Estate Works

ESTATE WORKS 

St. Paul’s Court Ltd., as the freeholder and manager of the Estate, has obligations to  refurbish, repair and maintain the Estate.

Therefore, a rolling 10-year plan of repair and maintenance works is produced and updated yearly, and this plan assists in budgeting for these.

Some of the works that have been completed over the past few years, and others that form part of the ongoing maintenance programme, include:  

 Estate Signage 

New stainless steel signs incorporating black etched characters and numbers have replaced the original old directional signs on the estate. The new signs will rectify the confusing directional instructions of the old signs, and improve navigation through and around the Estate, as well as lending a fresh modern look. The main St Paul's Court entrance gate signs have been updated and incorporate the additional wording 'PRIVATE PROPERTY'.  

A programme to update the individual property numbers on garden gates with black etched numbers on stainless steel plates has also been successfully completed. The better quality and appearance of these signs will provide uniformity with the existing estate signage. 

Entrance and Garden Renovations 

Renovation work has been completed to the pedestrian entrance area leading from Colet Gardens.  

Visitors and residents frequently pass through this area and for many it forms their first impression of St Paul's Court.  

Lawn has been laid together with new evergreen planting and pruning of the existing shrubbery. The lighting in the common areas has been repaired and enhanced with energy saving lamps. The redesigned quality signage has been also been installed here as throughout the estate. 

The brick path leading from the pedestrian gate has been repaired and straightened, and a brick apron has been laid to the area around the Telematic entry control post just inside the pedestrian gate.  

A new brick retaining wall has been constructed around the listed London Plane tree just inside the gate area. This wall has been purposely 'bowed' and constructed upon a new foundation, to allow for future expansion of the tree's root system. 

The external area immediately adjacent to the main vehicle access gates on Colet Gardens has also undergone repairs and updating. All of the old concrete bollards have been replaced with smart stainless steel bollards and two low curved brick planting beds have been constructed. These have been planted with suitable shrubs and plants and, together with the inclusion of external spotlighting and signage, have enhanced the appearance and security of this main entrance area to the Estate. Further planting and garden works will be carried out as required.  

Further repairs and plant replacements have been completed in the area of the pedestrian entrance at Gliddon Road with new planting beds and shrubbery, together with the pruning back of the overhanging trees.  

A number of curved brick built planters have also been erected at selected ground level sites around the estate. These planters are fully waterproofed with damp proof membranes. They’ve been planted with a variety of plants that will soften the somewhat stark brick corners and alleyways in these locations. 

Roof Street and Main Roof Refurbishment 

Roof street refurbishment works in respect of Blocks 1 & 2, 3a, 3b and 3c have all been successfully completed. Due to careful management these works were completed ahead of schedule and within budget. The remaining roof streets of blocks 7 & 8 are currently being surveyed for appropriate refurbishment, which will be carried out, subject to issuing Section 20 notices. 

Within the life of the current 10-year plan, possibly by 2018, it is expected that the main roof coverings of the blocks will reach the end of their useful life and will need to be replaced.

Passenger Lifts

The interior of the lifts of blocks 1 and 3 have been updated with the installation of modern replacement internal lift boxes, and the breaking systems are now controlled by new electronics.

Stairwell Windows Leading To Roof Streets 

We have completed the installation of doubleglazed, lockable, windows to all the previously open apertures. These windows have been manufactured to the same standard as the replacement windows fitted into each flat. They also carry a similar guarantee. These new windows have proved most effective in protecting the brick fabric of the towers and internal stairways as well as complying with the estate's health and safety policy. The windows have easy, full, opening to assist cleaning and, where necessary, with the movement of large items of furniture through these stairwells.

Front Doors

A programme of front door replacement, where necessary, has been carried out. In addition, those doors which have been identified as needing decorating will form part of the redecoration programme for 2012.

Redecoration of Common Areas, Garden Gates and Metal Balconies 

The garden gates to properties are on a 3-4 year maintenance cycle and will be redecorated in 2012. 

Decoration of the Common Areas such as the stairwells and the metal balconies will also be redecorated in 2012 as part of the 10-year plan. 

Roofing of the Bin Rooms 

Repairs & rectification works to the bin room roofs have been completed to a high standard. Surveys have indicated that the unsightly white staining of the brickwork (calcification salts) was caused by percolation of water into the bricks, via the old tiling on the roofs. Following this work to the roofs it is hoped such calcification will be prevented in the future.  

Brick Planters at Roof Street level 

Surveys revealed water ingress through the brick built planters at roof street level around the estate. This caused some damp and water penetration problems to adjacent properties. The solution has been to remove any possible access for water to enter the planters. To this end, aluminium sheeting has been fitted as shuttering to each brick planter. Water runs off this shuttering and then away from the brick planters through pipework and conduits affixed to it. In this way the previously perennial problem of water ingress into properties adjacent to the roof street planters has been effectively solved.  

Descaling the Soil Stacks and Drains 

The soil stacks and the Roof Street level drains leading to them are descaled every 3 years to avoid the risk of blockage and flooding.  

Similarly, as the Estate’s landscaping has matured, there’s increasing penetration by shrub and tree roots into the underground pipes and manholes, again potentially causing blockage and flooding. It’s proposed that these drains are included in the maintenance schedule. 

Spalling Repairs 

Spalling is where the reinforcing bar in the concrete sub floors of each building has rusted, expanded and has burst through to the surface. To keep costs down, repair is scheduled to be undertaken when scaffolding is in place for works such as flat roof repairs, allowing several levels to be done at once.