The Brighouse High School building is over 100 years old, first opening as Brighouse & District Girls Secondary School in 1910. The establishment is now a comprehensive school with Academy status which educates approximately 1,400 students aged 11-18 years.

Bauder was contacted by the site management team at Brighouse High School to help them understand the condition of the roof coverings. The school was experiencing significant problems with the roof including water ingress into teaching areas, damage to internal finishes, and serious risk of damage to live electrics which meant the project had to be dealt with as a matter of urgency due to the threat of fire or injury. The client was looking for detailed information on the construction of the roof, its condition, thermal performance, and the works required to make the roof weathertight to support a future CIF bid.

The specification 

In order to establish the exact condition of the current waterproofing system, a flat roof survey was conducted by area technical manager, Adam Marshall, which included taking core samples and a moisture mapping survey.

Core samples help to determine the construction of the roof above the deck and identifies the presence of moisture in the core site, giving guidance to the client on the best course of action. Multiple core samples are taken on each roof area to ensure the construction and condition is consistent. The condition of the existing waterproofing in all areas surveyed was found to be poor with extensive evidence of water ingress due to advanced deterioration.

To further strengthen the information provided within the Bauder CIF condition report a moisture map survey was conducted. Moisture mapping pinpoints moisture in multiple layers of insulation and waterproofing using a Troxler gauge providing the client with objective, scientific data. From this testing method the true condition of Brighouse High School’s original roof was identified and plotted, and a visual data report was produced. This appraisal is an exact scientific survey which provides explicit data on the roof’s actual condition, saving the client time and money by eliminating any doubt or guesswork as to remedial work needed.

Using the core sample results, the gauge readings could be interpreted to show the existing waterproofing on a number of the roofing areas to contain wet insulation.

After conducting the roof survey, it was determined that the existing system was beyond salvage and was therefore removed and replaced. The replacement system, Bauder Total Roof System (BTRS), was also upgraded to comply with current building regulations as the existing levels of insulation were extremely low and did not meet the minimum requirements for Section 5 of the L2B Building regulations. The wet insulation was much less thermally efficient than a dry insulation of equivalent thickness. So, heat loss and ultimately energy usage from the academy was much greater than it should be. Applying a thermal upgrade provided immediate benefits to the academy in terms of heating bills and energy usage and increased CO² emissions.

The client needed waterproofing with longevity. BTRS was specified as it’s one of our most robust systems available. This bituminous system is high quality, heavy duty and extremely tough, giving it a service life in excess of 35 years, as stated in BBA Certificate 10/4744.

Products applied 

BauderPIR FA G16:
Foil-faced tapered insulation, is incorporated into the specification to help improve the roof falls, and overall drainage performance, and to alleviate standing water within the existing gutter channels.

BauderDOME rooflights:
The existing rooflights also fell below current thermal and light transmittance standards with the performance continuing to decrease with age if left as they were. The service life of the rooflights was also not compatible with the service life of the new waterproofing system and so BauderDOME rooflights were installed to meet the thermal performance requirements demanded by the latest Building Regulations, Part L.

Bauder Total Roof System (BTRS) and BauderDOME rooflights