Tony Wereszczynski of Marley Alutec explains how to achieve the right balance in rainwater and eaves specification when dealing with heritage-style properties.
Heritage-style buildings can pose challenges for developers, especially when they are tasked with finding the balance between traditional aesthetics and modern performance expectations.
As much as we may marvel at the delights of modern architecture, many people still believe you can’t beat a traditionally-styled building. In fact, research indicates not only do we prefer the styling of traditional homes, but we’re also willing to pay up to 15 per cent more for them. However, aesthetic value should never be the sole attraction of a property, and what traditional homes might have in terms of looks, they often lack in terms of building performance and efficiency.
The best course of action may be to design a property that draws from the principles of heritage design, but is composed using high- quality building materials, giving the owners the best of both worlds.
This was the case with a recent project at the Warren Wood Manor, an opulent £19m mansion in Hertfordshire, complete with a 24 car private garage, cart and hay lodge, and a 45-horse stable. While the mansion and garage were both new-builds, the property’s carriage house was a pre-existing structure. An ageing and traditionally designed building, the carriage house was in need of significant but sensitive renovations to upgrade its performance. Being a new build, the mansion on the other hand needed to complement the existing building’s traditional heritage. The developers therefore didn’t want to lose the estate’s historic charm, so they needed to find building materials that suited the traditional style but were technologically advanced. This would allow them to avoid an aesthetic clash between the stable and the mansion.
Nowhere can the clash of old and new be more obvious than on a building’s external envelope, particularly on rainwater systems, which are clearly visible and provide a frame for any home. Rainwater systems can be particularly tricky to improve without disrupting an existing aesthetic as they often use cast iron, which has a distinctive appearance. Cast iron rainwater systems are very costly to replace however, being extremely heavy and requiring a lot of maintenance. Therefore, any alternatives that can address these issues and yet remain a close match visually are very attractive to developers.
At Warren Wood Manor, the developers elected to use high quality, durable and strong products from a trusted manufacturer. The main house was equipped with a rainwater system and 102 mm circular downpipe. The carriage house was also fitted with a rainwater system as well as a 63 mm circular downpipe. All the products were specified in heritage-style black paint.
The paint perfectly emulates the style of traditional cast iron pipes – delivering the authentic historical appearance required on listed buildings or in conservation areas, but without the drawbacks associated with such a heavy and high-maintenance material. What’s more, using an architectural grade polyester powder coat paint finish, the system is now fade resistant and does not require repainting, unlike cast iron.
Lead developer Tony Penfold believes that using high quality building materials greatly enhanced the project’s success.
He said among various success factors, the main reason was that:
“The quality of aluminium as a building product, especially when used in rainwater goods, is far superior to other materials.”
The benefits of using high-quality building materials are plentiful. For one, the technical advancements in the last couple of years mean that almost all building materials now far outperform those that came before them. What’s more, using highly sustainable materials like aluminium ensures systems don’t need to be frequently changed. For example, the products installed at Warren Wood Manor are made from marine grade aluminium and have a life expectancy of 50 years or more. What’s more, they need almost no maintenance, only requiring occasional aesthetic cleaning.
When pursuing a sensitive refurbishment or new build, you need to be constantly juggling many things, and at times the process can be confusing and difficult. However persistence and focus can result in a property that mixes the benefits of old and new. Choosing the right material is essential, as is finding a design that blends with its surroundings. Using a trusted supplier and high-quality building materials such as marine grade aluminium ensures you can do both.
Tony Wereszczynski is technical director at Marley Alutec