Wednesday, 27 October 2010

Why GRP is the perfect material for replicating old cupolas and clock towers.


 
Original wooden structure rotting and falling apart
 We receive many enquiries each year where beautiful traditional roof features have started to deteriorate and become a health and safety worry or have broken down entirely and had to be taken away and a replacement is required. These often have to exactly emulate the original cupola or clock tower and GRP is perfect for achieving exact replicas of original features with many advantages over the original materials. 


But why is GRP the best material to use? Well GRP has unique physical properties which allow it to be easily tooled, molded and manufactured to meet almost any specification. The final finish can be made to emulate any number of naturally occurring surfaces, such as timber, tile, stone or lead and because there are few constraints on size, shape, colour or finish, it is possible to replicate past or existing structures, sometimes just working from old photographs or measuring what is left of the original feature.


Remains of the original cupola brought down for measuring


An amazing level of detail can be given to the molding ensuring that the original style, surface finishes, colour and even aging effects are maintained, with the advantage of reduced weight, increased strength and minimal maintenance.


Finished GRP cupola back in pride of place

To see our range of standard cupolas click here or if you have an enquiry about a cupola or clock tower that needs replacing please contact us with details of the project and we will be delighted to help.