Often the smart use of materials and technologies makes it possible to create high-quality, elegant projects, with a view to environmental sustainability. An example of this is the renovation of a historic villa in the province of Venice. Built between 1920 and 1922, the villa was partially destroyed by bombing during World War II and then rebuilt. The most recent renovation, subject to the restrictions of the Code of Cultural Heritage, involved several areas of the house and the restoration of an external roof used as a beautiful terrace, taking advantage of the “Superbonus 110%” for the incurred and certified expenditure.
The intervention
At the back, the building featured a 25 square meter flat concrete slab sloping towards the north side for rainwater runoff, and a solid brick perimeter wall about 50 cm high with an upper concrete infill element, wider than the thickness of the masonry and had a rounded top surface. It was all covered with two layers of sheathing, the top layer shot-blasted and green, covering both the flat part and the walls all the way to the top. There were also metal elements serving as a boundary with the roof of the adjacent building. For the renovation of this outdoor area of the house, the metal elements and layers of sheathing were removed first, then the underlying surfaces were cleaned to remove any glue and adhesive residues. In particular, the drainage hole for the rainwater runoff located in the north-west corner was enlarged.
Then, the perimeter wall top infill elements were reassessed, creating a consolidating casting to correct their slope, which followed the slope towards the north side. The slope thus increased from 36 cm behind the three-storey building to 54 cm in the outermost part, in order to have a flat surface for the subsequent installation of the parapet.
Then the waterproofing membrane was insulated and redone on the flat part up to the top of the perimeter wall. Then TPE outlets were installed to connect the waterproof covering with the rainwater drains, as well as corner and edge cover fittings, also made of TPE, and gravel excluders to stop any dirt and allow rainwater to drain away quickly.
In order to achieve a flat walking surface, the optimal solution was the installation of BalancePro supports with Impertek’s Cross head system; the system is designed to allow for the quick attachment of the Mini Rail joists. To build this terrace, 300 BalancePro supports and 80 linear metres of Mini Rail joists were used. The same joists were also used to create the vertical walls of the terrace with a natural teak wood finish.
The designers and layers appreciated the performance and ease of installation of Rail System, Impertek's system consisting of height-adjustable supports on which installing the aluminium joist. The support, with its special head for the quick attachment of the Mini Rail joist, makes it possible to quickly and easily attach the joist (without having to use other fastening elements). Another advantage of this system - in addition to stability and laying safety - is the possibility of joining the various joists with the ad hoc joist fit and creating a double substructure thanks to the double substructure clips.
To complete the renovation work, a pre-painted metal flashing was placed on top of the perimeter wall and to close off the wooden cladding, above which a painted aluminium profile, was secured to support the glass panelling, thus creating a perimeter parapet of about 105 cm.
