"cement board"

Located in Tower Hamlets, Gayton House and Sleaford House are managed by housing association Poplar HARCA. Following amendments to Building Regulations, which banned the use of combustible materials in external walls of high-rise buildings above 18m, StoTherm Mineral K was specified to replace the existing EWI system.BBA-certified, StoTherm Mineral K comprises mineral fibre insulation boards and the system is classified with an A2-s1, d0 reaction to fire in accordance with BS EN 13501-1.Working on behalf of Westminster Building Company, Square 1 Architectural Solutions was responsible for removing the existing EWI and installing the StoTherm Mineral K system onto four elevations on each 23-storey block. The non-combustible mineral fibre insulation boards were secured to the existing concrete substrate using adhesive and mechanical fixings, and without the need for additional expansion joints.A StoLevell Duo Plus reinforcing coat embedded with Sto-Glass Fibre Mesh was then applied to the face of the insulation boards. This was followed by the application of 1.5mm stippled StoSilco, a silicone resin render that provides high levels of water repellence to protect the walls from weathering.

SMARTPLY PATTRESS PLUS, an innovative factory prepared oriented strand board (OSB), has greatly reduced the time spent on the latest big build project for contractor SD Plastering.

Eurowall®+, Recticel’s innovative full-fill cavity wall PIR board, has been chosen for a new affordable housing development. With its advanced tongue and groove joint, it helped to achieve the project’s desired U-value whilst ensuring a ‘built as designed’ envelope.In total, 2000m2 of Eurowall®+ board was installed as part of a £3.3m new-build project in Bedmond Road, Abbots Langley – a large, picturesque village in Hertfordshire. On completion, the 17-home development on behalf of housing association, Thrive Homes, will introduce ‘good quality’ properties to the area. In order that the buildings achieved the regulatory U-value, the insulation needed to ensure a high-quality build whilst being simple to install. Eurowall®+ met both requirements comfortably.  Jarvis Contracting, in conjunction with architects, Avebury, was selected to deliver the scheme. It included the installation of 90mm-thick Eurowall®+ insulation, which earns its billing as Recitcel’s ‘flagship’ product due to its innovative composition and exceptional thermal performance. The boards have a tongue and groove joint on all four edges to ensure they lock tightly together. This inventive format helps to eliminate moisture ingress and possible heat loss through poor joints, whilst offering bricklayers a faster way to build. Once fitted together the boards created a thermally tight envelope, ensuring the fabric-first approach resulted in warm, efficient homes for the Bedmond Road project.  Eurowall®+ can achieve a 0.18 U-value with a 90mm-thick panel in a 100mm cavity. To reach the same thermal performance with mineral wool, for example, the project would require a much thicker insulation. Therefore, Eurowall®+ helps reduce a building’s footprint; a crucial characteristic where plot size is limited.  Indeed, the 10mm air gap, which is created by a 90mm Eurowall®+ PIR board achieving a U-value of 0.18 W/m2K in a traditional 100mm masonry cavity wall, helps speed-up installation times for a more cost-effective build in comparison with other rigid full-fill solutions.Simon Blackham, Technical Manager at Recticel Insulation explained:"Eurowall®+ benefits the installer, due to its slim composition facilitating a more rapid, effective installation, whilst its performance ensures regulation energy requirements are achieved. Such all-round capabilities made it ideal for the Bedmond Road project. It didn’t disappoint on either count."Strong and durable, Eurowall®+ will not degrade or deteriorate due to moisture. This means its thermal performance will be maintained for the long-term comfort and wellbeing of the future occupants of this fine-looking and much-welcome new housing development. About Eurowall®+:Eurowall® + is a premium, high performance full fill insulation board with precision cut tongue and groove joints on all four sides. This ensures that the boards lock tightly together minimising heat loss through thermal bridging. This unique joint offers increased protection against wind driven rain as well as improved windtightness. Eurowall® + is also designed with a 10mm cavity requirement in mind, so that space can be left for conventional bricklaying techniques.

Promat has played an instrumental part in the fire protection of the latest unit of GLP’s warehouse and logistics facility, G-Park, Northampton - providing a tailored 240-minutes fire resistance solution for Unit 4, a132,000 sq. ft speculative warehouse/distribution unit.  Situated within the popular Moulton Park industrial estate just north of the town and within 10 miles of J15 of the M1, G-Park has exceptional transport links, access to national markets, a locally skilled workforce and is home to a wide range of regional and national companies.   At short notice, the latest and final unit within the park required a solution that provided 4-hour fire resistance for the steel frame construction. Sub-contractor FAA Installation Ltd traditionally uses intumescent paints in its projects, but as this method was unable to meet the 4-hour fire protection required for the steelwork structure it was decided that boarding would be a more suitable alternative.  Promat VERMICULUX®-S and TD Boards® were specified for the project by Encon, a leading Promat distributor, as they knew that these were two of a limited number of products on the market that could meet the project’s requirements.   Promat worked closely with Encon and FAA on the final specification to provide a solution that could not only achieve the 240-minute requirement, but could also overcome the design complexities of the project, including fixing to both the structural steel and cladding rails, which most traditional boards were unable to accommodate. The completed installation demonstrates how VERMICULUX®-S and TD Boards® can interface together to create robust fire protection for warehouse and industrial applications. 

Leading English National Premier League side Cannock Hockey Club were fed up with the high maintenance costs of replacing nets and wooden boards damaged by constant ball impacts.So they wanted lower maintenance perimeter fencing when they upgraded their pitches in 2009 – and ideally to limit the noise of the wooden boards under constant impact from 5.5oz balls travelling at speeds in excess of 80mph which was affecting the experience for players and spectators alike.The SolutionFounded in 1905, ‘The Nockers’ is one of the most successful National Premier League hockey clubs in the country, having won the title seven times since the league’s inception 25 seasons ago.But their traditional wooden perimeter boards were effectively sacrificial under hockey’s cannonball-like impacts. As they quickly broke and got worn out, the club was in a constant and expensive cycle of buying and installing new ones.The grounds committee turned to Zaun as a development partner to create a ground-breaking low-noise and -maintenance metal fence perimeter.It replaces nets and wooden boards with twin wire mesh fencing. Fixings every 200mm and rubber EPDM inserts at each fixing virtually eliminate rattle during play.The bottom 210mm – or up to 400mm behind the goals – uses twin horizontal 8mm wires in a close 25x50mm mesh pattern that reduces significantly the noise while withstanding a far greater number of ball impacts without damage.The system is then topped with Zaun’s Super Rebound, which gives better viewing, no risk of player or spectator injury from splinters or mid-rails and no solid surface for vandals to graffiti.

The StoRend Flex external render system, which utilizes the StoVentec carrier board, has been applied as a finish to the upper storey of this new contemporary house, designed by Ström Architects of Lymington.

Installed by AliDeck Approved Installer, Alu-Installations, this terrace decking project used our 30mm Senior Flat Board to deliver a slip and fire-resistant deck to replace the existing timber.

Five years on from completion, no repairs have been required for any damage to the Academy's partitions or wall linings. The contractor used Siniat LaDura, a hard wearing board for its corridors and classrooms.

Back in late 2020, America was preparing for a potential civil unrest as the Presidential Elections came to a head, specifically big cities like New York and Washington DC. With this civil unrest came the small percentage of the population that use this as an opportunity to loot stores. So, with many high-end store on 5th avenue, many opted to board up their store, windows and possible access points to prevent such a thing. However, one store understood that board could easily be ripped down and used as barricades against the police once entered the site. They alternatively opted to use our FenceSafe Securus SR1 System to protect themselves against civil unrest and allow for business continuity.

Slate Hyperion Frontier Composite Decking was selected for Malmasion Hotel's renovations. The client had old and weathered hardwood decking in the hotel terrace areas and all of the room balconies, on a seafront hotel which required replacing as part of a complete hotel refurbishment.To replace the current decking the client required a commercial grade, anti-slip board that could withstand the harsh salt water environment for over 25 years.The SolutionFrontier range in the Slate colour was specified for the project as the highly durable outer board layer provided the perfect protection against the elements and the high customer usage. With the additional warranty against stains and fading the client was assured at the lasting quality and aesthetics of the board with little maintenance ever being required.EnviroBuild’s expert team also provided full project support including bespoke short notice delivery direct to site, which helped the client complete the job on schedule.Customer FeedbackAfter the successful installation and service received from the EnvrioBuild team, the client has specified Hyperion decking on a number of other Malmaison hotels across the UK.Project DetailsSize: 450 m²Product: Substructure: Treated timberBuild time: 4 weeksLocation: Brighton

We supplied Bear Wood in Bristol with over 17,000 ln/m of Gripsure Classic for their immersive boardwalk. This elevates visitors above the forest floor, putting them right in the heart of the forest. It gives panoramic views of the woodland and the unique species that live there. Bear Wood, set in 7.5 acres of ancient woodland, tells the story of British woodlands, taking visitors on a fascinating journey starting 10,000 years ago to the present day. The exhibition has re-introduced native species, which once roamed our woodlands. These include European brown bears, European grey wolves, Eurasian lynxes, and wolverines. Gripsure took a brief from the zoo and developed a specification to achieve: Longevity in a wet and damp woodland environment by providing boards treated to Sector Scheme 4 treatment classification (30 years) Certified FSC timber, ensuring materials are from sustainable sources and blend in with the natural woodland A low slip risk for the anticipated high volumes of visitors. This was achieved by using three non-slip inserts which have been tried and tested at other attractions Pushchair- and wheelchair-friendly surfaces achieved through a smooth profile to avoid discomfort. This is also easy to maintain. Non-slip decking boards cross-cut to the width of the boardwalk to minimise waste and speed up installation. Gripsure's Classic deck boards were supplied across a number of scheduled deliveries to Elmtree Garden Contractors. This meant they could keep to their construction programme and limit the amount of storage space required on site. "The great thing about using Gripsure boards, and Gripsure as a company, was that you can communicate with them and they delivered on time every time" - Director, Elm Tree Garden Contractors. As well as the large and impressive boardwalk, Gripsure Graphics were also supplied where custom-made infographic boards created bespoke time-hop sections. The imitation of roots around 'Steve the Tree' help tells the story of the UK's woodlands and the species and habitats within them. "It was all here on time, it looks really good and we were really pleased with the service that we got" - Exhibit Development Manager, Wild Place Project.

FOAMGLAS® READY BOARD T4+Architects: Pollard Thomas Edwards ArchitectsConstruction: 2010 - 2012Application: Façade: FOAMGLAS® Slab W+F, 150 mm thick, adhesive fixed;Metal Pitched Roof: FOAMGLAS® READY BOARD T4+, 200 mm thick, adhesive fixedCladding: KME, Tecu BronzeFor the renovation of the façade and the pitched metal roof, FOAMGLAS® was chosen for its resistance to water and for its excellent long-term thermal performance: combined with FOAMGLAS®, the metal roof and façade can last well over 200 years.The grade II listed 120 year old Granary building and the Malthouse are among the oldest buildings within the East London district of Barking and Dagenham. In 2009 the redevelopment master plan was prepared by Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects. Design for the Granary and Malthouse was carried out by Pollard Thomas Edwards Architects whom certainly achieved the client’s key requirements for sustainability, and energy efficiency.Steve Drury, Rooff development director commented: "At an early stage FOAMGLAS® was specified for its environmental qualities and long term reliability. It is impervious to water and water-vapour and it actually provided an element of exterior weatherproofing as the building works progressed: the interior works could commence whist the metal façade was still being installed. FOAMGLAS® insulation, with its unique cladding fixing system, kept thermal bridging to a minimum; the resulting U-value performance exceeds Building Regulations by more than 25%.With time, the KME Tecu Bronze exterior will take on a natural patina. The metal exterior has a potential lifetime of well over 200 years, hence it’s very important to use the right insulation with a proven long term thermal performance.With FOAMGLAS® thermal ageing does not take place. It is the ideal insulation to be combined with roof and façade materials such as KME Tecu Bronze.For the pitched roof FOAMGLAS® READY BOARD T4+ was bonded and sealed to the timber board structure with PC®11 adhesive. Metal Plates type PC® SP 150/150 were inserted into the FOAMGLAS® READY BOARD. A 180 g/ m2 sanded bitumen membrane was torch applied onto the surface.

A new build estate of bespoke modular houses, under construction as part of one of the UK’s most ambitious regeneration programmes, is benefitting from the outstanding thermal performance of Kingspan Kooltherm K110 Soffit Board.

This brand-new, state-of-the-art school features Klasse G-board external sheathing in the latest stages of its construction!Why not check out the latest video update here: https://youtu.be/dmxPgArKGIM

The hotel’s newly marble-fitted bathrooms required a thin, water resistant floating screed to be applied to the insulation boards providing a base for the marble flooring. The screed needed to withstand the weight of the marble baths and other fixtures.

Classic meets contemporary with new Hardie® VL Plank interlock board on new extension.Traditional home in Harrogate was extended at the rear with a new double-storey extension and contrasting tongue and groove Hardie® VL Plank weatherboard on the upper level.The homeowner chose Hardie® VL Plank board for its' fresh, symmetrical look and low maintenance properties. Here Anthracite Grey in cedar complements the local stone to offer a strong contrast. The end result is a striking renovation that beautifully captures the character of the home's local heritage. "Mixing traditional with modern was key to our design and so we quickly switched to Hardie® VL Plank for the crisp, clean lines to contrast with the exposed stone" - Private Homeowner.

Canadian Western Red Cedar Timber Cladding has been used as the primary external material on this private home in The South West, local to Bristol.A well thought out design is key when working with Timber Cladding as a façade material, on this project you can see the consideration has been made to ensure there are no large soffits that would hinder the weathering to silver/ grey as UV light hits the timber. Likewise a consideration has been made for the lengths available of the material, opting for prescribed breaks in material on a number of elevations, rather than opting for random or staggered joints.Tongue and Groove boards were selected for the main property in a horizontal installation, with a board on board design chosen for the verticals that can be seen on the outbuilding. On both structures visible stainless steel fixings have been used, although Canadian WRC is a timber than is stable enough to be secret fixed, the fixings work well on this property with the other design characteristics.Longer term; no coatings were applied to the cladding, allowing it to naturally weather down as can be seen in the photos. In turn there is almost zero maintenance to carry out, other than the usual of keeping the material clean from any dirt or debris that can build up over time from pollutants in the air.

GSS designed this superb lecture theatre incorporating our Topakustik 9/2M for the ceiling and wall. The fantastic finish was installed by Titan (Horbury Group) on behalf of Galliford Try installed the Topakustik product between the plaster board sections.

In looking for a full tanking solution for the ensuite bathrooms of renowned chef Michael Caines’ dream project, stone specialists Devon Stone elected to use various forms of the multi-functional tile backerboard Schlüter®-KERDI-BOARD.

South Lawns Hotel is an iconic hotel located on a Green Belt site. An additional 25 bedroom extension was constructed for this development, set on a brick plinth, clad in dark boarding, to emulate agricultural York boarding, with a low-profile aluminium roof. The design and materials proposed minimised its visual impact on views across the Forest landscape nearby and contrasted with the white render of the existing building.Cellecta’s DECKfon Batten 70 was specified by Boyle and Summers as they have been rigorously tested and are robust detail complaint for steel, concrete and timber separating floor applications. The battens consist of a layer of recycled, low resonance, open cell, flexible polyurethane foam bonded to an FSC/PEFC certified timber batten.Tuakana was awarded this 1,050m² contract for this development in Milford-on-sea.

55 m2 of Grad Thermo Ash 120mm deck boards have been used to great effect by the architects in the modernisation of this semi-detached property for decking, horizontal and vertical cladding, and fencing.At the back of the building, the living space has been extended by the addition of a garden room, joined together by a deck which runs the length of the garden between the two buildings.  Both the main house and the garden room feature a wrap-around canopy and deck.At the front of the property, the extension and entrance porch have been clad in the same material.All of these elements have been seamlessly finished using our invisible-fix system, Grad, in Thermo Ash using the same width board throughout.  This lovely project really showcases Grad and its versatility. 

Challenge: The structure was had severe structural degradation due to the ingress of moisture and water over its near 100-year life. Corrosion to the steelframe resulted in tensile forces cracking and moving the brick skin, also causing a cracked façade. Strategy: ICCP was used as a method to control corrosion whilst the cracking and movement were repaired. This involved LoCem® and +point® AACM anode mortar to be grouted in the bed joints, alongside embedded corrosion rate sensors for service life tracking (AchillesICP and AiMS). LoCem® is a low carbon cement alternative, that can also act as a cathodic protection anode. Outcome: The structure was restored to be used as high-value residential apartments, saving tonnes of embodied carbon and eliminated the option of demolition. The embedded system successfully controlled and monitored corrosion for the long term, adding an additional 100 years to the structure’s service life.

Arable farmer Ivan Banister talked to various agricultural building companies for advice before using local contractors to construct both parts of the new grain store. The first part of the new building was constructed with the secondary expansion undertaken and completed in time for the harvest. Eternit Profile 6 roofing sheets were selected for the project and installed by MJ Barrett.The roof was the most important consideration for Ivan and it was vital that the roofing material used on the store would resist the pressure from temperature and weather without cracking. Any problems in the roof and subsequent leakage would cause serious damage to harvested crops.Condensation had also proved a problem in older, steel roofed storage facilities at Warden Farms and the vapour permeable nature of Eternit fibre cement roofing sheets helps to minimise moisture levels within the new storage building.

The Buckland Hospital, Dover is a community hospital that provides a range of local services. Main contractor Interserve PLC enlisted Industrial Construction (Sussex) Ltd to install the roofing and cladding package. Fixfast products were the first choice for ICS and the Facade Support range was an obvious need for this type of contract; coupled with the DrillFast® Stainless and Lacquered products, the external roofing and cladding was installed in the finest possible manner.The external walls use a range of materials - black brick and through-coloured render serve as a background for two types of cladding panels: white fibre cement panels and timber laminated panels manufactured from kraft paper and finished with natural timber veneers. The dark colour of the brick is used as a medium to enhance the crisp lines of the bright cladding as well as the shape and colours of the wooded bank at the rear of the building.

The Sandy Park hotel (a £35 million project) is located at the southern end of the award-winning Sandy Park complex found next to the Exeter Chiefs Rugby stadium.Sandy Park Hotel which officially opened in April 2022, has 250 bedrooms, a rooftop bar and a restaurant including state-of-the-art leisure facilities. The building is an eight-story hotel that boasts beautiful views of the River Exe Estuary. At its front is a bridge leading from Sandy Park Complex’s south end and into one of UK’s finest hotels -The Marriott Hotel Reception where guests are welcomed upon arrival.Valcan supplied approx. 2000m2 of Valcan Ceramapanel in charcoal and light slate with a finish of natural textures touch.Valcan Ceramapanel is a non-combustible fibre cement cladding rated A1 to BS EN 13501-01 which was the perfect choice for the building’s facade.

With over 1,000 pupils at the school, Walthamstow Academy's Board of Governors required a gender-neutral toilet block that could accommodate all its students regardless of their gender – creating a more inclusive environment.Read the full case study on our website.

Manufactured with an extruded polystyrene foam core and a special coating on both sides, Jackoboard construction boards from Jackon by Bewi can be used as part of a system approach for tiling.With a range of shower trays and drain kits, Jackon says Jackoboard can help create a perfect wetroom or bathroom environment.Jackoboard construction systems provide the flexibility to meet modern requirements in bathroom design. “What was once considered a mere washroom has now been elevated to a private wellness oasis,” Jackon says. “In recent years, the demands placed on bathroom finishes have changed dramatically to allow refurbished bathrooms to shine like new with flexible and high-quality renovations.”The current British Standard for tiling, BS 5385-1:2018, requires the wider use of more appropriate materials for construction, and for receiving tiles in water sensitive and wet areas. This has reportedly increased the demand for the Jackoboard range in new build applications as well as in renovation works.The products are manufactured sustainably and, being superb insulators, they can be used in the design of energy-efficient homes, the company says. The protection of the environment is key to parent company Jackon by Bewi. The company says that plastics, when used as long-term construction materials can greatly reduce the need for heating energy and can therefore make a positive contribution to tackling the climate crisis. In fact, Jackon has been running a campaign in recent years to supply beehives made from the company’s polystyrene bead to the Bee Centre in Chorley. Like Jackoboard, the company says, these beehives will last a lifetime and provide better insulation than the alternatives, enabling the Bee Centre to continue its outreach work in support of honeybees and beekeeping.The surfaces of the Jackoboard system are said to provide an extremely strong bond for the tile adhesive and can be used on virtually any substrate. The boards are waterproof, thermally insulating, very lightweight and strong.The range can form the basis for a tiled finish, but it can also provide a substrate for wallpaper, paint or plaster. “So the possibilities for personal expression are virtually unlimited, allowing every bathroom to benefit from its own individual style,” Jackon says.Due to their core made of extruded polystyrene foam (XPS), Jackoboard construction boards and the wider product range are all lightweight and waterproof – a key benefit for bathroom new build and renovation.Jackoboard also makes installation “simple and easy”. The construction boards, bath panels and angle elements can be trimmed to the desired dimensions with standard tools, while their insulation values reportedly enable them to maximise the benefits of underfloor heating.The range is available in sizes and board thicknesses from 4-80mm to suit all building requirements. A suite of ancillary items are also available, from installation and sealing kits through to washers, fixing dowels and BoardFIX.J-Drain Linear and J-Drain Wall are recent additions to the family of wetroom products from Jackoboard. These products provide what the company calls a high-tech design solution to enable the creation of a totally minimalist walk-in shower.Both products are designed be used in combination with Jackoboard Sloping Boards for the floor and Plano Boards for the walls, to provide everything needed for a “highly fashionable and innovative walk-in shower solution”.“From a design point of view, these products are completely on-trend, given that the minimalist look for walk-in showers is very popular at the moment,” Jackon says. “Achieving this with a highly effective drain solution, which also showcases the tiling to maximum effect, is a key selling point for these new products, used together with Jackoboard backerboards.”

The ChallengeLocated in Haywards Heath, West Sussex, Foundry Gardens is a development of two to five-bedroomed housing. It was important that this relatively low-density scheme fit the traditional vernacular of the area.The SolutionChelsea Smoked Red brick was chosen and used alongside white boarding and tile. The white boarding element has been used to emphasis corner and key buildings, detailing porches and canopies.Chelsea Smoked Red brick is a red, stock thrown, wire cut brick by Ecostock, the most sustainable stock brick available in the UK. It is a high quality facing brick with recycled content. The range carries BES 6001 Responsible Sourcing certification.The BenefitsThe choice of brick helps the development to seamlessly fuse the traditional with the contemporary.The project won the Large House Builder category at the Brick Development Association’s annual Brick Awards 2018.

A recent project of the Berkeley Group, the Kingston Gas Works with 240 apartments called for a special solution due to the maximum construction height available for the shower being only 100mm including tray and drainage. All showers were constructed with XPS integrated shower elements (wedi Fundo Integro), which are only 90mm thick including the integrated DN50 drainage. Despite the low construction height, the specified solution offers no compromise on the flow rate of the drainage. Complete waterproof bathrooms - walk-in shower with a niche, building boards on walls & floors with sound insulation. Products:wedi Fundo Integro shower element with integrated drainage (1800x900x90mm) wedi building boards 10mm & 12.5mm - for walls and floorswedi prefabricated niche wall element wedi Non-step sound insulation composite panel (reduction by 16db)

Postmark is a new residential development on the site of the former Royal Mail Mount Pleasant Mail Centre. In addition to being involved with the paved roof terraces within the new Pheonix Place development, Ryno worked directly with Broadway Malyan Architects to come up with a decking solution for the private balconies.System UsedTerraSmart® Aluminium was used across each of the balconies, with RD-FR adjustable decking pedestals and joist supporting over 2000m2 of sleek aluminium deck boards. Concrete slabs were laid between the substructure and deck boards to help counter wind uplift by increasing the overall dead load of the system.Testimonial “Approaching Ryno was a really easy thing to do…I felt confident using them.”– Gareth Rowe, Principal Landscape Architect, Broadway Malyan Want to hear more? View Gareth’s full video testimonial here.

For the construction of a large villa of soft and natural colours in the countryside near Bologna, various Atlas Concorde floor and wall-tiles collections were used. Stone and wood effect porcelain stoneware tiles highlight the volumes and geometries in interior design by coordinating with outdoor floors that surround the home. Atlas Concorde floor and wall tiles offer interesting cues and ideas for home furnishing.The private dwelling, divided into two separate blocks, is at the heart of a lusciously green and bright garden rich in walkways made from the Trust stone effect outdoor floor collection. Indoor floors alternate the Axi wood effect porcelain stoneware and stone effect Advance collections. For the bathroom was used wall tiles, a cladding that combines expressive power with practicality, the Ewall collection, inspired by the look of spatula spread cement. Prestigious materials throughout the kitchen. The kitchen of the villa is enriched with style thanks to the Atlas Concorde porcelain stoneware and wall tiles. The tiles distinguish themselves for impeccable aesthetics and decorative character, guaranteeing numerous advantages, such as easy cleaning and maintenance. The low porosity makes the kitchen wall tiles resistant to humidity, stains, mildew and bacteria, and make them perfect for creating the kitchen backsplash, which needs to have other specific requirements, such as ease of cleaning, resistance to stain and resistance to heat. Bathroom tiles in a hose of great aesthetical impact. The bathroom wall tiles of the villa are covered in tiles from the Ewall collection by Atlas Concorde. Inspired to spatula-worked cement, the surface is enhanced by a delicate structuring and reflections of light, for a tremendous aesthetic and visual impact. Atlas Concorde ceramic tiles also guarantee easy cleaning and maintenance when used as a wall tile in showers, where they carefully highlight the elegance of every detail.Safe living outdoor. The surfaces immediately surrounding the villa created using the Trust porcelain stoneware collection give life to outdoor floors that combine the naturalness of stone with resistance to heavy footfall and adverse weather conditions, durability and safety. Outdoor floors in 2 cm thickness are also perfect as patio or terrazzo tiles, to experience the outdoor living of the house in total freedom.

Smet Supported Partners, Capel (CS) Ltd, completed the floor screed application of SMET LiteFlo® Lightweight Flowing Screed within the improvement works at Harold Wood Station.  A number of improvements were delivered at Harold Wood station in preparation for the new Elizabeth line service, including:A new footbridge over the tracks with new staircasesThree new lifts to provide step-free access to every platformPlatform extensions to accommodate the new, 200m long Elizabeth line trainsNew platform lightingNew station signage, help points, customer information screens, and CCTV.SMET LiteFlo® Lightweight Flowing Screed 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.German-made LiteFlo® is unique, in that it’s the first pumpable lightweight flowing screed. Made from specially selected aggregates, makes it 30% lighter than conventional flowing screeds and therefore 70% lighter than traditional sand & cement – ultimately this means less is required per m2. Another plus is that that screed made from Calcium Sulphate has naturally substantially lower embodied carbon emissions than a sand and cement screed. 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

We were approached by Lindi Reynolds Interiors who was looking for a statement wood floor for their clients home in Surrey. The brief was for a wow-factor floor with a warm, dark hue to the Oak and a unique pattern to the floor.As we worked with the designer to identify the ideal colour tone, the TW-E931 Fumed Oak herringbone hit all the right notes for the colour, but the client wanted something more than a herringbone pattern. Drawing on experience with another project for a large development in London we suggested a basketweave parquet pattern. Our basketweave is made using our 120mm wide herringbone flooring (such as TW-E931) and a square centre piece that measures 240x240mm. By laying these components in the basketweave pattern you create a stunning statement floor. In this particular project, the client chose to lay the boards in a diagonal; creating a unique look. The engineered boards are fully bonded to the subfloor using our SW-890 adhesive. As the board construction is engineered, it’s suitable for use with underfloor heating. The expert team of BRB Flooring were able to quickly complete the fit-out according to the clients wishes and hide the perimeter expansion gap under the skirting for a sleek, professional finish.Whether for a private home, commercial space or residential development; the commercial grade UV Oiled finish is hardwearing and easy to maintain making it ideal for any setting. If you’d like to discuss basketweave parquet for your project please get in touch on 01666 504 015 or info@thesolidwoodflooringcompany.com. 

This large-scale project featuring 224 bolt-on balconies involved the replacement of composite decking boards on timber joists with BalcaSmart Aluminium decking.We've seen a huge increase in the number of refurbishment projects since the updated Approved Document B came into force along with guidance from the government urging owners of pre-existing buildings to remove combustible materials from balconies if found.This luxury tower was completed in 2014 but with 25 stories, it was a project that came with many challenges.System UsedBalcaSmart Aluminium decking system with aluminium decking boards in RAL 7039 (Quartz Grey).Selected for its low-height build-up, the BalcaSmart Aluminium decking system for balconies was selected, with joists attaching directly to the existing steel balcony frame.Balconies are stacked. To ensure the finish from below was as seamless as that from above, the substructure was powder-coated in RAL 7040 (Window Grey) to match the balcony steels.The ChallengesPre balcony fabrication, our estimating and design team worked with Fletcher Crane architects to create detailed designs, which our team used to create a bespoke specification.As the development was completed in 2014, apartments were occupied, with residents present during refurb works.Furthermore, due to the glass facades and balustrades to the exterior, the goods for the job (including cut-to-length aluminium decking boards) were taken in through the interior of the building and installed as such by London-based Acacia Gardens from Hounslow.Location: ShoreditchCompleted: 2021Architect: Fletcher CraneClient: Private leaseholders

This amazing swimming pool refurbishment project in Knutsford, Cheshire was undertaken by Abstract Pools Ltd. Tiles from Designworks and more than 100 JACKOBOARD® construction boards were used.Manufactured with an extruded polystyrene (XPS) foam core and a special coating on both sides, JACKOBOARD® construction boards form an ideal base for tiling. The surfaces of the JACKOBOARD® system provide an extremely strong bond and can be used on virtually any substrate. The boards are waterproof, thermally insulating, truly lightweight and very strong. This combination of characteristics makes them ideal for pool hall work. The result of this refurbishment is absolutely stunning and the owners of the property are delighted unsurprisingly.The owner was abroad while the renovation was carried out. The pool was situated in the basement of the house and had been left empty for a few years. The contractor was tasked with refurbishing the pool hall and bringing it back to life. They stripped everything back to the existing substrate, and then rendered and screeded the pool itself, the jacuzzi and the pool surrounds.A new steam room was added, using JACKOBOARD®. All of the pool hall walls were lined with JACKOBOARD®, ready to receive tiles. All tiles on this project were supplied by Designworks Tiles, the specialists in tiles and mosaics for swimming pools and spas. The tiles used on the project were Ezarri Lisa Black Mosaic for the pool tank, District Grey 1200x600x10mm for the pool hall walls, District Dark Grey for the pool coping tiles and District silver 600x600x10mm for the pool floor surround

Challenge: Concourse Village Plaza houses apartment blocks, retail shops, a multiplex cinema and underground parking. Chloride ingress and weathering has taken its toll on the structure with cracking and spalling of the concrete cover from reinforcement corrosion.Strategy: Significant concrete repair in conjunction with an ICCP system was needed for the structure. LoCem® +chase®, will be used specifically for reinforced concrete structures, where the ICCP anode mortar operates within slots cut and holes drilled strategically into the reinforced concrete structural elements. LoCem® is a low carbon cement alternative that can also act as a cathodic protection anode.Outcome: With the design of the ICCP for the Central podium completed, construction will begin in 2023 before moving to the West and East podiums. The project and is expected to go on for the next 2.5 years. The result of the project will be an ESG compliant strategy that will create a more resilient structure, utilising low carbon build materials that can control the impact of corrosion.