Firestone’s roofing membrane has been used to provide a waterproofing solution for two new-build extensions at an eco-focused primary school in Cheshire.
The project at Kingsmead Primary School, which was delivered by contractor Designed Roof Systems, comes 13 years after the main cedar-clad school building was constructed as one of the education sector’s first examples of sustainable construction using RubberGard EPDM roof from Firestone.
The hall extension and classroom block abut the existing building and the existing roofing membrane was said to have performed well, so the same system was specified for the new additions to the school.
Mick Devlin from Designed Roof Systems, explained: “While it’s easy to see the difference between the existing and new school buildings because the cedar panels have weathered on the 2004 construction, the existing RubberGard EPDM membrane looks and performs like new, because it is inert, so does not change its characteristics whilst in service.
“As a result, there was no need to repair or replace the membrane on the main school building; we simply installed a new membrane on the extensions and interfaced the RubberGard EPDM with the existing roof to create a continuous waterproofed surface with an anticipated service life of at least 50 years.”
Designed Roof Systems began by applying a vapour control layer to the timber deck of the 75m2 hall extension and 350m2 classroom extension, followed by 130mm PIR insulation board. The RubberGard EPDM membrane was then installed as a fully adhered system using Firestone’s bonding adhesive. Firestone’s Quickseam Splice Tape and Quickseam FormFlash were then used to seal any joints and create a watertight interface between the new membrane and the roof of the existing school building.
The roof falls to gutters and these, along with the fascias, were also encapsulated using the RubberGard EPDM system. The roofing project also included rooflight and soil vent penetration details, which were sealed using Quickseam Splice Tape and Quickseam FormFlash. QuickSeam Perimeter Fastening Strips were also used where possible to create seamless and robust base tie in details at upstands.
Head Teacher, Catriona Stewart, added: “From its inception Kingsmead Primary School has been a model for environmental design and our ethos is focused on caring for ourselves, caring for others and caring for the environment.
“While the cedar cladding is designed to weather, the rubber roof was specified to withstand weathering and wear and tear and has proven its capabilities over more than a decade. These extension projects provide a great learning environment for pupils while materials like Firestone’s RubberGard EPDM roofing membrane ensure that the buildings will last well beyond the current generation of Kingsmead children, delivering our sustainability goals.”
