The roof refurbishment of Kirkgate Market in Leeds is a story of problem solving and partnership. Rising to the challenge, Protech Roofing and Sarnafil Plus delivered an exemplary solution, which allowed the market to remain open throughout.
Europe’s largest covered market, Kirkgate has 800 stalls attracting over 100,000 visitors a week. As part of a £14m refurbishment to improve the market for the stallholders and the public, the leaking roof, extending over both the 1976 and 1981 halls, needed renewing while the building was fully operational. Being such an important and iconic city landmark, viewable from many of the surrounding buildings, attention to detail and aesthetics were also incredibly important to the final result.
The Sarnafil Plus team did the groundwork to secure the tender with the architect, asserting the benefits of a Sarnafil system, Sarnafil Plus technical support and guarantee. Following this, Protech Roofing, a registered Sarnafil contractor, spent many hours visiting the site and attending meetings, gaining the trust of all parties.
Eamonn Cahill, Interserve senior project manager, said: “Protech showed outstanding levels of proactive problem solving and integrity throughout the project. The Sika Sarnafil membrane has given the market hall roofs a smart, clean finish with the durability to keep the building weatherproof for years to come.”
The original design specification called for the existing felt waterproofing to be removed back to the metal decking. However, as this would cause massive disruption and with no guarantee of a watertight building. To combat this issue, Protech recommended a mechanically fastened Sarnafil system that could be overlayed onto the existing substrate.
A full Sarnafil Plus survey and moisture mapping revealed the worst areas for water ingress before the project started to assist with planning the work.
The nine-month project saw a team of between eight and 10 people working on the roof through all four seasons, including rain showers and temperatures of over 27°C., without the project or waterproofing ever being compromised.
Sarnavap 5000E SA a cold applied, self-adhesive vapour control layer was used to ensure temporary waterproofing for the market while the roofing work was being carried out. The SarnaTherm insulation boards were mechanically fixed into the existing roof and installation of Sarnafil S327-15EL Light Grey membrane with stainless steel fixings created a durable, weathertight and aesthetically pleasing finish. Sarnafil membranes are certified by the British Board of Agrement to have a service life in excess of 40 years, giving the client confidence in the durability and longevity of the roof.
A further feature of Sarnafil roofing systems that appealed to the client was that the Sarnafil S327-15EL Light Grey membrane is cold applied – welded together using hot air rather than with a naked flame. The system can be used without restrictions as it meets the fire performance requirements of BS476-Part 3:2004 and BS EN 13501-5:2005. This was an important safety consideration as the market had suffered a terrible fire back in 1975.
Six rooflights over 51m long were replaced with SarnaLites, situated close together in rows, making sure that the market continued to benefit from natural daylight. This part of the refurbishment was carried out at night to limit any disruption to the market below.
Sarnafil Plus visited the site regularly and a successful final inspection resulting in the issuing of a Sarnafil Plus guarantee.
