NHS Tank Room Roof Refurbishment – Croydon University Hospital
Project Overview
We were appointed to deliver the complete roof refurbishment of three tank rooms at Croydon University Hospital in South London, forming part of a wider programme of roofing works across the Trust.
Each tank room presented the same critical challenge: a failing roof located directly above active operating theatres housing life-support infrastructure. The works were carried out across all three tank rooms in turn, with an identical scope of works applied to each. Total project value across the programme was £300,000.
The Challenge
The existing roofs had failed and were directly impacting hospital operations. Sitting above several active operating theatres, the condition of the tank rooms posed a risk to some of the most critical areas of the hospital site. Any disruption to the theatres below – or to the life-support infrastructure housed within them – was simply not an option.
The internal gutter arrangement presented an additional problem. Beyond the immediate waterproofing failure, the existing design made ongoing maintenance difficult for the Trust’s facilities team, creating a long-term maintenance liability that needed to be resolved as part of the works.
Access across the site added a further layer of complexity, requiring a carefully considered scaffolding scheme before any roofing works could begin.
The Solution
The existing felt roof covering and supporting timber decking were stripped back to the metal deck on each tank room in turn. A built-up warm roof system was then installed, incorporating a vapour control layer and PIR insulation to improve thermal performance and bring the roof construction up to current standards.
To resolve the ongoing problems caused by the internal gutters, these were boarded over and replaced with an external aluminium gutter system with downpipes — a practical improvement that allows the Trust’s facilities team to carry out routine maintenance far more efficiently going forward.
A comprehensive scaffolding scheme was implemented across each phase to facilitate construction and manage waste safely within the constraints of an active hospital environment. The single ply membrane was mechanically fixed throughout, ensuring durability and weather resistance appropriate to the exposed conditions of the tank room roofs.
The Outcome
The completed works have resolved the immediate waterproofing failures across all three tank rooms and provided Croydon University Hospital with a durable, long-term roofing solution above some of its most critical clinical areas. The improved gutter arrangement reduces the maintenance burden on the Trust’s facilities team going forward.
Throughout the programme, hospital operations continued without interruption — operating theatres remained active and patient care was unaffected. On a site of this nature, that is the measure of a well-managed project.
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