Replacement soffits, fascias and guttering in Chelsea, London
September 19, 2020 11:07 amThis was a very unusual project for Summit Cladding and one with its own unique set of challenges from the start.
The targets were three superb penthouse flats in the heart of Chelsea, one of the most desirable parts of London. But they sat on the sixth floor of a residential block just off the Kings Road, and the question of how to get the materials up there caused a bit of head-scratching.
Our initial inspection of the penthouses had revealed the problem that Summit was tasked to fix: fascias and soffits made of plywood that had been badly affected by the weather.
Water penetration damage
The big disadvantage of plywood is that, over time, water can start to penetrate and cause “wafering”, with the ply falling away in layers. This is not only unsightly but a threat to the integrity of the building.
These penthouse flats were built to a high specification, with one of them on the market for over £2million, so any prospective buyer was going to demand the best.
The challenge for Summit Cladding was how to transport materials of five metres in length up to the sixth floor, as they clearly couldn’t fit in the private lift. Our solution was to have an access tower and hoist erected in the car park at the rear of the building, with a chute to drop the waste into a skip.
Maintenance-free solution
The first task after that was to remove all the defective plywood, which was not an easy job as it had been screwed directly onto the timber roof joists. This was replaced with maintenance-free uPVC fascias and soffits with a hidden ventilation system and eaves support trays to channel rainwater into new gutters and downpipes.
The installation took 10 days to complete and we are happy to report that our clients and their surveyors gave a big thumbs up to the quality of our workmanship.
Categorised in: Guttering, Soffits & Fascias
This post was written by Summit Cladding
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