Housing Association Flat Refurbishments, Peterborough

Housing Association Cross Keys Homes manages four blocks of flats between Grove Court and Tower Court in Peterborough. Sporting flat roofs since they were built in the late sixties, it became apparent that significant repairs were required when problems with the internal roof drainage system were causing water ingress and damp problems in the flats and maisonettes. Simply patching up the tired roof wouldn’t have been enough to prevent further ingress in the long term so Cross Keys Homes and their contractor Mears decided it would be more financially viable to install a pitched roofing system.

To achieve this, Mears contracted William Coopers Roofing to install an Ash & Lacy “Ashjack” steel frame so approx. 3000m²/6,300 Metrotile Lightweight Roofing Roman roof profiles in Charcoal could be installed over the four blocks. In addition to the roof tiles, a full Metrotile ventilation system was installed using vent tiles and flexible adaptors to connect to the original ventilation from the flat roof beneath.

Thanks to the low weight of a Metrotile roof – just one seventh of traditional roof materials – Mears were able to specify the material safe in the knowledge that the roof would not be too heavy for the supporting structure, yet offer excellent security benefits (not to mention a stunning finish). The residents are happy to see the back of the old roofing system and all of the issues associated with it.

Richard Scorthorne, Planned & Cyclical Manager for Cross Keys Homes discusses the reasons for choosing a flat to pitch system:

“The flat to pitch roof solution was chosen for a number of reasons, firstly for aesthetics we wanted to create an instant impact with the refurbishment. Secondly, there was an existing parapet wall and with the lightweight framing system it was a perfect solution in order to fix and over sail the wall in order to create new eaves details and guttering to keep the water away from the flat roof. Lastly, flat roofs have a limited shelf life and with the structural issues on the building, also addressed as part of the work, any overlays were always going to be susceptible to movement and leakage in the future.”

And regarding the selection of Metrotile Lightweight Roofing, Gary Gibbs, Branch Manager for Mears, commented:

“We were looking at 3 different manufacturers for the lightweight roof tile, our decision to go with Metrotile was mainly due to the customer experience we had from the outset. Metrotile provided suitable information in a prompt manner and were always on the end of the phone or email if we needed further information or guidance. Metrotile assisted us in our tender by providing us with a mock up that we could showcase to the client as part of the bid, this put a real edge against other manufacturers who were not prepared to do the same. In my opinion Metrotile offer a competitive all in one solution backed up with passionate and knowledgeable staff.”

Metrotile looks forward to working with Mears and William Coopers Roofing again in the future. If you require a roof for your building project, contact us for a free no-obligation estimate or for any other enquiry.