Project
We approached the project in phases, breaking it down into bitesize and manageable chunks. We did this for 2 reasons; the first and perhaps most obvious is financial constraints. Our client relies on public fundraising and grants from local government to undertake renovation works, which can be difficult to obtain espcially in large sums. The second is that the works had to be undertaken during public school holidays, allowing our client to continue trading during their busy periods, thus we couldn’t close the building for a long duration to attack the project in one go.
Phase 1
In November 2023 we handed over the first of 3 phases completed so far, concerning the male and female toilets at the front of the building. The scope from the client was simple – freshen up the space to bring it up to date with the times, make it more eco-friendly, and lower the maintenance burden.
We installed boxing to all of the pipework and beneath the sinks to create a modern and minimilastic finish, alongside installing new toilet cubicles that provided a colour contrast to the white walls. This gives the spaces a 21st century feel. With regards to sustainability, we installed waterless urinals in the men’s toilet to improve water efficiency, and rapid hand dryers in both areas to improve electrical efficiency. Finally, to improve the maintainability of the spaces, we installed whiterock wall cladding which forms a solid, waterproof surface much less susceptible to damage than painted plasterboard.
Phase 2
Around 18 months after the completion of the toilets, we once again returned to the Village Hall, this time to redecorate the Lobby that greets you upon entry. Like with the toilets, the aim was to make the space more modern in appearance and also reduce the maintenance burden, particularly redecoration.
Slightly smaller in scope than Phase 1, in the Lobby we overboarded the existing Artex patterned ceiling, installing new plasterboard and skim to give it a smooth and modern finish. The old brown wood doors were all replaced with grey oak foil doors, with finger trap guards installed to the areas where children may be operating the doors. Plastic architrave and skirting has been used to the perimeter of the room and doors to reduce the redecorating requirements, and the antharcite grey colour was chosen to keep up to speed with current trends. Finally, after removing the old floor boards, we’ve installed a new commercial luxury vinyl tile floor covering finished in a textured oak effect. This choice of flooring is cheaper compared to the genuine wood equivalents, requires less maintenance, and tends to last longer in high traffic areas, making it ideal for this application.
Phase 3
Fast forward to September 2025 and our latest return to Tilney St Lawrence Village Hall. In this phase, the largest of the 3, we were commissioned to replace the entire Main Hall floor, used for dance lessons, school classes, and a multitude of events.
The challenge with this phase was the required specification for the flooring, arising from it needing to be suitable to have dance lessons on. In short, a dance floor needs to have an element of ‘spring’ to it, as to assist students with jumps and lifts while they practice and perform. To create this spring you need a specially designed floor build up. After removing the existing floor and giving the area a good clean we laid a damp proof membrane which will protect the new floor from any rising damp or moisture. Over the membrane, adjustable levelling cradles were set out at regular intervals and checked with a laser to ensure they all had the same finishing height, this would reassure us that our new floor was going to be perfectly level. On top of the cradles are timber battens with a layer of foam on the backing, and it is this foam that contracts and expands under impact, giving the floor its sprung nature. Finally, the premium hardwood floor covering was fixed over the battens before plastic skirting was installed to the perimeter of the Hall.
As well as replacing the main floor area, we reclaimed some of the original floor boards and reinstalled them on the stage, which previously only had a plywood covering.
Conclusion
We love working with local clients, and for us it doesn’t get much more local than the Village Hall. We’ve been happy to assist them with all of the upgrades undertaken thus far and love hearing the positive feedback they’ve had from visitors who have used the newly refurbished spaces. We look forward to working with them on any future phases as and when they come around.
