Catnic, a Tata Steel Enterprise

Catnic's lintels have given definition to Beaumont, a stunning Country and Coast Homes development of 6 large houses in Highcroft, Exeter. Approximately 60 1.25inch CX cavity lintels were supplied, which support the sharp, unusual shape of the architect-designed buildings, were chosen for their strength, reliability and thermal capabilities.The lintels support the exterior window and door features; special corner lintels support the external over-eaves, while large window openings elegantly contour the shape of each house. Chosen specifically to support the specialist architectural features of the development, offering both the structural and thermal performance required for the building envelopes.Constructed using the traditional brick and block method, the building facades were then finished with a white K-render to all external elevations.Consistent with Country and Coast Homes' portfolio of luxury contemporary homes, the development features superior quality fixtures inside and out. As a brand synonymous with quality in the construction industry, Catnic reflects this too. County and Coast Homes focuses on exceptional attention to detail, it only uses the most reliable and durable products in the construction of its homes. Chris Dodge at County and Coast Homes said: "We have been using Catnic Lintels for over 10 years, they are by far the best. A superbly well organised company who offer exemplary service, their lintels are extremely capable and well suited to our high quality homes."Country and Coast Homes prides itself on a high level of sustainability in each development. Catnic lintels surpassed the energy targets in this particular development by helping deliver the efficiency required to achieve a B on the EPC rating.

A conversion project in Somerset has utilised a number of products from Catnic to provide practical and sustainable living accommodation, suitable for retirement. Coates Farm has employed Catnic's® Urban standing seam roofing and cladding system as well as Catnic lintels to ensure the environmental impact of the building is kept to a minimum.Situated in Kittisford, a small picturesque village near Wellington, Coates Farm is owned by Maurice and Penny Stanbury. “We decided, that due to our advancing years, we wanted a practical and sustainable home that would require very little maintenance,” said Maurice. “Having received go-ahead to repurpose an old cow shed, we wanted to ensure that the materials specified would contribute to the building’s eco credentials.”To ensure the work was allowable under permitted development, it was essential that the development was kept within the same building footprint. Working alongside architect Nigel Pearce at Pearce Practice for the planning and design of the conversion, the decision was made to specify Catnic's® Urban standing seam roofing and cladding system.A cost-effective alternative to traditional copper and zinc standing seam roof systems, the Urban system is manufactured to meet all relevant legislation, including load bearing for wind speed in accordance with EN 1991-4 and weather tightness in accordance with BS 5534 Parts 1 and 2. Furthermore, helping to meet requirements for sustainable building solutions – Urban is BRE Green Guide Rated ‘A’ and at end of life – the panels are 100% recyclable.“Maurice came to us with an idea that he wanted something different for the roof that would improve the eco footprint of the building whilst being aesthetically pleasing on the eye,” said Nigel Pearce.“Because of the permitted development, we were restricted by the low roof pitch. As we couldn’t specify slate or tiles, we remembered that we had used Catnic® Urban on a recent conversion and found it to be a great option; not only could it accommodate the low pitch at Coates Farm, but it also matched the contemporary look and feel that Maurice was looking for,” added Nigel.Initially to be specified for only the flat section of the roof, it was decided that Catnic® Urban would be utilised for the complete roof due to its crisp lines and strong aesthetics.Maurice Stanbury said, “During the initial specification, we were really happy with the service received from Catnic. Having decided upon Catnic® Urban, we began exploring the possibility of getting our lintels from them too. Alongside standard lintels, we required a bespoke corner lintel to ensure we could match the intended design of the building. We submitted technical drawings to Catnic and the technical team made the process very easy.”Whilst Maurice project managed the redevelopment, the installation was undertaken by Kevin and Ashley Drew – local builders known to the Stanbury’s. After specification, but prior to ordering Urban, it was decided that Maurice and Ashley would attend an Urban training day at Catnic’s training centre in Caerphilly, to learn how to correctly install the standing seam roofing system.During the course, Ashley and Maurice spoke with Catnic’s Technical Director Richard Price, who then visited the site personally to measure up and give guidance to apply what they had learnt in Caerphilly into practice.Throughout the conversion, Kevin and Ashley Drew worked closely with Catnic to guarantee the successful delivery of the project. Using Catnic’s Lintel Advanced Scheduling System (CLASS) ensured that they could adopt a ‘just in time’ approach to deliveries.“Having ordered both lintels and Urban from Catnic we were able to delay the delivery of the system until we were ready to install it,” said Kevin Drew.“We found the system incredibly easy to work with – particularly as this was our first experience of Urban - managing to install it quickly between the two of us,” added Kevin.“We are thrilled with the end result, and we now have the property we had always dreamed of having,” concluded Maurice Stanbury. “Catnic made the process incredibly easy from start to finish, and with Catnic® Urban we are safe in the knowledge that the system will now require minimal maintenance.”

Perfection Homes Ltd specified Catnic's® Urban  Roofing and Cladding System to help create a modern and distinctive exterior for a collection of new apartments. The company then subsequently installed the panels after its director attended an Urban installation course at Catnic’s dedicated training facility.Situated within the City of Hereford, The Copper Trees project will comprise of eight individual apartments in one luxurious building. Due to be completed in November of this year, residents are set to benefit from state of the art interiors, beautiful communal gardens and convenient parking facilities.Shaun Galvin, Director at Perfection Homes Ltd, working alongside partner Gail Small, is actively involved in leading the developments within their project portfolio. With a desire to create a clean and contemporary aesthetic for the exterior of the new building, Catnic's® Urban Roofing and Cladding system was chosen for the wall cladding.Furthermore, Shaun also installed the panels himself after attending a free installation course designed for those using the product for the first time, at Catnic's® Urban Training Centre in Caerphilly, Wales.“The training day was extremely beneficial,” he explained. “Being able to take part in such a hands-on experience with the product highlighted its technical qualities in that it is lightweight, easy to handle and designed well. The training helped make the installation process on site much more efficient and it was completed in just five days.”The Catnic® Urban system is manufactured to meet all relevant legislation, including load bearing for wind speed in accordance with EN 1991-4 and weather tightness in accordance with BS 5534 Parts 1 and 2. In addition, helping to meet requirements for sustainable building solutions – Urban is BRE Green Guide Rated ‘A’ and at end of life – the panels are 100% recyclable.“The Catnic® Urban system was the ideal addition to the exterior of The Copper Trees development, creating a distinctive aesthetic in keeping with the brief,” concluded Shaun. “We would definitely work with the product again.”Available in a range of contemporary colours, the Catnic® Urban Roofing and Cladding system is manufactured from Tata Steel’s Colorcoat HPS200 Ultra® pre-finished steel.

An extension to a 16th century cottage, Holton Lodge in Halesworth, has utilised Catnic Urban to beautiful effect. This stunning property extension blends the old with the new to create a huge modern kitchen extensionA cost effective alternative to zinc, Catnic Urban steel standing seam roof and cladding met the desired aesthetics – with the quick fit system offering a fast and problem-free installation.Hilary and Robert Garner wanted to open up their existing kitchen with a build that used full height glazing to flood the area with light and give them an unobstructed view of their garden. In response, architect Tim Hannon, from Brooks Architects in Leiston, designed a contemporary extension that provides a stunning focal point, reconnecting the inside to out.“After we were convinced that Catnic Urban could achieve our desired aesthetic, our next concern was that the roofing and cladding could be exactly matched to the window frames and that the colour would stand the test of time. Again, we were assured of the system’s colour matching and stability credentials by everyone working on the project and we’re overjoyed with the result. Catnic Urban has really given the project the wow factor.”Hilary and Robert GarnerHolton Lodge ownersThe vaulted roof was designed to bring drama to the space, with a ridge that was purposely higher than the roof of the main house, so visitors are instantly given a glimpse of the striking design as soon as they approach the house. An overhang provides a covered outside eating area and works to reduce solar gain, with the sleek lines of the standing seam continued down the side of the extension, which is wrapped in matching cladding. Typical of the area, the design also includes a lean-to roof on an area that houses the utility room and cloakroom.“I’ve worked with Catnic Urban on a number of projects and particularly like the fact that it is fully recyclable at end of life. The ease of installation also instils confidence that there will be no problems at fitting stage and the technical support offered by the Urban team is also excellent, with a good level of technical detail provided on abutments and ventilation, so that all the work is neatly finished.”Tim HannonBrooks ArchitectsCatnic Urban steel standing seam roofing and cladding in Anthracite Colorcoat HPS200 Ultra was used across the project, recommended by project contractor Kerslake Construction Ltd, as a cost effective alternative to the zinc roof initially specified, when cost became a concern. “If a customer wants the look of zinc without the price tag, I recommend Catnic Urban”, said Jon, “and in most cases as soon as people look into the product they switch, as it looks great, achieving really smooth, clean lines that flow beautifully.”Catnic Urban’s recommended contractor Steel Roof Installers UK was commissioned by Kerslake Construction to install the roof, as they have worked together on similar projects in the past. After attending a training course back in 2010, owners Chris Bates and Andy Morris were soon turned onto the benefits of building with Catnic Urban and now exclusively work on Urban projects.Catnic Urban (previously known as Colorcoat Urban) is a fully supported standing seam system designed, manufactured and CE marked in accordance with BS EN 14783:2013. Quick build times are possible with neat crisp finishes to complement design and build choices. Manufactured from Tata Steel’s Colorcoat HPS200 Ultra®, and also available in Colorcoat Prisma®, Catnic Urban is a cost-effective alternative to traditional copper and zinc standing seam roof systems. Seven times lighter than tile equivalents, it is easy to handle on site and quick to fix compared with traditional roofing products.

Lorton Park development has been designed and built with energy and water conservation in mind. With a particular importance placed on the selection and quality of the materials used, Catnic’s innovative TBL was specified for all 46 luxury properties.BRE certified, the Catnic TBL range delivers industry leading linear thermal transmittance Psi values of 0.02 to 0.05 W/mK and safe working loads in line with Catnic’s existing Cavity wall lintels.Chris Watts, Sales Manager at Jewson, worked with Mr Hidari on the product specification,“After comparing different lintels on the market it became clear that Catnic TBL’s were best suited to the specific project requirements.“Due to the medium density concrete blocks being used onsite, AKI Ltd needed a product that could meet its thermal performance requirements and easily achieve the build’s load requirements – the composite design of the TBL made it the perfect choice.”The specifically designed flat top of Catnic’s Thermally Broken Lintel provides a simple, consistent junction with the cavity wall insulation. This removes the reliance on site workmanship, reducing the risk of a ‘performance gap’. There are also no brackets connecting the inner and outer leaf of the lintel and therefore there are no additional point thermal bridges that need to be considered.The large scale development project also benefited from Catnic Lintel Advance Scheduling System (CLASS). Through the fully comprehensive scheduling service, Catnic’s expert team created a concise document which detailed lintel descriptions, price, delivery time and a guaranteed structural accuracy.“This has been a huge, complex project and we needed a product that could deliver on the specific structural and thermal requirements,” commented Mr Hidari. “As the only lintel on the market with a complete thermal break, it seemed like the ideal product. I was particularly impressed by the Catnic team who provided us with a full design and specification for the entire development.”For further information on Catnic’s Thermally Broken Lintel range, please visit https://catnic.com/products/lintels/thermally-broken-lintels/overview