Queens Park Court, London W10
Complete lightning protection to two occupied residential blocks under refurbishment: new external system to the small block and verification and extension of cast in conductors on the large block, with new earths.
- Client
- LJJ, for principal contractor Willmott Dixon Interiors
- Location
- Ilbert Street, Queen's Park, London W10
- Sector
- Residential
- Year
- 2025
4
New external down conductors
5
Cast in tapes verified
2 weeks
Phased programme
The challenge
Two existing residential blocks on a housing estate refurbishment. The small block had no lightning protection at all and its external finishes were already complete. The large block had five cast in high level tapes of unknown condition, two of them buried in the third floor mansard that was about to be covered by new zinc cladding. Solar panels, aerials and dishes on the roof all needed bonding. Everything had to be timed around the roofing, cladding and handrail installers, with earth rods going in after the scaffold came down.
What we did
- Wrote a full RAMS to Willmott Dixon's acceptance checklist, revised once to close every comment, for a two man crew working over about two weeks in phases from 28 July 2025.
- Small block: installed four external 25 x 3 mm PVC coated aluminium down conductors on the finished brickwork from roof to 600 mm above ground, each with a test clamp, and drove a copper bonded earth rod at the base of each under a permit to dig and a CAT scan.
- Large block: traced the five cast in tapes, extended the two mansard tapes up behind the new zinc cladding before it was closed, and tested each for continuity to the foundation before accepting it as a down conductor. Where the structure could carry current we bonded the steel at roof and ground level with M10 clamps at about 20 m spacing.
- Installed the roof network after the parapets were finished but before the handrails went in, adding a cross conductor so no roof area exceeds 20 m, and bonded the solar panel frames, satellite dishes, plant and steel roof hatch frames.
- Ran a full continuity and resistance test on every down conductor and electrode with a calibrated digital earth tester and issued a Lightning Protection Test Certificate.
Outcome
Both blocks brought to a complete, tested system: four new down conductors and earths on the small block, and the large block's cast in conductors verified, extended and earthed. The test certificate was issued to the client.
Standards
- BS EN 62305-3
- BS EN 62561
- BS 7430
- Protection
- Earthing
- Compliance
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