Fitzjohns Avenue, London, Building Refurbishment

The Challenge:

The Fitzjohn Avenue property is a Victorian building comprising 8 apartments.

The freeholders have chosen British Builders amongst other contractors to undertake the building and apartment renovations. During our initial site inspection visit, our appointed inspector discussed and clarified with the freeholders and leaseholders a detailed schedule of all required renovation jobs. The schedule included but was not limited to; renovation of all 8 apartments with complete replacement of kitchen and bathroom units, installing new Finnish engineered-wood floorings, designing and constructing bespoke wardrobes in lounge and bedrooms and carrying out full decoration work.

Replacement of the roof timbers and placement of insulation material in the building roof was later included as additional jobs in the project. The apartments’ ceilings were relatively high, and the heat from the central heating systems during winter time was insufficient to keep the apartments warm enough, particularly because the roof insulation was old and worn out. Moreover, the presence of high humidity in the basement on the building’s northern side was a significant concern for all lessees and had to be addressed. The basement inspection revealed signs of dampness on the walls and ceilings, as well as drops of water in the corner. As a result, British Builders’ damp specialists were dispatched to the site the following day, where they identified the source of the dampness and determined how to prevent it from recurring. As a result of the inspection, British Builders has provided the client with a detailed work scope, method statements, and the proposed materials to be used, which the client approved, allowing British Builders to commence the work.

The Solution:

Due to the Victorian style of the building, the proposed quality of the materials for the work had to be sourced from a limited number of merchants, and in some cases, the materials had to be imported from Finland, such as the engineered wooden flooring called OAK NATURAL MATT 3S 5G 24, which is energy efficient, has a 20-year warranty, and is made with FiberThermics, the most advanced and safest engineered flooring technology available.

Regarding the removal of dampness in basements, there were several options, the most effective of which was to use SIKA material to tank in the entire building’ ground floor’s internal walls after all walls have been racked out and allowed a 2-3 weeks dry out period.

Finally, the decision was made to insulate the building’s roof as well as the apartment ceilings through the upper floors of the building with Fibreglass insulation, which is considered the highest quality material. This will make warming the apartments a more efficient and economical process.

The Execution: We launched the project in accordance with the scope of work and method statements.

The following jobs were executed: Basement damp-proofing and mould treatment utilising Sika’s technology and Sikalastic render mortar; Chimney brickwork replacement (and surrounding repointing work)

Insulation of the building roof as well as the apartment ceilings with fibreglass insulation

Internal work: Walls rendering was rack out, Sika damp-proofing followed by plastering work was carried out followed by 3X paint application. In addition, tiling and electrical work were also carried out in accordance with the work scope schedule.

Installation of bespoke built-in wardrobes in each apartment’s lounge and bedroom was finally carried out. Kitchen and Bathroom units were supplied and installed in all 8 apartments. Installation of OAK NATURAL MAT 3S 5G 24 Finnish engineered wooden flooring was carried out in all apartments once it was delivered from Finland.

Completion:

This renovation project was completed on schedule and under budget. We provided the client with a 20-year-old insurance-backed warranty through Sinka, our damp specialists returned to inspect the basement for any new signs of dampness or humidity following mould treatment and Sika tanking and were satisfied the treatment had effectively worked. 

Our roofers have also returned to inspect the roof for any signs of leaks following the roof’ work completion and determined that it was watertight. Additionally, our EPC specialist confirmed that the apartments and building communal areas were now more energy efficient following the Sika tanking and insulation work. The apartment residents were pleased with the interior wardrobes’ design and work quality, the new bathrooms and kitchen new units, and the Finnish wooden flooring quality.