Full Roof Coating & Gutter Refurbishment at Large Retail Facility, Nottingham

D&D Coatings’ East Midlands operational team completed a comprehensive roof overcoat programme at a large-format retail store in Nottingham, encompassing full DriSilane system application, cut-edge corrosion treatment to profiled steel roof sheeting and a complete steel gutter refurbishment. The following is a structured, stage-by-stage project account. From initial client engagement through to practical completion. Its intended to provide specifiers, building managers, quantity surveyors and asset owners with a transparent and technically detailed record of the works undertaken by our expert teams.

Initial Client Engagement

The client was introduced to D&D Coatings through a mutual industry associate. The building owner, who is a retail operator responsible for a large commercial trading premises, had encountered considerable difficulty in identifying a painting and specialist coatings contractor with verified approved applicator status, a demonstrable track record in roof coating on similar commercial facilities and credible endorsement from both paint manufacturers and industry peers.

Following a structured meeting with D&D Coatings’ Managing Director, Paul Drinkwater, the client received a comprehensive overview of the company’s competencies, approved applicator credentials and quality management approach. The client expressed full confidence in D&D Coatings as their preferred contractor and confirmed their intention to proceed without delay.

Pre-Contract Site Survey

Prior to mobilisation, D&D Coatings’ appointed site surveyor conducted a thorough pre-contract inspection of the roof envelope. The survey was carried out in accordance with the specification supplied by the client’s building management team and encompassed a full condition assessment of the profiled steel roof sheeting, guttering system, rooflights, ridge cappings, flashings and roof-mounted mechanical ventilation and extraction equipment.

The client’s building management team had specified the DriSilane system as the required coating solution. This is a well-regarded, silane-based waterproof coating system widely used across the commercial and industrial sectors for the long-term protection and waterproofing of profiled metal roofing. Material quantities were calculated from measured survey data and a detailed quotation was prepared and submitted. The quotation was approved promptly and without amendment, allowing the project to proceed to programme scheduling without delay.

Mobilisation & Project Commencement

With all specified materials procured, delivered to site and a project team assembled, works commenced on a Monday morning. The D&D Coatings deployment comprised five experienced industrial painters and one dedicated Project Director, Gary Wright, who assumed overall on-site responsibility for programme management, quality oversight and client liaison throughout the duration of the contract.

Prior to commencement, all temporary access scaffolding was subjected to a formal safety inspection and sign-off by D&D Coatings’ Health & Safety Executive, Craig Wilmore, confirming compliance with current working-at-height regulations. All plant, tools and materials required for Phase 1 were transferred to the roof at the outset of the working day, minimising repeated access movements and mitigating any potential disruption to the retail operation below or to members of the public visiting the premises.

Surface Preparation — Pressure Washing

Surface preparation was initiated with a comprehensive, full-coverage pressure wash of the entire roof assembly. This encompassed all profiled steel roof sheets, steel gutters and downpipe interfaces, polycarbonate and GRP rooflights, ridge cappings and the external surfaces of all roof-mounted ventilation and extraction cowls.

Pressure washing was carried out using D&D Coatings’ Bimson Petrol-Powered Pressure Washer. Its well proven in heavy-duty commercial roof cleaning applications. This phase served to remove accumulated atmospheric contamination, biological growth, loose, flaking and friable coating material and any debris retained within the gutter channels, ensuring a clean, sound substrate in advance of repairs and coating application. Effective surface preparation at this stage is critical to long-term coating adhesion and system performance.

Localised Repairs to Roof Sheets & Guttering

Following the completion of surface preparation, D&D Coatings’ operatives undertook a programme of localised repairs to elements identified during the pre-contract survey and confirmed on-site during the wash-down phase. Repairs carried out included the following:

• Profiled roof sheet repairs: Filling and sealing of puncture voids in roof sheets where penetrations had developed, utilising appropriate sealant compounds compatible with the specified DriSilane overcoat system.
• Gutter leak remediation: Sealing of leaking joints and seams within the steel gutter runs, addressing points of water ingress identified during the survey and subsequently confirmed on inspection.
• Ventilation terminal re-fixing: Reattachment and mechanical securing of roof exhaust terminal covers that had become displaced from their fixings due to wind loading, preventing further ingress risk and ensuring compliance with the roof’s weathertight integrity prior to coating.

These repairs, although classified as minor in scope, are an essential precursor to any roof coating programme the we carry out. Applying a protective coating system over unresolved substrate defects would compromise the long-term performance of the applied system. This also invalidates any associated manufacturer warranty or guarantee.

Coating Application — DriSilane System

With surface preparation and repairs completed and accepted, the coating phase commenced in accordance with the DriSilane system specification. The application sequence was structured to address the areas of greatest vulnerability first — specifically the sheet-to-sheet overlap joints and sheet ends — before progressing to the broader field coat application across the main roof plane.

Cut-Edge Corrosion Treatment

Cut-edge corrosion which is the progressive galvanic deterioration of exposed steel sheet edges at lapped joints, ridge cappings and sheet ends. It represents one of the primary failure mechanisms in profiled metal roofing. Left untreated, cut-edge corrosion leads to delamination of the factory-applied coating, underfilm corrosion and ultimately structural compromise of the sheeting.

D&D Coatings applied DriSilane SealerCoat by brush to all sheet overlap joints, exposed sheet ends, ridge cap details and the perimeter interfaces around rooflights and roof-mounted ventilation units. Brush application at these locations ensures full penetration of the sealant into the overlapping profiles, establishing a continuous, flexible seal that accommodates thermal movement without cracking or delamination.

Gutter System Coating — DriSilane Guttercoat

DriSilane Guttercoat was applied throughout the full extent of the steel gutter system. Brush application was employed at all gutter joints, stopped ends, outlets and other detail areas requiring precision application to achieve full film build in confined areas. Roller application was used for the wider areas of the gutter channel runs, providing consistent, even coverage across the gutter floor and upstand faces.

The DriSilane Guttercoat system provides a seamless, waterproof membrane to the internal gutter profile. It extends the serviceable life of the gutter infrastructure and eliminating the progressive joint failures that commonly necessitate costly gutter replacement on ageing commercial roof systems.

Main Roof Field Coat — DriSilane Roofcoat

DriSilane Roofcoat was applied as the primary weatherproof overcoat to the main roof sheeting area, totalling approximately 3,000m². Application methodology was adapted to suit the geometry of each area:

• Brush application was employed for all detail and cut-in work, including joins with flashings, upstands and areas where spray application was not practicable.
• Airless spray application was used across the main open roof plane, delivering a high and consistent film build in a controlled and efficient manner, minimising application time.

The combination of brush and spray application across a 3,000m² roof area reflects standard industry approved applicator practice for profiled metal roof coating, enabling precise edge control where required while maximising productivity of the coating.

Independent Inspection & Manufacturer Warranty Sign-Off

With all coating works completed and the access scaffolding retained in situ, a DriSilane-appointed inspection representative conducted a formal final inspection of the completed installation. The inspection encompassed a comprehensive assessment of the applied coating system — including film build consistency, surface finish quality, system continuity across all detail areas and the overall integrity of the cut-edge corrosion treatment and gutter coating works.

This was not the inspector’s first visit to the project. The same DriSilane representative had attended site at scheduled intervals throughout the contract programme to monitor application standards, verify compliance with the system specification and provide technical guidance where required. This ongoing manufacturer oversight — from mobilisation through to practical completion — is a key requirement of the DriSilane approved applicator scheme and serves to underpin the technical robustness of the finished installation.

The process ensures that the applied system meets both the aesthetic and technical performance standards required to support the full range of DriSilane system warranties — which extend from 15 to 25 years depending on the specification tier selected — and that every warranty issued reflects a genuinely compliant and independently verified installation.

Following the final inspection, DriSilane confirmed sign-off of the completed works to the highest standard. The relevant performance warranties have been formally issued and are now in place, providing the client with the assurance of long-term system protection backed by the full weight of the manufacturer’s guarantee — a significant material benefit for asset managers, landlords and property owners seeking to demonstrate due diligence in the maintenance and preservation of their building envelope. A due diligence our managing direct Paul Drinkwater strives to achieve and exceed on every project.

Project Challenges & Programme Management

The project was delivered without significant incident. The principal challenges encountered were twofold: intermittent adverse weather conditions necessitating short-term suspension of coating operations — in line with manufacturer application guidance relating to minimum substrate temperature, surface moisture and relative humidity — and minor delays in the procurement of specific spare parts required for repair works. Neither issue resulted in an overrun against the contracted programme.

D&D Coatings’ operational team responded to programme pressures proactively, utilising extended working hours and weekend working to recover any time lost to weather-related stoppages. The project was delivered ahead of the contracted completion date. This is a typical outcome consistent with D&D Coatings’ established approach to programme management and client service.

Project Summary

Conclusion

This project is representative of D&D Coatings’ end-to-end capability in the specification and application of high-performance roof coating systems on occupied commercial premises. From pre-contract survey through to practical completion, the works were delivered to a high standard of technical quality, with minimal disruption to the client’s trading operation and in full compliance with health, safety and working-at-height requirements.

D&D Coatings extends its appreciation to its Project Director Gary Wright and the full site team for their professionalism and diligence throughout this contract and to the staff and management of the retail facility for their cooperation and support during the works. We look forward to supporting the client with future asset maintenance and refurbishment programmes for many years to come.

Further reading

wikipedia.org/Corrugated_galvanised_iron
ddcoatings.co.uk/tag/roof-coating
ddcoatings.co.uk/failure-to-maintain