Midland Hotel, Iconic Landmark Refurbishment

Garland Technical Manager

Daniel Crowley

Approved Contractor

Ronald G Graham Roofing & Building Ltd

Manchester’s iconic Midland Hotel sits in the heart of the city centre and has been a well-loved retreat for visitors since opening its doors in 1903. Operated by the Jurys Inn Group, the hotel showcases a range of luxury suites, conference rooms, award-winning spas and restaurants. Following decades of service to the city, The Midland Hotel had started to show signs of its age, with multiple areas of water ingress across the site that needed to be addressed to preserve the building for years to come.

Garland UK was appointed to inspect the signs of water ingress, carrying out a site visit by the local Garland Technical Manager, Dan Crowley, to investigate the root cause and custom solution to the issue.

Following the site visit, the comprehensive roof survey found that large portions of the roof system held approximately 20% saturated insulation. Following a further moisture mapping assessment, it was possible to identify the specific saturated areas of the hotel’s roof that had been affected, preventing the need for the entire roof system to be stripped back to the original concrete deck.

Quick Facts

Garland System

StressPly Flex Plus

Sector

Leisure

It was essential for the hotel to remain fully operational during the roofing refurbishment with minimal disruption to its customers.

The original single-ply system had failed across the courtyard and atrium roofs, leading to the insulation becoming fully saturated with water. The metal deck’s structural integrity had also been compromised, and a structural engineer was appointed to review the extent of the damage to confirm the area as condemned and in need of immediate replacement.

Dan Crowley designed a specification that would enable the hotel to continue to operate with minimal disruption to the guests. By carefully stripping the roof back to the existing metal deck, it was possible to install an 18mm plywood and D60 metal deck to strengthen the roof before moving on to the new waterproofing system. In adopting this approach, Garland prevented the hotel lobby from being exposed to the elements and ensured the premises could conduct business as usual.

A collaborative approach was taken between Dan and Approved Contractor Ronald G Graham Roofing, designing works in phases to reduce the disruption to the hotel and ensure budgets were strictly adhered to. With minimal unloading areas available due to the city centre location, all materials were delivered by Garland on the next day delivery as and when they were required, keeping the hotel loading areas clear and operational at every stage.

A bespoke Garland UK specification was designed to upgrade the insulation and U-Value of the hotel to comply with current regulations, remove ponding water on the roof systems with a new tapered insulation design and provide peace of mind to the building owners with a 25-year Garland Single-Point Guarantee.

Ronald G Graham Roofing installed Garland’s StressPly Flex Plus bituminous membrane system, formulated with SBS rubber modifiers for straightforward application, whilst maintaining superior tensile and tear strength. Working with extreme care and precision, the contractor carried out the installation to the highest standard, overseen by the Technical Manager, Dan, during twice-weekly site visits.

On completion, all water ingress issues at the Midland Hotel had been resolved, the roof’s structural integrity had been improved, and minimal disturbance was experienced for the hotel guests and staff.

The new roof system was given a 25-year Single-Point Guarantee, allowing the building owners to benefit from Garland UK taking complete ownership of the project’s design, system and installation.

The Midland Hotel continues to exceed expectations as a popular destination for new guests and loyal visitors, proving that it continues to remain one of the city’s most cherished buildings.

The new waterproofing system guarantees the longevity of the building envelope. It ensures that all guests and visitors continue to have a comfortable stay, with no signs of water ingress in sight.