Sutton High School Tree Pits and Roof Decks
In South London, the independent school for girls, Sutton High School is located. Since opening back in 1884 the school has educated thousands of girls and has stood through two world wars.
Background
Several areas of the school grounds were in need of some updating so resin bound paving was chosen as it was one product which would be suitable for all the different applications. First out for tender in 2020, the Main Contractor; Ashley Group made contact with our Sales Team to discuss the project. Due to various delays until 2021 the project then was held off further due to Brexit, Covid and resin supply issues. Eventually in mid 2022 the order was placed, and the installation could finally be programmed in. These delays had an impact on our area of the project as the longer the resin bound paving was delayed, the more landscaping that happened around the rest of the school. This meant our deliveries and vans were unable to get as close to the Roof Deck access as anticipated at the start of the job, all materials and tools then had to be carried by hand up the fire escape. A nice bit of exercise for our installers!
The Installations:
On behalf of SureSet, approved sub-contractor; MJS Surfacing was set to install the surfaces at Sutton High School over two visits. The first visit on site was to install the ‘Block H’ and ‘Block J’ roof decks, the second was to install tree pits.
‘Block H’ Roof Deck Installation:
The ‘Block H’ roof deck was to comprise of a checkerboard pattern along with lettering around it depicting the initials of the four cardinal directions, North, South, East and West.
The base was installed first, this consisted of a Lytag screed which allows the surface to be levelled and laid to falls more easily. A layer of 52mm deep SureCell was then added. SureCell is a strong honeycomb style plastic grid structure, which, when filled with loose aggregate provides a durable, permeable base. Water can then run through the SureSet paving and the SureCell through to the Lytag then off to the drainage points added to the decks. The resin bound paving was then laid at a 24mm depth on top as the final surface. SureCell is a great alternative to concrete or asphalt and with its interlocking properties it can be efficiently laid in a situation where machinery cannot be used.
A design was to be done on the deck using two colours from the natural aggregate range along with a small addition in a brighter colour from the Spectrum coloured glass range. The large checkerboard design was created using MDF stencils and installed in situ. Using stencils to form designs on site allows you to abut the colours right up to each other without the need for a separate edging. In this situation, the contrast of the two colours used meant this would be very effective. The darker shade of 6mm sized Chestnut was laid first, followed by the lighter 3mm Buttermilk to infill the remaining squares once the Chestnut was cured. Finally, once the outer area was installed, a complementary colour and material from our Spectrum range; 3mm Emerald Green was laid into the letter stencils. The Spectrum range is formulated in-house and is clear recycled glass which can be coated in any shade from the RAL chart to match perfectly with your design and colour scheme.
‘Block J’ Roof Deck Installation:
‘Block J’ was a smaller area laid in solely in 6mm Chestnut natural aggregate over a SureCell base. Due to the straightforward nature of this roof deck a Hover Trowel (mechanical float) could be used to give the smoothest finish whilst providing a more efficient installation time. Hover Trowels are a great addition to our toolkit as the quality of the overall finish is improved. The gliding nature of the machine leaves no trowel marks which can often be left by the traditional method of hand floating.
By paving the roof decks, it has made the space useable which may have not been so accessible before. Roof decks and gardens are becoming more popular especially in more built-up locations as it extends the footprint of the habitable area.
Tree Pits:
Four tree pits were installed using SureCell as the base with a total of 12m² of 6-10mm Chestnut laid at a 40mm depth on top.
SureSet resin bound paving is an ideal base for tree pits due to the open voids within the blend allowing air and water to penetrate. Having SureCell underneath gives a full permeable build up which is perfect in this situation.
A major benefit of using resin bound is the low maintenance aspect, the paving can be cleaned using a power washer or a stiff broom. Road sweepers are also suitable for use over the surface.
When your project is installed by an approved SureSet Contractor, it is covered by a 21-year guarantee against:
- Loose stone
- Cracking
- Oil damage
- Softening
- Colour change
- Frost damage
- Workmanship
(Conditions apply)
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