Built in 1936 Haven Green Court is a prominent fixture in the local roofscape. This locally listed residential 4-storey mansion block of flats is steeped in rich history at the heart of the west London Borough of Ealing.

Client Brief and Design

The site itself dates back to 1890 and due to the age of the property and several areas of failure, the contractor Tower Flat Roofing was tasked by the client Haven Court Green Ltd with refurbishment, whilst preserving the most distinguishing feature, a mansard roof covered with glazed green pantiles.

The priority was to provide a full roof overlay using sustainable, durable materials to extend the current roof’s life, stop the failing areas and prevent a full re-roof scenario from an environmental waste and cost reduction point of view.

Paramount in the clients’ brief was the longevity of the refurbishment system. The decision to select Alumasc Roofing’s Derbigum Insulated Overlay to the existing waterproofing system was made due to the reputation and the minimum 40-year durability provided in the BBA statement.

The Solution

Alumasc Roofing supplied a built-up Derbigum system along with Alumasc BGT Polyisocyanurate (PIR) insulation, a CFC and HCFC free rigid urethane thermal insulation board. This built-up system comprised of a torch applied membrane.

In addition, Roofpro accessories including freestanding guardrail system pipe supports, and Caltech QC terminations were used, incorporating tapered insulated gutters.

Derbigum High Performance Roofing Systems are reinforced APP polymer modified bituminous waterproofing membranes, underlays, insulation boards and air and vapour control layers (AVCL).

Sensitive Refurbishment

The priority was to avoid roof removal and replacement and undergo a timely, sympathetic roof refurbishment with an overlay, causing minimal disruption to residents and reduce the environmental impact of replacing the roof entirely in terms of sustainability and waste reduction.

Complexity

As the roof was beginning to fail due to its’ age the concern was whether it could be overlaid. Time was critical and if left longer the project scope would have been removal and replacement. The avoidance of landfill and prolonging the performance of the building were key to the success of the preservation.

A significant challenge was to protect the glazed green mansard pantiles and ridge interfaces to preserve the history and aesthetics of the building. The project centred on protecting the character of the historical building, by delicately working around the original features and details.

The project began in June 2020 and the building was at full occupancy during challenges of both the refurbishment and the pandemic, which presented additional health and safety considerations. Minimal interaction with the residents was ensured by erecting scaffold with single traffic flow at the rear of the building.

Partnership

The Commercial Director of Tower Flat Roofing, Barry Yardley and James Bentley of Lamberts Surveyors nurtured a close relationship with the premises manager Chris Lubbock, Haven Court Ltd. A consistent onsite presence giving the project regular focus and both liaising closely with Chris ensured any unforeseen problems were kept to a minimum.

The Alumasc Roofing local site technician also supported this project extensively, with regular reports which demonstrated the weekly progress through photos and inspection.

Chris Lubbock, Haven Green Court Ltd, “Being made aware of Barry and the team and Tower Flat Roofing’s track record on similar large mansion blocks in London, we already had confidence that they had the skillset and experience in managing such a complex project, whilst ensuring they met our key requirements and the priority unique expectations of protecting and preserving the delicate features of this historical building.

We also wanted to use Alumasc Roofing’s Derbigum product on this job, as we were aware of the fantastic products and their longevity, coupled with the fact that Alumasc give such a robust warranty due to the high durability properties of the solution proposed.”

James Bentley, Lamberts Chartered Surveyors, “Barry’s commitment and the consistent on-site presence between us all demonstrated that the Tower team really care about the project running on time and on budget, and that approach even saved four whole weeks on completion date! The job ran seamlessly, and we are proud to have contributed to successful completion during the hazard that was COVID-19 and delivering to such high standards."

To meet the specific client requirements, the design team at Alumasc Roofing, Tower Flat Roofing and Lamberts Chartered Surevyors worked together to create a strategy so that the original features of the building could be retained with confidence.

About

Haven Green Court’s iconic imposing stature made it a popular filming location for Ealing Studios films including, ‘The 39 Steps’ 1959, ‘The Wrong Arm of the Law’ 1962, and ‘Doctor in Distress’ 1963. A great team effort to be part of maintaining a piece of London’s history and avoiding re-roof to reduce waste.