State-of-the-art roof technology from Protan has been used to protect England’s highest indoor climbing wall at Lakeland Climbing Centre.
The Kendal, Cumbria Centre is almost 30 metres high and subject to severe wind and weather loadings. The 30+ year-old roof needed replacing, but with minimal impact on the Centre below. Westmorland Flat Roofing’s solution was to use vacuum roofing technology – unique to Protan – to overlay and secure Protan SE1.6mm single ply membrane to the 350mý roof.
Protan says its vacuum system is the only single ply roofing method to harness natural air movement to provide adhesion, using strategically positioned vacuum vents across the roof, with the only fixings being at the perimeter and penetrations. Air movement across the roof and through the vents creates suction, drawing air from between the membrane and airtight substrate below, causing the single ply to ?stick’ to the roof. The stronger the wind, the more the membrane adheres to the roof structure. The Protan vacuum system will withstand gusts of up to 200mph, which is four times the average and / or two times higher than recorded wind speeds for Cumbria.
David Welch, director of Westmorland Flat Roofing, said:
“My first thought was to mechanically fix over the existing screed, but pull out tests and the varying densities of concrete and screed made this impractical; adhering the membrane was out of the question too because of the surface finish, and it would still require additional mechanical restraint because of the roof height and exposure. Protan’s vacuum system was the only practical solution to be honest.”
Jeremy Wilson, owner of the Centre, said: “We were delighted with the minimal disruption whilst the work was being carried out, and with the finished result.”
Protan single ply membranes are certified to deliver, and potentially surpass, the energy efficiency requirements laid down in Approved Document L, and achieve an A+ rating under the Green Guide. The vacuum system is part of the company’s range of membrane solutions for the roofing and construction industry, including standard overlap, prefabricated, secret fix and green roofing.
