Flat roofing for Plymouth Nursery

One thing we can say about flat roofing in Cornwall, life is never dull.  Over the years we have been privileged to work on a fantastic variety of buildings in some of the most beautiful spots in the county.  But when we are asked to contribute to a building project for a school or college then we are particularly pleased to be playing our small part in helping to secure Cornwall’s future.

We were therefore happy when On Site Framing of Truro asked us to play our part in weatherproofing a flat roof for one of their new build projects.  On Site Framing specialises in creating “an engineered, thermally efficient timber frame with a high degree of flexibility, from design to manufacture and completion on site.”  It works both on new buildings and to create extensions to existing properties.

The project which we were asked to contribute to was for the Flying Start nursery at the College of St Mark & St John in Plymouth so we headed off over the border into Devon.  Interestingly, and in keeping with its nursery status, the new building had been designed in a wedge-shape which enables all of the rooms to flow into the garden.  Underfloor heating combined with other features were designed to give the building an eco-feel, enabling it to stay warm in winter and cool in the summer.

It was therefore important that the flat roof materials chosen also contributed towards the overall eco-friendly ethos of the building.  For this project the flat roofing material chosen was Cefil RP 1.5mm membrane fixed onto 18mm plywood.  With a 270m² footprint, the roof covering had to be lightweight and yet at the same time robust.  Cefil synthetic membranes are produced in line with the ISO14001 environmental management standard.  This requirement looks at the product from initial design and raw material selection through production, installation, use and eventual recycling, making Cefil a good choice when eco-considerations are in play.

Cefil RP flat roof coverings are also a good choice for the Cornish climate, having good wind and UV resistance built in.  The membrane’s fire resistance properties are also high, another plus-point in a building which will be occupied by children. With a history of providing long term waterproofing for a variety of roofing designs, the Cefil flat roof covering should help the nursery children at Marjon to stay dry for many years to come.