"engineered wood finished flooring"

Lakeside Developments is a unique development offering a selection of six to seven storied apartments, semi-detached and detached houses situated in Coleraine. The homes have been designed to exceed expectations of modern buyers. A cost-effective, aesthetically pleasing, and sustainable facing brick was required to complete the scheme.The exclusive housing development has been ‘highly commended’ in the sustainability category at the Placemaking Awards which celebrates projects, plans, people and organisations that are making places better.The unique project, described as one of the most unique and visionary civil engineering projects ever attempted in the UK, has transformed the 42-acre redundant quarry into a modern housing development with a lake, which was formed using water that had been pumped out of the site.According to Alan Patterson Design the project demonstrates its environmental credentials through its ‘engineering initiative and excellence’ in the re-use of the redundant basalt quarry to meet present day housing needs.AG’s facing brick Woodward in Ashbrooke Smooth was chosen due to its hard-wearing capabilities and long-lasting colour retention. The smooth finish of the brick gives a modern appearance to the houses.Additionally, Homepave Cobble Paving was selected for the walkways and garden of the new development. Due to its rumbled surface, it provides a charming additional to the scheme

Rosa Alpina is a boutique Alpine hotel that boasts a two Michelin-starred restaurant and a scenic setting in the Dolomites – one of the world’s most beautiful places.The original building dates to 1850 and local antiques, wood carvings and old photographs complement its wood-panelled ceilings and thick, frescoed walls. Fresh flowers and roaring fires complete a convivial vibe.The 51 spacious rooms and suites each feature a seating area and subtle cream and grey colour scheme. Newer guestrooms offer more contemporary design, with glass-encased fires and sleek timber furnishings, yet still respect local traditions with wood-panelled ceilings, fire wood baskets and ceramic stoves. The new Vetralla bath has specified within these new contemporary rooms.Photography: © Six SensesPhotography: © Six Senses

A residential home in Enfield, London, was extended out the back of the property and charred Accoya wood was the chosen material for the cladding. Innovative architects, Studio Hatcham, specified charred Accoya wood to make the extension distinguishable yet sensitive, enhancing the existing grey brickwork, rather than overshadowing it. The Accoya was treated using a charring technique, taking the wood from its originally light colour to a darker, burnt effect. The cladding was charred in three varying shades, creating depth to the extension; light brush “Shizen”, Graphite “Seizo” and Anthracite “Gen no”. For the posts, a deep black effect was chosen to define and accentuate, in particular, the large glass opening of the extension into the back garden. Despite charring the wood, Accoya remains durable and stable with a 50-year warranty against rot. This alongside its great sustainability credentials, made it the perfect choice for this extension.

TVS Group was tasked with the isolation of a residential property in St. John’s Wood as part of a redevelopment and basement extension. With the property in close proximity to the Jubilee line and the Metropolitan line passing only 5m away from the new basement extension, radiated noise and vibration was a serious concern for the client.An isolation layer utilising varying stiffnesses of Sylomer materials spanned the underside of the basement slab, continued up between the contiguous piled wall and the lining wall, and then across the top of the capping beam and to the side of the ground floor slab.Close work with the design team throughout the planning and specification process, provided a solution that integrated seamlessly with the structure and waterproofing detail.

Bona Craft Oil 2K was specified for the restoration of the Beech floor in the world’s largest purpose-built recording studio. In constant use by orchestras and choruses, it was essential to choose a highly durable, quick drying finish to minimise downtime. Bona said “It was unusual for us to have to consider the acoustic properties of one of our finishes before creating this specification, but understandably this was of paramount importance for the studio team. Another beneficial property of a ‘traditional’ oil finish, is the ease with which local repairs can be made, usually without sanding.

Bona Craft Oil 2K was specified for the restoration of the Beech floor in the world’s largest purpose-built recording studio. In constant use by orchestras and choruses, it was essential to choose a highly durable, quick drying finish to minimise downtime. Bona said “It was unusual for us to have to consider the acoustic properties of one of our finishes before creating this specification, but understandably this was of paramount importance for the studio team. Another beneficial property of a ‘traditional’ oil finish, is the ease with which local repairs can be made, usually without sanding.

Puracore® partnered with Integrated Design and Operations Consultancy for the built environment, Bryden Wood, on a pioneering project for one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies, GlaxoSmithKline.We manufactured and supplied various components and Cleanroom ceiling panels for The ‘Factory in a Box’ an idea developed by Bryden Wood and GSK.

The ChallengeFounded in 1432, Sevenoaks boarding school is one of the oldest and most prestigious in the country with some of the buildings dating from the 17th Century. The client requested an easy-to-use, energy-efficient underfloor heating solution in rooms of different uses across the school that would have a negligible impact on floor heights. The installation of the system would also have to be considerate of the historic nature of the building.The SolutionDue to the need for a low floor build-up and with a project featuring a mix of floor finishes, our Foil Heater was the ideal choice for an easy-to-use and quick to install underfloor heating system. The Foil Heater is perfect for use with the school’s carpeted and wooden floor finishes and was installed in conjunction the Dual Overlay System when fitted with the carpeted flooring for a stable subfloor solution that can handle heavier load areas. Warmup’s StickyMat System was installed throughout the school’s bathrooms, which can be fitted directly within the layer of tile adhesive or levelling compound, therefore having little-to-no effect on floor heights. Our Tempo Thermostat was installed for accurate floor heat control alongside overall control by a Building Management System.The ResultThe beautiful and historic Sevenoaks Boarding School has now been given a 21st Century update with a responsive Warmup heating solution that didn’t substantially raise floor heights. The staff and pupils can now enjoy radiant warmth throughout the year, leading to better comfort levels and therefore a happier space in which to study and work.

With the aim to encourage more participation in sport, Hackney Council has opened a new community facility, Britannia Leisure Centre. As part of a wider, mixed-use development in an inner-city environment, the different activity spaces were stacked vertically in a spatially efficient design. As part of the state-of-the-art facilities a six-court sports hall has been installed with Junckers solid hardwood area elastic sports flooring. The Beech SylvaKet floor with a Nordic finish was installed over Junckers’ UnoBat 45 undercarriage system to provide a high level of performance as well as a safe and responsive surface ideal for a multitude of sports. The pre-finished floor is easy to maintain, durable and resilient – perfect for a busy sports centre. Further facilities available to the local community include four squash courts, fitted with Junckers’ specialist SylvaSqaush Beech flooring. Britannia Leisure Centre by FaulknerBrowns, constructed by Morgan Sindall has won several awards including AJ100 Community Impact of the Year (2022) and the Delivering Social Value Award at the Building Awards (2021). 

High-end residential refurbishment that required MicroCement installation to all internal walls and floors in two family bathrooms. This large scale, refurbishment project showcased innovative ways MicroCement can be applied to interior bathroom walls and floors without a need for joins or breaks. Its smooth finish was ideal for a modern, minimalist design that our client wanted. MicroCement can be easily installed over existing materials which in turn reduces the time needed for application and maintenance.We also supplied and installed two large precast and hand-polished concrete washbasins that were done in Mist Silk finish. They were treated with our in-house sealant and made to be stain-resistant.

Product / System:Reflex Sports Wall in Mint Green.Uplift and removal of existing vinyl, floor preparation, DPM, Reflex Gerflor sports vinyl in polished concrete effect finish, linemarking.Size: 1,278m2

Global engineering consultancy, WSP, recently relocated 850 Manchester-based staff to new offices situated in the prestigious, No8 First Street building. The refurbished office space focuses on the wellbeing of employees, creating relaxing spaces where they can unwind and spend time with colleagues. Contributing to this positive lifestyle environment, Style installed two DORMA Varitrans glass moveable walls, effectively separating breakout areas and creating either two smaller rooms or one large open plan space. A further eight DORMA Variflex, fully automatic moveable walls were installed across two other floors, allowing WSP to create three larger meeting rooms or seven smaller ones.

Limerick Institute of Technology’s Coonagh Campus is the first engineering-focused higher education campus in the Mid-West of Ireland.The new 7,000m2 engineering campus provides an additional 542 places on LIT’s engineering courses, an expansion which is considered essential to support industry demand in the region.Designed to provide agility of use, the campus will go beyond what is traditionally expected from an educational institution. It will provide facilities that encourage education and research to co-exist, facilitate industry leaders to meet and share ideas, and allow companies to use the various diverse spaces for training courses and seminars.Tobermore is proud to have provided granite-look paving and kerbs on this landmark Irish project.

When Jason and Nikki bought a 19th century clapboard house overlooking a beautiful stretch of the Essex countryside, the property came with planning permission to knock it down and build a new home.But keen to preserve a piece of history, the couple opted to restore the house instead, choosing Cedral facades to recreate the original clapboard look while benefiting from Cedral’s modern features.“We wanted the same look as before, to restore the house to how it had looked originally,” says Jason. “We also wanted a property that was as maintenance free as possible.”Which is why Cedral facades fitted the bill perfectly. Crafted for durability and long life with no need for regular repainting or maintenance, it has a minimum life expectancy of 50 years.Using Cedral Lap in elegant C01 White, the finished look is a beautiful New England style home that sits at the top of the hill. Finding the right shade of white was important to the couple and here again, Cedral met the requirements perfectly.“We went for Cedral C01 White because it’s more of a warmer shade, other options we looked at were too bright and cold. It’s a large area of cladding and we didn’t want it to be too blinding when the sun was on it. We also preferred the fact that Cedral offered a thicker board, it had more substance than the others we considered.”The fact that their builder said he preferred working with Cedral because of its high quality sealed the deal. “He did an amazing job on the installation,” says Jason. “It was all quite painless and everyone who visits comments on the workmanship.”The renovation is still ongoing and next they plan to build a garden office also using Cedral facades.“We would definitely recommend Cedral,” the couple say. “So many people say to us they can’t believe it’s not real wood. Because we’ve cleared back a lot of the overgrowth on the property, the house is now very visible from the road and we didn’t want anything that looked fake. We wanted to have that original wood finish that suits the style of the house and its original design, and yet be as low maintenance as possible.”And with Cedral that’s what they got. “Unless we used wood itself, we couldn’t have got any closer to the original style,” says Nikki. “Now everyone says it’s the prettiest house on the road.”

Ryno Signature Decking in ‘Silver Birch’ takes pride of place in this new Brentwood development. The apartment block has a bold red brick exterior, with simple anthracite windows and detailing.The glass balustrades of the balconies allow the maximum level of light to enter the apartments, while making the paved courtyard feel even larger and more spacious.Products UsedTerraSmart® Composite in Silver Birch was used across the private balconies. Silver Birch, from the Signature Range of premium ‘capped’ decking, has an elegant textured wood-grain finish.The terrace spaces had additional height build-up requirements, so fixed-head adjustable pedestals were used to raise the decking to the door thresholds.

Client: University of Brighton Consultant: Stripe Main Contractor: Keir Construction Specialist Contractor Thelwell Flooring Main Products Used: Emseal DSM SystemThis new multi-storey car park for the University of Brighton is part of a major redevelopment of the former Preston Barracks site in the City. There are 550 parking spaces on 7 floors, including 55 EV charging bays, plus there is a PV array on the roof with the power stored in batteries on the ground floor, which also includes 330 cycle parking spaces. The car park design uses a Vertical Circulation Module (VCM) that provides a more efficient solution for confined sites, as this contains no external ramps and traffic circulation is via slopes within the floors themselves. This creates more parking spaces in the steel framed structure in the centre, with two lift and stair cores positioned at each end. This design also made it possible to locate the necessary structural expansion joints transversely between these 3 parts of the structure and away from major traffic impact areas. The engineers specified these joints to be a nominal 40mm wide to accommodate a high movement capability of up to +/- 50% (i.e. total 100%), as they knew these could be quickly, securely, and durably sealed using the Emseal DSM System. This also saves time on site as it is installed from above, allowing other trades to continue working below, plus as it is bonded into position, there is no potentially damaging drilling for mechanical fixings.

Altro solution brings life to design-led Hull birth centreA complete floors and walls solution from Altro has been used to create a relaxing, stylish home from home environment for mums-to-be in a new birth centre at Hull Women and Children’s Hospital.The new midwife-led Fatima Allam Birth Centre meets the needs of women who want a more natural childbirth experience.Andrew Ledger, contracts manager for Apleona, which provides facilities management for the building, oversaw the new construction and was part of the team that devised the overall concept.“We specified Altro floors and walls from the start because we are using these products elsewhere in the hospital with a great deal of success. They meet all our clinical hygiene and infection control needs, while also offering a superb range of colours and textures, which makes them ideal for creating a modern and stylish environment.“The quality and durability of Altro is a major factor too because, as a PFI project, the long-term cost is under close scrutiny.Adele Howitt, from Studio Eleven Gallery & Workshop in Hull, won a commission from the hospital to design the interior concept.“Once we had decided on colours, we worked closely with Altro to look at the specific products. They completely understood our practical and aesthetic needs.”“I used Altro Whiterock Digiclad to create statement walls from floor to ceiling. This is a fantastic product for design-led projects because you can print any image or photograph onto it, and the quality is superb.”Adele chose Altro Whiterock Satins for the shower rooms. She says “It has some wonderful shades, and the subtle, sheer texture is very stylish.”Flooring for the birth centre was key to creating the homely, nonclinical feel. Andrew Ledger and the project team wanted natural, warm, wood-effect flooring and chose Altro Wood.Andrew says: “Wet areas in clinical environments need to be very safe underfoot, so we chose Altro Pisces safety flooring for both the shower rooms and around the birthing pool. This flooring performs superbly in both wet or dry conditions, and with bare feet or shoes, so it’s perfect for keeping both patients and staff safe. Altro Pisces also looks good enough to work within our design themes and there are some great colours.”The flooring was installed by Floorcovers UK. Partner Phil Morris said: “For quality and reliability Altro is the best, and they are a pleasure to work with."The Altro wall sheet was fitted by Richardson Claddings. Owner Joe Richardson comments:“The beauty of the Altro walls system is that it is so quiet, easy and clean to install. Altro sends the sheets to us ready-cut, which means minimal cutting or shaping on site.”Andrew Ledger says: “We get a lot of medical professionals visiting from around the world and they say the centre is the best of its kind they have seen anywhere.“Most importantly, the mothers who have given birth here are thrilled with it too.“After each birth, the rooms are completely disinfected and cleaned, and the Altro floors and walls are proving very easy to maintain.“We are delighted with this amazing facility.”

Architect Hawkins\Brown specified Howe Green 7500 Series Medium Duty Stainless Steel Floor Access Covers for one of the office spaces within BT Sport located at Here East, the new digital quarter for East London. The covers were required to address the challenge of easily and safely accessing drainage junctions located beneath a raised floor system in the corridors of the building. The 7500 Series were specified with stainless steel Z profiles to provide additional support to the access cover within the raised floor. The access covers were initially covered with plywood and then infilled with a vinyl flooring finish.

Distributed by Vertex in Israel Accoya has been used for a swimming pool decking area and under water deck. Raised grain, splitting and rotting of wood is greatly reduced if not eliminated with Accoya compared to other woods. Accoya was coated in a Blanchon oil with the Accoya underwater left natural to go grey over time.

Helios, the sun god of Greek mythology, is a three-metre high gilded bronze statue designed by renowned artist TB Huxley-Jones as the centre piece of the old BBC Television Centre courtyard. As part of the redevelopment of the iconic BBC Television Centre, civil engineers Arup required an engineered drainage solution for the courtyard surrounding the Helios statue and fountain.

Featuring bespoke sizing, design, easy installation, and use of sustainable materials, the Acoura ceiling system by Soundtect offers a highly customisable acoustic solution that can elevate your project to new heights of comfort and style.City workspace projectFor this workspace redesign, HOP Interiors sought a solution to the challenges of noise control in an expansive open-plan environment.  Leveraging Acoura's capabilities, strategic placement of the acoustic ceiling panels effectively transformed the workspace into a hub of productivity. Zoned working areas, delineated by Acoura's sleek design, provided employees with the peace and quiet needed to excel in their tasks while maintaining a collaborative atmosphere.With a clever bespoke and unique carrier system, the Acoura baffles can be easily removed and reinstalled, again and again, for easy access to the ceiling mechanical and electrical services when needed, simply and quickly.With a large range of Freestyle colour options and wood-effect finishes, Acoura offers designers a wealth of aesthetic possibilities. From bold statements to subtle accents, the choice is yours, with the added flexibility to match any wood finish and complement existing design schemes.SustainabilityLike all Soundtect products, Acoura is crafted from third-generation recycled PET. By utilising recycled materials, Acoura not only reduces waste but also minimises the demand for new resources, contributing to a more sustainable future.Soundtec thas zero CO2 emissions and zero water emissions. Utilising solar power for its factory, the company has earned several awards for its contributions to the environment, especially as the product's core material comprises post-consumer plastic with low VOC content.The Acoura sustainable acoustic ceiling not only delivers a truly bespoke, unique solution to reverberation but also a fabulous and inspiring alternative to heavy wooden beams with no impact on the environment.

An existing Mews dating back to the 1860’s in close proximity to the Victoria and Albert Museum. The highly sensitive nature of this site required NLA to work closely throughout the planning and construction phases with LBKC to make sure the ambitious yet sympathetic design, bespoke to the client’s requirements was realised. In addition to a full refurbishment, complete with new basement, reworked layout and contemporary interior design, a double height atrium was introduced at the heart of the dwelling allowing natural daylight to permeate throughout each individual level whilst providing a secluded garden sanctuary away from the bustling streets of London.For this refurbishment, our Una was used which are the solution for timber leaf risers. Una utilises a timber door leaf with a concealed metal frame. Made to suit custom sizes, provided as a flat-packed kit prepared for all ironmongery. The wood door leaf comes with hinge cut-outs and can be primed for on-site finishing or pre-finished in our factory. Choose from non-fire rated or fire rated to E30 or E60.

As part of the Rochdale Riverside new development, the TVS Group was approached to assist in the construction of a new 6-screen Reel Cinema to ensure that Reel’s acoustic requirements for the space were met, as well as ensuring that adjacent businesses would not be adversely affected.

Workers were walking over the levelled fl oor just 3 hours after applying the ARDEX A 38 fl oor screed, allowing work to continue and ensuring the store was open in time for the Wimbledon Tennis Championships

St Andrew Holborn has stood as a Catholic Church for over 1000 years. Throughout its history it has received several major renovations, but it is most famously known for its late 17th century rebuild by the renowned architect Christopher Wren, who later went on to design one of London’s most recognisable and historic landmarks, St. Paul’s Cathedral. The latest large-scale works date back to the 1950s, and six decades on it was deemed in need of repair again.

As part of a major refurbishment of listed parliamentary estate buildings, only ARDEX products were trusted to restore and protect these iconic working areas for years to come. 

Avoiding gas reliance when building a new house.Traditional self-build projects have always had heating systems such as gas central heating and solar panels installed. However, with the increasing costs of gas, and the uncertainty of future supplies, a secondary heating source is required.There are options such as ground heating pumps, etc. but a real heating system independent of the grid, plus a stunning focal point has to be a wood burning stove.In fact, wood logs are now the cheapest domestic heating fuel. According to the Stove Industry Alliance, wood now is “costing households 74% less per kWh than electric heating and 21% less than gas heating”. The benefits don’t end there. “Using a modern wood burning stove also costs 29% less to run than an air source heat pump. Wood logs are 87% less carbon intensive than gas, 88% less than electricity and 74% less than an air source heat pump.”Building a traditional steel pipe flue system is always an option, but steel systems are more suitable in retrofit projects where minimum disruption is required. When you are building a house from the ground up, then a more permanent and ultimately lifetime option is the better one.

An intelligent Advanced Go panel has been installed in The Steading, the home of sculptor and furniture maker, Tim Stead MBE.The Steading is an A-Listed building, located in Blainslie near Lauder in the Scottish Borders, and was both the creative centre and home to the Stead family across several decades. It was purchased by the Tim Stead Trust in 2021 and a programme of restoration work has included the addition of an Advanced Go new-generation, single-loop fire alarm control panel to protect this historic home.The Steading is considered Tim’s masterpiece with an interior that was transformed over many years. The interior is completely clad in sculpted wood: floors, walls, ceilings, stairs, cupboards, beds, a grandfather clock, sink, conservatory, hanging sculptures, desks and so on – all made by Stead himself. This exceptional building now aims to become a hub for practical expertise in everything to do with wood and the environment, hosting a variety of day and residential courses in the unique environment of The Steading.Fire and security service providers, Safe Services, installed the Advanced Go fire alarm panel in The Steading and were involved from the design stage though to installation and commissioning. The Advanced Go panel is integrated with EMS Firecell radio equipment for a complete cable-free fire system – which was an essential requirement to preserve and protect the unique interior of the building.

The Ashmolean Museum at the University of Oxford underwent a £61 million renovation scheme to meet the needs of modern institutions. BAM Construction specified a number of Howe Green’s 7500 Series Medium Floor Access Covers to provide high performance and discrete access to data cabling concealed beneath flooring in the museum. Installed in internal areas, the covers are capable of tolerating heavy pedestrian traffic and were designed to be infilled with a floor finish to match the surrounding area. The covers were manufactured in stainless steel to resist rust and corrosion and double sealed for optimal hygiene.

When interior design company Sibley Grove was appointed to re-design the public areas at The Chamberlain Hotel near Tower Hill in London, sustainability was paramount. The company ethos states that design should be a vehicle for positive change – both environmentally and socially. Consequently, to help achieve this, Troldtekt’s wood wool panels make an important contribution to the overall design of the luxurious interpretation of an industrial basement bar. As part of the concept, the interior has been stripped back to create height and volume, revealing structural columns and ductwork within. In addition, the façade has been adapted so that natural light can flood in and reveal the inner working of the space. By its very nature, this created a lot of hard surfaces so Troldtekt’s acoustic wood wool panels were specified to help combat the problems generated by noise and reverberated sounds. The designers were keen to specify as many sustainable and Cradle-to-Cradle certified materials as possible such as wall and floor tiles, timber, carpets and Troldtekt’s wood wool ceilings (certified to Silver Level). By specifying these products, the environmental impact is minimal and also that, if and when the time comes for a change, the materials can be reused, re-appropriated. recycled or upcycled. Specified throughout the UK and Europe, the benefits of 100% Troldtekt natural wood wool panels include high sound absorption, high durability, natural breathability, low cost life cycle performance and sustainability. Available in various sizes and in four grades from extreme fine to coarse, the panels can be left untreated or painted in virtually any RAL colour. Designer Jeremy Grove commented, “We believe good design should enhance people’s lives and work in harmony with the natural environment. The hotel industry is inherently wasteful, but people are looking for ways to correct this. Cradle-to-Cradle is an extremely effective way of tackling issues such as global resource depletion, exploited labour and excessive waste. The Chamberlain Hotel is our third collaboration with Fullers in the last 12 months that has used a considerable number of Cradle-to-Cradle products.”Samples, case studies and technical information are easily sourced from tel 01978 664255 or visit www.troldtekt.co.uk. More information on Troldtekt’s Sustainability and environmental policies can be found here: www.troldtekt.com/Environment-and-CSR 

Villa Wippermann in Halver, Germany is an old factory owner’s beautiful villa, originally belonging to the Wippermann family, built back in 1892. The old villa was renovated to serve as a regional museum and a cultural meeting place. The fire protection and heritage conservation requirements, in particular, presented a demanding challenge to the planners of the escape routes and escape staircases. Space-saving design was required, while creating a staircase system without any additional connection to the building (no transfer of forces into the historical building structure). The architectural appearance of the building also had to be preserved in the best possible way, and safe use by visitors had to be guaranteed in the event of an emergency.The criteriaThe client, City of Halver, involved experts, architects and engineers in the make-over of the museum. The project had a significant focus on safety in case of fire or other events that need safe evacuation. The parties involved required a spiral staircase as a fire escape solution, to be installed without causing any damage to the building.Minimum strainThe engineer and architect were both very aware of the fact that various environmental conditions such as wind and vibrations can cause too much load, leading to damage to the building.DesignAs stated in the project criteria, the architectural heritage of the building had to be preserved. This called for a safe but well-designed spiral staircase, fitting into the environment and to the unique architecture of the building and maintaining the appealing aesthetics of the Villa Wippermann museum.The solutionBased on these project criteria, PcP delivered a proposal that presented a safe and secure spiral staircase for the museum. The project architects and the planners from the building and heritage authorities accepted the proposal.Spiral staircase made of galvanised steelA complete spiral staircase system was designed and tailor-made to support the unique criteria of the project. A large steel pipe at the centre of the staircase provided solid support to the entire structure. A slim handrail system followed the spiral shape of the staircase. All details and products were made of galvanised steel, matching the architectural and aesthetical look of the building. The staircase links the historical building together with modern architecture.The staircase was designed by PcP and manufactured using modern industrial production methods, combined with handmade finishes and details.OPTIMO® steel treads and gratingsThe PcP OPTIMO® O3 spiral treads and gratings were used for treads and landings, providing safety in terms of optimal slip resistance, capacity and fire proofing. The high and certified slip resistance according to evaluation group R13/V10 and the limited views below allow even people with a fear of heights to walk safely. The surface of OPTIMO® O3 flooring delivers the very best drainage of liquids.The resultAs a result of the strong collaboration between architects, structural engineers and planners from heritage protection and fire protection, a safe, solid and aesthetically pleasing spiral staircase now compliments the museum.Today, Villa Wippermann museum stands as a harmonious building with a perfect balance between modern and old architecture in beautiful surroundings.

FasTop SL45 self smoothing polyurethane resin was used as a 5mm thick seamless floor finish for this large hospital kitchen in Sydney, Australia. This facility is extremely busy producing over 2 thousand meal a day which have to be moved around the hospital quickly on special trolleys. This type of traffic meant the flooring had to be able to withstand regular wheeled traffic and footfall and be safe and cleanable within a hospital environment.

The building was constructed using ICF blocks that are to have a rendered finish. Internally the ground floor is a concrete slab and the upper floor has timber posi-joists with the Lewis Deck and resilient strips laid above. 16mm underfloor heating pipes are then clipped into our new clip rail system with a free flowing screed then poured on top, 50mm thick. This then gives 20mm cover to the heating pipes, maximising the efficiency of the whole system.

Flooring contractors, 14 Flooring, have used Level IT Super Flex 30 to create 44 luxurious bathrooms at the Radisson Red Hotel in London Heathrow – much to their guests delight.BackgroundLocated at one of the world’s busiest airports, Radisson Red Hotel provides the perfect location for holidaymakers to get a good night’s sleep ahead of their flight or to chill out after a long day of travelling.Forty-four bathrooms, across four floors, have undergone a makeover to provide guests with an even more magnificent stay.The ChallengeTime was of the essence at this location. With guests already booked in, it was imperative that the flooring was completed on time to allow other trades to finish their works in readiness for the agreed handover date.The SolutionCommercial flooring specialists, 14 Flooring, partnered with subfloor preparation experts, UltraFloor, to install 3sqm of flooring, in 44 bathrooms, across 4 floors at the hotel.In preparation of the Tarkett LVT large format tiles being installed, 14 Flooring primed the substrate using UltraFloor Prime IT Multi-surface Primer.Formulated to promote the adhesion to all UltraFloor smoothing underlayments, Prime IT Multi-surface Primer reduces pinholing, minimising the risk of costly failures. With a coverage rate of 200sqm at 3:1 dilution, Prime IT Multi-surface Primer is a must-have product for all flooring installation projects.Once cured, Level IT Super Flex 30 was applied across the entire area, resulting in the smoothest of subfloors.Specifically designed for use over a wide variety of subfloors including steel mezzanine decks and flooring grade plywood, Level IT Super Flex 30 is a rapid setting and drying, fibre reinforced flexible smoothing finishing compound.Developed with a high polymer content, Level IT Super Flex 30 boasts superior flexible properties, making it the perfect smoothing underlayment for floors where movement is likely.What’s more, subfloors prepared using Level IT Super Flex 30 are available to receive foot traffic in as little as 30 minutes, bonded floor coverings after 1 hour and resin finishes and forklift traffic after just 24 hours, allowing you to move on to another project quickly.ResultsThe expertise and skills of 14 Flooring teamed with the fantastic performance of UltraFloor, meant that it took the team just six days to prime, latex and install flooring across the hotel bathrooms.On selecting UltraFloor for the project, Daniel Lunan, Director of 14 Flooring, commented: “I chose Level IT Super Flex 30 for its rapid setting and rapid drying properties. With many bathrooms to complete in a short time frame, the smoothing compound drying quickly, without airflow, enabled us to work and install flooring the same day, which was essential. Having used Level IT Super Flex 30 many times in the past, I knew I could rely on it to perform exactly how I needed it too.”For further information on Level IT Super Flex 30 and the other materials available from UltraFloor, please contact UltraFloor’s team of flooring experts by emailing ultrafloor@instarmac.co.uk or calling +44 (0) 1827 254402.

Client: Manchester Airport Group Architect: Pascall Watson Consulting Engineer: Burro Happold Main Contractor: Laing O’Rourke Specialist Contractor: Thelwell Flooring Main Products Used: Emseal SJS System and Emshield DSMThis new 9-storey car park with 3,800 spaces, was built as part of the £1 billion Terminal-2 redevelopment for Manchester Airport Group (MAG). To save time and space on site, the consultants used an innovative design, with a hybrid combination of steel delta beams and precast concrete, then on site the hollow-core precast floor slabs were topped with a 100mm thick reinforced concrete screed. To fully accommodate the anticipated levels of thermal movement and loadings in service, the engineers incorporated wide, high movement capability, structural expansion joints across the parking decks, between the different sections of the building. Given the dimensions of the deck joints (100mm) and the high movement capability required (100% = +/- 50%), with simultaneous exposure to the elements whilst under frequent heavy traffic, the joint sealing solution could only be specified as the Emseal SJS System. This unique structural expansion joint system easily accommodates high levels of movement in more than one plane, plus it has an integral coverplate to provide protection of the central movement section and the joint arrises. Importantly, the Emseal SJS is bonded into position with a structural epoxy adhesive from above, therefore requiring no access from below and enabling other works (e.g. M&E cable works etc.) to continue, plus as it is fully bonded, the SJS system requires no potentially damaging drilling into sound concrete to install mechanical fixings. In less trafficked wide joints at the perimeter, the Emseal DSM System was used, as a cover plate was not necessary.

Lazenby were commissioned by AHMM & Mace to install over 5,000m2 of Diamond Polished Concrete flooring to the new Hawley Wharf building within Camden Markets. Due to the incredibly high foot traffic the floor needed to be both resilient and practical. The unusual shape of the building and hundreds of market stalls meant that a tile or slabs would not have been practical and a poured in situ method was the most feasible. Lazenby installed the floors at 100mm deep, the surface was then polished to reveal the aggregate. As many of the floors are open to the elements it was critical that they achieved +36 PTV in the wet as well as having a slight fall towards the perimeter drain. As the building features multiple levels it was critical to the design that the floor finish continued on the multiple staircases within the building. This allowed the space to flow and provides a clear path for visitors to follow and explore.