Kingsway Gardens, Residential Balcony Upgrades
Garland UK Technical Manager
James Hiscock
Approved Contractor
Harvey Contracting
Garland System
Dura-Walk
Sector
Residential
Kingsway Gardens, located in a leafy suburb of Hampshire, is made up of 5 residential blocks of flats that had been experiencing a large number of leaks across their balconies on multiple levels. The existing asphalt was showing signs of wear and tear with age degradation, where the lack of a full cavity tray had meant the perimeter upstand had not been sufficiently protected for many years. With many attempts being made to patch the repairs, eventually, the insulation beneath the asphalt had become saturated, severely reducing its effectiveness as an insulator and having a detrimental effect on the U-Value of the buildings.
Garland Technical Manager Paul Boole and Technical Assistant James Hiscock were instructed by property and construction consultants, The Welling Partnership, to provide their technical expertise and support to survey Kingsway Gardens and propose a tailored liquid waterproofing specification for the residents.
Challenge
Consistent communication was essential between Garland UK Approved Contractor, Harvey Contracting, and the Welling Partnership to liaise with the residents for balcony access and ensure there was minimal disruption and impact to the residents during the works. As the technical manager of this project, Paul Boole was responsible for ensuring that all parties understood the challenges and how they would be overcome.
Given the scale of the 2,500 sqm project across multiple blocks, a clear schedule of works was outlined and phased over a 2-year period to ensure each block could be methodically repaired.
During the planning process, the Garland UK team and the Welling Partnership took the opportunity to coat the communal balconies, repairing the numerous cracks and splits to achieve the same aesthetic finish across all areas.
Solution
Paul and James used their combined 40 years of industry experience to identify all of the key challenges and carefully selected which of the Garland UK systems would work best for the project. This careful planning and intimate understanding of the roof, from multiple site visits and surveys, enabled Paul to give complete peace of mind to The Welling Partnership and the residents, that the roof was in the best hands, with no hidden surprises, and the system specified was ideal for the challenges faced.
It was essential to keep the properties as accessible as possible during the works, and it was identified early on that a moisture curing product would not be suitable, as it would result in the residents having no balcony access for up to 24 hours.
The fast curing Dura-Walk System was chosen as the ideal range to upgrade the original mastic asphalt, avoiding lengthy proving times whilst providing a robust and durable waterproofing solution. With a curing time of just 20 minutes, using the Dura-Walk system allowed the balcony and communal walkways being treated to be completed in just one day.
In order to maintain a warm roof system to the residential balconies, Dura-Walk was coated on top of a new bituminous system incorporating VCL (Vapour Control Layer), insulation, plywood and a carrier layer to receive the coating itself. Using a plywood deck ensured a strong surface for the coating, whilst the bituminous membrane enabled the upstand details to be fully encapsulated, providing the much needed extra waterproofing protection.
It was essential for extra measures to be taken to ensure that the green roof was protected as much as possible from the weather elements. The new-build apartments were beach facing and susceptible to strong offshore winds, so to protect the edges of the green roof system from any potential uplift, a natural solution in the form of large pebbles were hand-laid, to secure the vegetation as much as possible.
Outcome
The project was successfully overseen by Paul every week, and upon completion, the final transformation at Kingsway Gardens was dramatic.
By eradicating the persistent leaks, the residents could benefit from a bright and welcoming entrance to their homes and make greater use of their private outdoor spaces. With its excellent crack-bridging properties, the Dura-Walk finish gave a smooth and clean aesthetic that could withstand heavy footfall traffic while maintaining its waterproofing advantages.
Following the completion of a rigorous final inspection by Paul, Kingsway Gardens were presented with Garland UK’s industry-leading 15-year Single-Point Guarantee, safeguarding their investment for the future and assuring all residents that the Dura-Walk system is built to last.
More Case Studies
Fabric-first retrofit supporting RNCM’s decarbonisation strategy
The Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM) undertook a major decarbonisation programme while remaining fully operational...
Heritage roof refurbishment at Tower Bridge
As one of the UK’s most iconic and historically significant structures, Tower Bridge is a Grade I listed site that demands the highest standards in conservation...
Targeted Roof Retention Saves £150,000 at Riverside Mansions
Riverside Mansions is a large-scale residential block in London with approximately 3,500 m² of flat roofing and 1,500 m² of communal walkways and balconies...
