NESTLED in 1,500 acres of rolling Perthshire countryside is Persie House, a stunning Edwardian mansion built in the early 20th century for Captain George W Rice who commissioned the mansion house and offices. According to local archives, buildings on the land date back to 1800.
Multiple repairs and maintenance had been carried out over the years but the original slate roof had largely been left untouched. However, last year, owners Patrick Dean Ltd decided the roof was ready for an upgrade.
Forster Group was appointed to deliver a full replacement of the slate roof, including the striking turret at the front of the building, and renewing the glass roof lantern.
Jamie Robbie, commercial manager at Forster Group, said, “This was actually one of the biggest single roofing projects we’ve delivered to date with total roof area exceeding 675m2. It’s a stunning property with history dating back well over 230 years so we were able to deploy our full range of expertise to help safeguard the property for the future.”
As part of the activity brief, Forster Group oversaw work by trusted subcontractors on flat roof replacement, glass lantern replacement plus specialist leadwork and replacement of cast-iron rainwater gutters.
Forster Group managed all aspects of the 14-week programme of works which saw the firm enlist additional support from Alpha Projects, Bon Accord Glass, Clyde Scaffolding and Aim Design. The project is now officially completed and has been handed back over to the client.
Jamie added, “The size and scale of this project meant it was crucial for delivery teams to work as a cohesive unit. There were lots of moving parts. One of the most challenging elements of the project was replacing the glass roof lantern which was positioned directly above the original timber grand staircase. Internal scaffolding was erected to allow for fall arrest protection.
“This was a particularly intricate part of the project. The original lantern was made up of single pane glass and a timber frame which could make it pretty precarious if working from above. The decision was made to install internal scaffolding to add a further element of safety and to allow for additional fall protection from the inside when working form above.
“We took the utmost care to protect the staircase and wood panelling and once joiners had dismantled the old timber frame of the lantern, a temporary cover had to be put in place to protect the staircase and interior from the Scottish elements. Thankfully this was only in place for five days before the lantern was replaced. The new glass panes were secured in place by hand.”
As well as the roof lantern, Persie House also has a slated conical roof turret comprising around 47m2.
In total 23,500 slates were replaced across the entire roof. Each was placed by hand by the Forster Group team which comprised two slaters and a labourer.
“Sustainability is a crucial part of our operations and twelve crates of original Welsh slates removed will be repurposed, sold or reused. These were replaced with Siga 53S Natural Slate.”
Alastair Priestley, MD for Patrick Dean Ltd, described Persie House as a ‘jewel’ of the surrounding area, offering a self-catering holiday experience for large groups.
“This was quite a complex project which required a lot of planning,” he said. “Forster Group managed the whole process with care and precision to ensure our roof was replaced quickly, efficiently and with a focus on protecting the structural integrity of the property and its interior.”
Having diversified into renewable energy in 2010, Forster Group has become the largest supplier of integrated roofing and solar solutions in Scotland. Working on Persie House, however, offered a great opportunity to showcase the company’s traditional roofing expertise.
“We have worked with an incredible range of different clients over the years, from manufacturing to housebuilding, but for me it’s especially fulfilling to deliver large-scale full roof replacements for older buildings,” Jamed added.
“Over the years we have replaced slate roofs for a number of primary schools across Angus and South Lanarkshire. These were also large older buildings which required a bespoke approach and excellent project management.
“Persie House will definitely be a standout project for us. We’re passionate about helping to preserve and protect historical buildings and an adequate roof is a crucial component. There are hundreds of buildings across Scotland alone which need to be preserved and future-proofed and if we can offer our services then we’re more happy to do so.”
