Linthouse, Comprehensive Tenement Remodelling
Comprehensive Tenement Remodelling, Kennedar Drive. Glasgow
Linthouse Housing Association
This comprehensive tenement remodelling was similar to several we had prepared for other Housing Associations in their bid to modernise the housing stock of their areas. This one at Kenedar drive was to totally strip out the internal walls and floors to this whole block and bring it up to a modern day standard, giving the unit many more years of successful accommodation for families in Govan.
The close originally had eleven flats, including the archetypal ‘Single end’, it even had the external privy toilet in the back court although this was long disused. Our brief was to produce seven modern and bright two bedroom flats with one single bedroom flat at the ground floor. We intended to take out all of the old lath and plaster internal walls and leave the block main core close but after initial surveying we realised that the floor timbers themselves were not in a great state either. This included the ground floor joists which when removed left us with a cavernous shell in which to design our new flats.
Walls were stripped back to stonework and block work at each gable and stone pockets left by timber packers or joists were all infilled. The refurbishment also included the external stone facades and these were infilled and replaced too as necessary. All the old pipework was stripped out and electric cables removed. The old lead pipes had been removed many years previous but we found a surprising amount of old existing but disused pipework, trunking, ducting and wiring still in place as this must have been hard to remove. We also had asbestos panelling and electrical boards to have removed appropriately. All of the structural timberwork above windows and doors were taken out and replaced with more suitable steel and concrete supports. Most of the timber structure had lasted very well but seeing it in place you could be excused by thinking it could have given way at any time.
At roof level problem rafters were removed and spliced as necessary. Chimney and sarking repairs were made and an entirely new tiled roof finish was carried out with the old, chipped and broken slates taken away. New gutters and RWPs added.
After solum repairs the new floors were installed and the flats started to take shape. They were all fitted out with new heating, electrics, kitchens, windows, doors, bathrooms and finishes. The flats all benefited from a combined vent system connected to all units and terminated through the roof.
We had an issue with the tiled floor finish to the common close. To our mind it was not carried out to a suitable standard but the sub-contractor disagreed. We had to mediate the situation by bring in the manufacturers representative who agreed that the floor had in fact been installed to an unacceptable level. The sub-contractor didn’t want to remain involved so we had the manufacturer select a suitable installer and the floor was re-laid to a high degree to the clients satisfaction. This happened post occupation so careful management of the works with the new residents was an imperative.
Finally, to complete the project the old privy WC was taken out and a new shed created.
