A 3,000 m² school flat roof, replaced around an occupied building.
How we re-roofed a 3,000 m² flat roof at Musselburgh Grammar School in East Lothian — warm-roof build-up, term-time and holiday phasing, and minimal disruption to the school day. A public-sector roofing case study.
Case study · Education / public sector — Musselburgh Grammar School, East Lothian · ~3,000 m² flat roof · Warm-roof re-cover · Completed to programme, school occupied throughout
Project at a glance
| Location | Musselburgh, East Lothian |
| Building | State secondary school |
| Sector | Education / public sector |
| Area | ~3,000 m² flat roof |
| System | Warm flat-roof re-cover |
| Constraint | Occupied school throughout |
| Outcome | Delivered to programme |
The brief
A large flat roof at the end of its service life, over a working school.
Musselburgh Grammar School is a large state secondary just east of Edinburgh, with hundreds of pupils and staff in the building every term-time day. The main teaching block sits beneath roughly 3,000 m² of flat roof, and after decades of Scottish weather the existing covering had reached the end of its service life. Pooling water, tired upstands and failing laps were letting damp track into the structure below, and localised patching was no longer keeping classrooms dry.
The brief from the local authority and the school’s estates team was clear. The roof had to be fully replaced to a modern, well-insulated standard, the building had to stay watertight and in use throughout, and disruption to teaching, examinations and pupil movement had to be kept to an absolute minimum. On a live school site, safeguarding and health and safety were not optional extras. They shaped every decision on the job.
What we did
A modern warm-roof build-up, delivered in phases.
We surveyed the existing roof, agreed a phased programme with the estates team around the school calendar, and stripped each section back in turn. From there:
- Upgraded the insulation — a thicker insulation layer to bring the roof up to current thermal standards, cutting heat loss across a large public building and improving comfort in the rooms below.
- Installed a vapour control layer — protecting the new build-up from interstitial condensation, which matters on an occupied building generating warmth and moisture.
- Re-covered with a modern membrane — a high-performance single-ply / built-up membrane system, fully bonded and detailed to manufacturer standards for a long, low-maintenance service life.
- Re-formed upstands, outlets and details — new perimeter trims, dressed upstands and free-running rainwater outlets so the roof drains cleanly and doesn’t pond.
- Phased the works to the school calendar — programming the noisier and most disruptive sections into school holidays wherever possible, and avoiding work over occupied exam halls during assessment windows.
- Built in future roof access — safe access points and clear detailing so the school’s maintenance team can inspect and service the roof for years to come.
On site
The work in pictures.
The school’s flat roof during the re-cover works.
Working above an occupied school changes how you run a site. We hoarded and segregated the working area so the compound, scaffold and material loading were kept well away from pupil routes and play areas, with edge protection above any space in use below. Crews were briefed and cleared in line with school safeguarding expectations, and the site was managed so that contractors and pupils never shared the same ground.
We sequenced the work to leave each section watertight at the end of every working day, so an overnight downpour never reached a classroom. The noisiest operations were planned into holiday periods and quieter parts of the timetable, and we kept the school’s estates team updated daily so they always knew what was happening, where, and when.
The result
A warm, watertight roof, delivered without losing a school day.
The school now has a fully replaced ~3,000 m² flat roof: better insulated, properly drained and weathertight, with a modern membrane system carrying its manufacturer warranty on top of our workmanship guarantee. The thermal upgrade reduces heat loss across a large public building, which helps both running costs and comfort in the teaching spaces below.
Just as importantly, the school stayed open and operational throughout. The works were completed to programme, the building was watertight every night, and teaching and exams carried on with minimal interruption. The estates team and local authority got a roof that should serve the school for decades, handed over with full documentation and safe access for ongoing maintenance.
Public or commercial building with a tired flat roof? Whether it’s a school, office or industrial unit, we can survey it and set out a phased plan that keeps you operational. Request a free survey or read about our commercial flat roofing.
Keep reading
- Commercial flat roofing — warm-roof systems and re-covers for schools, offices and industrial buildings.
- All our services — domestic and commercial roofing across Scotland.
- All case studies — landmark roofs across Scotland & the UK.
Frequently asked questions
Can you re-roof a school while it stays open?
Yes — it's routine work for us on education and public-sector buildings. We phase the programme around the school calendar, hoard and segregate the working area from pupil routes, keep the building watertight every night, and plan the noisiest work into holidays and quieter periods. The school stays open and operational throughout.
How do you handle safeguarding on an occupied school site?
We treat safeguarding as part of the job, not an afterthought. Crews are briefed and cleared in line with the school's expectations, the working area and compound are physically segregated from pupils and staff, and contractors and pupils are kept apart at all times. We work to the school's and local authority's site rules from day one.
How long does a flat roof last?
A modern, correctly installed warm flat-roof system typically gives 25–30 years or more of service life, and often longer with sensible maintenance. The big factors are the quality of the detailing, drainage that doesn't pond, and regular inspection — which is why we build in safe roof access for the maintenance team.
How does procurement and funding work for public-sector roofs?
Public buildings are usually let through a local authority or framework procurement route, with defined specifications and reporting. We're set up to work that way: clear programmes, method statements, daily liaison with the estates team, and full handover documentation on completion. We're happy to support the tender and survey stages.