Polyroof’s fully cold-applied liquid Protec System was specified for the refurbishment of the multi-roof Pattern House in London. Providing high-performance, long lasting waterproof protection, the Protec System is compatible with a wide range of existing roof coverings, making it ideally suited for overlaying failed flat roofs.
Situated within the hustle and bustle of central London, Pattern House was originally opened in 1926 as home to the Ingersoll Watch factory, before later becoming the pattern-cutting site for Condé Nast (Vogue) in the 1950s. The building was eventually converted into flats in 1995, and today it offers residents easy access to the surrounding amenities including some of London’s top culinary institutions.
The Challenge
As time marched on, the years began to show across the 550m2 roof area. The existing asphalt roof coverings were now in a poor and aged condition, suffering from various failings including blisters and cracks. There had been numerous reports of leaks affecting the interior of the building, despite localised repairs having been carried out using felt materials. With growing concerns around the damage to the roofs, Pattern House Management Ltd approached Polyroof to propose a plan for urgent rectification.
The Solution
Polyroof subsequently took the time to fully understand the committee’s concerns and worked closely with them and Capital Roofing Ltd to ascertain the root cause of the root cause of the issue and propose a solution. By conducting core test samples, the Polyroof Technical Team were able to ascertain the roof build up, with Roofs A and B consisting of an asphalt waterproof covering, 50mm insulation, a bitumen AVCL, and a concrete deck. Roof A was also topped with paving slabs, having functioned as a roof terrace area for residents. Similar to the previous two roof areas, Roofs C and D also consisted of asphalt, 50mm insulation, and a bitumen AVCL, except the substrate for these roofs was formed with timber.
Whilst the core test samples revealed the roof build up was dry, the damage appeared to be from previous repairs to the parapets, where a plyboard had been fixed to the wall and shed felt stuck to it, which had been coated with an unreinforced liquid waterproofing system.
Polyroof and Capital Roofing recommended that the Pattern House roofs would benefit significantly from a new high-performance waterproofing system, in order to provide long-term protection from leaking to the flats beneath. Areas of thermal shock to the existing asphalt were also identified, which were remedied by removing the damaged sections of the membrane and replacing with Polyroof structural repair mortar before applying the new waterproofing system.
A thermal upgrade was considered during the early discussions; however, this option was later discounted due to the additional costs involved. The Client then spent time engaging with the residents’ association, who initially explored lower-cost alternatives. After reviewing these options, the association concluded that Polyroof’s robust system and comprehensive guarantee offered the most dependable and long-term solution for the building.
Due to the existing asphalt roof suffering from UV instability, this was causing the vast majority of the defects, allowing the substrate to heat up and become noticeably soft. For this reason, the Protec System in Light Grey was decided as the most suitable colour in order to keep the substrate cooler in high temperatures. Featuring the optimum combination of robustness and flexibility, the system can be applied to roofs of all shapes, sizes, and complexities, including situations where foot traffic will be encountered. This was particularly important for Roof A, as this would continue to be used as a roof terrace area. Complete with RapidCure technology for installation in as little as 30 minutes, Protec utilises catalyst, accelerators, and inhibitors to provide full control over the application, enabling projects to be completed all year round.
Another key benefit to specifying the Protec System was its ability to waterproof the multiple types of detailing present across the four roof areas. These included various types of abutments, gutter edges, outlets, parapet walls, pipes, outlets, and upstands. The system was dressed up each of these details by 150mm and terminated underneath, in line with regulations. On Roof A, the upstand edge details were achieved by installing Polyroof pre-formed GRP 100mm upstand trims to the outer perimeters of the roof to provide hard-wearing and neat edge detailing.
The penetration details posed a significant challenge to the contractors due to their exceptionally close proximity, however, by using a liquid membrane, this meant that Capital Roofing were able to fully encapsulate the complex details, resulting in a fully waterproof finish that will protect the roof structure for many years to come. Waterproofing these details would not have been possible with a felt or single-ply system. The project was carried out during the summer months; therefore, Polyroof’s Summer Inhibitor was utilised to prolong the pot life of the resin, allowing the site team to complete the installation without costly delays to the programme.
The Result
Throughout the installation at Pattern House, Polyroof and Capital Roofing remained in regular contact with the Client, providing updates on progress and they worked diligently to ensure the project was completed in a timely manner. The refurbishment of the Pattern House roofs has resulted in a high-performance, durable finish that has futureproofed the building for many years to come.
Lee Holden, Regional Sales Manager for Polyroof, said: “It has been a pleasure to work with Pattern House Management on this project, in collaboration with Capital Roofing. Here at Polyroof, we strive to engage with our clients as early as possible so that we can fully understand their issues and provide tailored recommendations based on our findings. By working with us, housing committees gain access to our full specification support service, which includes full project lifecycle support, bespoke specification writing, access to our network of independent approved contractors, post installation support, along with straightforward and reliable guarantees.
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