Waterproofing canopy roofs on three social housing blocks.
Background
The Patmore Estate was originally built in the 1950’s. It comprises 28 red-brick blocks of social housing named after railway engineers, as the estate is sandwiched between the railway lines and the New Covent Garden Wholesale Markets. There are a total of 854 flats on the estate which crosses the boundary between the London Boroughs of Wandsworth and Lambeth.
The estate is managed by the Patmore Co-Operative, an independent legal body owned and led by residents living on the Patmore Estate. Under a management agreement with Wandsworth Council, it provides day to day services on the estate including repairs, grounds maintenance and tenancy and leasehold management. The Council pays the Co-Operative allowances to cover the costs of managing and maintaining the estate. As part of a multi-million pound programme of investment to improve the homes of people living on the borough’s housing estates, Wandsworth Council allocated more than £0.5 million to spruce up blocks on the Patmore Estate. Part of this included the roof refurbishment of three blocks, namely Beattie House, Bonsor House and Stroudley House.
The Solution
Roofdex HB, a cold fluid applied, high build, waterborne liquid roofing system, was chosen for application to the canopy roofs of the three housing blocks due to its ability to provide outstanding waterproof protection for many years. The existing felt had deteriorated over the years and Roofdex HB could be applied over the failed substrate, with no need to strip out the existing material which would have been costly and disruptive. Due to the waterborne composition of Roofdex HB, it is virtually odourless and does not release hazardous solvents during application, so this meant that the roof refurbishment could be carried out safely and efficiently with no disruption to residents living on the estate. Roofdex HB poses absolutely no fire risks as it is cold applied, requiring no torches, burners or other heating equipment.
Following surface preparation, Bond-Prime was initially applied to the felt substrate prior to the application of Roofdex HB, into which Cemprotec GFM 225 glass fibre matting reinforcement was embedded for additional tensile strength. The finished system will provide at least 15 years’ waterproof protection before first maintenance is required. As the roofs are visible from neighbouring properties and nearby vantage points, the colour of the roof coating was an important factor in this project and Steel Grey was chosen.
Client
The Patmore Co-Operative Limited
Project Profile - Patmore Estate