Members will be pleased to learn that the steelwork has been completed, the roof and elevational purlins fixed and we are finally at the cladding stage.
The specialist cladding sub-contractor has been fixing guard rails around the perimeter of the roof and will be fixing netting under the roof. The cladders work at height and as falls from height are the biggest cause of accidents in the construction industry there is a need for very careful set up works.
The sequence of cladding works will be guttering first, then the roof and then the elevations. We must hope for dry and frost-free weather because the roof pitches are steep and cannot be walked on if there is frost. The cladding comprises insulated composite panels which are anthracite grey on the outside (similar to the old corrugated iron sheeting) and white on the inside so that the gyms will have a bright and light feel. There will be a number of daylight panels in the roof with a similar thermal insulation value to the main panels. The specialist cladding contractor will also be fitting the ridge mounted ventilation units which are, in essence, large ventilation cowls.
All of the roof panels and the ventilation units will be lifted to the roof using a scissor-lift positioned in the courtyard area by the main side entrance to the club. Members will not be able to use this entrance between 8am and 5pm Monday to Friday until the roof cladding has been completed.
The main contractor has completed additional steelwork in order to strengthen the rear wall of the small gym and to put tie bars across the roof sections of both gyms. The walls to the physio room and accessible WC/shower area are being constructed currently.
We don’t have a firm timetable for how long the cladding will take. We expect it to be quite quick and the cladding contractor will want to complete it as fast as possible, but it is weather dependant and we are not at the ideal time of year.
As soon as the cladding is on, the main contractor will fix the glazing and ventilation louvres and will have a dry and weathertight internal environment in which to carry out the fitting out works and we expect the programme to accelerate in these phases.
For more information, please contact Peter Halford, Simon Harris or Eddie Markes
