Client: Durlston Castle
Type of works: GRP roofing system
Hambleside Danelaw’s Dryseal component based GRP roofing system now features on a newly restored Victorian castle that forms the gateway to a World Heritage Site in Dorset.
The grade 2 listed Durlston Castle has just received a £5.5 million facelift helped by a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund. The architects and the lead contractors, Greendale Construction, chose Dryseal for its robust quality, compatibility with differing substrates and the ease with which intricate detailing can be formed on site. For these reasons, and because it offers an effective lead and copper alternative, Dryseal is increasingly specified for use on heritage buildings.
Hi-Tec Roof Systems, a long-standing approved installer of Dryseal across the South of England, achieved first class results with the system by forming the required detailing around the masonry abutments, on the stairways, including a spiral staircase, fall arrest system posts and achieving continuity between the roof covering and the lining of an unusual internal rainwater gutter with sundry discharge chutes.
Hi-Tec’s managing director Steve Mulcock said: “We have been using Dryseal for some 17 years and have never experienced a failure. We are so confident in the way that the Dryseal system deals with all of the traditionally difficult roof penetration and interface problems that we use the product whenever we have a job that requires intricacy, toughness and aesthetic appeal. We especially favour the heritage system with decorative rolls installed, to enhance the product’s appearance and to imitate lead. In the case of Durlston Castle, the Dryseal interacts with lead flashings and original stonework to create a seamless, waterproof finish.”
Andy Fell, Dryseal manager at Hambleside Danelaw, added: “The Durlston Castle project and a recent installation on a grade 1 listed church in Bromsgrove to replace stolen lead show that specifiers like the detailed replication of appearance that Dryseal provides for heritage projects.
“Modern and versatile GRP material offers an excellent service life, strength and eventual recyclability. In comparison with other GRP systems, Dryseal is precisely manufactured under very controlled conditions to ensure a consistently high quality performance. Dryseal as a sophisticatedly manufactured and pre-cured GRP roofing system is consigning to history the ‘bucket and brush’ approach so often associated with GRP.”
Depending upon the installation, Dryseal is covered by an independent insurance backed guarantee of up to 25 years and can only be installed by Hambleside Danelaw’s approved contractors.