GAYSHA’S “VINTAGE COBBLES” PROTECT BASEMENT CAR PARK FROM WATER PENETRATION
The redevelopment of a former commercial office building – located close to the site of the 2012 Olympics – to create stylish residential properties has called on the use of Gaysha Limited’s resin paving technology to provide a solution to the problem of water penetrating an underground car park.
The conversion of Channelsea House in Stratford, East London, has been carried out by IDM Properties, creating a total of 72 one and two-bed luxury apartments. As well as featuring the erection of a new façade over what was a tired 1960s office block and radical reorganization of the floorplans, the refurbishment work also included improvements to the building’s exterior spaces. Amongst the challenges facing the project team was the problem of long term rainwater ingress through the cracked asphalt covering to the reinforced concrete sub-structure.
Already having a good working relationship with the IDM Group, Gaysha was awarded a contract to upgrade an area of 780 square metres: overlying the failed asphalt and installing some 30,000 of its Vintage Style Resin Cobblestones across the forecourt space in contrasting Light Grey and Dark Grey colour options.
A spokesperson for IDM Properties (Matthew Savage, Head of Commercial ??) commented: “We were aware that the resin membrane created by Gaysha’s decorative paving could provide waterproofing protection and it has been successful in keeping the basement car parking area beneath Channelsea House dry, where it had previously suffered rainwater penetration.”
Referring to the specialist contractor’s broader capabilities he continued: “Gaysha are quite simply experts when it comes to the supply and works associated with resin surface finishes. They know precisely the best choices to make, which saves me time and especially when they are usually involved at the stressful end of a project, when you need to complete to hit the various deadlines, they are certainly a safe bet.
“Not only did they deploy rapidly, they use their initiative to overcome the usual problems of site clutter. So that saves me having to get involved to resolve issues between contractors.”
Gaysha’s precast, Vintage Style Resin Cobblestones, can be laid all in a single colour or as a mixture of the six in the range – three being plain, the rest speckled – alternated throughout the surface to create an antique appearance. Slip resistant and impervious to ice, the plain tiles feature straight cut edges, while the speckled blends are manufactured with either straight cut or irregular edges for a less uniform, handmade appearance. Cobblestones are available in 100 x 100mm and 150 x 150mm sizes both being 5.5mm thick.
Due to the speed of the application and drying process of the base layer – the precast cobblestones are rapidly set into the resin base layer – meaning the areas being treated can be trafficked within just 30 minutes, which can be vital when a project is getting close to handover.
