Victoria Ramwell, commercial manager at Kemper System, discusses the importance of keeping standards high when it comes to hotel roof renovation work.
In a post-pandemic era, a hotel renovation has proved crucial for many businesses as changes in visitor behaviour has impacted the sector greatly. Alongside this, the cost-of-living crisis and increased energy prices means consumers and businesses are potentially seeing their hotel booking as a luxury expense; and so, the importance of maintaining the highest of standards has come into focus more than ever before.
Hotel owners and chains have quickly grasped the opportunity to refurbish their sites as the higher guest demands and expectations for increased comfort and well-being is now the new norm for many travellers in our current economic climate. Although the roof of a hotel may not be seen by the end user in the majority of cases, the overall experience of their stay will depend on the usability of the building.
Improving Standards
For hoteliers, remaining competitive in this ever-uncertain market has never been more important. The rush and popularity of UK ‘staycations’ may not last, and the highest of standards must be met to ensure end users have the best experience, and hotels can maximise on revenue.
Correct specification of a waterproofing system during the roof refurbishment of a hotel is vital, as the design is most likely to impact the user the most when it comes to hotel renovation.
Quick application with minimal disruption to hotel guests when the site is occupied is a vital consideration. Access to site and flexible working patterns will also need to be adhered to, to meet the client brief and timescales whilst remaining respectful of hotel guests.
Hotel in the Spotlight: Forest of Arden Marriott
One such example of a recent hotel renovation took place at the prestigious Forest of Arden Marriott Hotel in Birmingham, which benefitted from a durable cold-applied liquid waterproofing solution thanks to Kemper System.
A solution from the liquid-applied membrane specialist was used by contractors, Whitestone Property Services (Midlands) Ltd, to refurbish the 254 sq. m roof at the high-end country club and hotel.
The existing single-ply roof, which comprised extensive plant and surface units, had experienced severe water ingress due to a number of vulnerable laps and seams around multiple penetrations.
Installation Considerations
Working during winter months, contractors specified Kemper System’s Kemperol V210M for its ease of application and fast curing properties, as well as its durability and versatility.
Charlie Marshall, senior contract’s manager at Whitestone Property Services Ltd explains the challenges on site.
He said: “We’ve worked with Kemper System for many years and its cold-applied liquid solution was an obvious choice for this project. One of the main benefits is it can be applied very quickly and easily using a roller. This provided us with the speed and flexibility to complete the job on time as we had limited daylight working hours. We also had to be respectful of the hotel’s guests as the building was still occupied during the refurbishment works.”
Contractors erected an up-and-over scaffold on the hotel’s roof to create a safe access route to the site.
Charlie added: “This was a challenging project due to the vast amount of plant on the roof. A decision was made to overlay Kemperol V210M on top of the single ply. Another challenge was access – we were unable to enter the hotel so the scaffolding was the safest option. Transporting huge amounts of sheeting or other materials would have created health and safety risks, so Kemper System’s two-component solution adapted perfectly.”
The V210M liquid-applied membrane was applied ‘wet on wet’ in a single process using a reinforcement fleece. Once cured, the resin formed a seamless and elastomeric membrane that cannot delaminate.
Sustainable Roof Refurbishment
The Forest of Arden Marriott Hotel is an extremely prestigious hotel, and a lot of thought had to go into the design and specification stages.
Kemperol V210M is cold-applied, avoiding any risks relating to hot works, and can be applied quickly. It is also UV stable and more suitable for complex details, providing a completely seamless membrane encompassing the entire roof area.
These were all factors take into consideration at specification stage, which made for a successful and safe installation and improving the overall customer experience, and increasing the revenue for the client.
This hotel project is just one example of our vast portfolio of work in the hospitality sector. Kemper System has successfully been specified and installed on a number of hotel projects, including the Radisson Blu at Manchester Airport, several other Marriot Hotels across the UK, the Shaftsbury Suites in London and the Grade II listed North Western Hall in Liverpool.
