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Case Study

Roof Replacement Saves School £98K

Garland UK Technical Manager
Tom Ferry

Approved Contractor
NRA Roofing

Garland System

StressPly Flex Plus

Sector

Education

Size

3000 sqm

Project Cost Saving

£98,000

Waste Avoided

30 tonnes

Officially opened in 1993, Thorpe Primary School is now a member of the Peterborough Keys Academies Trust, educating hundreds of children aged 3 to 11 years old in the local area. The existing roofs showed signs of failure, suffering from a range of water ingress, sunken insulation, membrane blistering and ponding water issues. The Trust had been advised by a third party that every roof at the site was completely saturated and required a full strip to the deck and replacement. Wanting a second opinion, the Trust instructed RLB as a client advisor to provide a feasibility status and investigate this further before a decision on the roof specification could be made.

Challenge

Working with RLB, Garland UK Technical Manager Tom Ferry conducted detailed condition surveys on 13 roofs across the site, collating as a series of U-Value calculations and core samples to assess the locality of the water ingress issues. Further investigation with the Tramex moisture meter revealed some minimal areas of wet build-up, mostly in the gutters, which would need to be stripped to the deck.

Ferry recommended that the school arrange for a nuclear moisture map survey to be undertaken to back up our findings in an independent report. Rob Simpson of RWS Roof Testing conducted an impartial assessment of the existing waterproofing systems and produced a report that demonstrated less than 5% of the total roof area was wet.

The detailed results from the roof investigations ensured Ferry could effectively advise the Trust with accurate data and design the optimum roofing solution for the roofs at Thorpe Primary School. The Trust recognised an opportunity to rescue this roof before it got any worse and decided to re-roof the entire school in one go instead of phasing it over 3+ years.

Solution

The existing roof build-up consisted of approx 35mm PUR insulation, which was insufficient to meet the thermal efficiency needs of the school and building regulations. A warm roof design utilising the BBA-certified StressPly Flex Plus system was specified for its superior tensile strength, allowing thermal movement without the risks of breaks in the membrane.

Approved Contractor NRA Roofing began the 3000 sqm roof refurbishment by isolating the wet roof areas and stripping this back before reinstating the roof to existing levels. The roofs were overlaid with new cut to falls insulation to provide a significant thermal upgrade to the school and eradicate the existing standing water issues.

The design also included tapered gutters to ensure clear drainage channels, which would further reduce the risk of ponding water in the future.

The works were carried out during the school’s term time, which meant an open channel of communication was established and maintained from the outset between Ferry, the Trust, NRA Roofing and RLB, with distinct phases of work and regular meetings in place to ensure disruption was minimised at every stage.

Outcome

The preliminary in-depth investigations conducted by Ferry and the proposed overlay, compared to the third-party advice to strip the roof to the existing deck, saved the school £98,000 in labour, materials and skip costs and avoided over 30 tonnes of waste material going to landfill.

The thermal efficiency upgrades ensured that the school achieved a 0.18 W/m²K U-Value, and on project completion, Ferry supplied the Trust with Garland’s industry-leading 25 year Single-Point Guarantee for the StressPly Flex Plus system, which accepts the full liability for the design, system and installation quality of the project.

Roof Replacement Saves School £98K

Garland Technical Manager

Tom Ferry

Approved Contractor

NRA Roofing

Garland’s in-depth roof investigations and overlay specification saves Thorpe Primary School £98,000 in labour, materials and skip costs and avoids over 30 tonnes of waste material going to landfill.

Quick Facts

Garland System

Dura-Coat

Sector

Residential

Project Saving Cost

£900,000

The storm exposed critical weaknesses in the original roof design, which had failed to cope with the site’s wind load demands. The closure meant immediate loss of revenue, reduced access to community leisure facilities, and growing urgency to reopen.

The replacement roof required complex engineering to match the building’s 40 metre wide dual-curved structure. Standing seam sheets up to 22 metres in length had to be precision-engineered off-site, with escorted delivery, timed road closures, and careful sequencing of work.

With only a small car park as the site compound, storage, crane operations, and contractor access needed meticulous planning. Moisture protection for the exposed structure was critical throughout, with temporary coverings installed until the new system could be sealed.

Garland UK Technical Manager Rob Wall specified the R-MER LOC standing seam metal system, designed for storm resilience, thermal efficiency, and long service life in marine climates. Its penetration-free, zip-free seam design enabled faster installation and allowed for thermal movement without panel distortion.

The system was tailored to the building’s complex geometry, with 22 metre top sheet runs and 18 metre lower runs. Approved contractor, Future Roof Leeds, carried out the works, reusing the existing perforated aluminium liner where possible to reduce waste and disruption.

A high-performance, foil-lined vapour control layer was installed, along with upgraded insulation and a breather membrane suitable for coastal exposure. Acoustic infills were also integrated to maintain internal sound control, enhancing the original system’s acoustic performance.

The 1,200 sqm roofing system was completed on time and within budget, restoring full functionality to SC2 Water Park and preventing further loss of income. Garland UK’s Roof Asset Management Programme (RAMP) now provides the Council with a complete digital record of the project, including inspection reports, guarantees, and maintenance guidance, giving estates teams full visibility for ongoing asset care.

Covered by a 30 year Single-Point Guarantee for design, materials, and workmanship, the Council has complete assurance that any issues will be resolved swiftly, without dispute or additional cost.

The reopening of SC2 Water Park has reinstated a much-loved leisure venue for residents and visitors, supporting local wellbeing, tourism, and economic activity. The storm-resilient design means fewer disruptions and reduced maintenance, and reliable year-round availability, even in challenging weather.

Robin Jones, Senior Building Surveyor at Denbighshire County Council, commented,

“The level of service from Garland UK has been first-class from start to finish. Rob and the team gave us confidence at every stage, from design to handover. The quality of the roof and the management of such a tricky site exceeded our expectations.”

Rob Wall, Technical Manager at Garland UK, added,

“This was a demanding brief in a harsh environment. The combination of curved geometry, extreme sheet lengths and complex logistics called for precision planning and strong collaboration. We’re proud to have supported the Council in getting this key venue back up and running.”