Professional indemnity design cover on our systems for 6.5 million
C&S Roofing works with main contractors across Ireland to deliver specified blue roof systems as part of the wider roofing package. We coordinate the waterproofing, attenuation components, outlets and protective layers around the approved design, with close attention to sequencing, interfaces and protection as the works progress.
Make Roof Space Part of Your Drainage Strategy
On developments where ground space is limited or surface water discharge is restricted, a blue roof can provide temporary stormwater attenuation within the building footprint.
Rather than allowing rainfall to discharge immediately, the system holds a calculated volume of water within the roof build up before releasing it through controlled outlets at the specified rate. Depending on the overall drainage design, this can reduce the amount of attenuation required elsewhere on the development.
The storage volume, discharge rate and structural requirements are established by the relevant project designers. Our role is to take that approved design and turn it into a properly coordinated roofing installation.
That means looking at the waterproofing, attenuation components, outlets, overflows, insulation, protection layers and finished roof surface as parts of the same system.
A Complete Blue Roof Installation
A blue roof cannot be treated as a waterproofing membrane with attenuation added afterwards.
The different layers need to work together, and the roof structure must be designed for the loads associated with the specified system, stored water and finished surface.
Before installation begins, we review the roofing drawings, specification and relevant details so our work can be planned around the approved drainage and structural design.
Our scope can include:
Where inspection or waterproofing integrity testing is required by the specification, the programme should allow for this before the attenuation and surface layers cover the completed membrane.
Our flat roofing services allow the blue roof system to form part of the wider roofing contract rather than being treated as an isolated element.
Planned Around the Construction Programme
On a large apartment development, roof areas rarely become available at exactly the same time.
One block may be ready for waterproofing while another is still receiving services or structural work. Storage components and finished surfaces may then follow at a later stage.
We coordinate with the site team to establish how the roofing works will progress through each area and when subsequent layers can be installed.
That includes practical questions such as when the roof is available, how materials will reach each level, where outlets and overflows are positioned and how adjoining construction will connect with the waterproofing.
Protection is particularly important once an area has been waterproofed. Following trades, temporary access and later installation work all need to be considered so completed roofing is not unnecessarily exposed to damage.
For the main contractor, that means the blue roof sequence can be considered alongside the wider construction programme rather than dealt with as a separate operation once the roof is already built.
Blue Green Roofs and Paved Areas
A blue roof does not necessarily have to finish as an exposed roof surface.
The attenuation system can form part of a roof that also includes planting, paving or suitable amenity areas, provided the complete build up has been designed for that use.
Where a project combines blue and green roofing, the systems perform different but complementary roles. The vegetation and growing medium can retain some rainfall, while the blue roof provides the calculated temporary attenuation and controlled discharge required by the drainage design.
Blue roof systems can also sit beneath suitable paved terraces and podium areas. In these locations, the finished use of the roof, loading requirements and access to drainage components all need to be considered from the design stage.
Roofing Details Need to Work Together
Some of the most important blue roof details occur where different parts of the building meet.
Outlets, upstands, parapets, door thresholds, service penetrations and roof edges all have to work with the waterproofing and the intended water level within the attenuation system.
These details are much easier to resolve from coordinated drawings than after adjoining construction has already been completed.
Where associated roof edge metalwork forms part of our package, our in house fabrication workshop can also support items such as cappings, flashings and other fabricated details required around the roofing works.
Blue Roof Installation as Part of the Wider Roofing Package
Blue roof installation sits at the point where waterproofing, drainage, structural design and the construction programme come together.
Our experience across flat roofing, green roofing and associated architectural metalwork means we can look at the blue roof as part of the wider roofing package, particularly on apartment developments with several roof areas, finishes and interfaces to coordinate.
We work from the approved specification and drawings, raise roofing queries while there is still time to resolve them and coordinate our installation with the site programme.
For the main contractor, that means a clearly defined roofing scope, practical communication with the site team and one point of contact for the roofing works included in our package.
Request a Quotation for Your Development
Send us your roof plans, blue roof specification, project location and anticipated programme.
Where available, include the drainage calculations, specified storage requirements, discharge rates and relevant detail drawings. This gives us the information needed to review the roofing scope and prepare a quotation based on the actual project requirements.
If you are submitting a tender, include the return date and any requirements for the roofing submission.
Aluminium louvres can be used on plant rooms, car parks, apartment blocks, commercial buildings, schools, offices, retail units, service areas, ventilation screens, and facade details.
They are especially useful where airflow is needed but the opening also needs to be screened or finished neatly. This can include mechanical service areas, bin stores, roof plant zones, car park elevations, or visible wall openings where appearance matters as much as performance.
FAQs
What Information Do You Need to Price a Blue Roof Installation?
Please send us the roof plans, blue roof specification, project location and anticipated programme. Where available, include the storage requirements, discharge rates, drainage calculations, relevant detail drawings and proposed roof finish.
For tender enquiries, please also include the return date and any specific requirements for the roofing submission.
Who Is Responsible for the Blue Roof Design and Drainage Calculations?
Design responsibilities should be clearly established within the project team. The drainage design determines the required storage capacity and discharge rate, with input from the specified system supplier where required. The structural design also needs to account for retained water and the other loads acting on the roof.
C&S Roofing installs the system in accordance with the approved drawings and specification. Any additional design input required from us would be agreed as part of our scope.
Which Details Need to Be Resolved Before Installation?
The storage depth, maximum water level, outlet and emergency overflow positions, waterproofing specification and finished roof levels all need to be coordinated.
Upstands, thresholds, penetrations, adjoining construction and maintenance access should also be resolved before work reaches those areas. Dealing with these details early helps avoid conflicts once the waterproofing and blue roof components are being installed.
Can Waterproofing and Green Roofing Be Included in the Same Quotation?
Yes. These elements can be reviewed as part of the wider roofing package.
We can look at the specified waterproofing, blue roof components and green roof build up together and clearly identify what is included in our quotation. Where paving, landscaping or other work is being completed by separate contractors, those interfaces should also be identified so responsibilities are clear.
How Is Blue Roof Installation Coordinated With Other Trades?
The programme should allow the waterproofing to be completed and any specified inspection or integrity testing to take place before it is covered.
The attenuation components and finished roof layers can then follow in the agreed sequence. Where other trades still require access, the completed waterproofing and drainage components need to remain properly protected.
We coordinate these stages with the main contractor and the wider site programme.
What Access Needs to Be Maintained After Installation?
Flow control outlets, inspection chambers and emergency overflows need to remain accessible for inspection, cleaning and maintenance.
Planting, paving and rooftop equipment should therefore be coordinated around these points. The finished arrangement also needs to follow the approved system design and the maintenance requirements for the specified system.
What Information Is Required at Handover?
The exact handover requirements will depend on the project specification and roofing system.
These may include installation records, inspection or integrity test results, maintenance information and relevant warranty documentation. Responsibilities for providing each item should be agreed during the project so the required roofing information can be included in the O&M manual.
If you’ve got a roof problem, no matter how big or small, why not contact us right now to have a chat?
