Green roof waterproofing is a walk in the Parkside

Housing Wed, Mar 23, 2016 10:32 AM

Kemper System, has helped ensure Telford Homes’ Parkside Quarter development reflects the greenery of its location on the Isle of Dogs by providing the waterproofing membrane for the scheme’s green roofs.

Designed by David Wood Architects, the Parkside Quarter development includes a five-story block with 64 apartments for sale, a further 17 apartments in a four-storey block for let by EastendHomes housing association and five apartments in a four-storey block for shared-ownership. Green roofs have been specified for all three blocks, connecting the buildings to the acres of park land that lie adjacent to the scheme.

Roofing contractor, Cawston Roofing, used Kemper System’s cold liquid-applied Kemperol V210 waterproofing membrane to waterproof the concrete deck and provide an ideal base for the inverted roof insulation and green roof elements of the project. 

Kemper System’s EP primer was used to seal the concrete substrate and provide the ideal key for the liquid waterproofing membrane to bond to. Once cured, the installation team then applied the Kemperol V210 resin to the primed substrate, completing the roofs one section at a time. The Kemperol V210 resin saturates a polyester reinforcement fleece and cures to form a tough and durable, monolithic, seamless membrane with no laminations. It remains permanently flexible to cope with building movement; has a BBA certified service life in excess of 25 years and is completely root resistant.


Insulation was installed directly on top of the Kemperol V210 membrane followed by a 25ml deep attenuation layer, which enables rainwater to be stored to irrigate the green roof planting while allowing any excess water to drain off the roof. Finally, the growing medium was installed along with plug plants to create the finished green roofs.

Stuart Hicks adds: “Specification is extremely important when it comes to green roofs and, arguably, the most important element is the waterproofing as the primary function of the roof is to protect the building.  

“Choosing a cold liquid-applied waterproofing system, such as Kemperol V210, overcomes the common failures of many roofing systems as there are no seams, laps or joints that can be compromised. For this development it means that the social housing elements of the development will continue to look just as green and decorative as the private homes.”