Following a detailed assessment of the Diocese of Norwich Education and Academies Trust’s education facilities, Langley Waterproofing Systems identified a need to urgently refurbish the roof at Sporle Primary Academy, King’s Lynn. The team replaced the facility’s existing roof with Langley’s TA-25 Reinforced Bituminous Membrane system, providing a robust, long-lasting solution.
As an approved and trusted supplier under the LHC framework for Flat Roofing and Associated Works (FR2), Langley was appointed by the Diocese of Norwich Education and Academies Trust to conduct extensive and detailed condition surveys of the roofs at five of its premises.
This included a comprehensive strategy to prioritise facilities with the worst damage to their roofs and outline how to fix the failures that had been identified. This was key to ensure compliance to FR2, which looks to guarantee that work completed on public sector buildings, such as those owned by the Trust, is carefully considered and of a high standard.
“The works Langley has completed so far for the Diocese of Norwich Education and Academies Trust is testament to the company’s high standard of work. Under FR2, it is vital that companies take a considered approach to every project and strive to achieve the best for our customers — Langley was a clear frontrunner,” explained Ben Jones, Senior Client Support Manager at LHC. “The quality of Langley’s products and the service it offers is exceptional, and it is clear the company carefully evaluates the economic, social and environmental impact of the work that it recommends.
“This is key for public sector clients, as they don’t always have a large budget. That is why the FR2 framework is so valuable — as it sets rates for the design, supply and installation of flat roofs, to help customers achieve best value; and it provides an assurance of high quality work, which will minimise future problems and additional repair costs.”
Water ingress
On completion of the condition surveys, Langley prioritised work to Sporle Primary Academy, which was experiencing severe water ingress issues. Ponding water had also occurred on the roof, due to previously insufficient falls towards the roof outlets. The roof lights originally installed onto the roof had also failed, leading water to leak into the building.
Despite previous repair attempts, the severity of the water ingress, as well as the age of the original system, meant the roof needed to be completely replaced. Langley specified its TA-25 Reinforced Bituminous Membrane system — a high performance SBS elastomeric membrane warm roof system for flat or sloping roofs. Langley also added tapered insulation, which created greater falls towards the roof outlets to ensure that water would run off the roof more efficiently. The TA-25 comes with a comprehensive 25-year guarantee, providing assurance that the new roof will be a long lasting, durable solution.
Howard Nelson, Chief Operating Officer at the Diocese of Norwich Education and Academies Trust said: “We are incredibly pleased with the work that Langley has completed across five of our academies, including Sporle Primary Academy. Through the FR2 framework, we had the reassurance that Langley could not only repair the roofs, but also that the work would be of a high standard. Throughout each project, Langley kept us up-to-date with detailed reports and images of the work as it progressed.
For the safety of students and staff, the Academy was required to be closed during the refurbishment work. As a result, the Langley team, along with Langley Approved Contractor Cambridge Flat Roofing, had to adhere to tight schedules and ensure that work was completed within the Academy’s six-week summer break. It was also vital that the work was sympathetically completed, avoiding any damage to the rest of the structure.
Howard concluded: “The team was very accommodating and made sure each project was completed quickly and to a high standard — I have no doubt that, if we were to ever experience roof failures again, we would call on Langley.”
Including Sporle Primary Academy, Langley has now been entrusted with five premises under the Diocese of Norwich Education and Academies Trust.
