Commercial Pantile Roofing Rochdale

NEAL ROOFING / PROJECT ARCHIVE

Hotel Pantile Re-roofing
Rochdale

A substantial commercial re-roofing project to the Kingsway Hotel, Rochdale, using more than 7,500 specialist Wienerberger Koramic Pottelberg clay pantiles selected to replicate the character of the existing roof.

ROCHDALE · COMMERCIAL ROOFING · CLAY PANTILES · HOTEL · SPECIALIST TILING

Explore the Project

01 — THE PROJECT

Specialist clay-tile re-roofing for a substantial hotel building

Neal Roofing, formerly Geoff Neal Roofing, was appointed to undertake the re-roofing of the Kingsway Hotel on the outskirts of Rochdale for Samuel Smith’s Brewery.

The brief required the existing tiled appearance to be retained as closely as possible using new clay pantiles. A specialist Wienerberger Koramic Pottelberg tile was selected to reproduce the proportions, profile and distinctive finish of the original roof.

With more than 7,500 tiles required, the project involved a significant material commitment and demanded careful estimating, procurement, handling and installation throughout the eight-week roofing programme.

CLAY TILE ROOFING →
COMMERCIAL ROOFING →
PROJECT ARCHIVE →

PROJECT

Commercial Re-roofing

PROGRAMME

Approx. 8 Weeks

LOCATION

Rochdale

ROOF COVERING

Clay Pantiles

02 — MATERIAL SELECTION

Matching an established roof character

The principal requirement was to retain the appearance of the existing roof using a new clay product capable of replicating its traditional form and finish.

Wienerberger Koramic Pottelberg pantiles were selected for the replacement covering. Their appearance made them suitable for a substantial traditional building where a generic modern tile would have materially altered the architectural character of the roof.

The scale of the building meant that material selection also had significant commercial implications, with more than 7,500 individual tiles required across the roof.

03 — PROCUREMENT

A specialist roofing product with a complex supply route

The tiles were a specialist European product and their supply involved manufacturing and finishing operations across more than one country before delivery to site.

This placed additional importance on accurate material scheduling and procurement. Replacement tiles were expensive and lead times made avoidable breakages or shortages particularly undesirable.

The roofing team therefore had to handle and distribute the material carefully while maintaining progress across a substantial commercial roof.

Commercial Pantile Roofing Rochdale

Clay Pantiles

Specialist Pottelberg clay tiles selected to reproduce the character of the original roof.

Commercial Pantile Roofing Rochdale

Commercial Scale

More than 7,500 individual tiles formed part of the completed roof covering.

Commercial Pantile Roofing Rochdale

Specialist Tiling

Traditional clay roofing executed across a substantial and highly visible commercial building.

04 — CLAY TILE ROOFING

A specialist pantile covering at commercial scale

Once the existing covering had been removed and the supporting roof prepared, the new pantile system was installed across the principal roof elevations.

The tiles were laid over new Proctor Roofshield vapour-permeable underlay and treated timber battens, with the roof set out carefully to maintain consistent courses and alignment across the large elevations.

Although the roof form itself was relatively straightforward, the quality of the finished appearance depended upon accurate gauge, consistent setting-out and careful handling of a high-value specialist roofing product.

CLAY TILE ROOFING →
BS 5534 SLATING + TILING →

05 — MATERIAL VALUE

Precision mattered before installation began

The material value of the project was significant.

With individual pantiles costing substantially more than standard roofing tiles and specialist ridge components also carrying a premium, accurate estimating was important from the outset.

The quantity of material had to be calculated carefully so that adequate provision was made for cutting, breakage and detailing without generating unnecessary excess.

Once delivered, handling and storage on site were equally important. At this scale, even a relatively small percentage of damaged tiles could represent a considerable additional cost.

06 — COMMERCIAL DELIVERY

Eight weeks of coordinated roofing work

The project was delivered over an approximate eight-week programme.

The large roof area and volume of material required organised distribution and sequencing so that roofing operations could progress efficiently without unnecessary handling of the specialist tiles.

For experienced tile roofers, the individual installation details were familiar. The challenge lay in executing those details consistently across a large commercial roof while protecting a high-value material package.

07 — FINISHED APPEARANCE

Preserving the character of a prominent building

The selected pantile allowed the completed roof to retain the visual character expected of the property while providing a completely renewed roofing system beneath.

The finished elevations demonstrate the value of selecting a roofing product around the architecture of the building rather than allowing availability alone to determine the appearance of the roof.

The completed result is deliberately traditional in appearance despite being a newly installed roof covering.

08 — MATERIALS

Materials used

  • Wienerberger Koramic Pottelberg clay pantiles
  • Matching specialist ridge components
  • Proctor Roofshield vapour-permeable underlay
  • Treated timber roofing battens
  • Appropriate tile fixings
  • Roofing-grade timber where required

09 — SKILLS

Skills required

  • Traditional clay tile roofing
  • Pantile setting-out
  • Commercial-scale re-roofing
  • Material scheduling
  • Roof-related joinery
  • Specialist ridge detailing
  • Roofing logistics and material handling
  • Progressive quality control

10 — STANDARDS + GUIDANCE

Technical requirements behind a traditional appearance

The appearance of the completed roof may be traditional, but fixing, underlay and installation requirements must reflect contemporary technical standards and the specific tile system being used.

BS 5534 — Slating + Tiling →
BS 5250 — Moisture Management →
BS 8000 — Workmanship →
Roofing Regulations + Technical Guidance →

Tile-specific fixing and installation requirements also depend upon roof pitch, exposure, fixing zones and manufacturer guidance applicable to the selected product.

11 — PROJECT RECORD

Before.
During.
Completed.

The original Kingsway Hotel photographic record will be incorporated into the Neal Roofing archive as the historic images are recovered.

The galleries below are structured ready to document the original tiled roof, removal and preparation, specialist pantile installation and the completed elevations.

NEAL ROOFING / PROJECT ARCHIVE

More than 7,500 specialist clay pantiles across one substantial commercial roof.

The Kingsway Hotel project demonstrates the interaction between specialist material selection, accurate estimating, commercial-scale roofing logistics and traditional clay-tile workmanship.

It forms part of the Neal Roofing archive documenting technically and architecturally interesting roofing projects completed across Yorkshire and the North of England.