Lawrence Hall
Lawrence Hall is a Grade II listed property. A brown and brick stone building sits in front of a concrete framed hall featuring high vaulted ceilings with circular skylights made from Georgian wired glass. The existing warm roof construction had reached the end of its serviceable life causing water ingress throughout the building.
Project Details
The Challenge
Lawrence Hall is a Grade II listed property. A brown and brick stone building sits in front of a concrete framed hall featuring high vaulted ceilings with circular skylights made from Georgian wired glass. The existing warm roof construction had reached the end of its serviceable life causing water ingress throughout the building.
The Solution
A new warm roof system was installed featuring Wecryl 230 for the waterproofing layer. This high-grade PMMA-based resin is cold applied with a Weplus fleece reinforcement resulting in a durable waterproofing membrane that is highly flexible and permanently weather resistant.
The thixotropic version of Wecryl 230 was used to waterproof around the large circular rooflights situated on three levels of the building. With a thicker consistency and rapid curing time, this PMMA resin was ideal for the vertical upstands. Wecryl 230 was also applied around the windows at all roof levels combined with Weseal 815, a highly flexible, fibre-filled waterproofing product for sealing minor penetrations.
Running the length of the main hall is a considerable amount of glazing with small upstands. After removing the existing asphalt from below the windowsills, the substrate was repaired before applying Wecryl 810, a rapid curing putty, which can be used to quickly fill small cracks and joints, and to smooth out uneven areas.
A small high-level terrace area was also stripped and replaced with a new warm roof and protective cement board. The waterproofing membrane was installed with a trowel on wearing layer and topped with quartz sand to increase slip resistance.
The Challenge
Lawrence Hall presented a complex roofing challenge due to its Grade II listed status and distinctive architectural features. The property combines a brown and brick stone frontage with a concrete-framed hall, high vaulted ceilings, and circular Georgian wired glass skylights, all of which required a sensitive and carefully considered approach. On top of this, the existing warm roof construction had reached the end of its serviceable life, resulting in water ingress throughout the building and creating an urgent need for a robust waterproofing solution that would protect both the structure and its historic eleme
Heritage Building Constraints
Working on a listed structure required careful consideration to preserve original features while upgrading the roofing system.
Complex Roof Detailing
Multiple roof levels, rooflights and vertical upstands created intricate detailing that required precise application
Seamless Waterproofing
Ensuring a continuous waterproof layer across varied surfaces was essential to protect the building long term.
Performance And Aesthetics
The system needed to deliver durability in exposed conditions while maintaining a clean, high quality finish.
The Outcome
WestWood’s PMMA waterproofing system and supplementary products successfully restored this impressive roof on mulitple levels while also ensuring the historic rooflights and glazing will remain watertight.
The project’s success has been recognised at industry awards. In 2022, Lawrence Hall was crowned Liquid Roofing Project of the Year >1000m² at the Liquid Roofing and Waterproofing Association’s annual awards.
