Case study · Roof survey · Cheshire
A waterside hotel roof, investigated inside and out in three days.
The management team at Holiday Inn Ellesmere Port asked McKay Turner Consulting for a detailed, intrusive survey of the main hotel roof. We mobilised over the Christmas period, investigated every roof zone, and delivered a zone-by-zone report and repair strategy two weeks later.
The building
A dockside hotel in an exposed setting
The hotel was purpose-built in the late 1980s, with conference and leisure facilities added shortly after. It stands on the historic docks at Ellesmere Port, surrounded by water on the Manchester Ship Canal network and close to the River Mersey, a setting that makes the building envelope work harder than most.
The main building has a traditional pitched roof of around 30°: natural slate on timber framing carried by a steel frame, with multiple valley gutters, gable ends, extensive leadwork and rooflights.
The brief
An up-close picture, and a plan the hotel could act on
The management team needed a detailed understanding of the roof coverings and structure across the whole of the main hotel, and a clear strategy for looking after them.
The survey had to be intrusive enough to see what sits beneath the slates, yet planned around a working hotel and its conference and leisure facilities.
How we did it
Inside the roof space and out on the slopes
We divided the roof into four zones from aerial imagery so every finding could be located and reported consistently. Inside, we worked through the roof space, locally opening up linings to see the structure. Outside, powered access put the team on every slope, ridge, valley and abutment, lifting slates where needed to examine what lies beneath.
Where a simple fix could be made on the spot, our team made it there and then. And with access equipment already on site, we extended the visit at the management team's request to take in the adjoining leisure centre roof, the entrance canopy and the front windows, adding value without a second mobilisation.
Zoning & planning
Roof divided into four inspection zones; access and timing agreed around hotel operations.
Roof space
Structure, insulation and underlay examined from inside, with linings opened locally.
Roof surface
Slopes, ridges, valleys and leadwork inspected close-up from powered access.
Report & strategy
Zone-by-zone findings and tailored recommendations, issued two weeks after survey.
The outcome
A clear, zone-by-zone strategy.
The client received a fully illustrated report covering each roof zone in turn, with recommendations tailored to each one. Where more than one approach was viable, the options were compared on a like-for-like basis, including access and preliminaries, so the hotel could plan and budget with confidence.
The additional areas inspected while on site were reported alongside, giving the management team one joined-up view of the building rather than a series of separate visits.
Up close on every slope, valley and ridge, and back to the client with a plan within two weeks.
Work with us
Need a clear picture of your roof or façade?
McKay Turner Consulting carries out roof and façade condition surveys, PAS 9980 external wall appraisals, EWS1 assessments and façade fire-safety consultancy for buildings of every type.