Ruislip Gardens Primary School

We were appointed by the London Borough of Hillingdon to act as their consultants for the re-roofing, concrete repair and external decorations project on this primary school dating from the 1930’s.

Our initial feasibility and estimate determined that the original budget for the scheme was inadequate for the extent of works. Additional funds were secured and the specification and drawings were prepared through the summer of 2019.

Key to the success for delivery, of what were to be very noisy and disruptive works to the school that was to remain in operation, was careful programming. Working with the school management we devised a contract with Sectional Completion. The works were to be delivered in three phases running over the course of a year to allow the school to move classes away from the working areas. This was essential as there were large amount of stone ballast to be removed from the flat roofs and extensive concrete repairs needed to the original precast and in situ reinforced concrete window cills and surrounds that had suffered badly over the 80 years since construction.

CWG Roofing were engaged for the works after the normal tender and vetting processes. Works commenced in mid February 2020 and got off to a very good start. Unfortunately the Covid19 pandemic soon curtailed operations for a few weeks bringing the site to a complete halt.

With some lateral thinking and cooperation with the school management and Hillingdon Council a completely revised programme was put in place for accelerating the works. The site re-opened in early May 2020 and the target completion was set for the end of the school summer holiday period at the end of August 2020. This will leave the school free to open – subject to the Covid operation safeguards – without the added disruption of contractors and shuffling all the pupils around!

The works have addressed all the flat roofing areas, including the installation of edge guard balustrading and access points/steps, concrete repairs to all exposed surfaces finished with a decorative anti-carbonation coating, renewal of external soil and rainwater downpipes, adjustments and renewal of windows that compromised the roof surface upstands, external decorations and internal making good and decorations to areas that had suffered long-term water penetration damage due to the failure of the previous roof coverings.

All works have been completed to a high standard and, thanks to some quick thinking and flexibility from all involved, will be completed some 6-months ahead of time and all within the original contract sum.