Langley Roof helps weather the storm

Two London tower blocks with failing flat roofs have been brought back to life with an innovative pitched roofing solution from Langley Waterproofing Systems Ltd.

The existing flat asphalt roofs on Robert Burns House and Charles Bradlaugh House, residential developments in Haringey, were starting to leak as a result of age and poor expansion joint detailing.

To prevent further water ingress, and keep residents’ disruption to a minimum, Langley specified a cost-effective flat-to-pitched conversion which left the existing roof intact and allowed residents to remain in their homes throughout the works.

The flat-to-pitched conversion featured multiple termination points with hip detailing to reflect the faceted curve design to one of the buildings. Langley metal Strip Tiles were utilised to provide a highly weather resistant finish mimicking the appearance of traditional concrete tiles, in keeping with the aesthetics of the surrounding area.

Dead load issues were overcome through the use of Langley’s lightweight cold rolled steel conversion framing, keeping below the 15kgm2 required. The flat-to-pitched conversion also allowed the internal cast iron drainage system to be bypassed by utilising an external aluminium rainwater collection and disposal system, working alongside existing balcony drainage.

All works were expertly delivered by Langley approved installers Amber Construction Services Ltd in line with Part L legislation and strict health and safety protocols. New insulation was added to the roof void, while access to the void was retained through the use of roof access hatches to allow access to the buildings’ residual plate. Fire protection measures including lighting, fire breaks and an early warning smoke detection system were also put in place, ensuring full compliance with fire regulations.

Hassan Gunay, MD at Amber Construction Services Ltd, said: “This project presented a number of challenges, but by combining our many years of experience with Langley’s high quality, easy to install systems, we were able to successfully meet all of the client’s objectives.”

Paul Leadley, Special Projects Manager at Langley Waterproofing, added: “Flat-to-pitch conversions can provide a number of benefits, including greater weather resistance and minimised disruption to a building’s inhabitants. It was a pleasure to work with the skilled operatives from Amber Construction Services, and we look forward to collaborating again in future.”