Home Bargains Refurbishment Works.

NU Construction was awarded the contract to refurbish Home Bargains Leigh, this was the former Cooperative building that was built in 1859, and as had multiple uses over the years.

The nature of the works included undertaking condition improvement works to the main shell of building including demolition of the old 3no separate stores and turning it into one large store, this entailed the removal of party walls, removal of lifts, escalators and old plant items, installation of new supporting steel work, replacing upper timber floors and installing new metal deck/concrete floors. Reroofing of flat roofs, repairs to existing slate roofs and lead work, new electrical installations and fire alarm, installation of a new ventilation system, installation of a new sprinkler system, new fire protection improvements, new Internal fire escape staircase, repairs to the external facade of the building from terracotta replacement/ repairs and repointing, weed treatment and cleaning of the façade. Stone cill repairs and rebuilding of old chimneys, full refurbishment of timber windows where possible and replacement timber windows where required. New curtain walling to the ground floor areas and robust doors to the rear of the delivery areas.

Working with the local conservation officer and specialised knowledge and experience as part of the development process, NU hold a long-standing comprehensive supply chain list of restoration craftsmen enabling careful consideration in selecting the best placed accredited heritage trades people for the specific specialised works.

Maintaining communication with all parties was critical throughout the project. We established a strong relationship with the client's design team and in regular dialogue with the project team to coordinate all aspects of the work.

We have completed specialist structural repairs, including the replacement of terracotta to the external facade and repairs to terracotta where possible. We have experience specialists working through areas that needed full steam cleaning of the whole facade and treating any areas for weed growth. Our team of stone masons carried out minor repairs to joints the areas was then pointed using a lime mortar repointing areas of decay as per the conservation officers’ requirements, they also carried out stone cill repairs to the rear of Gas Street again by the team of specialists. Making good the old chimney stacks by carefully taking them down and rebuilding them and capping them off. Future proofing for bird deterrent was a big issue previously so the installation of bird spikes to all ledges and copings, installation of Bird needing to the rear courtyard to prevent future decay.

New bespoke timber framed windows were manufactured and installed to replicate the original windows. 66no windows were carefully replaced and our skilled team was able to carry out a wide range of repairs to improve and fully recondition 90no of existing timber windows.

External decorations were carried out to all the timber windows and painted as per the conservation officers’ requirements.

9 levels of scaffolding were erected around the full perimeter of the building and over existing shops that was linked to one of the gables, the scaffolding was then rapped to prevent the weather delaying the works whilst providing our team safe access to all elements of the structure.

Certain areas of the roof had flat roofs, were fully recovered and made to all 5no areas some having timber fillets installed and reboarded and others new gutters were formed to lengthen the life of these roofs, all were tested and covered with guarantees.

The other roof works consisted of the sloping elevations of the building being repaired and any cracked or missing tile been replaced with matching slate. Lead flashings have been replaced were areas where missing. Wears made larger, outlets and hoppers replaced by Code approved plumbers. 

A fully detailed dry rot and wet rot survey was carried out and existing plaster work removed, timbers exposed and treated to areas identified, these areas where then reboarded over once the specialist had signed these areas off.

The previous use of the 3no separate shops that had different finish floor levels, demolition team took out the higher floors and new steels were installed, and new metal deck was installed, and a concrete floor poured to make the whole area one level.

The upper two floors internally had to be left as a shell so all areas of lose plaster was removed back to bare brickwork.

 The basement was also to be used by the end user and the area was fully stripped of old mechanical appliances, new steel work was added to take new floors on the ground floor as the existing levels were all different and needed to be all one level.

A specialist company was brought in to build up the old light wells and fully tank the basement walls to the existing building, this was applied to all external walls and part of the party wall areas where an existing courtyard area was.

Mechanical company installed fresh air ducting into the basement and air out to eliminate any condensation build up/ stagnate air.

Electrical contractor installed fire and lighting to basement and upper floors, installed new consumer unit and fire exit lighting, the ground floor was left for the internal fit out team to install.

Fire protection was carried out to all new steels and walls/ newly installed floors infills and signed off by Building control.

New curtain walling was installed on the ground floor shop area, although these were in aluminium we had to replicate the old existing timber shop fronts and install detailed mouldings onto the uprights, these were manufactured by the timber window specialist and sent over to the curtain walling specialist to be fitted to the capping.

Block paving was replaced on two of the outside elevations, where the old lightwells were and had to be made to match, the existing levels were raised at the new entrance to work with the new floor that was installed internally.