A busy retail unit in Kendal town centre needed emergency waterproofing after its flat roof developed multiple leaks during autumn storms. Our Lava20 roofing team applied a rapid-cure liquid membrane system over the weekend to avoid business disruption, sealing the entire 65m² roof in just 2 days.
This retail unit on a busy Kendal high street occupies a 1970s commercial building with a concrete-decked flat roof originally waterproofed with mastic asphalt. The asphalt had degraded significantly, with extensive crazing and several areas of complete failure where water was entering the shop floor below. Portable containers were catching drips during trading hours, creating a hazard for customers and staff. The building landlord needed an immediate solution but couldn't afford to close the unit during the work — the tenant had a critical pre-Christmas trading period approaching. Additionally, the roof had multiple penetrations for extract fans, soil vent pipes, and telecommunications equipment that all needed detailed waterproofing. Traditional systems would have required 5-7 days of work, but the landlord wanted the roof sealed in a single weekend to avoid any impact on the tenant's trading.
We mobilised a four-person team for a weekend installation. On Saturday morning, we pressure-washed and primed the entire 65m² concrete deck. The Lava20 rapid-cure formulation was then applied — a faster-curing version of the standard product that achieves rain-resistance within 2 hours of application. The first coat with fleece reinforcement was completed by Saturday afternoon. By Sunday morning, the first coat had cured sufficiently for the second coat, which was completed by midday. The third coat was applied Sunday afternoon and had achieved rain-resistance before we left site at 5pm. All penetrations were individually detailed with additional fleece reinforcement and extra coating thickness. The parapet upstands received the full three-coat system dressed up to the coping level. New stainless steel drain outlets were installed at three locations, each bonded into the membrane system. By Monday morning when the shop opened, the roof was fully waterproof and the tenant's trading was completely unaffected.
The shop opened as normal on Monday morning with a completely waterproof roof overhead. The Lava20 rapid-cure system performed exactly as designed — achieving full waterproof integrity within 48 hours of application. The pre-Christmas trading period proceeded without any further leaking, and the landlord was able to avoid the compensation claim that the tenant had been preparing to submit for trading losses caused by the roof leaks. The seamless liquid membrane has sealed every crack, joint, and penetration on this complex commercial roof. We provided a 20-year guarantee on the complete Lava20 installation.
The rapid-cure version of Lava20 contains an accelerated cross-linking catalyst that achieves rain-resistance within 2 hours of application — compared to 4-6 hours for the standard formulation. This rapid cure capability was essential for this weekend installation in Kendal where the tight programme demanded that each coat be cured before the next could be applied. Despite the faster curing, the final membrane has identical properties to standard Lava20: seamless EPDM rubber with 50+ year durability.
The 120g/m² polyester fleece was embedded in the first coat across the entire roof, with additional layers at penetration details and parapet angles. The fleece provides tensile strength that bridges the expansion cracks in the concrete deck below, preventing thermal movement from cracking the Lava20 membrane. At penetration details, double fleece layers provide extra reinforcement at these high-stress points.
The specialist primer for concrete substrates penetrates the surface pores, displacing moisture and creating a chemical bond with the Lava20 liquid membrane. On aged concrete like this Kendal retail unit, proper priming is critical for long-term adhesion, as carbonated concrete surfaces can be chalky and poorly bonded.
Three new 316-grade stainless steel outlets with 200mm bonding flanges were installed, replacing the corroded originals. The wide flanges ensure a permanent bond with the Lava20 membrane, and the stainless steel construction provides lifetime corrosion resistance in this exposed commercial drainage application.
From emergency weekend installations to planned commercial reroofing, our Lava20 team delivers fast, reliable waterproofing solutions throughout Kendal. We also serve Windermere, Penrith, and all of South Cumbria. Contact us for a free commercial roof survey.
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