Safestore Stockport

Safestore’s warehouse in Stockport is a Grade II listed building, which was built in 1877 by the London and North Western Railway Company. Over time, the building’s roof had become susceptible to various issues because of poorly maintained, aged gutters, which resulted in recurrent water ingress.

Safestore sought Allied Roofing’s expertise and we advised that a roof replacement was required to alleviate all current issues and provide a waterproofed, long-lasting roof. Due to the heritage of the building, we consulted with Stockport Council’s Conservation and Heritage Department to help ensure the protection and original appearance of the building.

Because of this, it was stipulated that the two end bays of the roof had to be re-roofed using the existing slates, so as not to change the external appearance of the building, as they are outwardly facing and can be seen from a distance.

To retain the original aesthetic of the building, we undertook a sorting process after removing the existing Welsh slates. We kept the best slates so they could be resized and refitted on the two end bays of the building to fulfil the stipulation set out by Stockport Council’s Conservation Officer.

As part of the specified works, we were contracted to replace 15 land gutters that had been a continuous source of water ingress over the years as the original lead lining of the land gutters had been removed and replaced with unsuitable materials. As a result, the roof’s timberwork was severely damaged. We completely replaced all the existing timberwork and associated sumps and redesigned the falls to accommodate the relining of the land gutters using stainless steel, including the provision of new lead sumps, all in partnership with North West Lead. For specialised works, we also partnered with Timberwise to replace, treat and provide structural support where necessary.

The remaining bays were replaced using blue/black Marley Eternit Rivendale fibre cement slates, a cheaper, but incredibly tough alternative to natural slate. We chose this product due to its durable, long-lasting and highly weather resistant properties, ensuring the building remains watertight for years to come.

As the roof has a north light design, we used Kingspan KS1000TF Topdek composite roof panels in place of the original glazed sides – a great choice due to their enhanced environmental performance and secret-fix appearance. All materials were carefully selected so the style of the roof was unified, ensuring the old blended seamlessly with the new.

It was very important to the client that our process had as little environmental impact as possible, so we conducted a carbon footprint and energy conservation report as part of our specification process.

The fibre cement slates used have an A+ rating, making them a sustainable roofing material with minimal environmental impact due to them being 100% recyclable.

One of the primary functions of the Topdek composite roof panels is energy conservation due to how well insulated they are. This not only makes them extremely airtight, but enhances the energy efficiency of the building, considerably reducing CO2 emissions.

The guttering system is constructed from 60% recycled stainless steel, which can be recycled again later down the line.

Throughout the project, we were committed to ensuring all waste was disposed of sustainably by separating each item into the correct recyclable groups. This meant all scrap lead, waste glass, waste timber and hardcore waste could be recycled effectively and in an environmentally friendly way, as opposed to it being disposed of collectively and ending up in landfill.