Refurb Projects - August 2016

ROOFLIGHTS
Whitesales maintain architectural integrity
with heritage rooflight replacements
The three Cs of heritage rooflight replacement
Bespoke rooflight manufacturer Whitesales has worked on various high-profile historical building restorations
and refurbishments over the company’s 25 years, most recently at Somerset House, the London Palladium and
Easthampstead Park. While no two projects – or indeed no two rooflights – have been the same, there are
common threads that link them all: the three Cs of heritage rooflight replacement.
CONSERVATION
All historical buildings demand a
respectful restoration, not just those
whose importance has attracted
listed status. The challenge of
replicating original skylights
becomes greater, however, when
there are restrictions in place.
The proprietary extruded
aluminium frame system Whitesales
developed for its Em-Glaze bespoke
glazed rooflights is ideal for
replicating even the earliest skylights
in British architecture. Its lowprofile,
slimline dynamic makes it
relatively straightforward to match
the dimensions of original frames,
yet it’s structurally strong enough to
be self-supporting, to hold triple
glazing, remain weathertight even
under the harshest conditions, and it
can be powder-coated to any RAL
colour to recreate the exact
aesthetic of the original. What’s
more, Em-Glaze bespoke can be
designed in all sorts of shapes and
sizes: flat glass linked, monopitch,
pyramid, lantern, ridgelight, polygon,
elliptical.
CONSULTING
Collaboration is vital in this
specialist area of the construction
industry, and all parties need to be
involved at the earliest stages of
planning. Consulting the entire
cross-section of experts, from the
designers of custom skylights to
heritage restoration experts and
other master craftsmen, ensures that
the whole process can be planned in
perfect detail. Early involvement
means that specialists can consult
with conservation groups and the
whole client team together, ensuring
an open, transparent and
cooperative approach to the works.
Consulting early with Historic
England, English Heritage and other
national and local conservation
groups – and remaining available
throughout the building’s
refurbishment ensures that custom
rooflights are authentic enough to
meet all stakeholders’ approval, not
just that of the client and
contractor.
COMPLIANCE
All rooflights must meet various
standards of strength and
performance under various
conditions in order to meet building
regulations standards. Moreover,
they should work in combination
with the existing building structure,
fabric, ventilation systems and
glazing to ensure that the building
itself meets various environmental
performance criteria.
That becomes more challenging
when replicating 200-year-old
skylights, but Em-
Glaze’s low-profile,
high-strength frame
allows for even larger
expanses of double or
triple glazing to
enhance thermal and
acoustic performance.
The glass can also be
solar tinted to control
heat gain and selfcleaning
to reduce
maintenance
requirements.
Ventilation can be
incorporated into the
design, from passive
trickle ventilation to
manual hinged or
electrically hinged
sections and
networked with wall switches,
remote controls, wind and rain
sensors – all enhance occupant
wellbeing and keep interiors
protected. In this way, the
replacement rooflights are more
than just compliant with stringent
building regulations; they meet the
occupant comfort levels a client is
hoping for.
Best of all, Em-Glaze bespoke
replica rooflights can be installed as
fully certified and compliant smoke
vents, extracting heat build-up and
toxic fumes and smoke, by
networking with smoke and fire
detectors. Incorporating life-saving
capability into a historical replica
rooflight may not be everyone’s first
instinct, but such possibilities
emerge when you adhere to the
three Cs and begin consulting early.
When multimillion-pound
restorations and refurbishments are
planned, it’s surely wise to consider
preserving that investment in history
as comprehensively as possible.
Web: www.whitesales.co.uk
REFURBISHMENT PROJECTS, AUGUST 2016 29