Bexhill on Sea – Flat to Pitch
27th January 2020
Dibsa were approached by Mr Charles Dunn from the Sutton Place Residents Committee to look at the possibility of a Flat to Pitch Roof Conversion on 3 blocks of apartments on the south coast. The request had been made primarily due to the current condition of the existing flat roofs. It was quite clear that these roofs had long since passed their expected lifespan and were no longer performing as they should. Even if these roofs were performing as intended, the level of performance achieved would not be satisfactory with regulations today.
Following our successful tender submission work commenced in earnest during June 2019 headed up by our experienced Contracts Manager Richard Jenkins whose attention to detail is second to none and whose commitment to the job from start to finish has been commendable. Installing our lightweight steel structure on the existing flat roofs and securing at intervals specified by our Structural Engineer and following his pull out requirement work progressed at a good pace.
The roof covering selected by the client was a Metrotile Roman Brindle tile which has resulted in a clean, fresh look to the flats. The concept is deceptively simple – pressed roof tiles from a highly durable, modern material (in this case, the highest quality steel), galvanise with an aluminium, magnesium and zinc (ZAM) compound and cover with a stone-chip coating. The result is a roof tile that, to this day, exceeds the expectations of a traditional modern roof tile by a significant margin.
The small but tight team of 4 worked through the heat of the summer with reflective lightweight steel and the problems that can create, offset by the lovely long days and idyllic sea view, through to the cold, high winds and heavy rain which lashed the place during the short dark days of winter – the sea view offering very little comfort on these dreary days.
The residents, of which many are elderly, were lovely, interested and positive about the work and many took the time to get to know Richard and his team, looking after them on hot sunny days with drinks and treats.
As the team are currently clearing site on the job they have lived and breathed for the last 6-7 months, they can look at their work and should be very proud of what they have achieved; clearly visible for all to see, residents and the community are delighted with the results.
