Balconies and Roof Gardens

This rubber clad plywood on this balcony flat roof in Flint, North Wales had failed, deteriorating in several places. This was the third time the roof had had to be replaced in the space of 12 years and the owner was now seeking alternatives. As the pictures show, the flat roof was over a hollow storage area which adjoined the house. A new substrate was required along with a waterproof covering.

Troon, on the west coast of Scotland, is known not only for its golf course but also for its strong winds, which come from the Atlantic and from the north down the Firth of Clyde. This makes it an excellent spot for windsurfing and kitesurfing, but a challenging spot for roofs!

One new 14 apartment development on the main seafront road illustrates this well - the roof area wrapped around the complex, each area presenting its own requirements and each requiring reliable longterm protection from the corrosive salt-rich sea air and the worst weather the Atlantic will throw at it.

This wraparound roof in Talybont in Ceredigion, West Wales, was badly leaking and in desperate need of repair and refurbishment. Water was pooling everywhere, the existing surface was ripped, lifting and leaking, and moss had formed in clumps over much of the surface.

Despite this, the underlying roof was still sound and able to be reused!

Aberystwyth, on the wet and windy west coast of Wales, is a place that knows how important waterproofing is! Balconies that pool and collect water are balconies that rot and decay before their time, never lasting as long as their materials would suggest. The polymer system, which reuses plastic polymer particles, keeping them out of rivers and seas, is fully waterproof. It provides a seamless, jointless covering for balconies, roofs and walkways.

Two balconies demonstrate the outstanding waterproofing properties of the polymer balcony system. The system is guaranteed 100% waterproof over all areas of application. Drainage channels are of course then installed so that water can drain away!

We were contacted by another roofing contractor about this semi-detached roof in Stow-on-the-Wold in the Cotswolds, Gloucestershire. At one end, the fibreglass roof was leaking and at the adjacent gable end, the felt roof was leaking.

The two sections, 18m2 and 25m2 needed slightly different treatment. The 25m2 area already held mineral capsheet but was pooling water on top of that, which was seeping through the cracked material. This roof area simply needed overlaying with Liquid Plastic, rendering it jointless, seamless, watertight and weatherproof.

This new build in Mold, Flintshire in North Wales needed a balcony surfacing system that would allow building work to continue without long disruption and delay. It was also essential that this area was fully waterproof and watertight quickly in order to keep the underlying fabric dry.

The polymer membrane system was the ideal choice, ensuring the entire balcony area was waterproofed and weatherproofed quickly, and safe to walk on within 6 hours so that work could continue uninterrupted!

Displayed are before and after pictures of a communal balcony in Kingston Rd, Teddington, in Middlesex. The area was leaking through, causing the steel work to corrode and blow the concrete. The owners arranged for funds from their service charge to be used to refurbish the balcony area.

The balcony wall itself was very sturdy including its render, the removal of which would have taken a great deal of effort and would have involved damaging the brickwork before replastering (another trade so another cost).

This balcony in Ascot, Berkshire was suffering from pooling and flooding, with water failing to drain away correctly. An oversight when the cantilevered joist had originally been fitted made water run off nearly impossible.

This balcony in Putney SW15 was looking worn and tired and the owners were keen for a complete refurbishment.

Our first step was to remove the existing balcony tiles before cleaning and overboarding the space. As the roof area covered an internal room below, roof coating was then applied to seal it.