Successful refurbishment transforms Wellington Square car park
VolkerLaser was recently appointed as principal contractor by Knight Frank on behalf of Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council to deliver a new high specification waterproofing and surfacing system to Wellington Square car park.
Located in the heart of Stockton-on-Tees, Wellington Square Shopping Centre’s car park required major refurbishment to its upper deck, with works commencing in June 2026. A condition survey carried out by Triflex UK identified widespread coating failures across the car park deck. Crucially, although water ingress was evident, it had not yet compromised the structural integrity of the deck, enabling preventative refurbishment works to be undertaken at the optimum time.
The full scope of works included the removal of the existing waterproofing system, deck preparation, installation of a new waterproofing system and the application of durable, coloured hard-wearing surface finishes.
The programme began with the removal of the existing waterproofing system from the upper deck by planing to expose the concrete substrate. The surface was then prepared by enclosed shot blasting in readiness for the new Triflex waterproofing system. Once prepared, the deck was primed and cracks were treated with overbanding before a total of 8,656m2 of Triflex waterproofing and surfacing membrane was applied. The Triflex DeckFloor system was selected to provide a heavy-duty, flexible PMMA solution that will deliver long-term protection and performance to the car park. A combination of the Triflex Quartz and Emery aggregate variants were installed, depending on the location and anticipated wear patterns. Triflex abrasion resistant coloured finishes were then applied to define the parking bays, walking aisles and driving aisles.
The fast-curing properties of the Triflex system supported an efficient installation programme, enabling areas to be returned to service quickly following completion. To ensure optimum application conditions and prioritise the wellbeing and comfort of the installation team during this year's extreme summer temperatures, works were scheduled during the cooler early morning hours and at weekends. This carefully planned approach maintained productivity, ensured installation quality, and facilitated the reopening of the upper deck at the earliest opportunity.
With the remainder of the car park operational throughout the works, the team had to work around members of the public whilst managing to operate within limited space to minimise any disruption to the community. The team also coordinated a temporary reopening of the car park at the client’s request to facilitate a major local event, Stockton International Riverside Festival, where thousands of people were expected to attend. Despite these challenges, the team delivered a high-quality finish that has completely transformed the appearance of the upper deck.
The project was completed in line with the programme, with the car park fully reopened in August 2026 as Wellington Square celebrated its 25th anniversary.
