Seamless liquid waterproofing solution specified for unusual church building

A liquid waterproofing solution from Kemper System has been specified for use in the refurbishment of the Calvary Charismatic Baptist Church in Poplar, East London. 

Originally built as a ‘Live Architectural Exhibition’ for the Festival of Britain in 1951, the church is a heritage building with an unusual design to the structure of the roof. 

For the past few years, it has suffered from severe water ingress, due to the failure of the asphalt waterproofing and glass skylights. However, financial problems have restricted the church to carrying out temporary repairs: a timber structure was erected over the roof area, and a felted covering placed on top of the original roof surface.

Eventually, Architects A&RME sought a long-term liquid waterproofing solution. The specification had to be sympathetic to the intricate design of the building, which features concrete gutters, columns and round rooflights.

Kemper System’s Kemperol 2K-PUR, a seamless liquid waterproofing solution, was chosen for the complex roof. The product was combined with Kempertherm insulation to offer the Stratex Warm Roof system, an odourless and solvent-free solution.

Liquid waterproofing solution

Capital Roofing Co was contracted to install the roof system. First, the temporary timber structure and felt layers were removed to expose the original skylights beneath. A primer and vapour control layer was then applied, followed by a hard-top insulation board, which covered the entire roof area.

A large amount of insulation was required to fill the void in between the concrete beams; it was also fitted to the upstands of the beams and the walls. A cut to falls scheme was laid over the roof area to reroute the drainage into the existing side concrete gutters.

The Kemperol 2K-PUR liquid waterproofing system was then installed on the flat roof area, providing a seamless membrane around the skylights and the concrete upstands. A bespoke, aluminium trim was then fixed to cover the insulation and the Kemperol 2K-PUR system at all the abutments. 

The single, wet-on-wet application process meant that further coatings could be applied in quick succession.

Contact

Stuart Hicks
Email: [email protected]

KEMPER SYSTEM LTD
Kemper House, 30 Kingsland Grange
Woolston
Warrington
Cheshire
WA1 4RW
Tel: 01925 445532

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