Wem Swimming Pool

Overview:

Specialist roofing contractor SRC North West Ltd. was contacted by the main contractor appointed by Wem Town Council to submit a tender for the supply and installation of a new roof at Wem Swimming Pool, which is a single-storey building located in Shrewsbury.

The existing roof, measuring 26 metres by 23 metres with a 10° pitch, consisted of a three-layer felt system with 60mm PIR insulation. However, the council sought a thermal upgrade and a new roof design that would accommodate the installation of solar panels.

The building was in constant use during the works and was visited by members of the public, so the contractor had to ensure minimal impact on the building use during installation.

The refurbishment was to include installing a roof-mounted solar pv array, complete with controls and renewing the existing roof while thermally upgrading it to comply with current building regulations.

Since a single-ply EPDM roof was specified at the tender stage, the contractor, SRC North West Ltd, recommended Flex-R as their preferred supplier. The contractor has a history of installing Flex-R products as a Specialist Registered Installer, and, therefore, if requested, qualifies for additional onsite support during installation from Flex-R. This aspect was a key consideration and a selling point compared to other EPDM manufacturers. Additionally, Kingspan partnered with the project by supplying the roofing insulation.

Flex-R conducted product training for all contractor operatives and assisted with the project specifications. They provided a site survey report on the roof’s condition and continued to offer site support once the project began. Following this, a condensation risk analysis was assessed by the manufacturer, Kingspan, to determine the required insulation.

The existing felt was utilised as an Air and Vapour Control Layer (AVCL), and a new AVCL was added at the perimeters where the roof was raised to accommodate the thermal upgrade. Following this upgrade, which complied with building regulations, the refurbishment was finished with Flex-R RubberBond EPDM Single Ply Waterproofing.

Further input was also provided by the Flex-R technical team, as the contractor mounted solar brackets to support the solar array in which they specialise. This task needed to be completed while ensuring that the waterproofing was maintained.

Overall, the installation ran ahead of schedule, taking less than a month to complete from materials landing on site.

Ryan Green, Operations Director at SRC North West Ltd, said of the Flex-R product:

“As a business, we are part of the Flex-R approved installer scheme, which provides us with extensive training and technical support during the roof design process and throughout the installation on these types of project. We were very pleased with the results, and our client was as well.”

*EPDM-Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer is a synthetic rubber material increasingly used in the construction industry. It is durable and flexible and can withstand extreme temperatures, UV radiation, and weathering, making it ideal for use in roofing.