Chelsea Flower Show, London – IKO Armourplan SG
Project description
IKO Polymeric and Excel Roofing worked together in the roofing project of a luxury treehouse that was displayed in the Chelsea Flower Show earlier this year.
The treehouse was designed to stand approximately 2.5m from ground level supported on a treated, softwood timber sub-frame; the peak of the roof reaching a maximum height of approximately 8.5m from ground level.
A handmade timber spiral staircase provides access to the tree house leading to a treated timber deck. The exterior of the treehouse was finished with Cedar cladding with various profiles to give the treehouse a unique and contemporary look.
The roof was finished with slate grey single ply roofing membrane. Dark grey windows and doors were used throughout. Over the course of their natural weathering, the timber cladding on the treehouse will weather to a silvery grey colour, blending in naturally with the surrounding vegetation.
Blue Forest – a company that specialises in the design and construction of luxury treehouses and unique sustainable buildings – ensured that the timber in the tree house was sustainably harvested and certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) or the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC).
Created in collaboration with the award-winning Chewton Glen Hotel and Spa in Hampshire, this adventurous treehouse will help you to rediscover your inner child!
After being showcased at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, the treehouse has now been transported to its new home in the grounds of Chewton Glen to provide a fabulous home for the hotels popular children’s club.
Installation of IKO Armourplan single ply membrane and PVC standing seams
The brief for the roofing project was to produce a modern contemporary finish with clean lines. Initial thoughts were towards a metal standing seam. However, as the roof had to be constructed offsite within a very short time period, metal standing seam roof wouldn’t be the right choice.
To replicate the desired metal roof look, IKO’s Armourplan SG120 fleece-backed PVC membrane in slate grey was specified along with PVC standing seams. The membrane was adhered tightly on the roof surface to closely follow the contours of the curved roof and provide a crisp finish on standing seams by giving the contemporary look required.
The roof was prefabricated in two sections so that the roof finishes could be fitted at ground level reducing the need for working at height. Excel Roofing was only given five days to complete the roof in the client’s workshop with a day on site to complete the final welds that would join together the two separate sections of the roof.
IKO’s Armourplan PVC membrane was very convenient for offsite fabrication with only half a day needed on site to finalise the roof.
Offsite fabrication involved some 12-hour working days to ensure the timescales were met and the installation was right first time. Excel Roofing had a meeting with their installers where they discussed the best way of producing the desired outcome.
The theory worked out in practice, but the project was a challenge for most operatives as this was their first experience in an offsite manufactured roof installation.
The treehouse was pre-fabricated in five main sections. These sections were carefully designed to ensure ease of transport for the 50-mile journey from the workshop in Surrey to the Chelsea Flower Show.
Each section, weighing approximately 1.5 tons, was transported to the showgrounds on a flat-bed lorry and craned into position on arrival to Chelsea Flower Show.
Roofing finishes had to allow for a tight timescale and suit to challenging detailing where two turrets are joined together with a projecting porch. The metal drip edge had to be cut and segmented round to give the impression of a smooth circle.
IKO Armourplan SG120 fleece-backed PVC membrane was adhered with IKOpro Sprayfast FMA adhesive. Areas had to be taped and covered to protect against overspray and installed in two-stage-operation to ensure the membrane was kept tight with no bubbles evident.
Cover tapes were then welded over the joins and IKO Armourplan PVC standing seam profiles were welded on the top to disguise the cover tapes. As a result, an aesthetically pleasing finish was achieved replicating the desired metal roof look and giving the tree house a modern contemporary appearance.
All photos © 2019 Blue Forrest
