Project Overview

Royal House is a prominent four-story former warehouse dating back to 1881. Situated in the heart of Leeds’ historic industrial district near the River Aire, this Victorian-era brick building required a comprehensive external overhaul to preserve its structural integrity and aesthetic heritage.

The primary challenge involved executing complex restoration works within a live commercial environment. The building remained fully occupied by office tenants across all four floors throughout the duration of the project.

Key Scope of Works

Facade & Masonry Restoration

• Brickwork: Extensive repointing of pressed brickwork using period-appropriate lime mortar.
• Structural Repairs: Stabilized the south elevation gable parapet. This involved the careful removal and reinstatement of 12 stone copings (approx. 100kg each) to rectify movement caused by vegetation and mortar decay.
• Stone Conservation: Steam blasting of all stone windowsills to remove industrial carbon buildup, with targeted reconsolidation of heavily deteriorated units.

Heritage Joinery & Glazing

• Window Refurbishment: Overhauled 100+ unique arched timber windows.
• Bespoke Glazing: Each heritage style unit was hand-traced to ensure a precision fit for the original handmade frames before being upgraded with modern high-performance heritage glazing.
• Decoration: Full external decoration of all timber elements to modernise the facade while respecting its Victorian character.

Roofing & Rainwater Goods

• Slate Work: Comprehensive repair and replacement of original slate tiles.
• Structural Timber: Installed eaves guards around the perimeter to arrest early-stage decay in the timber wall plates.
• Rainwater Systems: Isolated repairs to cast iron box valley gutters and the replacement of irreparable heritage-style hoppers.
• Skylights: Complete replacement of seven decayed timber skylights.

External Metalwork

• Full preparation and decoration of all exterior metal assets, including soil stacks, downpipes, and security shutter doors.

Logistical Management & Safety

Execution required a meticulous approach to site logistics to ensure zero disruption to the public and the existing tenants:

• Acoustic Management: Strict “exclusion periods” for noisy works to accommodate office operations.
• Environmental Control: Integrated dust suppression systems utilized during all repointing and brick repair phases.
• Operational Safety: Maintained safe public access and “business as usual” operations for the client and tenants throughout the project’s lifecycle.