Roofs, often termed the "fifth façade", offer shelter from the wind, rain, and sun, ensuring the optimum functionality of a building. We all innately understand their importance – but so often, roofs only come into focus when there is an issue, such as a leak. However, when it comes to ensuring longevity and performance, a proactive and preventative mindset is key.
By optimising and remediating what is already there, refurbishment offers the most sustainable approach for an existing roof. It also allows us to retrofit buildings to improve drainage and stormwater management, give a thermal upgrade, reduce energy demand, increase biodiversity, and better utilise the roof space.
We’re discussing the benefits of refurbishment, and how using pioneering technology and strategies grounded in sustainability and efficiency could breathe new life into your roof.
The importance of understanding your roof
For building owners and estate managers, the right roof is a crucial investment for the structural integrity and longevity of their properties.
Leaks are usually primary indicators that your roof could do with a check-up. A minor leak might seem harmless during a light drizzle, but during heavy rainfall, it can lead to major water ingress that damages interiors, weakens structural elements, and promotes mould. Not taking action can lead to major structural concerns in extreme cases.
To protect the building, prevention is always a better approach, than waiting for issues to appear. We often work with building owners and estate managers in the public and private sectors to undertake a full reconnaissance of their properties, because understanding the condition of the roof is key to taking a proactive approach to maintenance and repair. Understanding the condition at an early stage allows the roof to be remediated or overlaid, and if necessary, the replacement of specific sections, avoiding the need for a total renewal.
Net zero goals and rising energy prices have brought the need to improve the energy and thermal efficiency of buildings to the fore and are driving increased interest in energy generation. A roof survey gives vital information about the performance of the roof, in terms of drainage and thermal efficiency – highlighting opportunities to make improvements that will save money and energy in the long term.
Refurbishment is the green choice
Roofs are set to play a big part in the future of sustainable architecture, helping improve the performance and reduce the environmental impact of buildings, and of course, meet regulatory requirements. Thanks to technology and a better understanding of the impact construction methods and materials can have, the construction industry can make choices that promote sustainability.
We at Axter believe that the environment must be at the heart of everything we do. Remediating or overlaying a roof has a lower carbon footprint than replacing it with new construction. Giving an existing roof a new lease of life uses up far fewer raw materials and reduces landfill waste that has detrimental environmental impacts.
How pioneering tech is changing the way we approach projects
Evolving technology and new standards in compliance have changed how we approach roof maintenance and refurbishment. We use digital tools and technology, as well as a more traditional hands-on site survey and desk-top analysis to get comprehensive insights into a roof's condition.
Our expert technical managers conduct on-site inspections to determine the type and condition of the roof's current drainage system, waterproofing, and insulation build-up. This is often supplemented with the deployment of calibrated moisture map analysis and thermographic image tooling, which highlights temperature variances, reveals heat loss and denotes areas most affected by entrapped moisture.
Based on the detailed evaluations from the survey, we use this data to provide a thorough assessment of the existing condition Vs any number of upgrades. From this our teams can create a 'digital twin', a virtual mirror of the building on our Carbon & Energy Reporting platform, including both existing and proposed thermal and energy performance enhancements. Once the data is live, we can then model the impact of different design options, such as improved insulation, improved drainage, or the addition of solar PV panels, will have. This helps demonstrate how investment in the right system might offer benefits, including a reduction in energy demand, Carbon, and energy generation, whilst simultaneously illustrating the effect on the building's EPC rating and ROI.
Refurbishment in action
We’ve been involved in some exciting refurbishment projects! At Kensington Roof Gardens, we completed a beautiful renovation for this multi-million-pound development in the heart of London. This was a technically challenging project requiring waterproofing that is safe for aquatic life in the ponds and waterways, is UV stable and ensures this iconic structure retains aesthetic integrity. In addition, the waterproofing for the elevated terraces and walkways needed to be robust, rapid curing and appropriate for high-traffic areas with a high quality, anti-slip finish. The project used our innovative cold-applied liquid waterproofing system, utilising Starcoat QC for the ponds and waterways and Starcoat PMMA for the walkways and terraces.
Then there’s Bexley Park Sports and Social Club, where we undertook a full overlay roof refurbishment, ensuring that the club continues to serve the community for many years to come. Working to make it as cost-effective as possible, Axter’s Reinforced Bitumen Membranes (RBM) was used, combining strength with longevity to provide a durable waterproofing system with a 20-year guarantee.
At Knighton Fields Primary Academy, the historic building dating from the early 1900’s was experiencing drainage issues and poor thermal insulation. Axter completed a full survey including moisture map analysis and drainage analysis, followed by a refurbishment combining overlay and localised deck replacement in one area to remedy structural issues, both using our Excel warm roof system. Snagging issues occurred a year on, and these were remediated under the terms of the 25-year guarantee at no cost to the building owner.
Upgrade, protect and rethink; breathe new life into your roof
Michael Anaxagorou, Sales Director at Axter, comments:
“Our refurbishment approach is deeply rooted in sustainability and efficiency, positioning our team of experts as pioneers in roof retrofit and repurposing. Consistent quality and transparency define all our projects. We aim to fuse extensive roofing expertise with state-of-the-art digital technology and advanced diagnostic tools, delivering building owners a comprehensive end-to-end service—from initial surveys to the final roof handover. Our Quality Assurance division diligently supervises the project's progression through an accredited installer, ensuring steadfast adherence to quality standards and compliance. Rest assured, our comprehensive guarantee spans design, materials, workmanship, and insolvency, offering you peace of mind at the project's conclusion.”
“Whether it’s an iconic restoration like Kensington Roof Gardens or a cherished community asset like the Club at Bexley Park, our team guarantee that every roof is more than a protective canopy. We leave projects having achieved environmental goals, energy efficiency, and architectural integrity.”
Looking to repurpose or refurbish your building’s roof? Contact Axter to find out how our bespoke solutions fulfil your unique demands.
