Roof works form part of major temple repairs

[MASTIC ASPHALT works at The Balaji Temple in Oldbury, West Midlands, has recently been completed by Howard Evans Roofing and SPV Special Projects – both part of Walsall-based Phoenix Consortia.

From its humble roots half a century ago, the steadily-growing Hindu temple is now regarded as the largest of its kind in Europe. Each year an increasing number of devotees and visitors – currently nearly half a million – visit the temple. Many visiting groups come to the temple for guided tours, including over 10,000 students from schools, colleges and universities.

The development of the complex is still continuing, with plans for completing the processional way for the chariot, a dining hall and the completion of the extensive landscaping before a long-awaited Maha Kumbabishekam of Lord Venkateswara – a special ritual of consecration.

Howard Evans Roofing have completed two phases of work over the past 12 months. The most recent project involved the remediation of two stairwell roofs.

Kate Whatley of Howard Evans explained: “We allowed for the provision of scaffold access to one of the stairwells and the adaption of the existing scaffold access by the current scaffold supplier.

“Our remit was to strip off the old felt roof consisting of failed torch-on felt and OSB tongue-and-groove boards which had perished, followed by the polystyrene boards to falls, as well as the vapour barrier. Upon going down to concrete substrate we discovered water at least 10 inches deep, obviously supporting Academy Consultancy and Design’s report that the system had failed.

“We then laid one layer of sheathing felt onto the concrete followed by IKO permascreed asphalt to the falls. We installed a 140 powerdeck insulation with a 50mm infill asphalt to the surrounding perimeter, as well as incorporating a gutter system to ensure there was no standing water.

“We supplied and laid two coats of mastic asphalt onto all flat areas. We then applied primer and drilled and fixed into the concrete a vertical perimeter – then applied three coats of mastic asphalt onto all the uprights. We then installed mastic asphalt fillets to finish.

“Finally, we applied two coats of white solar reflective paint, which will future-proof the works and protect it for many decades to come – offering the temple a long–term solution to their previous issues.”

There were many challenges to the project, the most noteworthy being that half of the roofs were located under statues – making work very uncomfortable.

Kate continued: “The sheer detail and build-up of the system involved was also very challenging, but a challenge our skilled and experienced team met with determination and professionalism.”

Simon Downey, area business manager of asphalt manufacturer IKO Group Plc, added: “IKO were originally approached by Mark Sulik of Academy Consultancy and Design Ltd. The proposal included the replacement of a number of roofs to the Balaji Temple. IKO Permaphalt mastic asphalt was chosen for its longevity, application properties and seamless monolithic finish. Howard Evans were the winning contractor. Howard Evans’ attention to detail, application and finish should ensure many years of service.” q