"floor"

Background Infomation:Wright Lab: Exploring the Invisible UniverseSurespan designed and manufactured a flush floor hatch for the Yale University Wright Laboratory, home to Yale’s iconic particle accelerator, the 100-foot-long atom smasher. In 1987 it was the most powerful particle accelerator in the world and led the research in astrophysics. The Atom Smasher was shut down in 2011 and disassembled in 2014.The projectAs part of a comprehensive renovation, Christopher Williams Architects LLC transformed the concrete bunker-like structure into a series of day-lit workspaces. The central building was opened to become a place where scientists, students and experts could interact. This space also hosts events and researchers from around the world. The design brings natural light into the building and emphasizes collaboration through transparency.Products:Surespan designed and manufactured a 2.7m x 4.5m (9ftx15ft) stainless steel flush floor hatch. The floor door has been reinforced to support a live slow-moving wheel load of 17 tons. (FACTA Class E)Due to the weight of the floor door, the hatch is operated via a hydraulic cylinder and an electrically driven power pack. The finished cover uses Sure-Grip anti-slip surface coating.

Nearly forty years after the lights were switched off at Battersea Power Station, a decommissioned Grade II listed coal-fired power station, located on the south bank of the River Thames, this much loved London landmark recently re-opened to the public following a transformational eight-year restorationApple Inc. will be leasing approximately 500,000 sq ft. across 6 floors of the central Boiler House and plans to move all of its 1,400 London employees to the new venue. This will make Apple by far the largest tenant at Battersea Power Station.221m² of Stravifloor Channel, a resilient high-performance floating floor based on floor channels containing steel springs as resilient supports was installed to decouple the acoustically critical listening, screening and control room spaces at Battersea Power Station.The added insulation material between the channels contributes to the acoustic optimization of the spaces by preventing the so-called standing wave effect to take place within the air void.During the installation of the acoustic floating floor, careful attention was paid to the many service penetrations as improper installation would most certainly lead to rigid connection which in turn affect the system’s performance.

Orbis OS211 Glass Infill Top FixOrbis OS231 Perforated Infill Top FixOrbis OS200/OS201 Vertical Bar InfillBorn from Havering Council’s vision to improve the sports and fitness facilities available in the borough, the £28 million investment is set to be a catalyst for regeneration in Romford.Named in honour of the Sapphire anniversary of Queen Elizabeth ll’s reign, the centre comprises of an eight-lane competition pool, gymnasium and first floor 56m by 26m ice rink.Appointed by contractors Willmott Dixon, Delta Balustrades were responsible for the supply of 579m’s of balustrading and 246m’s of handrails throughout the entire complex.With two extreme environments coexisting the specifications for the balustrade finishes were of upmost importance.Balustrades and handrails in the warm, chlorine filled air of the swimming pool environment received our Ultra (Marine) finish, providing a bright polished surface to prevent corrosion.First floor ice rink balustrades received our HiBuild powder coating finish, which boasts a ‘warm to touch’ feature that doesn’t allow the transfer a cold environment to bare hands.A visually striking, stainless steel staircase with perforated panels connects the floors within the ceiling void atrium spanning four floors.

Client: P D Hook (Hatcheries)Location: Duns, ScotlandSector: Food & BeverageYear: 2020Project Size: 400 m²System: vebrocrete MFVebro Polymers recommended its medium-duty polyurethane concrete flooring system, vebrocrete MF installed at 4.0 mm for use across the site in an electric blue shade.This system offers excellent chemical, UV and wear resistance – and as it has a similar co-efficient of thermal expansion to the concrete slab below will expand and contract if the ambient temperature warms or cools, making it an excellent flooring option for food processing environments subject to thermal shock and swing.vebrocrete MF is a three-component product that is mixed on-site, spread out across the prepared and primed concrete substrate using a serrated steel float or trowel, before being spike-rolled to assist with levelling and de-aerating the finish. The resulting finish delivers a smooth matt surface that offers excellent wear, abrasion and impact resistance properties.Laid in a seamless application with minimal joints the floor is easy to clean, maintain and sterilise and offers excellent lifecycle cost saving efficiencies compared to other materials such as epoxy flooring or ceramic tiles.

Residential New Build apartment and spa area, consisting of 141 apartments.21 loft apartments required a design lead shower solution for which waterproof XPS round shaped floor shower elements, bathboards for tileable cladding of baths and XPS building boards were supplied in 12.5mm thickness for walls and 10mm thickness for floors.120 Apartments had XPS floor level shower elements featuring a drainage channel right next to the wall, a completely continuous slope right to the channel and more flexible adjustment for the channel. 12.5 & 10mm XPS building boards were used on walls and floors.This was the first installation that we know of in the UK where the boards in the shower area were fixed to the studwork solely by a versatile single component adhesive sealant (wedi 610), ensuring no penetrations through the boards. The special formulation is especially suited to waterproof butt joints of building boards, and has outstanding resistance to the elements; and to chemicals; and is also free of solvents, silicon and PCP.As an abP-approved system, the use of the adhesive sealant and XPS building boards reduces installation time by up to 50% because no further sealing is required, even in areas of high humidity.

A host of Bostik subfloor preparation and adhesive products have been used for the installation of the floor coveringsat Wixams Retirement Village, a recently opened care community in Bedfordshire.Contractor Unite Flooring was appointed to install luxury vinyl tiles and carpeting throughout the apartments and communal areas of the complex, contributing to its pleasant and relaxing atmosphere. Unite then selected a range of products from Bostik, and benefitted from the company’s technical advice throughout the project.

Canal were approached to manufacture and install an exclusive feature staircase for a private residence in Fulham. The staircase structure was installed from the basement to the ground floor and then leading upto the first floor and master bedroom. The staircase was manufactured in mild steel, featured oak box treads with a laminated glass balustrade and stainless steel handrail. The team added a high build deep black finish to each of the treads to blend with the contemporary and elegant staircase design.

Coopers solution was to install over 100 SmokeStop smoke curtain barriers. Concealed within the ceiling voids of each of the 39 floors, the SmokeStop smoke curtain barriers were developed to deploy in the event of fire, channelling smoke away from occupant and out of the building. This effective strategy for containing and channelling smoke would ensure that Gherkin’s 41 floors were protected from filling with smoke and provide occupants with a safe means of escape.

Harbour Central is one of the most recent developments in Canary Wharf, one of London’s two financial centres. There will be 5 residential buildings and a leisure complex. The main building of the development will be the Maine Tower with 42 floors. The upper floors are quite promising, as they will comprise breath-taking panoramic views of London. The Effisus Breather breathable membrane was the chosen solution for this project, in order to ensure the watertightness of the façade, and, at the same time, to allow ventilation of the façades components.

In January, Gypsol HTC screed was installed to the ground floors of a new self-build home in North Lincolnshire, UK.The four bedroom, self-build, detached home saw 160 square metres of Gypsol Anhydrite Screed installed by Z K Flow Screed. The floor screed was designed to be placed over underfloor heating, with a depth ranging from 40 – 70mm. It was produced by Ever Readymix in Sandtoft and the pour completed in one day.

Technical representatives from F. Ball have provided flooring with a cost-effective alternative to completely removing and replacing a weakened screed as part of a flooring refurbishment at the Aberystwyth Arts Centre, part of Aberystwyth University. Upon removing old floorcoverings, flooring contractors were faced with an extremely rough screed with weak patches, possibly the result of poor installation or curing techniques, environmental factors or age, that was unsuitable for the application of subfloor preparation products and the installation of floorcoverings. Some weak sections were mechanically removed, leaving about 75mm thickness to be made up. A structural engineer confirmed that the concrete bases were, otherwise, structurally sound. New P5 chipboard was affixed to the wood subfloors with screws and glued at the joins. It is often necessary to completely remove and replace a weakened screed. However, F. Ball technical representatives called upon to conduct a site assessment were able to recommend a less costly and time-consuming solution to make the surface suitable to receive floorcoverings, including quickly raising the level of floors where sections had been mechanically prepared. Firstly, any remaining weak spots in the base would need to be removed by mechanical means along with any surface contaminants to create a clean, sound micro-textured finish. Any dust and debris should also be swept away. Moisture tests indicated subfloor relative humidity (RH) levels in the concrete subfloors were as high as 78%, meaning a moisture management solution would be required. Contractors therefore applied a single coat of Stopgap F77 solvent-free epoxy waterproof surface membrane over the entire area to obtain a continuous barrier against subfloor moisture. Flooring contractors then used Stopgap 600 Base deep section levelling compound to raise the level of floors where weak patches of screed had been removed.  It was also recommended that the chipboard over the raised access floors was checked to ensure that the surface was clean, secure and undamaged before applying a minimum thickness of 0.2mm of Stopgap Fill and Prime over the entire area.  The whole subfloor area was then capped with a layer of Stopgap 1200 Pro high performance levelling compound to create a perfectly smooth base for the receipt of new floorcoverings. The final phase of the refurbishment was to install Nora rubber sheet floorcoverings using Styccobond F48 PLUS. 

The Valentinerhof hotel is located in the most spectacular mountain landscape of the world, close to the picturesque village of Siusi, an international tourism venue.The building, a wellness resort characterised by contemporary design and elegant atmospheres, was renovated in 2012 using Atlas Concorde ceramic materials that were chosen to clad indoor and outdoor floors, bathrooms and wellness areas.Used on outdoor floors, the Trust series covers the steps, swimming-pool edges and external areas of the spa, providing the opportunity to clad the surfaces with a continuous effect.The architectural project, which won the “2012 Sleep European Hotel Design Awards”, combines respect for the surrounding natural environment with the desire to create harmonious spaces where to regenerate body and soul.Thanks to its precious floor and wall ceramic collections Atlas Concorde consolidates its position as a partner of reference for hospitality design, contributing to the creation of welcoming and alluring atmospheres.

Lucent House is a redevelopment scheme of nine residential flats ranging from one, two and three bedrooms with a commercial unit on the ground floor. This six-floor development with a penthouse occupying the top level, offers private balconies or terraces to all apartments. Each home is built with natural light and space at the heart of the design, the name Lucent was chosen to reflect this central theme. Offering access to the city via convenient transport links, the abundance of greenery is overwhelming.Cellecta Gobi G2-25 was specified by Manor Architects due to it being the ideal solution to level an uneven concrete separating floor and provide all the benefits an underfloor heating system can deliver, with the added advantages of rapid heat transfer capabilities and outstanding acoustic performance.Goldrose Sharpe Developments was supplied 1,000m² of Cellecta products to develop these flats in Stoke Newington in Hackney.

Project: Heythrop Park, Warner Leisure​Location: The Cotswolds​Design Team: Design LSM​Flooring Contractor: Carters Flooring, Derby The stunning Heythrop Park is an 18th century country house, which has recently undergone a £40 million refurbishment. It was designed by Architect Thomas Archer at the request of the 1st Duke of Shrewsbury, Charles Talbot in 1704, and was inspired by the Italian Baroque style, which the Duke had picked up on his travels to Rome. ​Throughout the years it has been passed through families and has also been used as a College and Training Centre, and then onto a Golf & Country club around 1999.​Bourne Leisure purchased Heythrop Park in 2018, and then reopened in 2022 after the spectacular transformation.  Throughout the Hotel you will find our Brass Flooring Profiles and Stair Nosings, all in a satin brass finish, giving that luxurious but subtle gold detailing.

Products from F. Ball have been used to create a hygienic flooring finish as part of a refurbishment at The Doctors Laboratory, in Salford, Manchester.Flooring contractors used Stopgap Fill and Prime 700 Superflex flexible levelling compound to prepare 1500m² of metal raised access panels before installing vinyl sheet floorcoverings and coving. Once the primer had cured, Stopgap 700 Superflex flexible levelling compound was applied to create a perfectly smooth finish for the receipt of floorcoverings. With the subfloor preparation complete, the flooring contractors could install Tarkett IQ Granit Acoustic Vinyl sheet throughout the entire area using Styccobond F46 pressure sensitive acrylic adhesive which possesses a high initial tack, making it ideal for the installing of floorcoverings over larger areas. Finally, the contractors used Styccobond F66 contact adhesive to install PVC coving. 

The history of a 200-year-old lighthouse has been brought to life with a little help from F. Ball flooring installation products, which have been used to refurbish a popular visitor attraction on the North Wales coast.South Stack Lighthouse stands just off Holy Island and is the most westerly point on Anglesey. Built to warn passing ships of the perilous rocks that lie beneath it, the 28m-tall lighthouse is still operating today. Visitors to the landmark attraction can see the lamp up close, tour the original engine room, and learn about its history in an adjoining exhibition centre.Flooring contractors opted for Styccobond F46 adhesive to install Altro vinyl safety flooring throughout the centre’s 100m2 display rooms, as well as staff areas, toilets, corridors and kitchen. Extreme weather conditions meant there were logistical challenges, with several attempts required to deliver materials to the remote island via sea and air before contractors could begin work on the job.The visitor centre subfloor, comprising mostly old wooden floorboards, was subjected to moisture testing using a Protimeter MMS2 in WME mode, the results of which provided readings below the 17% threshold, enabling contractors to proceed with overboarding the subfloor with plywood which was then primed. A finishing compound was used to fill indentations formed by screws used to affix the panels and the joints between them in order to prevent imperfections showing through the final result.After sufficient time had been allowed for the finishing compound to dry, Styccobond F46 acrylic adhesive was used to secure the vinyl safety flooring. A solvent-free, pressure sensitive adhesive with a high-bond strength, Styccobond F46 is designed to minimise the effect of trowel serrations shadowing through thin vinyl flooring to give an aesthetically pleasing finish. The product dries to a permanent tacky film and it also has an infinite open time, is protected against biodegradation and is suitable for use over normal underfloor heating installations.A similar process was followed in the toilets, though this time, a concrete subfloor was levelled using a fast-track levelling compound, and capping and coving were installed at wall junctions using Styccobond F60 contact adhesive. The instant bond formed by the adhesive means that it is suitable for securing vertical flooring accessories. It will also withstand normal wet cleaning techniques.Commenting on the installation, Gary Hughes, Director at Oakwill Flooring, said: “As a business, we pride ourselves on high quality workmanship, using only the best products and suppliers, and if you’re putting down a floor with a 20-year guarantee, F. Ball is the go-to choice. The lighthouse was a challenging job, but we managed to turn mission impossible into mission complete.”

AluK’s 58BW and 58BD profiles feature in a contemporary new development in Ancoats, once the heart of Manchester’s cotton industry but now one of the city’s most vibrant and creative districts, and recently named by The Times as one of the UK’s 20 coolest places to live. The £3.7m POPworks project by Heatley Developments (https://www.heatleydevelopments.com/) converted a former solicitors’ office into a mixed-use development, with commercial units on the ground floor and 28 stylish apartments on the four floors above.

Established in 1945 by the University of Manchester, JodrellBank in Cheshire is a deep-space observatory at thecutting-edge of radio astronomy, and is home to the iconicLovell Telescope.To welcome its 150,000 annual visitors and help inspire thenext generation of astronomers, the UNESCO World HeritageSite was recently looking to open a new discovery centre.It appointed Kier to build the one-storey First Light Pavilionvenue, and Kier enlisted WJD Flooring Specialists to installthe floor coverings.

The new Springs retail and leisure facility at Thorpe Park, Leeds, includes cinemas, shops, restaurants and a gym.Part of the development was to build a state-of-the-art gymnasium for PureGym.The acoustic consultants specified CDM Stravitec to design and build a dry damped floating floor as part of the shell and core to ensure that the gymnasium did not disturb the restaurants and shops located directly below.The Stravifloor Channel floating floor was to be installed within a tight four week deadline and this was successfully completed.

The Hard Rock brand attracts tourists from around the world to its global network of restaurants and hotels. Founded in London in 1971, Hard Rock returned to London in April 2019, with the opening of its first-ever UK hotel. Scott Brownrigg was ‘appointed to consider the primary entrance and ground floor guest experience’, selecting INTRAsystems entrance matting for the three ground floor entrances. Find out more about the performance of our Entrance Matting.

Looking to open its first flagship charity store in the heart of Loughborough, Rainbows Hospice looked to Karndean Designflooring for a striking and engaging floor design. With its customer base in mind, Rainbows appointed officeTwelve to oversee its brand new contemporary look. With a statement floor in mind, officeTwelve and Rainbows specified Karndean’s Van Gogh Wood and new Kaleidoscope at its 80m2 space, in Cattle Market, to fulfil its bright and modern interior design scheme.

TDS SMET LiteFlo® Lightweight Flowing ScreedAftercare SMET LiteFlo® Lightweight Flowing ScreedSMET Floor Screeds and Compounds Product SelectorWe supplied Pier Contractors Ltd with SMET LiteFlo® Lightweight Flowing Screed for the renovation job in Old Admiralty Building Refurb in London. The product supplied to help deliver the project is a high-quality pumpable, factory-produced, CE marked, self-levelling screed based on calcium sulphate.German-made SMET LiteFlo® is unique because it’s the first pumpable lightweight flowing screed available. Made from specially selected aggregates - means it’s 30% lighter than conventional flowing screeds and can be laid in reduced thicknesses. The screed offers a high yield, 43kg per m2 @ 40mm.SMET LiteFlo® Lightweight Flowing Screed is a high-quality, innovative, pumpable factory-produced, CE marked, self-levelling screed based on calcium sulphate. Made from specially selected aggregates, makes it 70% lighter than traditional sand & cement – ultimately this means less is required per m2.LiteFlo® complies with EN 13813: 2002, is CE-marked, and is available in 27Kg bags or bulk silos.Have a look at the Northern Builder MagazineTop 5 Liquid Screeds Article.  Read about SMET LiteFlo® in the Irish Construction News.Whether your job is – self-build, retro-fit, floor renovation or repair, design floor, commercial or shop, sustainable build, historical renovation, ECO build, Lightweight, or an industrial flooring venture – SMET has a flooring compound or ready to use product suitable for your application.www.smetbuildingproducts.com or www.smet.ie

60-70 St Mary Axe is an office building designed by London-based architectural firm Foggo Associates with retail space on the ground floor. It is located in thearchitecturally ultra-modern financial district of the City of London in close proximity to the iconic 30 St Mary Axe, also known as "The Gherkin," whose facade was realized byLindner. Also, the new building is nicknamed: "The Can of Ham" in its semi-elliptical shape reminiscent of the packaging of English canned ham. The 360° view through the vaulted, all-glass façade offers a great view of the city of London. The BREEAM Excellent building offers 28,000 m² of office space, spread over 21 floors and designedto meet a wide variety of needs.Lindner Interiors contributed to the construction with interior fit-out products. These include the suspended ceilings for the "A" category office rooms on the 3rd, 9th and 12th floors, and the luminous ceilings at the reception and in all elevator anterooms.The Lindner fire grid ceiling system LMD-B 100 with linear grid arrangement was installed on two floors, while on the third floor, light strip modules were chosen instead.These complete the appearance of the iconic building in an impressive way. If required, LMD-B 100 partitions can be attached to the Lindner ceiling system so that the office space can be individually divided. With its radiant fire grids and trapezoidal ceiling tiles, the system is perfect for the sweeping silhouette of the 60-70 St Mary Axe building.Completed Works:F0 Metal ceilingLMD-B - Post cap ceilingsLuminous ceiling/luminous canopyLuminous ceilingsCertification systemBREEAM

Altro delivers a speedy upgrade to luxury care homeIssueAmana Living is a premium care service provider based in in Australia, who pride themselves on making the welfare of their residents a priority. When the community lounge at Amana Living’s Moline Village needed an upgrade, they knew they needed a speedy solution that would cause minimal disturbance to their residents and offer a superior quality finish.ApproachThe existing vinyl floor was in need of an update, and Amana Living needed a flooring product which would allow them to complete the renovation quickly, with minimal noise, dust, and unpleasant odours but would also look great, and perform even better.SolutionAmana Living chose Altro Wood adhesive-free for their refurbishment. The adhesive-free installation meant that not only were there no adhesive smells, but that the new flooring could be laid directly over the top of the old. This saved valuable time and significantly reduced the amount of dust involved in the project. The time savings that Amana Living made by using adhesive-free flooring meant that they were able to open up the lounge to their residents more quickly than originally planned. The benefits don’t end at the installation either: in their new community lounge, both staff and residents enjoy a relaxing environment with comfort underfoot and 14dB sound reduction. And with the inclusion of Altro Easyclean Technology, the lounge is also much easier to maintain.Altro Wood adhesive-free creates maximum impact with minimum downtime. With 12 colour choices, 14dB sound reduction, a 10-year guarantee and our Altro one in a million slip-resistance reassurance, Altro Wood adhesive-free offers high levels of comfort underfoot providing a safe, durable and decorative solution for busy spaces."The installation was completed in a very timely manner with no take-up of existing flooring, and no dust or adhesive odours causing discomfort to anyone in the facility, all being completed with minimal disruptions." Amana Living"Everyone is delighted with the completed flooring which now delivers great safety underfoot, ease of cleaning and a fantastic looking renovation completed in record time." Amana Living

Wensleydale Cheese has been made in Wensleydale, Yorkshire since 1150 when monks settles and lived at monestary at Forsnear Hawes. Today cheese is till handcrafted with the original recipe at the two Wensleydale Creamery sites using milk from local cows.Wensleydale Creamery required floor finishes throughout production floors which would be hygienic and very durable to provide a long term solution. Excellent chemical resistance was required against regular spillages from dairy produce such as whey.Dairy production procedures mean that floors are subjected to heavy duty use and impact from fork lift trucks and storage equipment.SystemThe system chose was FasTop TG69 polyurethane floor screed which has been applied throughout the two creamery sites. The system provides a completely seamless finish which is ant-slip even in wet conditions and which can be cleaned to the exacting conditions required in a modern food factory.Coved skirting has been formed around perimeters of all production and storage areas to create a 'tanked' finish which can be cleaned with hot water processes such as steam cleaning. The product has been tested and certified by Campden BRI as a non-taint product and is certified by HACCP as a food grade material.

Amtico provides the ‘wow’ factor at Princes Quay Shopping Centre with a highly durable design-led flooring. Central to the brief was providing a highly durable flooring that could guarantee its performance in the face of extremely high footfall. It also needed to comprise a dynamic pattern and texture, which would be effective on a big and bold scale, catering for the extensive area. SMW utilised the premium Signature Collection - offering a 20 year commercial warranty and laid in a bespoke ‘Basket Weave’ laying pattern.

This £7.88 million Student Accommodation project started in 2014 and is a Timber Frame construction specifically designed as a Student Accommodation Residential Development and Halls of Residence for Liverpool University.The specification for this project consisted of 231 studio apartments fitted with acoustic flooring. The project which is located close to the busy Lime Street Train Station in Liverpool City Centre, was extremely complex.The acoustic flooring of choice was a 23mm T&G profile dry screed pre bonded with 18mm wood fibre.

Tarkett chosen for NHS teenage cancer unit - The unit at Southampton General NHS Hospital was funded by the Teenage Cancer Trust and designed to create a space as comfortable as possible. Featuring six en-suite bedrooms, a four bed day unit, social space and support facilities. The bright and engaging décor of the centre was created using a variety of Tarkett flooring. The Tarkett flooring used included iQ Optima in Yellow, Medium Blue and Green, iQ Eminent in Turquoise and Acczent Excellence 80 in Bamboo.

Apair of Stannah moving walkways has taken the legwork out of shopping in the brand new branch of Sainsbury’s in Leigh, Lancashire. The moving walkways operate between the ground-floor entrance area and food hall and first-floor clothing, café, pharmacy and click and collect. They deliver secure, efficient movement for shoppers and their trolleys over a vertical rise of 4250mm at a 10o angle, and at rated speed of 0.5ms. For those unable to use the walkways, store access is further complemented by a passenger lift.

On the fourth floor of the Royal Opera House is a decking area of around 600sqm. For the last 25 years this was a hardwood deck, but when Stanton Williams Architects were asked to oversee the redevelopment of this area a new deck was an integral part of the plan. The Outdoor Deck Company were commissioned to install the Grad Decking System supplied by Alfresco Floors. The finished deck is part of a major transformation of the Royal Opera House by Stanton Williams and has been open to the public from September 2018.

A London family asked Somner MacDonald to help them reimagine the rear of their house for the next generation. In response, the team designed a new extension that connects seamlessly with the main body of the house and flows through to the garden, giving the family a unique kitchen and dining space.Both client and architect were familiar with Russwood flooring, having used it in their previous projects. In this instance, Somner Macdonald specified Pearl European Oak flooring in Prime grade, to complement the simple, calming and assured spaces created by their design. 

This new-build house was in a remote location and off-grid for mains gas, the house was to be heated by a heat pump and so efficiency was a major consideration for the project. The Lewis Deck system was chosen for the 1st floor of the building to provide the same efficiencies for the underfloor heating as the concrete ground floor as well as providing a high level of acoustic separation for this quality timber frame project. The build-up included the Lewis flanking and resilient strips, Lewis Deck, Anhydrite liquid screed and underfloor heating pipes.

Busy retail store, H&M, needed to provide customer access to the upper mezzanine floor. With floor level fixing points and 2 day out-of-hours installation, a Gartec 9000 cabin lift was installed. The cabin lift looks and feels exactly like a conventional lift, but with half the cost, no building works and simple retrofitting it fitted the bill perfectly for the retail environment. Emily, the store administrator, commented "this lift does the job perfectly and provides a familiar environment for our customers".

9 of Howe Green’s 5000 Series floor access covers were specified for Hotel Du Vin’s French Bistro in Cambridge, the 9th in its UK chain and the first with an open view style kitchen. The requirement was for an access solution that would ensure that essential services were hidden from public view but that they could be easily and quickly accessed for maintenance or repairs. The 5000 Series blend seamlessly with the flooring and are perfectly flush with their surrounding helping to prevent any slips or trips, ideal for a busy kitchen.

GRAHAM construction specified a number of Howe Green’s 5000 Series Floor Access Covers for the £19 million refurbishment of Lews Castle. The light duty aluminium covers were specified to provide access to underfloor services, located within the corridors on the first floor of the castle. The covers were specified with a brass edge, giving a high level of aesthetic appeal, and then infilled with carpet or ceramic tiles depending on their location. The brass show edge is continuously secured which means there are no fasteners to rust or break.

On a secluded 150-acre estate in Northumberland sits Charlton Hall, a speakeasy wedding and private party venue with beautiful views looking out over the coast. Shaun Baston from Total Flooring said: “Karndean is an ideal product for any floor space especially as there is no limit to the design possibilities, so I would recommend it to anyone. Even if the fitter doesn’t have time to hand cut intricate designs, Karndean offer an in-house laser cutting service for bespoke designs.”