Garland UK Transforms School with Modern Metal Tile

GARLAND UK has replaced the existing concrete roof tiles at Ynystawe Primary School. The tiles were at the end of their natural life, causing severe internal leaks and daily disruption to the student’s and staff’s learning environment.

The Local Authority instructed Garland UK Technical Manager Dale Thomas to survey the school roof, specify a durable and low-maintenance waterproofing solution, and importantly, ensure that the new system came with a trusted long-term guarantee.

Before works commenced, Dale worked with the Local Authority client and the school’s headmistress across site visits and meetings to fully understand the building’s requirements.

Phased Works for Minimal Disruption

As part of the roof works, a very large atrium rooflight needed replacing. This was a challenging aspect of the project due to the short time available to install it.

Garland UK and Approved Contractor Glamorgan Services had a strict 2-week deadline to carry out the atrium removal and new installation. The work was carried out during the Easter school holidays to ensure there was no disruption to the daily use of the school during their typical opening hours.

Once Glamorgan Services had removed the atrium glass and frame, they installed a beautiful aluminium and glass rooflight to create a stunning new feature for the school’s atrium and entrance. There was a fantastic team effort from Glamorgan Services to complete the atrium installation in this timeframe.

The roof works were scheduled in a series of phases to minimise disruption as much as possible at the school. This mitigated the need for blanket scaffolding or significantly restricting the student’s recreational areas.

Ynystawe Primary School is a prominent building on the main road in the middle of the village. It was essential to phase the works to guarantee smooth materials delivery and storage. Being a fully operational school Monday-Friday, special care and attention were made to ensure that on-site safety was considered. Providing site access points did not restrict any areas of the school’s playground or recreation facilities.

Traditional Tile Replacement

The Ynystawe Primary School utilised Garland UK’s R-MER TILE ST system, which combines the classic aesthetics of traditional roof tile with the high-performance characteristics of steel.

Ideal for complete roofing restoration, R-MER TILE ST was used as a replacement for the traditional concrete tiling at the school, available in a range of profiles and colour options to suit the building’s aesthetics.

R-MER TILE ST offered superior performance and durability without the drawbacks of traditional tile. This made it the optimum choice for Ynystawe’s roofing project. R-MER TILE ST is also simple to install and is 30% faster than traditional tile installations, and up to 70% lighter than clay tiles.

Glamorgan Services stripped the main pitched roof completely, removing the aged and broken concrete tiles before removing the existing felt and timber battens.

Additional ventilation rafters were added to the original timbers, followed by the rafter roll which stops the insulation from blocking the ventilation gap. A carrying tray was also installed at the eaves to ensure the breather membrane did not sag, collect moisture, or keep the membrane free from ventilation openings.

A breather membrane was installed over the new rafters, allowing any warm moist air to be released into the atmosphere, but critically no rainwater was allowed into the building.

Battens were applied on top of the Breather Membrane before the R-MER TILE ST panels were positioned carefully and fixed before fine detailing, fascias and guttering were installed to complete the project.

100% Recyclable Roofing System

The Ynystawe Primary School project was completed on time and within budget, with all parties working closely together throughout the project.

Dale carried out twice weekly site visits to oversee the quality of workmanship and conduct detailed progress reports for all parties to review. This providing complete transparency on the project’s advancements.

The local authority was pleased with the final R-MER TILE ST roof, noting the excellent communication, a high-quality waterproofing system, and a specialist installation that a professional outfit had carried out.

With a durable and watertight roofing system now in place, the school can also benefit from additional environmental advantages where the embodied carbon of the R-MER TILE ST system is dramatically reduced, thanks to its 100% recyclable qualities and long-term lifespan.

On final inspection of the installation, Dale supplied the school with Garland UK’s 20+20 year Single-Point Guarantee, providing market-leading cover that takes ownership of the design, material and quality of installation workmanship.

The school is now 100% leak free, meaning the students and staff now have a safe, dry and well-insulated learning environment for the future. The 20-year Single-Point Guarantee has given the headmistress complete confidence in the long-term durability of the R-MER TILE ST system and peace of mind that their roof investment has been safeguarded for the future.

Visit the Garland UK website to find out more.

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