Rejuvenation
At Flexcrete we have an excellent track record of helping to repair and rejuvenate buildings of historic interest and one of our latest projects has taken us to the Marina Theatre in Lowestoft where our products have been used for concrete and masonry repairs, anti-carbonation protection and roof flashing replacement.
With origins dating back to the Victorian era, the Marina Theatre plays host to major West End shows, concerts and several other music and dance productions from the Bolshoi Ballet, Royal Shakespeare Company, Royal Opera House and many others. It also operates as a cinema, with the largest screen and cinema auditorium in Lowestoft.
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The Marina was actually first a skating rink before it was converted into a theatre in 1878 and subsequently a cinema in 1930. In 2011, the building management was handed over to the newly formed charitable Marina Theatre Trust. The summer of 2012 saw a major refurbishment and renovation with capacity increased to 800 seats and in the following year the cinema facility was upgraded with a new screen and digital Dolby sound system. Finally in 2015 the refurbishment works were extended to the external façade where the years in a coastal town had taken their toll. Flexcrete was approached to assist due to our expertise in concrete repair and protection works in coastal regions where atmospheric chlorides have a damaging effect on reinforced concrete, exacerbated in old and historic buildings.
Concrete And Masonry Repairs
Flexcrete products were specified for concrete repairs and protective coatings to the façade, plus providing a colour matched waterproofing system to replace the old lead flashing. The steel reinforcement was first protected with Steel Reinforcement Protector 841, a corrosion preventative flexible coating for re-bars. Monolite, an ultra high build, lightweight Class R2 cementitious mortar, was then used for the concrete repairs. Monolite can be applied by trowel up to 100mm in a single application and has excellent low sag properties.
Monolevel 250F fairing coat was specified as it can be used over an existing sound coating, as well as concrete to provide a smooth surface for the anti-carbonation coating. This consisted of a Bond-Prime priming coat plus two coats of Monodex Smooth, a 15 year, high build decorative anti-carbonation coating which allows damp substrates to breathe whilst providing excellent protection against carbon dioxide diffusion, chloride penetration and water ingress. Due to its elastomeric properties, Monodex Smooth is able to withstand thermal and structural movement without cracking or flaking and maintains an attractive appearance throughout its long lifespan.
The replacement flashing detail was carried out using Roofdex HB, a cold fluid applied waterproofing system. For aesthetic reasons, the Roofdex HB was colour matched to the Monodex Smooth coating. All Flexcrete products can be relied upon with absolute confidence as they are CE marked in accordance with BS EN 1504 for the Protection and Repair of Concrete Structures. The consultants involved in the project were The Morton Partnership and Foster Wilson Architects and JB Specialist Refurbishment applied Flexcrete products.