"flooring reinforcements toppings"

Working closely with Meldrum Construction and architects Purcell to support The Auckland Project’s conservation scheme in Bishop Auckland; Selectaglaze provided the Grade I Listed Auckland Castle with a bespoke secondary glazing solution to compliment the restoration for the purpose of security. Overall, the newly renovated rooms are far better equipped to house exhibitions and museum collections. Selectaglaze is proud to have been involved in this project that will generate a legacy for Bishop Auckland; supporting an attraction that will breathe new life and opportunities into the local economy and overall visitor experience.

Cwt-y-Bugail roof slates feature on a £5 million new-build private house. Professional landscaper Claire Merriman commissioned an architect to design the latest project in her burgeoning property development portfolio. When they proposed Welsh Slate for the roof of the new five-bedroom, five-bathroom private house in five acres of stunning countryside in Surrey, she was happy to acquiesce but wanted to compare the British product with its Chinese and Spanish equivalents.

Penrhyn Heather Blue slates from Welsh Slate feature on Lincoln’s Inn’s Great Hall. One of London’s most unique buildings is enjoying a new lease of life, thanks to Welsh Slate. The Great Hall and Library Buildings of The Honourable Society of Lincoln’s Inn, an association of students, barristers and judges and one of the four Inns of Court, have over the past two years undergone an extensive programme of external conservation carried out by expert stone masons Capital Stone.  The programme of work includes replacement of the Great Hall’s slate roof covering. Work is still ongoing, with anticipated overall completion in April/May this year, but the work to the Great Hall roof is complete, as is the striking of the temporary roof covering which brings the new roof into view.  The Great Hall and Library Buildings were constructed from 1843 to 1845. The Great Hall roof was originally covered with lead but was recovered in 1868 with slate. From 1871 to 1873 the Library was extended eastwards by three bays. The building is an important example of 19th Century Gothic Revival architecture and has been listed Grade II* since 1951.  After 154 years, the slates on the roof of the Great Hall required replacing to protect the interior, including a striking fresco and beautifully worked oak. The slates were suffering from surface delamination and a large proportion had slipped due to nail rot, requiring tingles to hold them in place. The existing slates were found to originate from both the Ordovician and Cambrian deposits of North Wales – the former predominately on the eastern elevation and the latter on the western. The large Ordovician slates, typically 850mm long and between 350mm and 500mm wide (and laid to a fixed gauge of approximately 350mm which equates to a head lap of approximately 100mm), originated from what is now Welsh Slate’s Ffestiniog quarry, which is currently mothballed, while the other quarries producing these no longer operate. The Cambrian slates from the Llanberis region, as well as Bethesda where Welsh Slate’s main quarry is based, were even larger, at 850mm long and wider than 450mm, laid to the same gauge. Both slate types were fixed to timber battens on open timber rafters, with the underside torched with horsehair and lime plaster. These were replaced for the closest Welsh slate match – Welsh Slate’s County-grade Penrhyn Heather Blues, at 800mm long, widths of between 400mm and 550mm, and a 350mm gauge and 100mm head lap. These are guaranteed for 100 years, with a useful life of 150 years. While the roof is generally simple in form, with two large slopes, its substantial size at circa 800m2 meant the work took considerable time to complete. To allow for more than a dozen dormers the Welsh Slate had to be cut and fitted to size with double copper clout nails. The thickest slates were used on the eaves, diminishing towards the ridge to maintain the original visual finish. They were also holed from the rear to provide a slight countersink to the face. The Great Hall operates by day as a dining hall for members of the Inn, and by night, as a venue for dinners, receptions and weddings for up to 400 people. Set in 11 acres of beautiful grounds in Holborn, Central London, it is the closest Inn to the Royal Courts of Justice. Henry Skinner, Head of Projects and Facilities Management at The Honourable Society of Lincoln’s Inn, said: “The replacement of the roof covering was far from straightforward, despite its externally simplistic construction. During stripping of the existing roof covering, we had to deal with atmospheric lead contamination of a horsehair felt that sat between the original slates and close boarding, requiring controlled measures of removal and disposal.  “Furthermore, the close boarding had warped over time, causing an undulation between roof trusses that needed to be spaced out. This was achieved through the introduction of additional battens and packing timbers to create a level surface onto which the new slate could be laid.” Casey Wickers, trainee quantity surveyor with Capital Stone Renovation, said: “The main work of stripping the existing roof was extremely challenging and labour intensive, to not only remove, wash and handle each slate manually through a tight scaffolding design, but also doing so whilst wearing full RPE due to the lead contamination. “With the two stunning roof facades in full view, the quality of the Welsh slates can be seen by all.

From floor to ceiling this 'Sport For All' school chose the DYNAMIK treatment with an area elastic sprung sports floor finished in Tarkett Sports Vinyl and DYNAMIK Sports Wall panels to provide the best acoustics. The Solid & Acoustic (Perforated) sports wall panels in Classic Oak CPL wood-effect finish complement the Grey floor surface.

One of Cardiff city centre’s recent regeneration schemes, Capitol Quarter, required a multi storey car park to provide parking for the new office buildings within the development. To ensure the car park was protected and finished with the highest quality materials, the main contractor sought advice from Degafloor Ltd to ensure a suitable cost effective, high performance waterproofing system for the top deck, ramp and an inter deck area over occupied premises was specified. Following a full site visit and having assessed the client’s requirements in full, Degafloor specified the CP TD system with fleeced banding to substrate cracks and all upstands for the top deck, the CP HD system for the ramp and a fully fleeced CP TD for the area over occupied premises. Capital Quarter Multi-Storey Car Park Cardiff Why Degafloor Degafloor car park decking systems use highly advanced fast curing MMA chemistry to create flexible and incredibly durable systems that cure fully within just 1 hour of installation, even at temperatures as low as -10°C. They are completely waterproof, so guard against water ingress that could result in the decline of structures or damage to property (premises or vehicles). This combination of superior performance, skid resistance, rapid cure times and design flexibility, have contributed to the Degafloor range of car park decking systems becoming a popular choice for new build and refurbishment projects where speed and ease of installation, longevity and visual aesthetics are paramount.

Pure Design – Bolidtop 525Colour – S 7500-N with textureless anti-slip1300m²Installation dates - July 2021 (10 days) Museums and performing arts venues are subject to intensive use by millions of shuffling feet, day in day out as well as heavy loads from equipment and installations. Stratum were chosen to prepare and resurface 1300m2 of the existing floor to the iconic main space of the Roundhouse, in Camden, which had endured 15 years of heavy use. The building is a heritage site, originally built as a steam engine shed, therefore our flooring needed to meet the functional requirements for the users but also sensitively fit in with the history of the space and its aesthetics. The surface needed to be hardwearing allowing for large scale builds for various productions, involving plant use, installation of temporary structures, staging etc. We sanded back the entire floor, repaired the damage and installed Bolidtop 525 over the top with textureless anti-slip coating. Challenge-      Working within an extremely busy venue with a tight time scale and no room for error.-      Being a heritage site we would need to be mindful of the original structure of the building-      Large footprint spanning across the main space of the venue.-      No dust creation allowed due to sensitive electrical equipment. Solution-      We agreed a slot and timescale to carry out all of the works in 10 days. We programmed out the works for the customer and provided them with daily updates.-      We used the highest grade dust extraction equipment. We ensured that labour and materials were all available in a timely manner.Benefits/Installation-      The customer was able to select the same smooth, matt appearance they had before but with a different colour choice and the addition of our new tried and tested textureless anti-slip coating.Result-      After 15 years of heavy use this magnificent heritage site has a seamless, durable and safe floor reinstated to provide the functional qualities required for many years of intense footfall and wear the performing arts industry creates. The floor sympathetically compliments the building with a simple, matt finish. "We used Stratum to floor the corridors and they did a great job. We chose them for the main space after James’ thorough prep before we committed to the job. The onsite team were a pleasure and worked tirelessly to resurface the floor in the allocated time. We’re over the moon with the result. It’s never looked better”. Ruth Butler| Head of Technical and Production| The Roundhouse, Camden

For the new office of one of the UK’s leading healthcare specialists, workplace interior design specialists, ID:SR – Sheppard Robson, specified the natural beauty of Forbo Flooring Systems’ Allura Flex Wood Luxury Vinyl Tiles (LVT) to help ‘bring the outside in’.  Occupying the first and second floor of a new seven-storey Grade A office building in Leeds, the healthcare specialist has brought over 250 staff together into one co-located environment. Expertly designed by ID:SR, the 25,000 sq ft space comprises a variety of agile work and social settings to support a range of activities, a dedicated client reception, meeting suite and lounge.   “To support employee wellbeing, the office also engages with the principles of biophilic design, so we incorporated natural looking materials where possible to emphasise the connection between people and nature. The beautiful and realistic wood effect of Forbo’s Allura Flex Wood LVT supported this idea of bringing the outside in. Offering convincing, authentic visuals and excellent functional performance, we used the finish in prominent positions of the office as we felt the flooring supported the overall concept of the scheme.”  Allura Flex Wood in the Weathered Oak colourway was fitted in a herringbone pattern with bursts of Seaweed Solid Oak, Charcoal Solid Oak and Smoke Solid Oak in the main reception and staff breakout areas. Thanks to its tackified installation, the high quality, dimensionally stable Allura Flex tiles provides answers to key issues such as limiting valuable downtime, the re-use of floors and minimising environmental impact, perfect for busy office spaces.  What’s more, Surestep Material in Cool Concrete was specified in the kitchenette of the staff breakout area, where there is an increased risk of slip. The safety flooring combines outstanding slip resistant properties with differentiated design and through the use of Step Crystals, the natural colourway offers a clean, fresh look and improved cleaning and maintenance properties. The PUR Pearl finish ensures that it is stain and chemical resistant.  

The LEED v3 Platinum building features a 15,000 sq m RMG medium grade access flooring system by Kingspan Data & Flooring. At the end of 2021, it was Dublin’s highest commercial office building at 17-storeys.

55 Whitehall was previously a Government occupied office space. This iconic building has undergone a complete re-design. There was existing steel encapsulated raised access flooring throughout. Rather than remove or replace the raised floor, it was retained. Hugo18 was specified here to use as an overlay solution to the raised access floor. It offers a non-combustible, high performance substrate for a range of finishes, in this case - ceramics

Renowned for its colourful, bold designs, JA!COCO! has transformed Beer52’s Edinburgh office into a glorious dynamic, flexible and bold space, highlighting the beauty of the Georgian townhouse it is situated in, whilst embodying the brand’s strong identity.As the world’s biggest beer subscription service, Beer52 wanted an office space that was colourful and playful – the crazier JA!COCO! went, the better! Taking inspiration from Roald Dahl and David Lynch, the office space now boasts grand, arched-entrance swing doors, beer taps on receptions and floor-to-ceiling custom window blinds – to name just a few. On the first floor, an eclectic zig zag flooring design has also been created, using Forbo’s Flotex Colour range in the Melon (a burned orange shade) and Crystal (a heather-like hue) colourways. In fact, the colourways influenced the colour scheme for the office space, with similar shades adorning the walls, ceilings and swing doors.JA!COCO! also chose to install Forbo’s Allura Click LVT planks in the Blond Timber colourway throughout the hallway and kitchen spaces, to complement the more ‘stripped back’ décor, which has an almost bar-like atmosphere.

A lot of walking is done throughout a hospital, and when Region Zealand was to build Copenhagen's new psychiatric hospital, Denmarks most modern of its kind, it opted to supply 30,000m2 of the hospital's total area of 44,000m2 with the most modern and long-lasting flooring available. The flooring is environmentally friendly and provides outstanding durable floors made up of a 6-7 mm thick polyurethane. The total 30,000m2 area included patient rooms, walking and living areas, kitchens and canteens and more than 5,000m2 of walking areas. The floor systems used as finishes on this project were SofTop SLR and SofTop Comfort SL. Both were hard wearing self smoothing polyurethane systems which can be installed quickly to a very high standard. The SofTop Comfort SL involves an initial flexible membrane prior to the self smoothing topping being applied. This provides the bounce in the finish which make for comfortable walking and sound reducing properties.

Project was part of an office refurbishment, with the carpet installed throughout the general office space, breakout and meeting areas. Plank carpet tiles replicate the size and shape of contemporary planked flooring. Selected Array in Black and Broadrib in Graphite to complement 4D Contract Flooring’s corporate colours.

Having used Forbo Marmoleum flooring in the original build of the Core building, the Eden Project called upon the durable and sustainable floor covering once more to reinvigorate the recent refurbishment of the area.After years of constant use with around one million visitors a year, the Core building at the heart of Cornwall’s popular visitor attraction, the Eden Project, underwent a major transformation and a new exhibition, Invisible Worlds, was installed.Dr Jo Elworthy, Director of Interpretation at the Eden Project explained: "When we first built the Core in 2005, we wanted to create a sustainable space, so this meant using responsibly sourced materials. We approached Forbo as we wished to showcase environmentally-friendly, sustainable flooring made from natural materials – and Marmoleum seemed like the perfect fit on all levels. As the existing Marmoleum floors had fared so well over the years, we went back to Forbo when we were looking to refresh the building. Again, we needed a floor covering that was made from renewable raw materials, PVC-free, low emitting and carbon neutral, yet would be able to withstand the heavy footfall of visitors that we get each year.”

For the refurbishment of Edinburgh College’s busiest campus, its FM team called upon Forbo Flooring Systems’ Modul’up adhesive free sheet vinyl for its unique ability to be installed quickly and easily, while reducing downtime and disruption to day-to-day college life – as the floor covering could be walked on immediately after installation.

When Jazzercise Studio Owner Sarah Sydney-Sheppard moved her business into its own purpose-built facility in the Southernhay area of Exeter she turned to international flooring specialist Gerflor to provide 200m2 of their world-renowned Taraflex® Multi-Use vinyl sports flooring for both the main studio and reception areas.

After nearly 30 years without refurbishment, the Paediatrics department at Ormskirk District General Hospital required a new lease of life to be injected into the building. With hospitals in operation around the clock by patients, visitors and staff, it was vital that the new flooring solution offered a combination of optimal performance benefits, whilst being quick and easy to install to minimise both disruption and downtime. Looking for a time and cost saving solution, Southport and Ormskirk NHS Hospital Trust chose Forbo Flooring Systems’ Modul’up adhesive free sheet vinyl for the refurbishment. Easy and quick to install during out of hours, the ‘fast fit’ floor covering delivers outstanding dimensional stability and indentation resistance.

Forbo Flooring Systems’ impressive digital printing capabilities gave Gilltown the scope to have some real fun with the interior design of new student accommodation in Newcastle, resulting in a scheme like no other – all while providing the performance properties required for a heavily used building.“The flooring played a key role within this project and we were determined to opt for floor coverings that have rarely been seen in this kind of environment before. After working with Forbo on earlier projects, we knew it’s wide range of high-end and quality products, along with its impressive bespoke design capabilities would help us to achieve this.” - James Gillespie, Project manager.

When an Academy school in Northamptonshire needed to replace their dated and dangerous Granwood sports hall floor with a spectacular new ‘fit for purpose’ indoor sports surface, they turned to international flooring specialist Gerflor to supply 400m2 of their world class Olympic standard Taraflex® Performance vinyl sports floor.At Rushden Academy, they recognise the importance of Physical Education (PE) and the role it has to play in promoting long term, healthy lifestyles and making apositive impact on physical, mental, and social health.Installing the new Gerflor flooring would need to be undertaken by a flooring company that could deliver an excellent finish worthy of both the school and the quality flooring specified.

The Metropolitan Police Workshop in Rainham, Essex, was built to maintain the police's vehicle fleet and needed a durable floor for heavy use. Resin Floors Telford installed Arturo's seamless, slip-resistant epoxy resin flooring system, specifically the Arturo EP2500 epoxy self-smoothing floor and EP3910 slip-resistant sealer. This resin flooring provided a robust solution for the 2000m² facility, supporting the maintenance of over 3500 vehicles. Arturo's quick installation system ensured minimal disruption and enhanced the workshop's functionality.

A Raised Floor System was nominated for this project in order to ensure full access to cables / services within the flooring. This provides greatest flexibility for the long term function of any commercial building. The stunning design was created by Sheppard Robson Architects who won a design competition in 2005 to create this building. The site was developed by Linkcity with their sister company Bouygues UK as the Main Contractor. Bathgate Flooring was appointed to manufacture, supply and install over 10,000m2 of PSA steel encapsulated panels to create the raised floor system over 7 floors.

Pure Design – Bolidtop 525 and Bolidtop 525 TFColour – S 3500 - N830m2Architect – HCC ArchitectsMain Contractor - Morgan SindallInstallation dates - 2018Hampshire County Council were building a new two storey block for this rapidly expanding secondary school. The project was to use modern and sustainable building materials, and Stratum were asked to provide a seamless resin floor to fit in with the scheme. With longevity and aesthetic both key attributes, Bolidtop 525 was selected as the ideal solution. The library, classrooms, reception rooms and circulation spaces were provided with our standard finish Bolidtop 525, and the WC’s and cleaners cupboards were installed with our Bolidtop 525TF to give a more positive slip resistance in the wet. An integrated 150mm skirting was also used in the wet areas to create a watertight detail and for ease of cleaning. Hampshire were keen to use the same product on the stairs, and we were able to provide an excellent solution with the addition of a proprietary nosing. The nosing was selected to provide adequate LRV differential with the resin, and also to give maximum slip resistance to the stair. Our joint free tread/rise detail created an aesthetically pleasing yet robust detail for both the main and escape stairs.  Challenge-      To select a single flooring solution that was suitable for multiple areas, including the library, classrooms, WC’s, circulation areas, office space and stairs.-      To carefully programme in the work with the main contractor to ensure that the building conditions are suitable (watertight/dry/correct ambient temp), and also that key programme dates are met to facilitate follow on works. -      Coordination with other trades.-      To enable flush electrical floor boxes to be seamlessly incorporated within the floor.Solution-      Bolidtop 525 is sound attenuating, making for an ideal solution for the library and teaching spaces alike. The addition of an anti-slip additive to the top coats means that wet areas can be seamlessly interlinked with dry areas, with a virtually indistinguishable difference in appearance. The stairs worked very well with the addition of a proprietary nosing installed flush with the finished resin. Collaboration with M&E to ensure the correct floor boxes are procured and installed at the correct level.-      Stratum worked closely with Morgan Sindall to ensure there was a successful phased install, navigating around the project whilst maintaining access to adjoining areas for other key trades.-      To arrange delivery of materials in ample time.-      To ensure deliveries were arranged for, and were unloaded outside of school drop off and pick-up times.  Benefits/Installation-      Hampshire County Council had worked with Stratum and used Bolidt products on several projects before, and therefore they knew they were getting a resin floor of the highest quality and installation service to match.Result-      A seamless and elegant floor throughout this very modern school building, with different solutions provided to suit different areas around the building. The longevity of the floor will be proven over time in this very highly trafficked environment. “James is a very collaborative person to work with. He spots problems in good time and tackles them in a positive way. James worked with the design team and main contractor on the installation. He has also provided excellent advice on maintenance to the users of the building.” Rebecca Galbraith | Senior Architect | HCC Architects

The renovation of a vinyl sports floor represented a saving of around 50% against the cost of a new floor and was completed in just five days. Working through deep cleaning, wet sanding, removing the sanded slurry from the floor and then neutralising with clean water, the surface was ready for the first coat of Bona Pure Colour to the centre section. Two coats of each colour were applied, followed by sports lines and a final transparent coat to seal the surface. The Bona Floor Care Program renovates and totally transforms the floor with new colours and graphics.

The refurbishment of independent opticians and hearing specialists, Leightons, has used Forbo Flooring Systems’ Allura luxury vinyl tile planks alongside a host of other products to create a spacious looking interior that helps to minimise the spread of unwanted noise to the consultation rooms. Subsequently, the design won a Commended award in the Fly Forbo 2016/2017 competition.Leightons called on SKK Design for the design of their Reading store when it relocated from Oxford Road to the town centre, tasking them to give the branch a new lease of life and adapt the space into something that customers and staff would appreciate. The complete refurbishment saw new ceilings, lights, furniture and flooring throughout the main shop floor, staff areas and consultation rooms.

Formica Group is a leading provider of branded, designed surfacing solutions for commercial and residential customers worldwide. When its North Shields factory had some serious issues with an existing corridor flooring, the company turned to a local flooring supplier to suggest a suitable solution, which ultimately saw Formica Group specifying 300m2 of Attraction® fast track vinyl floor tiles from international flooring specialist Gerflor.

When Ashington Academy’s sports hall required updating, the school decided to replace its existing Gerflor Taraflex® sport flooring with a ‘like-for-like’ Gerflor flooring as the floor, which was still fit-for-purpose, was a little jaded after four decades of demanding use.

The recent fit out of Savills' new Welsh headquarters saw commercial interior design and supply specialists, Imium, enlisted to create modern-day, cohesive working environment, while still adhering to the brand's traditional values. Forbo Flooring Systems' striking Allura Flex Luxury Vinyl Tiles (LVT) and Tessera Seagrass carpet tiles have played an integral role in the smart new interior. Rhiannon Phillips, Interior Designer at Imium, explained: "The floor comprises of both employee and customer facing areas, therefore it was important that the space was conducive for clients without affecting business as usual . We were notified by the Savills marketing department of the brand guidelines that we needed to adhere to, in terms of finishes, to make sure that the Savills story was portrayed. We took inspiration from the company's heritage and ethos and incorporated different themes within the office based on the various sectors that the firm operates in. For the customer facing area, we used a lot of silk, walnut and a splash of the colour red to reflect the residential sector."

V&A Dundee, the £80 million museum rated ‘Excellent’ at its design stage BREEAM assessment, was designed by Kengo Kuma & Associates with PiM.studio Architects and James F Stephen Architects. Maurizio Mucciola, Director at PiM.studio Architects: “Kingspan RMG600 and Attiro was used on the second-floor circulation, foyer and galleries. The raised floor and Attiro system was chosen to provide flexibility, especially to the gallery spaces which might need to be reconfigured for different exhibitions.”

When Gloucestershire NHS Commissioning Group decided to replace an existing healthcare facility in the centre of Gloucester, over 3000m2 of flooring from international flooring specialist Gerflor was specified to complete the project to the highest standards. The project would demand high quality flooring that could meet and exceed the rigorous demands of this new healthcare facility head on.The main contractor Kier Construction would, through Newcastle-based ADP Architecture, specify a mixture of Gerflors’ Taralay and Tarasafe flooring solutions to produce the final high-quality flooring finish that the new build healthcare project would require.Gerflor have an enviable history in designing and manufacturing high quality flooring for the healthcare market. It’s a reputation built on expertise, knowledge, and innovation. With over 60 years’ credible healthcare experience, Gerflor is a respected manufacturer of innovative, high performance, design-led, and sustainable solutions for flooring, and interior finishes.Andy Gordon, Healthcare Specification Manager - North commented “This was a greatly prestigious project to be involved in, alongside our architectural and installer partners. The client is absolutely delighted with the outcome, both in terms of the fast turnaround of the project and the technical performance of the products installed.”

On the fourth floor of the Royal Opera House is a fourth floor decking area of around 600sqm. Originally a rest area for staff at the Royal Opera House, the decking area was to be re-purposed as part restaurant, part relaxation area, part meeting space and part open air dance training studio. Alfresco Floors were commissioned to supply and 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.

Brynteg School in Bridgend, Wales had an urgent need to refurbish their incredibly tired and dated linoleum floor in the main sports hall. The project would be a perfect ‘fit’ for international flooring specialist Gerflor who supplied their Olympic pedigree Taraflex® Performance sports flooring, together with their Taraflex® Bateco protection system.The installation of the Gerflor flooring would be the responsibility of Cardiff-based Puma Floors Ltd. Matthew Graves, Commercial Director, Puma Floors Ltd, commented, “We have previously installed both Taraflex and Bateco before, they are extremely easy products to work with. The final result and the sports hall look amazing, and the client is delighted with the final finish. We would certainly choose to specify and install Gerflor again.”The main sports hall at Brynteg School also provides sporting facilities for a host of wheelchair sports which makes Gerflor’s Taraflex® the ideal choice when it comes to comfort, safety, and performance. Taraflex® sports floorings are recognised all over the world for all types of sports. cushioned floors, with high IPI values, are key features for sitting volleyball and other sitting sports.Commenting on the Brynteg School project Tony Thorne, Gerflor Specification Manager, South Wales said, “This has been a formidable project to be involved in and hugely fulfilling to see our first-class sports surface really delivering on both performance, comfort, and safety.”Taraflex® sports flooring has been fitted at every Olympic Games since 1976. Approved by many National and International governing bodies as a world class sports surface, it is also widely installed within the education, community, leisure, health, and fitness sectors.

The German company Knauf Integral was able to prevail against competitors with its GIFAfloor DB green raised floor system. A maximum flexible and individual floor due to the interchangeability of the individual panels, a non-combustible building material with A1 classification and the unproblematic recycling due to the lack of plastic edging, as is used in conventional raised floor elements, were decisive for the selection.Flexibility, health in the workplace and sustainability in construction - the 'Tour Alto' in Paris La DéfenseIn the Paris suburb of Courbevoie, in the office district of La Défense, the foundation stone was laid for the 'Tour Alto' - a 160 m high skyscraper which, after its planned completion in 2020, will have a usable area of 51,200 m2 next to countless offices, numerous restaurants, bars and fitness studios etc. will accommodate. For the floor structure, the property developer decided on the double floor 'GIFAfloor DB green' from Knauf Integral, paying particular attention to the aspects of flexibility, health, environmental protection and sustainability in buildings.The 'Tour Alto' office tower in the west of Paris extends over 38 floors and is part of the high-rise backdrop of the La Défense office district. Nevertheless, Bouygues, one of the largest property developers in the world, is setting new standards in construction: installed products not only have to be as flexible as possible in their design and use, they also have to meet high standards of sustainability and environmental compatibility as well as the highest health standards for people, who will do their jobs there every day.A maximum flexible and individual floor due to the interchangeability of the individual panels, a non-flammable building material with A1 classification and the unproblematic recycling due to the lack of plastic edging, as is used in conventional raised floor elements, were decisive for the selection.In addition, health and environmentally friendly aspects were the absolute focus of the project for the property developer: The selected product must contribute to excellent indoor air quality and all materials that come into contact with the indoor air should have A + according to French in terms of VOC and formaldehyde emissions Emission class to be rated. GIFAfloor DB green elements have exactly this A + certification - the decisive advantage compared to the commonly used raised floors with chipboard supports that contain formaldehyde. Independent (building) biological analysis laboratories also prove the excellent quality through their tests: Eurofins certifies the product as suitable for indoor use, and the Institute for Building Biology in Rosenheim gives the verdict " recommended ''. This ensures a healthy working environment for employees.With GIFAfloor DB green, Knauf Integral offers a sustainable and health-friendly double floor solution for flexible, high-quality commercial interior design. The elements consist of the homogeneous gypsum fiber material GIFAtec and are available in different thicknesses depending on the requirements.

The DYNAMIK sprung system finished with a solid sport linoleum allows the space to not only provide high performance sporting opportunities for alumni, but could be utilised for non-sporting events such as meetings, community groups and social occasions, due to its high indentation resistance and durability. DYNAMIK Sports have built a strong reputation for providing class leading internal sprung sports floor systems and are Sport England & BS EN 14904 compliant. DYNAMIK are the official sports flooring suppliers to Basketball England & England Netball.

When Colchester Academy in Essex required a new sports floor for their main hall and their dance studio, they turned to international flooring specialist Gerflor for an Olympic pedigree solution. For this prestigious education establishment, Gerflor would supply a total of 552m2 of their world class Taraflex® Performance vinyl sports flooring for the sports hall, and 258m2 of their Taraflex® Combi 85 System in Evolution for their dance studio.

In specifying the all-important flooring aspect of the project Blue Jelly would select some 113 sq m of Creation 70 LVT flooring from international flooring specialists Gerflor. This amazing range won the 2017 CFJ/CFA Product of the year and their Creation 70 product scooped the coveted Red Dot Design award last year, which is akin to receiving a ‘Design Oscar’.

At Bangor University in North Wales, they are proud of their sports facilities. So, when the university had a necessity to replace the flooring in two of their main sports halls, they naturally turned to international flooring specialist Gerflor to supply over 1300m2 of their world class Olympic standard Taraflex® sports flooring in ‘London Light Blue’ and ‘Maple’ to complete the flooring aspect of the refurbishment project.The replacement indoor flooring surfaces would include both Taraflex® Comfort and Taraflex® Evolution from Gerflor, they would prove to be a perfect fit for both halls. The improved Taraflex® Evolution product, of which approx. 625m2 has been installed in the Hall 1 facility at the university, is safer, better performing and offers even more protection than the previous flooring that had to be replacedCommenting on the project Sam Wallwork, Head of Sport, Bangor University said, “We have previously used Gerflor before and have always been really impressed by their high-quality products and high levels of customer service.”David Hebblethwaite, Specification Manager (North), Gerflor commented, “Specifying both the Taraflex® Comfort and Taraflex® Evolution surfaces for the desired locations, delivered the optimum choice for the client in terms of comfort, performance, and safety.”Overseeing the installation of the indoor Taraflex sports flooring in both sports halls would be tasked to Llandudno-based flooring specialists Linney Cooper. Lance Haldane, Office, and Accreditation Manager, Linney Cooper commented, “From the beginning of the installation and right up to the very end, the project ran very smoothly. Gerflor’s Taraflex sports flooring is a prestigious product, and our installation team had no problems when installing it. We now recommend it to our customers when and where applicable”

The Gym Group benefitted from Tarasafe Ultra H2O, Vinyl Safety Flooring and GTI Max, Fast Track Vinyl Flooring in its extensive health and fitness facility.