Member Article

Stone cements reputation as contracts secured from Derbyshire to Barnard Castle and beyond

County Durham specialist restoration, repair and renovation experts, Stone Technical Services, have further enhanced their position as leaders in their field thanks to securing more new contracts around the UK.

As well as working extensively across Scotland and in London, Darlington-based Stone has recently been working in Newcastle, County Durham, Cheshire and Derbyshire on very different contracts, worth in the region of £200,000 to the company.

In Newcastle, Stone’s conservation team has been carrying out a range of masonry repairs to boundary walls and restoration work at Central Newcastle High for the Girls’ Day School Trust, while at Bridge House in the city the team completed surveys on the outside of the building, carried out concrete repairs to window sills and repaired lead flashings.

Over at Barnard Castle in County Durham, Stone’s high-level restoration experts completed an eight week project at Barnard Castle Methodist Church which included the removal of lead from the valleys of the roof and the installation of new timber treatment, as well as the pointing of the ridge tiles and the replacement of missing slates on the roof.

Further South, having successfully completed a range of lightning protection projects for Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council’s housing department, Stone has returned to the region to install more lightning protection on the high rise tower blocks, Norris and Heaton, close to Stockport town centre. The lightning protection is essential to protect the 90 meters high residential flats from potentially damaging lightning strikes due to their height.

In Derbyshire, Stone’s specialist historic conservation and restoration division is working with English Heritage to carry out preservation works at Padley Hall. The Grade II-listed structure, in Ripley, dates back to the mid-17th Century and the ruin had fallen into disrepair. Stone is working closely with an archaeological team to carefully dismantle parts of the ruin and then safely re-build it in its exact form for preservation purposes. The ruin stabilisation project includes recording positions and materials prior to re-building, ensuring the area suffers no disturbance and the recording of any findings.

MD of Stone Technical Services, Dave Stone, said: “These new projects are a real indication of the breadth of work that our different divisions carry out on a daily basis- everything from very modern housing stock to ancient ruins that need protecting and preserving. We’re now working in most areas of the UK thanks to our wide ranging services and exemplary reputation with the likes of English Heritage and leading councils. All of which is allowing for growth and, hopefully, even more job creation at our HQ in Darlington.”

Iain Baker, chair of Raise the Roof, the fundraising body at Barnard Castle Methodist Church, added: “We’d really like to express our thanks for the work Stone carried out on our church. Since starting our project back in October 2012, the staff experienced all aspects that the British weather had to produce. We appreciate the consideration given at times when funerals and services were being held during working hours. The level of workmanship and professionalism has been outstanding throughout the project and we are pleased to now be in a position that our building is sound and watertight.”

Stone Technical Service is one of the UK’s most experienced safety, high-level, restoration and facilities maintenance companies working on a range of projects for organisations such as Ineos, Walkers Snack Foods, Lumley Castle and St Paul’s Cathedral as well as community churches, schools and shopping centres.

Growth in 2012 surpassed managers’ expectations with turnover peaking at around £2 million with this predicted to reach in the region of £2.5 million in 2013. The company now has offices in Edinburgh, London, Middlesex and Cheshire with its HQ on Kellaw Road in Darlington. Already in 2013 Stone has created five new jobs, taking staff numbers to 35, and is on target to increase its workforce throughout the year.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Anna Addison Associates .