April 2026
Saltire Court sits in the shadow of Edinburgh Castle; a prominent commercial address in the heart of the city, overlooking Castle Terrace and within steps of the Royal Mile. Delivering roofing works at a building of this profile, in a location of this density, brings a level of logistical complexity that demands careful planning long before the first operative sets foot on site.
Roofing Advisors were appointed to carry out a full cold to warm roof conversion across 425m² of the building’s roof, using the Centech APA 15 liquid-applied waterproofing system by Centaur Technologies. The scope involved stripping the existing roof build-up back to the concrete deck, installing a new insulated warm roof system, and finishing with a skid-inhibiting liquid membrane surface — creating a high-performance, weathertight roof and a new accessible rooftop space with views across Edinburgh Castle for office users to enjoy.
The Logistical Challenge: Working in Edinburgh City Centre
Before a single tile was lifted or a primer brush loaded, the Saltire Court project demanded significant pre-construction work to navigate the realities of working in one of Edinburgh’s most congested city-centre locations. Edinburgh City Council permit lead times for works of this nature run to 8–10 weeks, meaning the planning and approvals process had to begin well ahead of the start date to keep the programme on track.
All materials were delivered to and removed from the roof by crane, positioned on Cornwall Street. No materials were permitted to be taken through the building internally at any time, and no rubbish chutes were allowed externally. Skips were located within parking bays on Cornwall Street, with all associated road closure permits and temporary traffic management the responsibility of Roofing Advisors throughout. In a city-centre location with no margin for ad hoc deliveries or unplanned road closures, the precision of the logistics plan was as important as the roofing works themselves.
The existing cold roof build-up was stripped back to the concrete deck across the full 425m²; 175m² across one roof section and 250m² across the other. At every stage of the strip-out, measures were in place to keep the building win and watertight, with a phased approach ensuring no area of exposed deck was left unprotected overnight or ahead of adverse weather.
Once stripped, the new warm roof system was built up in full compliance with the Centaur specification and Centech Roofing Report, with Centaur technical representatives engaged at all required stages of the works to ensure inspections and approvals were in place throughout:
Seals were in place at the end of every working day at all open details - upstands, edge trims and outlets - to protect the insulation from water ingress overnight and maintain the integrity of the Centaur guarantee throughout the programme.
A High-Performance Warm Roof with a 15-Year Guarantee
The completed warm roof system at Saltire Court delivers a step change in thermal and waterproofing performance compared to the cold roof it replaced. The 130mm PIR insulation achieves an approximate U-value of 0.18 W/m²K which is a meaningful thermal upgrade for a commercial building of this size and profile. The Centech APA liquid-applied membrane, reinforced with glass fibre mat and applied in two coats, provides a seamless, fully bonded waterproofing layer across the full 425m².
The completed system is backed by a 15-year insurance-backed material and workmanship guarantee from Centaur Technologies, obtained by Roofing Advisors on behalf of the client on completion of the works. This guarantee required all works to be carried out by approved Centaur operatives and to be inspected and signed off by Centaur technical representatives at key stages.
A New Rooftop Terrace in the Shadow of the Castle
One of the most tangible outcomes of this project for the building’s occupiers is the creation of a new accessible rooftop terrace. The skid-inhibiting finish (Centech quartz grit embedded into the liquid membrane and sealed) creates a safe, walkable surface that gives office users at Saltire Court a remarkable outdoor space with views directly across to Edinburgh Castle. It is an added-value outcome that transforms what was a maintenance liability into a distinctive building amenity.
Delivered Despite Significant Logistical Complexity
The city-centre environment at Saltire Court presented challenges that required the same level of planning and discipline as the roofing specification itself. Crane logistics on Cornwall Street, permit management with Edinburgh City Council, a no-internal-access rule for all materials, and the sensitivities of working in a live commercial building all had to be managed in parallel throughout the programme.
Commercial Flat Roofing Expertise in City-Centre Environments
Saltire Court is a strong demonstration of Roofing Advisors’ capability to deliver technically demanding flat roofing projects in the most logistically challenging urban settings. Our Contracting division works across Scotland on commercial, office, residential and heritage flat roofing projects - from straightforward re-covers to complex cold to warm roof conversions requiring specialist system knowledge and manufacturer engagement throughout.
Have a flat roof requiring refurbishment or replacement? Contact our Contracting team to discuss the right system for your building.
