South Lanarkshire Council specify forticretes Hardrow Slates for multi million pound school refurbishment

Highly durable Hardrow Slates from Forticrete have been specified by South Lanarkshire Council for the £3 million refurbishment of Auldhouse Primary School, based in East Kilbride, Scotland.

As part of South Lanarkshire Council’s £856 million Primary Schools’ Modernisation Programme, the extensive refurbishment of the stunning sandstone, Victorian school saw the removal of extensions to the south which were built in the 1960s and the construction of a new extension to the west, increasing overall floor space by more than 160 square metres. Internally, the refurbishment saw the addition of two classrooms, a street circulation area, library, gym hall, office, kitchen and stores. The school now also boasts a multi-use sports pitch, available for community use.

As the buildings in the surrounding area of the development feature natural stone with stone slate roofs, South Lanarkshire Council needed to ensure that any materials specified would blend seamlessly with the school’s surrounding rural environment. As a result, Forticrete’s Hardrow Slates in Dark Grey were handpicked to provide both a cost effective and aesthetically pleasing solution.

Dennis Wong, Architect at South Lanarkshire Council, commented: “Forticrete’s Hardrow Slate provided the ideal solution for use on this sensitive site; it offers the same architectural properties as natural slate, with an aesthetically pleasing finish at a fraction of the cost. Hardrow is also available in a range of natural stone shades, which meant that we were able to carefully select the perfect colour which would be best suited to compliment the developments’ surrounding environment.”

Suitable for use in regions where a natural stone slate appearance is required, Forticrete’s Hardrow roof slates are manufactured with a slight variation in dimensional tolerance, adding to the product’s character when laid.

The range, which is extremely durable and mellows with age, can be laid in either random widths or diminishing courses for an authentic traditional appearance.

The slates are available in a variety of sizes, for both roofing and vertical cladding. The sizes range from 457mm x 305mm (min. pitch 25o), right up to the imposing 610mm x 457mm which can be laid confidently at pitches as low as 17.5o, creating a bold appearance. The colour of Hardrow Slates will change with natural weathering, but the integrity of the tile carries a 30-year guarantee from date of supply.

For more information on Forticrete’s range of products, visit www.Forticrete.co.uk.