Mill Lane Community Primary School, located in Oxfordshire, first noticed a small leak in part of the school’s roof following a period of bad weather.

While fixing the initial leak was the original plan, on inspection there was a much greater risk of roof failure if the school didn’t address it soon.

Conford Roofing completed the initial works and recommended that due to the expected age of the roof, an expert survey would be beneficial to assess its current state. Conford Roofing contacted our PermaRoof Commercial team to conduct a site survey and core testing, with the inspection determining that intervention was required.

Prevention is better than cure when it comes to roofing for any building but particularly a school; the cost associated in preparing against future damage compared with repair work can be vast.

When it came to specifying a solution for the school, the requirements meant it needed to be cost-effective, use certified products and installed while the school was open, so safety was paramount.

The solution

Following the site visit, our PermaRoof Commercial team recommended that PermaRoof500 would be the most suitable product for the job to cover the 150sqm flat roof. The liquid waterproofing system is our most popular liquid coating due to its adhesion to many surfaces, one-layer application and cost-effectiveness.


When considering the options, there were a number of slate roofs that joined the flat roof area. To replace the roof in its entirety, it would be both time consuming and expensive to remove the joining slate tiles, cover the flat roof, and then replace the tiles again. Instead, the P500 offers full flexibility and can be overlayed right up underneath the slate tiles, without needing to remove them. This suited the school’s requirements best.

The testimonial

Tom Marsh, director at Conford Roofing, said: "We could have gone to the school, fixed the leak and moved on to the next job, but it’s so important to us that we’re supporting our clients in making the right long-term decisions for their roofs - not just short-term fixes. We brought the PermaRoof Commercial team in as their combined expertise and knowledge of the products is second-to-none, and I knew they'd be able to complete the relevant testing prior to specifying a solution.

"Once the products were recommended and agreed, it was as seamless a job as we could ask for. With the quality of the products and support from the PermaRoof Commercial team, it was one of the best jobs we’ve done – nice and straightforward. It's not the first time we’ve worked with PermaGroup and certainly won’t be the last; I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend the team."

Sunny Lotay, national commercial manager at PermaRoof Commercial, said: "We've worked with Tom and the team at Conford Roofing on multiple occasions and are always pleased to offer support on their projects. Mill Lane Community Primary School was a prime example of not just doing the job but looking beyond it and ensuring that buildings in our communities will be safe and leak free for decades to come.

"Fortunately, this was a straight-forward liquid waterproofing job, which the P500 is perfect for, and it was applied effortlessly, with credit to the skills of Tom's team. That's the benefit of properly trained contractors and high-quality products – the perfect match."