Hartlepool’s highlight development sees completion of inverted roof
Polyfoam XPS is proud to have supported the achievement of an important milestone at the £35 million Highlight leisure development. Currently under construction and sited within Hartlepool’s marina, Highlight now has a completed roof – just months after a ceremony marked the erection of the building’s structural steel frame.
Working closely with trusted roof waterproofing system holder partner IKO, Polyfoam XPS supplied extruded polystyrene insulation boards, plus accompanying membrane, for the chosen inverted flat roof system. Work on the project now continues ahead of the development’s completion in late 2025, and public opening in early 2026.
Public facilities that will be available when Highlight is up-and-running include three pools, a 100-station gym, fitness studios, active and soft play areas, and community facilities including NHS consultation suites.
Polyfoam XPS: a Hartlepool-based manufacturer supplying a major local project
While Polyfoam XPS supplies thermal insulation to construction projects nationwide, the company is always pleased when it gets the opportunity to be part of a project in the north-east.
“In 2024, we celebrated 40 years of the Polyfoam name,” said David Bowden, General Manager at Polyfoam XPS. “Being part of the manufacturing tradition in Hartlepool, and the Tees area generally, is a source of tremendous pride to everyone in the business. So we were, of course, delighted to play our own part in making this major project for the town a reality.”
Hartlepool Borough Council is leading the major investment project. It is being delivered by main contractor Wates, who engaged specialist roofing, cladding and glazing contractor Chemplas – themselves based in the north-east – to construct the two large roof areas.
A key aim for the project is to help drive regeneration and raise aspirations in Hartlepool. Speaking in September 2024, Councillor Pamela Hargreaves, Chair of Hartlepool Borough Council’s Economic Growth and Regeneration committee, said Highlight will help future generations of the town to lead healthy lifestyles.
Meanwhile, Simon Law, Project Director at Wates, explained how the project is expected to boost the local supply chain by £21 million – around 68% of the total project value.
Low U-value a ‘highlight’ of Highlight’s inverted roof specification
In a ‘conventional’ warm flat roof build-up, the waterproofing layer is outermost and the last component to be installed. Inverted flat roof specifications are a popular choice for major projects like Highlight, because the waterproofing layer is the first component installed on the roof deck.
The roof can therefore be made watertight at an early stage, with the following layers – like thermal insulation – installed after.
When installed this way, the waterproofing is sometimes said to be ‘buried,’ protecting it from damage. Furthermore, the waterproofing material itself – in this case, IKO’s hot melt solution – is applied in liquid form. Once cured, it is completely seamless, meaning water has no way of entering the building.
To help meet the demanding performance requirements for new buildings, Polyfoam XPS supplied 220mm of IKO enertherm XPS insulation boards. As part of the complete roof construction, the insulation helped to achieve a U-value of 0.15 W/m2K. The company also supplied the IKO enertherm WCL membrane as part of the complete IKO system.
“The membrane layer is called a water flow reducing layer, or WFRL,” said Rob Firman, Technical and Specification manager at Polyfoam XPS. “The WFRL plays a crucial role in inverted roof constructions, helping to reduce the amount of rainwater the insulation layer is exposed to. Used together, the insulation and WFRL deliver the performance that will help keep the building’s energy costs and carbon emissions low.”
When Highlight opens in 2026, the choice of flat roof construction will not even cross the minds of most Hartlepool residents using the building. Most, but not all. As Gary Ferguson, Business Development Manager North and Scotland at Polyfoam XPS, comments: “It will be great for everyone at Polyfoam, and especially the people who work on the factory floor making the insulation, to be able to look at the new building and know our insulation is on the roof.”
Find out more: https://polyfoamxps.co.uk/roof-insulation-types/inverted-roof-insulation/