April 2007 

Ward Topdek has been installed on a prestigious five star hotel project in Christchurch. Built on the River Stour estuary, the multi-million pound development, operated by Platinum One Hotels, incorporates an unusual angled footprint design, which presented a roofing challenge that was solved using Ward Topdek.

The striking modern architecture of the new development with two wings emanating from a central core demanded a contemporary looking roof. The style and versatility of Ward Topdek, the all-in-one, insulated single ply roofing system, met the aesthetic needs of the project and its speed of installation enabled the contractors to meet deadlines on time and within budget.

Paul Flood, managing director of Bluecord Ltd, the roofing company responsible for installing the Topdek roof, commented: “The building’s shape is very striking but did add some complications for the roofing. Topdek’s versatility, ease of fitting and colour options met all the project specifications and allowed us to roof the building both efficiently and effectively.”

Ward Topdek is a factory pre-engineered composite roof panel that offers faster onsite assembly compared to traditional single ply roofing methods. It comprises a high performance single-ply PVC outer membrane integrally bonded to a Firesafe rigid PIR insulation core approved to LPBC standards, and a steel trapezoidal inner deck which provide structural strength.

As an all–in-one single ply roofing solution, Topdek replaces the individual processes of laying steel roof decking, vapour control layer, insulation, and outer membrane with one simple installation, which, when compared to traditional built up roofing systems, is proving to be up to 50% faster to install. A new self-coring fixing screw – unique to Topdek – speeds the installation process even further. Conventional fixing required a core of insulation to be removed, a self-tapping screw to be fixed then the core replaced prior to the welding of the side-lap. Now, in one simple operation, the self-coring screw replaces all of these three stages. Topdek accessories include upstands, gutters, and safety anchor systems. Topdek fully complies with the latest Building Regulations providing guaranteed thermal performance and exceptional air tightness over the building’s lifetime.