At an award ceremony held recently by the CPRE (Campaign to Protect Rural England) to champion work carried out on historic buildings, a project to repair the roof of the Grade 2* Mansion at Shuttleworth received a Silver Award.
Robinson & Hall LLP was Project Manager and CDM Coordinator on the project, having first identified the problem and compiled a specification for the repairs of the roof and leadwork calling in a masonry consultant to advise on repairs to the chimneys and stonework.
The project was complex and various issues needed to be resolved :
- The roof was leaking in a number of places
- The rooms beneath the roof had to be kept operational
- The chimneys had to be kept functioning at all times as they serve heating and hot water for the Mansion.
- The main area of the Mansion is used for weddings so the work had to be carried out over the winter.
Our building surveyors specified a temporary roof over the whole area and extension and modifications to the chimneys to keep them functioning.
In the middle of the last century the original slate and lead roof had been covered with hessian and a bitumen product which was found to be leaking significantly after having been patched for a number of years. It was clear during the inspection that the reason for the original leaks was that the leadwork had worn out due to the fact that some of the pieces of lead valleys were oversized. Robinson & Hall redesigned the valleys, hips and drips to comply with current guidance. The opportunity was also taken to increase the rainwater drainage capacity of the roofs as well as insulating them for the first time. Welsh slates were used in the roof renewal together with mainly Code 8 cast leadwork to the gutters.
The works necessitated close liaison with the Conservation Officer and Building Control. The necessary Consents were received and the works were put out to competitive tender; this was won by Norman & Underwood Ltd. Although the works were carried out during some exceptionally inclement weather – snow and low temperatures they were completed on time and on budget.
Robinson & Hall are pleased to have been a leading team member in this prestigious project which has been recognised by the CPRE.
For more information on this award please contact:
Paul Goakes: 01234 362903 or via e-mail: pwg@robinsonandhall.co.uk
or
Robert Franklin: 01234 362917 or via e-mail: rjf@robinsonandhall.co.uk