cambridge House’ was enhanced externally by applying cladding and updated glazing. RCM supplied Vitrabond ACM cladding to the project. An additional, unforeseen opportunity also presented itself to RCM whilst working on the project.

The University of West England has added high-quality accommodation to its Frenchay campus. The buildings on Coldharbour Lane consist of townhouse-style accommodation and 23 self- contained flats. RCM were appointed by Unique Envelope Façade Solutions to supply over 1,000m2 of Rockpanel Metallics in order to add a special effect façade to the timber frame buildings.

In January 2008, the Devon Partnership NHS Foundation Trust approved plans for a major redevelopment of the Langdon Hospital site based in Dawlish. RCM were appointed by the NHS to provide the Renderflex building board – a high performance cellulose fibre cement render carrier board and Y-Wall – a calcium silicate board on the inner leaf of the wall construction. The client specified robust walls in all areas, especially within the patient wards, which made RCM’s boards ideal for the project.

Manor Park is a new build development of 53 homes, located on the northern edge of Ashford in Kent. RCM supplied 216 planks of 190mm wide Supertech Weatherboard in a stained Light Oak finish. Plastestrip end and starter profiles (Plasticlad) were also supplied colour matched. Supertech Weatherboard proved to be the perfect choice as it has the beautiful look of natural wood without the need for costly maintena

Bourne Fields is the name of Cameron Homes’ flagship development of 14 exclusive five-bedroom luxury homes completed in August 2017. Located near Aldridge these homes command a price tag of up to £1,350,000 and are designed and finished to a very high specification. RCM were appointed by GAP Ltd to supply their Supertech Weatherboard in an Ebony stain finish to enhance the exterior appearance of these new-build exclusive homes.

The UK’s leading telephone answering specialist Moneypenny had steadily been growing since its inception in 2000. Its main business is looking after telephone calls for businesses.To no one’s surprise, the company found itself struggling for space to accommodate its ever-expanding workforce. Staff ended up occupying five adjacent offices, which were physically separated from each other, as was the staff.A solution had to be found. It was decided to invest in and create a new modern office building befitting the growth and success of a successful modern-day enterprise.Moneypenny engaged the help of AEW architects to design a new and exciting office environment. With space to house 1,000 staff, Moneypenny wanted to have a new headquarters, which were both efficient office spaces, as well as a great environment for its staff to operate in. Staff members were asked for ideas for their new work environment. The industry norm was challenged and the resulting designs were an antithesis to most modern office buildings.Pochin Constructions were chosen as the main contractor to build the new headquarters. A 10-acre site was chosen in the open countryside for the amazing new office space, miles away from any inner city environment with all its noise and distractions.In turn, RCM were asked to supply its 12mm Cemboard to the construction, because of the building board’s excellent acoustic properties, which were a major consideration for the construction of the call-centreEventually, a 91,000 sq ft building had been designed and built, to create the perfect environment for call handlingThe end result was an amazing building, with plenty of natural day-light, excellent office facilities, with great down-time areas, complete with a tree house and a pub.Moneypenny’s new headquarters have exceeded everyone’s expectations. The new building provides the right balance between productivity and down-time. A true testament to imagination, good architecture and quality building materials.

Rathbone Market is one of six schemes in the UK that has been delivered by English Cities fund (ECf), a regeneration partnership between Homes and Communities Agency (HCA), Muse Developments and Legal and General. Part of the 680,000 sq ft Canning Town & Custom House regeneration area programme, Rathbone Market was designed by Project Orange and formed the third and final phase of the entire development. Continuing its long-standing relationship with John Sisk and Son, one of the main contractors to the programme, RCM supplied a whole host of products for the successful development of the project.

Dublin City Council were particularly interested in IKO Carrara’s exceptional environmental properties with its view to adding photovoltaic panels (PV) to the existing building. PV panels in combination with IKO Carrara have greater efficiency, up to 25%, as the performance of the solar cells increases during sunny periods, at a lower ambient temperature.

Wallbarn was approached by a commercial client. The client, with a rapidly growing workforce, was expanding, but wanted to utilise existing space to avoid moving premises. A disused rooftop was earmarked for conversion into an outdoor eating and leisure area for staff. Wallbarn’s unique iDecking system was chosen to deck the terrace. Our service team scoped the project, proposing 313m2 of ‘Terra’ iDecking boards, the EasyClick aluminium rail system, underpinned by our heavy-duty MegaPad adjustable pedestals. We were on site before, during and after installation to support the installers throughout the project. The terrace is transformed into a beautiful space.

The Rhondda Heritage Park is a renowned tourist destination in South Wales, offering a glimpse into the coal mining community that thrived in the area for over 130 years until the early 1980s. Every year, thousands of visitors take a guided tour led by former colliery workers to experience the life of coal miners.The Heritage Park takes great pride in its appearance and the local heritage it represents. However, the aging asphalt roof terraces that covered the old mine shafts had been leaking constantly, damaging the visual appeal of the visitor site.The ChallengeThe Polyroof technical team was called in to help with the waterproofing and refurbishment of the two roof terraces, measuring over 1100m², that protected the underground mining attraction. After conducting a thorough survey of the roof terrace areas, a customized specification was prepared. This specification included a comprehensive set of recommendations for addressing the issues that had caused the aged and worn condition of the terrace areas over the years. To support the proposal, additional information was provided to the client to demonstrate how a liquid system could seamlessly encase and waterproof the terraces while maintaining an aesthetically pleasing solution that was true to the authenticity of the site.Satisfied that the solution proposed would provide the long-term peace of mind they were looking for, the Heritage Park awarded the contract to RM Polymers Ltd.Before starting the work, any areas affected by fungal growth or moss were treated with Polykill Anti-Fungal Wash to eliminate all spores. Any holes in the asphalt were smoothed out or removed, and levelled using Polyroof Structural Repair Mortar. All large cracks and voids were cleaned and repaired using the same mortar.PVC protrusions were removed and surfaces were cleaned with acetone. Any damaged, loose, or unsound concrete or brickwork was removed and repaired using Polyroof Structural Repair Mortar. All repairs were allowed to cure and dry before priming.The SolutionOne of the main features of the tourist attraction is the mining carts that were used to transport coal around the mine tunnels during its operation. Similar to train tracks, the mining cart tracks are fixed into the ground using metal bolts and fixings which over time had become a weak point for water ingress. Concrete and sandstone had been used as a “quick fix” to prevent rainwater entering the mine shaft below but a long-term solution was now needed. The cement and sandstone was carefully chiselled from the rails, exposing the original metal tracks which were then lifted and abraded back to their original condition. Whilst lifted, the underlying surface was made good before the application of the Protec System. Railway sleepers were then laid on a sacrificial layer on top of the waterproof membrane, upon which the tracks and mining carts were re-instated.As the terraces are constantly trafficked by the general public, the client was clear that an anti-slip finish would be required on any walkway areas.Following the application of the Protec System, Polyfinish and Quartz Sand Anti-Slip was applied to all walkway areas, to provide slip resistance and surface protection. A 50mm margin around the perimeters of the terrace was masked off to provide a neat termination of the anti-slip finish. Ensure masking tape was removed whilst resin was still wet. Then a third coat of Protec Resin was applied at a minimum coverage rate of 0.5Litres/m² (2.0m²/Litre) and whilst wet, clean dried quartz sand (0.7 – 12mm) was broadcast at an approximate coverage rate of 4.0kg/m². Once cured, the loose sand was removed.WorkmanshipThe engine houses along the tour experience featured vast amounts of intricate details and unique items and structures, such as “Bertie and Trefor” – the names given by the mine owner to the mine head stock wheels. This presented an exceptional challenge, particularly in regards to the difficulty of working on the intricate details of the degraded mastic asphalt upstands and decking.As a result of many years of weathering and gravity, the vertical sections of asphalt on the raised terraced roof had slumped and rippled, leading to stress cracks and ultimately water ingress. To overcome this ugly problem, the asphalt was stripped from these vertical sections back to the concrete and removed from site in accordance with the Health and Safety policies in place. The contractor then installed new 18mm OSB3 to these areas to create a flat substrate for the Protec System. The incorporation of Polyroof pre-formed GRP Drip trims at the bottom of the OSB3 ensured the timber would not be exposed to any rain water in the future as well as provide a neat, edge detail.To keep the overall aesthetic feel of the site, the application of the liquid waterproofing system at wall abutments was critical. This, combined with the undulating nature of the stone and brickwork meant that the contractor would not be able to install a cover flashing or termination bar. Instead, the contractor carefully dressed the system onto the wall to the standard minimum 150mm upstand height and into a chase.The edging was then finished with a mortar to provide a neat and clean weatherproof finish, in-keeping with the traditional methods of the site at the time of its construction.The roof terraces that cover the old mining areas also act as the main walkways to the Heritage Centre’s tour routes. Therefore, one of the main challenges of the project was the complex planning of the works to ensure that the site continued to operate so not to financially impact the heritage park. It was imperative that works were complete within an 8-week period with 17,500 visitors booked in for their annual Santa’s Grotto Experience Tour beginning in early December.The application speed of the catalyst cured Protec System, combined with communication between the contractor and the site to ensure unobtrusive installation, meant the centre stayed open and the tours running with minimum disruption.The benefits of using a fast-curing liquid waterproofing solution were also vital due to the ever-changing micro-climate in the Welsh valleys. On any single day, the weather would serve up anything from bright sunshine to windy, rainy conditions. Therefore, the fast-curing Protec System, combined with the flexibility of the installation team, who gave up weekends when required, ensured the project was finished on schedule. The works were completed to an extremely high standard with full encapsulation of the roof terrace areas and without a single detail being left exposed to the elements.ConclusionThe unique aspects of this project certainly kept the team on their toes. But they were determined to complete the project on time.The team worked tirelessly, even giving up their weekends to ensure that the project was completed on schedule. Despite the harsh Welsh weather, they pushed on and were determined to make sure that Santa could visit the children of the Welsh Valleys. It was a challenging project but the team’s hard work and dedication paid off.Finally, the project was completed and the results were astounding. The roof terraces are now fully waterproofed and refurbished, and the visual appearance of the visitor site was greatly improved. It was a project that was both memorable and rewarding to all those involved.

The University of Warwick is investing £49m into sport and wellness across the University with a brand new Sport and Wellness hub as the sporting centre of the campus. RCM were appointed by Sage Building Envelope Constructors to supply approx. 3,000m2 of Swisspearl rainscreen cladding in order to bestow the building with a modern and contemporary feel.

The Defence and National Rehabilitation Centre (DNRC) is a state of the art rehabilitation centre for the armed forces and potentially the nation. RCM supplied over 4,000 sheathing boards to the project.

A prestigious four-star hotel in Surrey gets a stylish enclosed pergola structure to suit the ambience and scenery of the location. This historic hotel’s large paved terrace area with outdoor BBQ was only equipped with some tables and chairs, and so only used on dry days in the summer months. The hotel's event team wanted to create a new flexible outdoor space that could guarantee availability for bookings throughout the year, whatever the weather....

According to leading moveable wall specialist Style, demand for automatic moveable wall systems from architects, specifiers, contractors and end-user clients has almost quadrupled in the last 10 years. Reflecting a strong shift towards the automation of flexible space electrically-powered systems now make up 44% of the company’s total order intake, compared to just 27% in 2009 - a staggering increase of 388% in a decade. Style is the exclusive UK partner to DORMA Hüppe and Skyfold, both of which offer fully automatic solutions.

Fireshield® vapour permeable membrane, which is designed specifically to improve the fire protection behind cladding has been chosen for a new Science Centre at Bevington Primary school in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London.The project includes a brand new Science Studio, plus before and after school club buildings.SIP Build UK was appointed as frame subcontractor for the project and chose the Fireshield membrane as part of the SIPS panelling system. Chris Duckworth from SIP Build UK explains: “We chose Fireshield as it provided the project with a number of really important benefits. Fireshield is a high-performance breather membrane which enables us to achieve the requirements in terms of fire protection without compromising on vapour control.Fireshield was also ideal because it is easy to use and allowed us to achieve the requirements in one process, using just the membrane, rather than the typical approach of two, cement board and a membrane.”Fireshield is the culmination of leading research to produce a vapour permeable membrane with a intumescent coated surface, which has a unique composition that actively reacts to help protect the materials underneath. The intumescent coating helps protect the substrate by reducing the risk of fire taking hold and significantly reduces the formation of droplets and smoke.The BBA Certificate awarded to Fireshield confirms that it has enhanced performance in relation to reaction to fire classification, will reduce the risk of interstitial condensation, and will have a life equal to that of the building in which it is installed.Fireshield complies with BS5250, BS4016 and NHBC requirements for vapour permeable walling underlays. It is installed and fixed to the substrate in the same manner as standard breather membranes using mechanical fixings. Applications include both commercial and residential buildings including apartments and student accommodation, as well as Rainscreen cladding and applications over 18m high (11m in Scotland).