R&R 8958 48 July '16 cc

July / August 2O16 issue 8958 

THE BEST OF EVERYTHING... 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

co.uk/optima 

 

THE BEST WINDOWS 

ARE MADE FROM 

In this issue... 

Brexit: the day the people roared 

What are the effects of the referendum 

results on the construction industry 

Last-time buyers 

How retirement villages can be a way 

forward to tackle the UK’s housing crisis 

Aluminium decking becomes a 

refurbishment favourite 

How aluminium offers a more practical 

alternative to traditional timber decking 

page 10 page 12 page 32

R 

and 

refurb| RENEW 

Dear Reader, 

Whatever your opinion on the outcome of the European 

Referendum, I think you’ll be as pleased as I am that it’s finally behind 

us. Perhaps, now, the Government might even consider getting on 

with running the country again. 

I only hope that the ‘Leaves’ and ‘Remains’ among our MPs will put as 

much time and energy into sorting out our housing crisis as they did 

in trying to cajole us into voting their way. Because we sure need to 

do something about our industry, with just over 40,000 new home 

registrations in the rolling quarter (February 2016 – April 2016) - being 

nowhere near enough to house our rapidly increasing population. 

All the uncertainty surrounding our future in the EU is now over; and 

I sincerely hope that this fact alone will be enough for manufacturers 

and construction industry professionals to pick up their tools again 

with confidence and move on, however difficult. 

Whether we have made the right decision regarding the EU, 

obviously only time will tell. But I for one intend to get on with my 

life and work, in the best way I can – I wish you all good luck and 

success post-Referendum. 

Articles 

Last-time buyers 12 

Juliet Woodcock looks at retirement villages as being a way 

forward to tackle the UK’s housing crisis. 

The foldable system from WeatherFAST 20 

Joe Bradbury of R&R Magazine caught up with WeatherFAST’s 

Managing Director, Orry White to discuss their new product, 

WeatherFOLD. 

Aluminium decking - a refurbishment favourite 32 

A manufacturer of patented aluminium open grilles has tapped 

into the demand in the refurbishment sector by offering a more 

practical alternative to traditional timber decking. 

Yours sincerely 

Juliet Woodcock 

Front Cover 

The industry has 

long-awaited a 

window and door 

system that can 

future-proof product 

specification for years 

to come. Hailed as 

the biggest new 

product introduction 

in the window 

industry for a decade, 

Profile 22 has 

unveiled Optima. 

For more information see page 42 

THE BEST OF EVERYTHING... 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

co.uk/optima 

 

THE BEST WINDOWS 

ARE MADE FROM 

The silent scream 36 

Juliet Woodcock talks to Paul Barrett, Product Manager at 

ROCKWOOL Ltd, about acoustic issues in commercial and 

educational buildings. 

Refurb proves best for flats transformation 38 

Three 50-year old blocks of flats had reached the point at 

which they either needed significant investment to bring them 

up to the current Scottish Housing Quality Standard, or needed 

to be demolished and replaced with new build properties. 

20 32 38 44 

Special Features 

Consulting Editor - Juliet Woodcock - juliet@wavcoms.co.uk 

Advertising - Paul Barstow - paul@wavcoms.co.uk 

- Nasser Agha-Khan - mmc@wavcoms.co.uk 

News Desk & Press Releases - Gemma Spilsbury - press@wavcoms.co.uk 

Production - Di Smith - di@wavcoms.co.uk 

- Ellie Rich - design@wavcoms.co.uk 

Circulation - circulation@wavcoms.co.uk 

Telephone Enquiries 01827 311800 

Publisher’s Statement. 

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transmitted in any form without prior permission of the publisher. Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of editorial 

content, the editor and publishers do not accept responsibility for errors or loss and damage caused by any statements, claims or 

observations made by contributors, authors and their agents. 

Waverley Communications Limited Registered Office: Waverley House, 11 Galena Close, Amington Heights, Amington Industrial Estate, 

Tamworth, Staffordshire. B77 4AS. Reg. No. 4805329 

20. . . . Roofing, Cladding & Insulation 

32 . . . Floors, Walls & Ceilings 

38 . . . Doors & Windows 

44 . . . Retrofit 

July / Aug2O16 issue 8958 refurb| RENEW 03

News | 

NEWS 

Job flexibility ensures tradesmen are the nation’s happiest workers 

Over 90% of 1,000 tradespeople are happy in their jobs, with the majority putting it down to the flexibility of mobile working, new research has found. 

The study, which was conducted by IronmongeryDirect, found that 91% of mobile working tradesmen are happy in their jobs, with 50% of these claiming they 

are very happy. 

Tradesmen stated that flexible working (61%) and increased productivity (28%) were the biggest benefits of mobile working. In fact, a massive 98% of tradesmen 

said they were happy with the amount of flexibility their job provides. 

When asked what they enjoy most about mobile working, the majority (62%) said they liked having flexibility over the hours they work. 42% also took 

satisfaction in the fact they are trusted to do their job independently. 

Some tradesmen prefer mobile working over being confined to an office as 23% said it helps them to work better as there are fewer distractions than in an 

office environment, and a fifth said it ensures they don’t get caught up in office politics. In fact, 16% said mobile working helps them to work with their team 

more easily. 

The report also found that nearly four fifths of trade professionals (79%) believe that mobile working adds to productivity and improves their job performance. 

UK house prices soar 1751% since 1975 

European Referendum 

The UK housing market has seen a more than eighteen-fold increase 

(1751%) in average prices since the last time voters were asked whether 

Britain should stay in or out of Europe, according to research by property 

crowdfunding platform, Property Partner. 

Compared to other investments, residential property has outperformed 

all other asset classes including stocks and shares (increased 9.5 times 

since 1975) and gold (up by more than 12 times). 

Residential property prices in London have risen the most, rocketing by 

3200% - almost double the annual UK average house price growth - since 

the second quarter of 1975 when Prime Minister Harold Wilson put 

forward a referendum on what was then known as the European 

Economic Community (EEC) or Common Market. 

Today, a little more than four decades on, the average UK house price is 

now £198,564. Back in June 1975, house hunters were being asked to fork 

out on average £10,728 – today, in real terms, taking into account inflation 

that would have been just £99,949. 

NHBC reports 17% rise in new registrations in the 

year to April 

A total of 14,228 new homes were registered to be built in April – a 17 per cent 

rise on the same period a year ago, according to the latest figures from the 

NHBC. 

The figure consists of 11,258 from the private sector and 2,970 public sector 

homes, compared to 12,201 (8,988 private sector; 3,213 public sector) 

registrations 12 months ago. 

Completions were also up four per cent for the month compared to last April 

(10,378 in 2016; 10,005 in 2015). 

There were 40,399 new home registrations in the rolling quarter (February 2016 

– April 2016), NHBC said; a slight decrease of one per cent on last year’s figures 

(40,877). 

During these three months several regions experienced a “notable growth” in 

registrations, compared to 2015, including the North-east (+47%), South-east 

(+23%) and Yorkshire & Humberside (+18%). 

“April’s new home figures show that the industry enjoyed a successful month, 

with registration numbers well ahead of this time last year,” said Mike Quinton, 

the NHBC’s chief executive. 

Councils spend millions on temporary accommodation 

London councils spent nearly £600m on temporary accommodation over the past 18 months. 

A 24housing Freedom of Information (FoI) request has uncovered five capital councils alone put out nearly £270m. Overall, the 31 responses reveal London 

Councils as spending £558,930,837 on temporary accommodation – an average of £31,051,713 per month, or an average of £1,001,668 each month per council. 

As rents rise and the housing crisis becomes more severe, the amount spent on temporary accommodation by councils is rising. 

Birmingham City Council comes closest to the London boroughs, with their spending hitting a handsome £11,096,508. 

Manchester City Council, which is facing an ever increasing homelessness crisis, spent £5,345,717 on temporary accommodation and Northern Ireland’s Housing 

Executive forked out just over £4m. 

Bristol City Council’s figure sits at £4.4m, with Reading Borough Council nearing the two million pounds mark. 

04 

refurb| RENEW July / August 2O16 issue 8958

News | 

April’s new home figures show that the industry enjoyed a 

successful month, with registration numbers well ahead of this time 

last year 

Mike Quinton, the NHBC’s chief executive. 

Tower Bridge to close for three-month repair job 

Tower Bridge is to undergo three months of structural repairs later this year, and will close for 

three months. 

Civils contractor BAM Nuttall will carry out the works, paid for by the Bridge House Estate, the 

charitable trust tasked with maintaining five bridges that cross the Thames. 

The City of London said that heavy use had taken its toll on the timber decking of Tower Bridge, 

which was last refurbished in the 1970s. More than 40,000 people cross over the bridge, 

including 21,000 vehicles, each day. The work to the 122-year-old structure will include: 

• Replacement of the decking on the bascules (the swinging middle section) 

• Corrosion prevention and repair operations 

• Replacement of worn expansion joints 

• Resurfacing of fixed roads and walkways 

• Waterproofing of approach viaducts 

• Overhaul and maintenance of key mechanical and lift components 

• General cleaning and repairs to the towers 

• Replacement of river navigation and traffic signal lights. 

The City of London said the bridge will be closed for vehicles, but will remain open to 

pedestrians for all but three weekends of the planned works. 

Noisy rooms costing hotels millions 

The property sector is short-changing itself in the development and construction of hotels. 

Owners, developers and investors should look beyond traditional procedures. If you want to 

build good hotels which will achieve high profitability, you have to provide comfort and quiet 

hotel rooms, according to the Quietroom Foundation. 

President Lucas Keizer of the Foundation: “In the coming years, more and more vacant office 

buildings will be converted into hotels. In Amsterdam alone there is room for more than 100 

hotels. But please make sure they are good hotels and take insulation and sound proofing 

standards into account when you convert a building into a hotel. At present, this is often 

overlooked. 

“The Quietroom Foundation stimulates the world wide development of quieter hotel rooms 

and has created the Quietroom label. Experience tells us that hotel guests who book a room 

which is really quiet will give the hotel a higher rating. Which obviously is important for the 

hotel's reputation and performance in the long run. The recently opened Ramada Hotel in 

Amsterdam is a good example of this. It used to be an old office building which has been redeveloped 

into a hotel and 434 of its rooms have qualified for the Quietroom label. The 

owners have consciously chosen to invest in quality and expect to fully recover their 

investment.” 

British Steel name returns 

The British Steel brand has been revived following the 

completion of a deal in which Tata Steel sold its long 

products business to Greybull Capital. Greybull, an 

investment firm, paid a nominal £1 for the business, which 

makes products such as railway tracks and steel sections used 

in construction. 

The deal will see the safeguarding of over 4,000 jobs as well 

as the restoration of the British Steel name which was 

discarded in the nineties. The sale includes the steelworks in 

Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire, and sites in Teesside, Workington 

and York. The brand of the former state-owned industry 

disappeared in 1999 with the creation of Corus, which Tata 

then bought in 2007. 

Mersey Gateway contributes £129m to 

North West's economy 

Construction of the new Mersey Gateway crossing has 

boosted the North-west's economy by £129 million, according 

to new figures. 

Now in its third year, work has started on the main deck of 

the new six-lane toll bridge that will link the towns of 

Runcorn and Widnes. 

As part of the project, teams will begin to connect the steel 

support cables to the deck and upper pylons this summer. 

‘Trinity’, the project’s movable scaffolding system (MSS), has 

cast the first 250m of the north approach viaduct, and a new 

MSS is on its way to Halton to build the south approach 

viaduct. 

The local road network is undergoing significant 

transformation with major junction upgrades taking place 

right across the borough, including the redesigned M56 

Junction 12 roundabout, which is due for completion in June. 

Newly released figures for the first two years of work on the 

Mersey Gateway Project show a direct contribution to the 

North-west regional economy of some £129million. 

The figures account for contracts placed by the Merseylink 

Construction Joint Venture with 351 different suppliers and 

sub-contractors based within a 30-mile radius of the site in 

Halton since work began in May 2014. 

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July / August 2O16 issue 8958 refurb| RENEW 05

Product | NEWS 

SPV Awarded Family Business of the Year at 

The Express and Star Awards 

SPV Group, the Walsall based refurbishment specialists are 

delighted to announce that we have recently been Awarded 

2016 Winner of Family Business of the Year at The Express and 

star Business Awards. 

Furthermore we are delighted to have received a special 

commendation in the category of Community Champions. 

The event, one of the highlights of the West Midlands' business 

calendar shined a spotlight on the businesses that represent that 

whole range of commercial activity across our region. 

The judges commented the following with regards to SPV 

Group; 

“By innovation and exceptional customer service, SPV Group has 

become a leading specialist in the UK market place and overseas. 

Employing multiple members of other families, as well as their 

own, the owners have created a family feel across all 

departments.” 

Kate Whatley said the achievement is a great accomplishment for the whole business. 

“We are delighted to be recognised as Family Business of the Year and furthermore 

recognised for our work within the local community. The awards were an inspirational evening 

recognising some fantastic local businesses. 

We would like to thank everyone within the business for all their continued commitment to 

the company and hard work as well as our valued clients and supply chain for making this 

possible” 

www.spv-uk.co.uk 

06 

West Coast mainline viaduct is back 

on track 

Underwater 

surveys for 

client Network 

Rail 

Infrastructure 

Projects (Civils) 

confirmed that 

the foundations 

and stone piers 

for a major 

viaduct on the 

West Coast mainline in Carlisle were being scoured, and required a long 

term solution which offered scour protection to the masonry and 

foundations. 

To repair the stone piers, Story Contracting installed a total of 64 

tonnes of permanent interlocking sheet piles around the piers. The piles 

were driven to refusal, toeing into the mudstone bedrock. Following 

this, 282m3 of Hanson concrete containing Sika® UCS Pak, a specialist 

underwater admixture, was poured between the pier and the sheet 

piles, with a capping beam formed at cut-off level. 

Used for the production of underwater concrete and meeting the 

requirements of BS 8443, Sika® UCS Pak prevents the wash out of the 

cement paste and increases the cohesion of the concrete. Sika® UCS 

Pak is packaged in water soluble bags to enable ease of addition on site. 

http://gbr.sika.com/content/united_kingdom/main/en/group.html. 

refurb| RENEW July / August 2O16 issue 8958 

Boilers roll with the times 

As part of a 

£4m 

community 

and business 

hub 

renovation 

project, Ideal 

Commercial 

Boilers have 

supplied an Evomax Cascade, consisting of three Evomax 150s and a 

multiline flue cascade, to Marble Hall, the former Rolls-Royce engine 

factory on Nightingale Road, Derby. 

Originally built in 1907, the former factory and office facility has been 

fully refitted to provide a brand new managed workspace and 

community hub, and has had new boilers, radiators and radiant 

panels installed. 

The Evomax 150 boilers were chosen specifically for their compact 

size and high kW output for a wall mounted boiler, which made 

installation easy. The boilers and the frame and header kits were 

also easy to carry and manoeuvre within the building as well as 

having a small footprint. The BREEAM rating for the boilers installed 

is 66% with a classification of 'Very Good', which puts it in the top 

25% of new UK buildings. 

01482 492 251 

www.idealcommercialboilers.com

Conor aims to make a difference in 

Jamaica 

A Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU) quantity surveying student 

has traveled to Jamaica to offer hands-on help with building 

projects in some of the country’s poorest areas. 

Conor McGread, a fourth-year BSc Quantity Surveying student from 

County Tyrone, has received a GCU Magnusson Award, established 

in honour of the late broadcaster and former chancellor Magnus 

Magnusson KBE, to provide funding and opportunities to help 

students and academics in their studies or careers. 

Conor will use his award to help improve the infrastructure in 

Jamaica by undertaking projects such as upgrading the unhygienic pit 

toilets of primary schools. He will also be assisting in the designing 

and building of houses for Jamaica’s most poor and those who have 

lost their homes due to natural disasters such as hurricanes. 

Projects Abroad will help coordinate Conor’s stay by finding him a 

local family to stay with throughout his time in Jamaica. On the 

building sites, he will be working alongside an experienced 

tradesman and other volunteers. 

Conor said: “This project would not have been possible without the 

funding of a Magnusson Award. It will assist me in almost every 

financial factor there is, including my travel to Jamaica, which is not 

cheap, and other expenditures such as vaccinations and visas.” 

Conor left for Jamaica on July 4 and will stay in the country for four 

weeks. 

He added: “My GCU programme has helped me prepare for this 

exciting and rewarding project. Throughout my four years at GCU, I 

feel I’ve gained certain skills that will enable me to improve the lives 

of those in most need in Jamaica. 

“The Construction Technology module of my programme, for 

example, was one of the more practical, whereby we learned how a 

building was constructed from the ground up, along with the various 

techniques used. I hope that I can use these skills to educate some 

of the local construction workers to create more robust buildings 

that are strong enough to withstand the strong wind loads imposed 

on them by hurricanes.” 

Complacency could get you burned 

By Martin Oates – Commercial Director with SE Controls 

In July 2013 the Construction Products Regulations 

(CPR) mandated the CE marking of all products 

used within the construction industry that are 

covered by a harmonised European standard 

(hEN) 

Within the European standards, EN12101-2 

2003 ‘Smoke and Heat Exhaust Ventilators’ 

(SHEV’s), both vertical and inclined 

ventilators utilised for life safety smoke 

ventilation systems, automatically fall within 

scope of the CPR. This adds stricter testing 

criteria to ensure product performance meets 

the required standards and are compliant. 

The regulations dictate that the vent and actuator must be 

tested together, as a system, to the specifications within the annexes 

of the standard, which must be conducted at an accredited test facility 

This process also covers the fabrication of the vent as a SHEV carries a 

higher level of classification, ‘System 1’, compared to an EN14351-1 

window, which is ‘System 3’. Also, they must be delivered under an 

audited process to ensure the detail on site is identical to the 

prescriptive test detail. 

Contrary to popular 

belief, an actuator can 

no longer be fitted to 

a window and be 

compliant unless it is 

tested with the 

specific vent system 

being used. Merely 

fitting a tested 

actuator to a window 

does not prove 

Compliance testing is mandatory 

compliance and it is 

this condition that could catch out those that are unaware of the 

standard. 

Non-compliance is policed in the main by Approved Inspectors and 

Building Control Officers who now look for proof of certification under 

the directions of BS7346-8 Code of Practice, which covers provisions 

for smoke control throughout the construction process. 

Unfortunately, if compliance proof cannot be provided, it is too late to 

sign-off the building, resulting in delays and compensation claims under 

damage clauses. However, should a non-compliant smoke vent fail 

during a fire incident, the consequences are far more severe not only to 

the occupants, but also to the company whose products failed to 

meet the standard. 

Most leading façade system companies’ products are now tested to 

the standard, many in partnership with SE Controls to utilise the 

company’s extensive range of UK manufactured actuators. From a 

building design perspective, many of SE Controls actuators are now 

available as BIM objects, which include extensive product information 

and COBie data. 

Combined with their delivery qualifications, both on and off site, a 

certified solution is provided that includes the vital Declaration of 

Performance (DoP) documentation, which verifies compliance. 

The DoP contains reference to the Notified Approved Body that 

underwrites the process and the test references. It also contains the 

performance criteria against the test annexes in the form of declared 

essential characteristics and is signed by a Director of the company 

placing the SHEV onto the market. 

No DoP, no compliance. Don’t let complacency get you burned. 



Small but mighty 

Vectaire’s HREC 1003 single room heat recovery unit is a 3 speed centrifugal fan 

for kitchens, bathrooms and shower-rooms up to 40m2. It has an energy 

efficient EC motor, which provides low level and continuous ventilation, 

combined with high performance and efficiency saving up to 75% of potential 

heat loss. The HREC1003 includes an integral summer mode and a frost-stat. It is 

available with 400, 500 or 600mm length tube heat recovery cells (100mm 

diameter). 

The termination kit incorporates both a weather louvre and a condensate 

outlet which enables complete installation from inside. It is available in 

standard, timer and humidity control models and is suitable for both new-build 

and refurbishment. 

www.vectaire.co.uk 

Geberit helps stately 

home go green 

GeberitMapress Carbon Steel has been 

chosen for its ease of installation and ‘no 

hot works’ credentials to install a biomass 

system at Saltram House, a magnificent 

National Trust owned stately home in 

Plymouth. 

One of many National Trust premises to 

get a renewable makeover as part of a 

general drive to improve the 

environmental credentials of its buildings, 

Saltram now enjoys heating and hot water 

courtesy of a biomass system, consisting 

of 220kW and 95kW boilers fuelled by 

pellets. A district heating system services 

the main house and the majority of other 

buildings on the site. 

"We use GeberitMapress on 95% of our 

jobs," said James Howard, from Dunster 

Biomass, which installed the system at 

Saltram House. "It's quick to install, easy to 

use and reliable. The fact there's no need 

for hot works makes it ideal for historic 

buildings.” 

www.geberit.co.uk 

New catalogue and state-of-the-art processing plant 

Wykamol, market leader in the development 

and supply of remedial treatment products for 

damp, insect infestation, and dry rot has 

launched a brand new corporate catalogue, 

featuring new innovations as well as timehonoured 

standards. 

Aimed at builders, contractors, specifiers and 

local authority purchasing departments, the 

compact 100-page booklet features every 

product in the current Wykamol portfolio, 

alongside technical drawings, product guides, 

explanatory diagrams, and illustrations of products in application and in situ. 

Insecticides, fungicides and all manner of timber and surface treatments remain a major part of 

Wykamol's business, and its comprehensive range is presented in its entirety in the new catalogue. 

It is, however, basement conversion, damp proofing and structural waterproofing with which the 

Wykamol name is now broadly tied. 

Wykamol has invested £850k in 2016, extending its Burnley HQ to house a new powder 

processing and bagging plant, where they can also prepare bespoke powder formulations to 

customer's exact specifications, such as cement waterproofing powders, thermal renders, and 

specialist structural grouts. 

www.wykamol.com 

Lighting up leisure 

This new swimming pool at Immingham 

includes some of the best examples of how 

the Kalwall® translucent daylighting system is 

used for leisure and sport activities. This 

stunning £1.45m facility was designed by ENGIE 

- Architectural Consultancy for North East 

Lincolnshire Council with support from Sport 

England. It includes Kalwall cladding for all the 

walls in the new fitness suite and exercise studio. 

Internally, rooms are bathed with diffused natural daylight which creates a stimulating and healthy 

exercising environment. While being translucent, it also offers privacy. Externally, the elevations 

appear crisp, simple and inviting. When illuminated at night Kalwall will glow softly presenting a 

striking external appearance. 

The system also enhances simplicity by eliminating the need for blinds, curtains or solar control. In 

addition, the even distribution and deep penetration of light through Kalwall means less artificial 

lighting is needed thereby reducing energy costs. 

www.structura-uk.com/kalwall 

08 


Article | 

Brexit: the day the people roared 

Juliet Woodcock attempts to assess the effects of the referendum results on the construction industry. 

Dear reader, this article has been written just 

three days post-referendum thanks to the 

inevitable print deadline that all publishing 

houses must follow. So, I wish to reassure you 

that I have read widely on both sides of the 

argument from the Leave and Remain 

campaigns and watched the numerous 

televised debates before casting my vote. 

Therefore I hope that, by combining this 

knowledge, along with information received 

from manufacturers and professionals in the 

construction industry, to provide you with an 

honest picture of how Brexit might affect the 

sector. 

Firstly, pre-Brexit: a friend of nearly 25 years is a 

chippie from Bromley in Kent. A skilled 

carpenter who underwent traditional 

apprenticeship, he asserts that his earnings have 

never recovered to the level he enjoyed before 

the expansion of the EU due to Eastern 

Europeans always being able to undercut him - 

they didn't have the expense of his mortgage, 

their children back home being fed and housed 

at a fraction of the cost of living in the UK. A 

lifetime Labour voter, he feels that it was his 

party's betrayal of the working class that forced 

him to vote Conservative in the last election, as 

they were the only ones that offered a 

referendum which might reduce foreign labour 

import and thus give him a chance to again earn 

a decent wage. I know he voted Brexit for a 

fact. 

The case for staying in the EU came mainly 

from manufacturers who export to the 

European continent - pre-referendum, most 

would not give me, a journalist, an opinion that 

I would be allowed to print, from either point 

of view. Thus I gave up trying to write an 

article on the subject for the December issue 

of R&R. For your interest, here are a couple of 

the questions I posed: 

There were ten home hunters battling it out for 

each property in November as the number of 

homes available continued to decline, according 

to the National Association of Estate Agents 

(NAEA). If we stay in the EU and let in EU 

workers coming to the UK for jobs, do you 

think it would be reasonable to ask Brussels for 

a larger rebate to help us address the shortage 

of housing? 

To what extent does your company depend on 

employing foreign workers, including EU 

citizens? Would leaving the EU have a negative 

impact on your trading in the UK, and if so, 

how? 

I totally accept that we need EU workers; while 

Germany has already stated that it will not stop 

trading with us, nor impose punitive tariffs. 

Encouragingly, Lord Bamford from JCB said: "In 

1973, when we joined as its eight member, the 

EU accounted for 31% of world economic 

output. Today with 28 member countries the 

figure is just 17%, which underlines the sinking 

role of the EU in the world economy." Many 

economists admit that unless the Eurozone can 

be fixed, this trend is sure to continue. 

Despite the result of the vote, the building 

industry is still in the same quandary: My friend 

remains resentful of the fact that his has 

suffered thanks to European workers – while 

10 


the fact is, simply, that we need foreign help to 

build the number of houses and other 

properties required. 

Indeed, in 2014, 790,000 Polish people were 

resident in the UK – the biggest group of 

Europeans living here. After Brexit, new 

Europeans eventually lose the automatic right 

to work here unless we adopt the Norwegianstyle 

position of being outside the EU but 

agreeing to free movement. Or we could ‘play 

Fact file 

Construction Industry Training 

Board figures say construction 

workers from overseas are broken 

down as follows: 

Poland: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30,120 

Romania: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24,842 

Lithuania: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7,569 

India: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7,704 

Bulgaria: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5,443 

Laia: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,830 

South Africa: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,316 

Hungary: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ,448 

Australia: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 937 

hardball’ and enforce a points based system 

similar to Australia. 

Reports issued in the last few months from the 

CITB and the CIOB state that the UK simply 

does not have enough home grown skilled 

workers to cope with the volume of 

construction growth anticipated over the 

coming years. The Construction Industry 

Training Board predicts that 230,000 

construction jobs will be created in the UK 

between now and 2020. 

Figures from its Construction Skills Network 

report show that of the 44,000 new jobs a year 

predicted before 2020, 2,870 will be for 

bricklayers, 4,320 for carpenters and interiors 

fitters and 2,510 for building envelope 

specialists. And while the CITB is pushing to 

increase the construction skills base with a 

£7.5million investment in training and the 

launch of new website Go Construct, in the 

short and medium term the skilled 

workforce needs to come from elsewhere. 

The Chartered Institute of Building, in 

its 2015 report: An analysis on 

migration in the construction sector, 

describes the three options available 

to meet the CITB’s employment 

forecast. “Import from a ready supply 

of foreign talent, invest in training 

and development of UK citizens, or 

redesign the construction process,” 

are their suggestions. Actis’ 

Matthew King responded, saying: “All three of 

these seem a sensible combination – the first 

two are self explanatory while the final one 

provides an exciting way forward, and one 

which is already seeing momentum build. And 

that’s moving away from brick and block and 

focusing more on off site construction. The 

fact that these are quicker to construct, thus 

requiring fewer man hours, and have a greater 

percentage of elements which require less 

highly skilled workers, could ease some of the 

burden of having fewer staff on the 

ground.” 

The report goes on: “Some migration into and 

out of the country is both inevitable and 

desirable for contractors as it helps to dampen 

the volatility in the labour market. While 

construction will need to recruit migrant 

workers to cope with the upswing in work, the 

opportunity is there to train many more UK 

youngsters.” 

Moving on: regarding the drop in the value of 

the Pound, this will be good for UK exports. 

This view has very much been echoed by The 

Lord Bamford, Chairman of JCB, who wrote an 

open letter to all his employees and pensioners 

towards the beginning of June whereby he 

reassures the reader that “JCB will continue to 

trade with Europe, irrespective of whether we 

remain in or leave the EU.” He goes on to point 

out that EU countries account for 22 per cent 

of his company’s turnover. The other 78 per 

cent comes from the UK, India, the Americas, 

Russia, the Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific and 

the Far East. 

At the end of the day, the main factors driving 

the relentless increase in property prices are 

the rising population, shortage of supply and 

record low mortgage rates. Simon Tyler, of 

Tyler Mortgage Management, sees little 

chance of a housing price crash: “Britain 

has a chronic shortage of housing 

that will drive up prices for many 

years too come.” Regarding 

the predicted tumble in 

London’s property 

market, 

: Actis’ Matthew King believes that 

offsite construction is the way 

forward to bypass the skills 

shortage and speed up construction 

foreign investors will continue to buy as the 

Friday drop in Sterling’s value currently offers 

them several per cent more for their money. 

Ultimately, it seems that it is disaffected people 

like my friend the carpenter – and millions 

more in Labour heartlands - who voted to leave 

the EU. They want a better life, a chance for 

their children to earn a decent wage. Too many 

Brits had had enough of competing for 

underpaid work, of the government not 

listening to and acting on their behalf. In the 

end, the only way they could try and make our 

establishment listen was, on June 23rd, to join in 

protest on the day the people roared. 


Article | 

Last-time buyers 

Juliet Woodcock looks at retirement villages as being a way forward to tackle the 

UK’s housing crisis 

“This report has identified 

substantial demand among older 

homeowners to consider rightsizing, 

which could have a significant 

impact on addressing the UK’s 

housing shortage. 

Brian Beach, author of the 

“Generation Stuck” report 

Lime Tree village grounds: 

Properties at Lime Tree Village, created by Retirement Villages Group Ltd, 

are centred around Cawston House, which has been restored by Retirement Villages 

Residents at Lime Tree enjoy communal 

facilities including a restaurant, library, bar, 

function room, conservatory, games lawn 

and more. 

We have heard every political party bang on 

about the plight of first time buyers for at 

least the last decade – and quite rightly so; 

there are not enough houses to go around, 

while foreign individuals and those who can 

afford holiday homes are buying up property 

across the UK – both facts mean that house 

prices are way too expensive for the young. 

We all accept that more affordable housing 

needs to be built. 

But the housing crisis goes much wider; for we 

also need to focus on ‘last-time buyers,’ helping 

older people to downsize in order to free up 

family-sized homes for younger families. It 

would be a win-win for both generations. 

The ‘Generation Stuck’ report, by the 

International Longevity Centre and retirement 

housing specialists McCarthy & Stone, found a 

third of over-55s were actively considering 

downsizing or expecting to do so in future. 

More than half of those surveyed said their 

main motivation was to move to a property 

Polo Field properties: 

Retirement Village’s Lime Tree Village is now 

being extended to include new homes at The 

Polo Field 

which was easier to maintain, while two in five 

wanted smaller energy bills or felt their home 

was too big now their children had left. 

Brian Beach, author of the publication, said: 

“This report has identified substantial demand 

among older homeowners to consider 

rightsizing, which could have a significant 

impact on addressing the UK’s housing 

shortage. 

“But it is clear that there remains an inadequate 

supply of the kinds of properties that would 

serve older households.” 

Interestingly, though, the report estimated as 

many as 3.5million older people in the UK have 

considered moving to a retirement property – 

but there are few catering for their needs – 

unless you look at a relatively new specialist 

developments. And when you go onto the slick 

websites of some of the retirement villages, it’s 

hard not to understand why the elderly are 

tempted – indeed, in another three years, this is 

where you might find me when I’m not cooking 

in my beautiful cottage: either in the spa pool, 

or sipping G&T in the social club with my newfound 

friends and neighbours. 

With the added comfort of knowing that if my 

husband or myself require assistance, as we get 

older, this is available from warden-type 

supported care in my own home, to a care 

home with fully qualified nurses trained in 

dementia care. All these facilities are usually on 

one site along with amenities such as a village 

store, hairdressers, golf clubs and gyms, as well 

as organized days out. What is there not to 

like? 

Indeed, one retirement developer will even sell 

a potential buyer’s old house for them through 

its ‘Fair Exchange Promise’: “Renaissance Villages 

will cover the initial costs associated with 

buying a new property, reducing any wait time 

you would usually experience in the sales 

process. These costs will then be recouped 

when your old home is sold and the 

completion funds are available, and any balance 

is returned to you from the sale of your old 

home.” 

Another retirement specialist, Retirement 

Villages Group Ltd, has 14 developments in its 

portfolio, spread across 11 counties in the 

southern half of the UK. With a wide range of 

leisure facilities and varying service levels or 

care, this company offers a ‘Try Before you Buy’ 

scheme, which enables two people to a free 

overnight stay with Continental breakfast at 

one of its villages, in order to ‘test drive’ the 

lifestyle before committing to it. 

Meanwhile, Brian Beach added: “Attention to 

the housing needs of older people is extremely 

important as 60% of the projected growth in 

households over the next two decades will be 

amongst those aged 65 and over. 

“Alongside this growing demand for suitable 

housing options in later life, however, there is a 

huge under-supply of homes that have been 

built specifically for the particular needs and 

aspirations of the older population, whether 

specialist in nature, like retirement housing, or 

open market housing built with older people in 

mind from the outset.” 

12 


Vieo. The versatile long-strip solution 

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And with high performing projects, such as Ice Arena Wales (pictured), we’re excited to be part of the 

modern industrial revolution. 

As a UK manufacturer with a culture of innovation we’re continually developing and refining our roof and wall products 

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Vieo is an exciting roof and wall product that transcends industrial cladding to provide a flexible, high performance 

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A culture of innovation is present throughout our supply chain, with Colorcoat HPS200 Ultra ® and Colorcoat Prisma ® 

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Article | 

Energy efficient retrofit and the art of 

teaching an old dog new tricks 

A common misconception made when considering energy efficiency incentives is that older or outdated buildings need to be replaced 

entirely with a more modern counterpart in order to achieve any tangible results. In actuality, a building doesn’t need to be new to be 

efficient. Joe Bradbury of R&R investigates the crucial role of retrofit, industry behavioural change and an open mind if the commercial 

building sector is to lower its carbon footprint. 

14 

There are some wonderful 

innovations happening within 

architecture and construction. 

We have marvelled at a host of 

exciting, brand new smartstructures 

of late, which are 

built to passivhaus standard or 

better. The Crystal, in London, for 

example, was built by Siemens as 

an urban sustainable landmark and 

draws thousands of visitors each 

year. Aside from being an 

architectural marvel in terms of 

aesthetics and design, The Crystal also boasts 

the impressive title of being one of the greenest 

buildings ever built by mankind and is allegedly 

the most sustainable venue in the world. It uses 

natural light, smart lighting technology, 

photovoltaic solar panels, rainwater harvesting 

and black water recycling. The Pixel Building in 

Melbourne, Australia is another perfect example 

of modern building efficiency. The carbon 

produced each year by the building is 

compensated by renewable energy and carbon 

consuming materials, which are utilised in the 

structure throughout, resulting in a truly 100% 

carbon-free building. 

These are just two of a myriad of examples of 

some of the fantastic things that are happening 

within construction today. Good news, right? 

Well, yes… but with a few caveats. The bad news 

for the retrofit sector is that all of these stunning 

new buildings have started to breed a culture of 

construction professionals, building specifiers, 

architects and contractors who believe that new 

= better. However, the true unsung heroes of the 

energy efficiency game are building owners who 

make efforts to retrofit older buildings to meet 

modern demand in both an ethical and 

economical way. 

By improving the usage of energy in existing 

buildings and improving the behaviour of its 

occupants, many older structures are steadily 

being converted one by one into true models of 

sustainability. Take CoRE in Stoke-on-Trent as an 

example; the wholesale refurbishment of one of 

Stoke on Trent's most derelict pottery factories 

was completed in 2013. By tackling one of the 

hardest to treat properties possible, the design 

and build team created something not only 

spectacular but also educational and inspirational. 

CoRE is a true testament to the potential of 

retrofit, showing how with effort and a little 


elbow grease, a derelict building can go on to 

achieve a BREEAM Excellent rating. This was done 

with careful consideration and implementation of 

sensitive yet striking additions to the site was 

needed, along with thermal and air tightness 

improvements to the existing building. Technical 

innovation played a large part in order to 

incorporate sustainable materials, plant and 

construction methods into a building with 

different construction materials, ages and 

techniques. 

Time for change 

Commercial properties make up an enormous 

portion of the built environment. They serve as a 

platform for most of the country’s major 

industries and provide the general public with 

areas in which to work, shop, socialise and relax. 

Needless to say, commercial buildings play a 

crucial role in 21st century Britain. However, 

despite investment in this booming sector being 

ever on the rise, commercial buildings are 

amongst some of the poorest performing 

buildings in terms of energy efficiency. 

According to the Committee on Climate Change, 

the commercial sector is accountable for 

approximately 26% of all greenhouse gas 

emissions from buildings in the UK. The world’s 

population is currently consuming the equivalent 

of 1.6 planets resources a year. The Global 

Footprint Network estimates that if we continue 

to consume at current rates we'll blow the global 

carbon budget and lock in more than 2C of 

global warming in approximately 17 years. 

This is frankly unacceptable and most are now in 

agreement that changes need to be made in both 

our practices and the products that we use. 

Retrofit will play an enormous part in 

implementing this change. The EU is currently 

reviewing its EU 2030 energy efficiency targets, 

with buildings in general highlighted as having 

great potential to reduce global emissions if 

efforts are made to make them more energy 

efficient. This ultimately means that more 

investments will be made in retrofitting buildings 

with efficient technology going forward. Retrofit 

is the future. 

Retrofit needn’t cost the earth 

While many building owners often pursue single 

technology improvements, such as heating or 

lighting alone, it is actually a multifaceted 

approach that is needed long term in order to 

enhance savings. Whilst the initial outlay will be 

higher by utilising multiple technologies and 

techniques within a refurbishment, the upgrades 

are ultimately paid for through energy savings 

over time. 

Take lighting for example - the amount your 

facility will save by performing a lighting retrofit 

only will often reduce energy costs by over 50%. 

Considering that lighting is typically accountable 

for 30-40% of a commercial building’s electric bill, 

it’s easy to see where money is saved. If other 

energy efficient practices were in place, these 

savings would be even more pronounced. 

7 steps to efficiency 

Here are 7 key areas to look at which, if steps are 

taken to improve them, will result in an old 

building becoming as efficient (if not more) as its 

newer architectural counterparts: 

1. Insulation - primarily look at the roof, ceiling 

and loft space followed by walls and flooring 

2. Heating – Consider replacing outdated 

systems with heating pumps, electric boilers, 

smart controls etc. Savings of 30–80% can 

be made with products such as these. 

3. Air tightness - Plug air leaks and perhaps 

install new windows and doors. After all, 

why pay for heating if most of it is lost to 

poor indoor air control? 

4. Lighting – Switching to compact fluorescent 

light bulbs and/or LED light bulbs. This is 

cheap, easy and provides immediate 

improvements. 

5. Lower energy usage – Try to specify 

appliances and products with low energy 

consumption only. 

6. Go green – There’s a lot to be said for solar 

energy and biomass boilers! 

In short, retrofit is a modern solution to present 

and future problems. The construction industry 

has all too often been described as being stuck in 

its ways and therefore an unattractive career 

prospect for the younger people. In reality, this 

couldn’t be further from the truth. We are 

diverse, exciting and ever-changing as an industry, 

but retrofitters need to start re-educating 

industry peers and stressing the true value of 

retrofit if we are to improve our image overall, 

lower our carbon footprint and attract the next 

generation of budding professionals.

: The Centre of Refurbishment Excellence (CoRE) was 

completed in April 2013 following an investment of 

£12.4 million in to the wholesale refurbishment of one 

of Stoke on Trent's most derelict pottery kilns. It is a 

physical embodiment of sustainability and a true 

testament to the amazing capabilities of retrofit. 

: Core Interior 

refurb| RENEW 15

www.spv.co.uk Refurbishment and Maintenance of Buildings Issue No. 6 

e Randolph Hotel, Oxford 

SPV Group, the nationwide 

refurbishment contractors have 

recently undertaken the fire 

refurbishment works at e 5 * 

Macdonald Randolph Hotel, Oxfordthe 

leading 5 star Hotel in Oxford. 

e heritage building is located in the 

centre of Oxford on Beaumont St 

occupying a corner site with the 

Ashmolean Museum opposite the 

main entrance, with the other side 

fronting onto St Giles and colleges and 

the Playhouse eatre a few doors up. 

SPV were initially appointed to carry 

out the emergency works to get the 

Hotel back up and running following a 

devastating fire which started within 

the kitchen area. 

On completion of these works, SPV 

were then appointed to carry out the 

external and internal fire 

refurbishment contract. 

Works involved the rebuilding of the 

Tower of the Hotel all as per Heritage 

requirements, flat roofing works, slate 

roofing works and remedial works to 

the windows. 

SPV were most recently appointed to 

create the new Acanthus Dining 

Experience at the Hotel which offers 

the people of Oxford an exciting new 

dining experience as well as e 

Cartoon Bar- the most stylish new bar 

in Oxford City Centre. 

St Aidens School, Ilford 

SPV are currently undertaking the roofing works at St Aidens School, Ilford. 

e bespoke design and build contract involves the design, supply and installation of all 

labour, plant and materials to the roof of the new modular classroom block. 

e classroom is constructed off site then delivered to site for SPV to carry out the flat to 

pitched roof conversion using a 

liner panel, rigid insulation and 

a standing seam roof sheeting 

system. 

Modular construction can 

reduce waste and site 

disturbance compared to site 

built structures. 

Once completed, the building 

will be entirely transformed 

and ready for use by the school. 

SPV Team members 

save the day 

AHuge well done to Lewis Male and Carl 

Petch of SPV for their courageous efforts 

in saving the Lady Mayor of Tiverton 

from an awful mugging experience. 

http://m.middevongazette.co.uk/Ladymayor-80-saved-mugging-mobilityscooter/story-29102953-detail/story.html 

SPV are delighted to have 

been awarded with a 

Performance Beyond 

Compliance Certificate by 

Considerate Constructors. 

e Award celebrates our Company's 

achievement of outperforming the Scheme's 

Company Code of Considerate Practice by 

achieving a score of 7 points or above in each of 

the five sections. 

: David Cameron has ‘rebooted’ Margaret 

Thatcher’s Right to Buy of the eighties 

David Watson 

Chairman, Considerate Constructors Scheme Ltd. 

 

Reg No: C1234 Member Since: February 2015 

Issue Date: 06 April 2016 

Presented to 

SPV Group 

For membership period 

March 2015 to March 2016

New residential air con range 

launched by LG 

LG has launched its new range of 

residential air conditioning 

equipment, 

the Econo, (ref: E09EM / E12EM), 

the Libero-S, (ref: P09EN / P12EN / 

P28EN / P24EN), and 

the Libero-R, (ref: D09RN / D12RN 

/ D18RN / D24RN). 

All have had an upgrade and now 

come with Wifi options and a tenyear 

smart inverter compressor warranty, reflecting the reliability of 

LG units, as well as a stylish redesign to add to its successful 

ARTCOOL Stylist, the Mirror and the Prestige units. 

These new energy efficient units are simple to install and come with 

easy to use controls and a large magic display allowing you to check 

the unit’s energy usage. They’re easy to open and simple to clean 

which lengthens the units’ lifespan. Features include very low noise 

levels – just 19dB for the 9k and 12k models, fast cooling and heating, 

smart control - with Wifi option- and Gold-finTM coating protecting 

the surface of the outdoor heat exchanger from wear and corrosion. 

These new units incorporate high pressure blade fans which provide 

indoor air flow rates 15% higher than conventional systems. The 

outdoor unit features high efficiency wings that create high 

efficiency cooling and heating and a 9m long power airflow corridor 

that provides a cooling response that is faster and more powerful. 

Brochures can be downloaded from partner.lge.com/uk, 

or you can email LG HVAC.marketing@lge.com for 

more information. 

L G Electric 

First Call 

First Call offer the complete property maintenance solution. 

As a fully insured company with over 30 years' experience, 

we offer our clients a wide variety of interior/exterior 

services and solutions. These include extensions, building 

work, fencing, landscape gardening, UPVC windows, painting 

and decorating; whatever the challenge, we aim to exceed 

your expectations, every time. 

Give us a call - we do it all! 07517 635479 

www.handrailsuk.co.uk/ 

/stargard 

Tel: 01473 240055 

Email:sales@sgsystems.co.uk 

l 

Stargard 

The original 

“Warm to the touch” handrail 

4mm (4,000 microns) thick PVC 

over 

galvanised 

steel 

tube 

ro 

r argard - warm to the touch handrai 

- structural glass balustrad e 

lassrail 

- stainless steel balustrad e 

entinel 

S 

G 

S 

July / Aug2O16 issue 8958 refurb| RENEW 17


Raising awareness of lung disease with Breathe Easy Week 

Leading British fan manufacturer Vent-Axia was delighted to support Breathe Easy Week in June, the annual 

awareness week which focuses on lung health and is run by the British Lung Foundation (BLF). 

“Vent-Axia was delighted to support Breathe Easy Week this year. The British Lung Foundation’s aim is that one day 

everyone will breathe clean air with healthy lungs. At Vent-Axia we support this and are committed to helping to 

achieve this by providing effective, energy efficient ventilation to help provide good indoor air quality in our 

homes,” says Jenny Smith, Marketing Manager at Vent-Axia. 

Designed to work with the natural air infiltration, continuous ventilation systems control the air path through the 

home. As a result, they prevent the migration of damaging humidity and pollutants, providing near silent energy 

efficient ventilation. There are a number of options available, both for new builds and for retrofitting and the latest 

continuous ventilation systems also offer heat recovery. 

www.vent-axia.com 

New Catalogue from ACE Fabreeka UK 

ACE and Fabreeka have come together to become the new ACE Fabreeka UK. Both of these well recognised, market leading brands are available 

from one highly experienced team focused on the UK motion and vibration control market. 

A new 104-page Fabreeka Vibration Control core products catalogue is now available, giving designers, architects and structural engineers a 

comprehensive, technical overview of products to solve vibration and isolation problems. 

Since 1936, Fabreeka has been providing these solutions to a diverse customer base across numerous end-markets, such as test and measurement, 

industrial machinery, building and construction, oil and gas, power generation, steel, automotive, precision equipment, 

aerospace and defence. 

The original fabric reinforced, elastomeric Fabreeka Pad and the nitrile rubber Fabcel Pad are the two core 

Fabreeka branded products supported by a wide array of other supporting vibration and isolation materials, 

shock mounts, mounting feet and levelling mounts. 

In addition to a very extensive range of products, ACE Fabreeka UK will also be able to offer access to added 

value design and customer support services when more than just a product is necessary and a total vibration 

control solution is required. 

www.ace-controls.co.uk www.fabreeka.co.uk 

NEW to the UK market – the E-valve by Sainte Lizaigne 

Groundbreaker Systems is delighted to announce that the company can now offer the NEW E-valve by French manufacturing giant Sainte 

Lizaigne. This fully remote controllable system is ideal for water network management, opening possibilities for off peak water supply, and sale 

of water to remote locations by time or volume. 

With scheduled maintenance and access to historical data the E- valve 

can add to BREEAM scores by water management. Operated via smart 

phone app connected to the valve via Bluetooth low energy, the benefits 

for water operators and consumers are far reaching. 

Remote billing facilities are invaluable to avoid waste of water resources 

such as after-hours management of water to “non domestic” properties 

such as office blocks, schools, supermarkets, Holiday Parks or remote 

locations, and where action can be taken remotely without incurring 

travel time and costs. Ideal for high value locations with poor access, 

examples of which are airports or shopping malls. The E-valve also 

enables the sale of water by volume via credit card or account 

payments. 

The E –valve facilitates efficient use of resources with no fuss to 

the consumer, is easy to install on existing or new water services; 

in addition the E-valve is alarmed for unspecified use, leakage 

identification and damage limitation. E-valve is available in the 

UK exclusively though Groundbreaker Systems. 

www.groundbreaker.co.uk 

18 


Changing the options for accessible toilets 

Making ‘reasonable adjustments’ to the built 

environment to ensure compliance with the 

Equality Act is being made easier with the launch 

of a new solution for ‘away from home’ accessible 

toilets. 

Space To Change toilets plug the gap between 

conventional (Building Regulations Approved 

Document M 2013) wheelchair-accessible toilets, 

and the ‘desirable’, additional, larger and better 

equipped Changing Places+ toilets. 

The concept enables venues that are limited 

financially and/or on space to meet the needs of 

up to three million British children and adults* who 

need changing and lifting facilities for their 

personal hygiene. It encompasses a 7m2+ (3m x 

2.5m min) wheelchair-accessible toilet that further 

includes an adult-sized changing bench and a hoist. 

Space To Change has been developed with leading 

Changing Places campaigners and Clos-o-Mat 

(Britain’s leading supplier of disabled toilet solutions 

at home and away). Firefly Community, an online special needs community, will drive the campaign, supporting campaigners and raising awareness 

of the need for accessible toilets that include height adjustable changing benches and hoists. 

Clos-o-Mat 

Full details of the Space To Change concept, plus technical support, CAD blocks etc, can be found at 

www.clos-o-mat.com 

Mapei products specified to create a 

distinctly British feel in luxury apartments 

Mapei’s products were specified 

to help represent the epitome of 

sophisticated city living in an 

apartment redevelopment. Mapei 

products were distributed by 

Boyden Tiles, Croydon with the 

project being led by WB 

Simpsons. 

Keraquick and Latex Plus were 

used on approx. 340m2 of 

flooring to lay the Domus 

porcelain 600 x 600 tiles in all the main and ensuite bathrooms plus all of 

the balconies within the apartment block. 

800m2 of wall tiling were fixed using Mapei’s Ultralite S2 – a high 

performance, lightweight cementitious adhesive with very low emissions 

of volatile organic compounds. The adhesive, specifically developed for 

large size tiles to be laid on large surfaces without back buttering, was 

used to bond Domus Tiles 3m x 1m ‘Kerlite Slim’ porcelain tiles to the walls 

of the apartments luxury bathrooms and ensuites. 

Mapei’s Topcem, was specified as a screed for an area of 120m2 onto 

external balconies. The quick setting screed allowed the installation of 

Domus Tiles 200 x 800mm ‘Wood Sense’ porcelain tiles just 24 hours after 

application. 

For more information on Mapei resilient products, other products or 

training days, please visit www.mapei.co.uk, email info@mapei.co.uk or tel. 

+44 (0)121 508 6970. 

www.mapei.co.uk 

MODULAR SHOWERING SOLUTIONS 

 

 

 

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TAPLANES 

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S H O W E R I N G S O L U T I O N S 


Roofing, Cladding & Insulation | 

The foldable system from WeatherFAST 

WeatherFAST have been supplying a wide range of high performance Fatra PVC membrane steel in sheet or coil form for many years. By 

constantly innovating and designing quality products for use on commercial and industrial gutter systems, they have earned the reputation of 

being market leaders within this field and their business has flourished. Joe Bradbury of R&R Magazine caught up with WeatherFAST’s Managing 

Director, Orry White to discuss their new product, WeatherFOLD - which offers clients a smart and effective way of re-lining old, leaky 

valley/boundary wall gutters. 

Q) Can you tell us a little bit more about your new foldable system and 

how people who specify it in their build can expect to benefit? 

A) Certainly! In all honesty, we believe our new folding gutter system is 

the best looking and performing product on the market. The simplicity 

and effectiveness of its design should really appeal to architects looking 

for valley/boundary gutter solutions. The gutters include 3 hinges and 

come in 3000mm lengths, with widths up to 1250 wide and come 

complete with a 75mm built-in flap that joins onto the next gutter via a 

single weld. Due to its unique design, we don't actually need to know the 

exact degree of the wings prior to fitting. In our experience this alone 

reduces installation times by up to 50% and makes our clients’ lives a lot 

easier overall. Instead of having to go back and forth with information on 

the existing roof gutter system or having to make costly amendments 

prior to installation of the new product, our system simply follows the 

lines of the existing gutters. No fuss. 

Q) How big a role do you think a folding gutter system can play in helping 

a building achieve its maximum potential? 

A) Commercial and industrial building owners are always looking for a 

gutter solution that is good value, good quality, quick to install and 

preferably BBA accredited. They want to fit something reliable that they 

can trust – so they can forget about it; safe in the knowledge that it is 

doing its job in the background. 

With a 0.6mm steel substrate/1.2mm Fatra PVC chequer plate slip 

prevention membrane & 25 year guarantee, we believe our new system 

has the potential to rapidly become one of the market leading products in 

this field. It is durable, smart looking, low-maintenance, well designed and 

great value for money, meeting the tough requirements of the 

refurbishment/retrofit market. If you are looking for a product that is safe, 

does the job and is in-keeping with architectural design, WeatherFOLD 

can help you achieve all of these goals… and more. 

Before: Industrial units in Coalville. All gutter joints were leaking in and in 

dire need of replacement due to degraded Butyl mastic. 

Q) Are you seeing an increase in usage of WeatherFAST systems within 

building projects? As architectural trends continuously shift and 

innovations are made, are folding guttering solutions becoming more 

and more prominent? 

A) Absolutely, yes. Architects and specifiers are acutely aware of what the 

latest innovations and technologies are. There has been increasing 

pressure on them over recent years to utilise products that are ecofriendly, 

long lasting and low-maintenance. Contractors are also striving to 

meet modern demands for safer site conditions, and as such safety is 

paramount in the key decisions they make. By adhering to these strict 

principles and keeping our product cutting edge in terms of design, we 

really have gone from strength to strength. Our systems are being used 

more and more by new customers every day - customers who have seen 

or heard good things about the solutions we can provide. We believe that 

ultimately the product does the talking – and the increase in our sales is a 

true testament to that. 

For more information on the WeatherFAST folding gutter system 

or any of their products, please call 0843 658 0074, email 

sales@weatherfast.co.uk or visit www.weatherfast.co.uk 

After: Four days and four runs of 50m long gutter later and the roof has 

been transformed. Contracts Manager of Elhance Cladding Solutions 

Tim Shaw is delighted with the result. 

20 


SIKA SARNA AFIL PLUS 

EXPERTLY PIECIN NG YOUR 

PROJECT TOGETHER 

Everyone wants to work with an expert, which is why Sika Sarnafil is the specifier’s system of choice. 

 

Sarnafil Plus package to complete the needs of all refurbishment projects - large and small 

 

Full technical service, bespoke detailed drawings, wind uplift calculations, and regular installation 

inspections by our technical experts 

Comprehensive condition survey for each roof project 

A single point guarantee covering against failure of design, materials and installation 

The world’s leading single ply manufacturer established over 50 years ago 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BBA Certified life expectancy of ‘in excess of 40 years’ 

Leave your project in the expert hands of Sarnafil Plus - so you can specify in full confidence. 

Contact us to find out more or for a complimentary roof survey. 

For 

further details: 0800 112 3863 

www.sarnafilplus.co.uk


Kingspan TEK offers outstanding returns 

A new study from Sweett Group has demonstrated that by specifying the 

Kingspan TEK Cladding Panel over traditional steel frame wall systems, it is 

possible to reduce wall thicknesses and increase usable space within commercial 

properties, leading to an ROI of over 1000% on the cost of the panels. 

The ‘Real Value of Space’ research was commissioned by Kingspan Insulation. The 

summary and full report are available to download for free on the Kingspan TEK 

website. 

Sweett Group’s research considers two external wall scenarios and compares a 

Kingspan TEK Cladding Panel (a high performance SIP) construction with two 

metal stud wall constructions insulated with mineral fibre and rock mineral fibre. 

The resulting figures revealed that, when specifying the Kingspan TEK Cladding 

Panel, 88% of the buildings had a positive ROI; 31% of the database buildings had 

between 300% and 1000% positive ROI, with 9% in excess of 1000% ROI. 

22 

An alternative to old 

asbestos roofs 

Following its refurbishment, Gorsgoch village 

hall now benefits from Cembrit B5, the 

versatile and aesthetically pleasing, modern 

fibre cement corrugated sheets, which have 

replaced the old narrow asbestos cement 

corrugated sheeting. The material has been 

used to transform the 60 year old village hall 

and improve the roof’s performance through 

its superior water shedding capacity. 

Natural grey coated B5 corrugated sheets 

have provided a spectacular finish that 

blends in well with the countryside setting, 

and a Plain Wing Angle Ridge was installed to 

provide sufficient ventilation. 

The rust- and rot-free B5 Corrugated Sheet 

is the perfect solution for someone looking 

to clad or repair single-story buildings such 

as stables and garages. B5 is available in 

fourteen different lengths ranging from 4' to 

10' 6", and the sheets are approximately 40% 

wider than traditional 3" profile which allows 

for much better coverage per sheet. 

They also offer superior water shedding 

capacity due to the profile of its 

corrugations. 

www.cembrit.co.uk 


Clad all over 

www.kingspantek.co.uk 

Canjaere timber cladding from the A. Proctor Group 

has been supplied for an impressive office 

development near Aberdeen. Site developers 

Balmoral Group have created an imposing 40,000 

sq.ft. of prime office space on a business park 

overlooking Loirston Loch, with the finished building 

a finalist in the Architectural Excellence Awards of 

this year’s Scottish Property Awards. 

Canjaere Classic Timber Cladding in the golden 

natural colourway, with tongue and groove finish, was 

treated with a unique process, which improves its performance and protects the wood against 

moisture and preserves the finished look, backed by a 30-year maintenance warranty against rot 

and decay. 

Canjaere Classic comes in a range of natural colour finishes, and combined with its high 

performance properties, and the accompanying 30 year warranty, provides the architect, developer 

and client with total confidence in the longevity of the product. Canjaere is available in a range of 

profile finishes, and a selection of colour matched trims and accessories to suit. 

www.proctorgroup.com 

Kingspan to launch additional lower lambda products 

The future path to energy efficient buildings will be 

revealed on 1st August when leading manufacturer 

Kingspan Insulation launches four advanced, low 

lambda insulation products for floors, walls and soffits. 

Kingspan Kooltherm K103 Floorboard, K110 and K110 

PLUS Soffit Board, and K118 Insulated Plasterboard 

feature an advanced, fibre-free insulation core, 

enabling them to achieve an outstanding thermal 

conductivity of 0.018 W/m.K. As a result, the products 

can facilitate buildings to be built to the upper levels 

of fabric performance with minimal thickness. 

The launch of the new products follows the huge success of Kingspan Kooltherm K106 and K108 

Cavity Board which were released earlier in the year. This new range of products should help 

specifiers and contractors to meet the increasing demand for more energy efficient buildings 

without reducing useable space in either domestic or non-domestic applications. The insulation 

boards are non-deleterious, easy to handle and install, and are unaffected by air infiltration. 

www.kingspaninsulation.co.uk

Follow the lead of the architects and use Dryseal 

Dryseal eradicates the need for a root barrier, and, unlike wet lay GRP systems, 

does not require an additional layer of plywood, making it an ideal liner for 

green roofing. The non pollutant and durable system is insta alled complete with 

a long term insured guarantee through a network of Approved Contractors - 

Dryseal is the ideal choice for your home. 

A prod duct of Hambleside Danelaw Ltd 

Long March, Daventry, Northamptonshire NN11 4NR 

01327 701900 | dryseal@hambleside-danelaw.co.uk 

www.hambleside-danelaw.co.uk 

Don’t take a gamble 

on your property, use a 

CompetentRoofer contractor 

CompetentRoofer is the Government-licenced Competent 

Person Scheme that allows professional roofing contractors 

to self-certify that their roof refurbishment work complies 

with Building Regulations within England and Wales. 

The scheme encompasses all roofing types for domestic, 

industrial and commercial properties and is open to all 

roofing contractors to apply. 

Don’t dice with your property, 

we have it covered 

T: 020 7448 3189 or 01375 650 675 

E: info@competentroofer.co.uk 

@CompetentRoofer 

www.competentroofer.co.uk 



No stress roof refurbishment 

with Sarnafil Plus 

Building owners and facility managers often assume responsibility for vast roof areas, 

coupled with the pressure to keep on top of maintenance and repair. 

: Joseph Black Building 

24 

As the roof is such a vital element in keeping a 

building dry, Sika Sarnafil, the world's leading 

single ply manufacturer, has developed Sarnafil 

Plus, its flagship refurbishment offer. 

Sarnafil Plus takes responsibility away from the 

client and passes it to its team of dedicated 

surveyors and technical experts. They offer 

support through every stage of a roof 

refurbishment project, from initial survey and 

specification through to installation and future 

maintenance. 

Testament to the effectiveness of Sarnafil Plus, 

the service was used for a prestigious NFRC 

award-winning refurbishment at the University of 

Edinburgh. 

Part of the university’s King’s Buildings Campus, 

the Joseph Black Building houses the School of 

Chemistry. As the roof of the building had come 

to the end of its natural life, Summers-Inman 

Construction & Property Consultants were 

appointed by the university to manage the 

project and chose to work alongside the Sarnafil 

Plus refurbishment team. 

The initial scope of the works covered a 

multitude of trades, the most complex of which 

was stripping more than 2000sq m of the existing 

copper roof coverings. As part of the Sarnafil Plus 

offer, its dedicated surveyors conducted a 

comprehensive roof survey to determine which 


system was suitable for the roof. This included 

gutters, slopes, an outhouse and dormer roofs 

that presented new problems to overcome daily. 

The Sarnafil Plus team then worked to produce a 

bespoke specification for the project, to fit with 

the client’s requirements. Renowned for its high 

quality and exceptional performance, a Sika 

Sarnafil system was chosen as befitting the oldest 

building on the campus. 

Sika Sarnafil Membrane S327-15EL in Patina Green 

was specified to replace the old roof covering, as 

the local authority planning department advised 

that this product was an acceptable replacement 

for the original copper roofs on the listed 

building. The membrane was applied with 

standing seam profiles to replicate the original 

copper roof details. 

Roofing contractor Briggs Amasco had to 

integrate the new bespoke Sika Sarnafil outlets 

with existing lead and cast iron drainage system, 

working closely with Sarnafil Plus, Summers- 

Inman and the client to ensure the detailing was 

correct, approved and was in keeping with the 

heritage of the building. 

The job was finished within budget and with 

minimum disruption to working labs below. A 

thorough final inspection as part of the Sarnafil 

Plus package saw the roof receive a 20-year single 

point guarantee. This ensures that the client is 

protected against unlikely problems with the 

membrane caused by incorrect design, defective 

materials, or inadequate workmanship. 

The buildings and operations manager at the 

University of Edinburgh was impressed with the 

outstanding workmanship, as well as the 

aesthetic qualities of the roof, delivered by Briggs 

Amasco and Sarnafil Plus. The quality of the 

membrane, married with the robust guarantee, 

gave the client peace of mind for the future. 

The Sarnafil Plus Guarantee ensures that a Sika 

Sarnafil field technician will have visit the roof 

regularly during the installation and at five year 

intervals after the work is completed. If needed, 

routine remedial work for maintenance will be 

identified and carried out by the original 

registered Sarnafil installer. 

Periodic inspection and maintenance of roofing 

assets are the most important elements of a 

successful roof maintenance programme. They 

are proven to reduce ownership costs and leak 

frequency, extend the roof’s life cycle and most 

importantly, reduce the stress and pressure faced 

by facilities and building management operations. 

For more information on Sarnafil Plus, 

call 0800 112 3863, email 

sarnafilroofing@uk.sika.com or visit 

www.sarnafilplus.co.uk


What is CompetentRoofer? 

CompetentRoofer is the Government-licenced Competent Person Scheme that allows professional roofing contractors to self-certify that their 

roof refurbishment work complies with Building Regulations within England and Wales. The scheme encompasses all roofing types for domestic, 

industrial and commercial properties. 

Cheap work has hidden cost implications 

Your property is one of the most expensive and important things that you can own so risking any building work to unregistered contractors, 

simply because it is the cheaper option, is false economy. 

Cowboy builders can leave your roof unsafe or unfit for purpose, and put the safety of others at risk their work could also invalidate your building 

insurance. 

You need to either notify your roof refurbishment work via your 

building control or you can register it via CompetentRoofer, a 

Government-licenced Competent Person Scheme that allows 

roofers to self-certify their own work, meaning: we notify the 

council when the work is completed you have the added 

reassurance that the contractor has already been vetted prior to 

becoming a member and will continue to have their work 

checked you will automatically receive a ten year insurancebacked 

warranty, which includes breach of Building Regulations 

and contractor insolvency. 

www.competentroofer.co.uk 

Striking design realised with Kingspan 

TEK 

The Kingspan TEK Building System has 

helped to alleviate the pressure on an 

iconic build in Lewes, East Sussex, as 

featured on Channel 4’s Grand 

Designs. 

Clad in CORTEN rusted steel, 

architect Sandy Rendel’s striking 

design blends the contemporary 

tastes of homeowners Stephen and 

Anita Yeomans with the industrial 

heritage of the site, a former loading 

bay for the chalk mined at the nearby 

quarry. However, flanked by the main 

road into the town and the River 

Ouse, the plot on which to build the home, dubbed ‘The Gateway to 

Lewes,’ was a mere 11m wide. 

In order to realise this adventurous aesthetic on such a narrow plot, the 

Kingspan TEK Building System was specified by Peter Carter, Director of 

Myriad Construction. The System comprises structural insulated panels 

(SIPs), which can be pre-cut to each project’s specification. This bespoke 

approach, combined with the panelised system construction, allowed 

the construction team to establish a fast and predictable installation 

programme. 

www.kingspantek.co.uk 

Sika adds aesthetic quality 

Sika-Trocal S single ply roofing 

membrane provided a watertight 

solution to a new primary school 

in Brighton. Specified for its 

exceptional waterproofing and 

durability properties, its robust 

performance, yet flexible 

application ensured the roof was 

able to accommodate a solar 

panel system to increase the 

building’s energy efficiency and 

help reduce its running costs. 

Specialist roofing contractor, 

Robertson Roofing installed 

2,100m 2 of Sika Trocal’s Type S 

roofing membrane. Quick, lightweight and economical to install, the 

mechanically fixed Type S system allowed Robertson Roofing to 

secure the membrane and the insulation with a single, strong and 

reliable fixing to reduce costs and time on site. 

Suitable for mechanically fastened roofs in both new build and 

refurbishment applications, Sika-Trocal Type S is one of the most 

rapid and economic systems to install. It also offers exceptional 

waterproofing and durability, and is approved by the British Board 

of Agrément (BBA) to have a life expectancy in excess of 35 years. 

www.sika.co.uk 

26 


Shingles in-spire church renovation 

All Saints Church in the North 

Yorkshire hamlet of Burton in 

Lonsdale is a Grade II* listed 

building, completed in 1876. This 

Anglican church was built with 

sandstone and slate in the Gothic 

Revival style. It has been a focal 

point for the tight-knit, quiet 

community – population under 

600 – that it serves, ever since. 

The distinctive broach spire had 

been suffering from weather 

erosion and needed extensive 

repairs and renewal, in particular 

to the shingle cladding, as it was 

around 60 years old. 

A substantial grant was secured from the Department for Culture, Media & 

Sport, helping the project to take shape. 

The solution 

Experienced conservationists John Coward Architects from Cartmel in Cumbria 

specified rustic-looking JB Shingles for the restoration of the All Saints Church 

spire. 

This had been their product of choice previously, and they knew that the 

project demanded a long-life solution that was straightforward to fix and 

would blend in perfectly with the local rural environment. 

Contractors Lambert Walker Ltd were appointed to carry out the work as part 

of a larger, four-month contract at the church. Sometimes needing to operate 

in adverse weather conditions, it was fortunate that JB Shingles and proprietary 

JB ShingleFix are always easy to use. More than 150 bundles of the product 

were required, and completion by the Lambert Walker team was on time. 

Why JB Shingles? 

Low-carbon JB Shingles are a highly popular, effective roofing and cladding 

solution. Produced from naturally beautiful western red cedar in Canada and 

accredited through John Brash’s membership of the Cedar Shake and Shingle 

Bureau (CSSB), the shingles are light to transport, quick to fix on site and require 

zero maintenance afterwards. With one of the lowest carbon footprints of any 

widely used building product, they offer a high degree of thermal insulation, 

are extremely durable, are treated with a clear preservative and weather 

consistently to blend into the environment. They come with a 40-year 

guarantee and were an ideal choice for this lovely North Yorkshire church, 

needing to harmonise with their surroundings. 

Testimonials 

Mark Antrobus, senior quantity surveyor at Lambert Walker, described JB 

Shingles as “a splendid product, most suitable for this situation”. He said: 

“Shingles are not commonly used by us, but the fixing instructions were clear 

and thorough. We were able to complete on time, to the client team’s total 

satisfaction, in spite of the adverse weather.” 

Church Warden Ann Whitworth expressed her delight at the results. “It has 

given a lift to the whole area, hugely admired. It’s quite beautiful.” 

To find out more about using JB Shingles for heritage, conservation and 

prestige projects, contact the enquiry team on 01427 675588 or visit 

www.johnbrash.co.uk 

www.marleyeternit.co.uk 

DELIVERING ROOFING EXCELLENCE 

THE ONLY ROOFING 

PARTNER YOU NEED 

Langley has a proud history of combining technically sound roofing systems 

with unrivalled expertise and high-quality workmanship. Whether a design is 

straightforward or specialist, we take great pride in our ability to provide an end-to-end 

approach to each project, from initial consultation and design through final installation 

and after sales care. With our reputation cemented over five decades, we’re the roofing 

specialist both specifiers and contractors choose to work with, again and again. 

LANGLEY ROOFING SYSTEMS 

Photovoltaic Solutions 

Flat-to-Pitched 

Green Roofing 

Built-up & Single Ply Roofing 

Liquid Roofing 

Polymer Modified Asphalt 

For more information please call: 01327 704778 | email: enquiries@langley.co.uk | or visit: www.langley.co.uk 


28 


Church benefits from airtight membrane 

 

 

 

Wraptite-SA airtight membrane has demonstrated its outstanding flexibility to offer high 

performance protection to the building envelope, in the restoration of a historic church building 

 

which was damaged by the earthquake which hit Japan in 2011. 

 

The Tokyo Wakaba Christ Church’s arched windows are a key feature, and presented a challenge 

 

when specifying a suitable water resistant membrane, which was flexible, yet resilient to resist 

punctures and tears, and provide high performance protection for the building. Wraptite-SA was 

perfectly suited to work around the window arches, achieving full water protection. 

 

Wraptite-SA is a self-adhering, airtight, yet vapour-permeable barrier, which is fully water resistant 

 

 

and was applied externally to the walls and the windows. The self-adhesive benefits of Wraptite-SA 

removed any risk of failure through leakage, as compared with membranes requiring mechanical fixing 

with staples. 

 

Wraptite Tape was used on the installation to complement Wraptite-SA in dealing with the more 

 

intricate detailing around areas such as the windows, doors and penetrations. 

 

www.proctorgroup.com/air-barriers 

 

 

Panel in demand 

Panel Systems, one of the UK’s leading 

manufacturers of insulated panels, has 

reported a major increase in demand for 

Styrofloor, a high performance insulation 

solution for enhancing the energy efficiency 

of conservatories and extensions. 

Styrofloor is an easy-to-fit insulated flooring 

panel that is suitable for use in new build 

and refurbishment projects. This innovative 

flooring solution reduces the amount of 

heat that is lost through the floor, providing 

effective insulation than can achieve U- 

values as low as 0.11 W/m-K. 

Styrofloor boards are made from Styrofoam 

extruded polystyrene (XPS) insulation, which 

are bonded to a moisture resistant 

chipboard finish. The chipboard incorporates 

a tongue and groove detail on all four edges 

for ease of installation. Because Styrofoam 

offers closed cell insulation, the boards 

provide good water resistance - this 

eliminates the need for a vapour control 

layer in the floor construction. 

Styrofloor can be delivered directly to site 

on pallets, or collected from Panel Systems’ 

conveniently located warehouse just off 

junction 31 of the M1. Technical information 

on performance detail and installation 

methods can be found at the website. 

www.panelsystems.co.uk 


Kingspan rises to the challenge 

 

 

 

Products from Kingspan Insulation’s Kooltherm and Therma ranges 

have helped to transform a derelict water tower in North Yorkshire 

 

into a striking family home, as featured on Channel 4’s Restoration 

Man. Whilst ceiling height wasn’t an issue in the 46’ tower, the 

 

 

narrowness of its footprint meant that the width of the walls 

needed to be kept to a minimum in order to maximise the liveable 

space. This led to the specification of Kingspan Kooltherm K12 

Framing Board. 

Timber studwork was installed on the inner face of the brick 

external walls, with 50mm thick Kingspan Kooltherm K12 Framing 

Board installed between the battens. The insulation boards offered 

a lightweight solution which could easily be cut to size. 

To insulate the cavity walled construction of the low-level 

extension, 50mm Kingspan Kooltherm K8 Cavity Board was installed. Both products offer premium 

levels of thermal performance with thermal conductivities as low as 0.020 W/m.K. The boards 

have been assigned the highest possible 2008 Green Guide Summary Rating of A+ by the BRE, and 

are manufactured under a management system certified to ISO 14001: 2004. 

Underfloor heating was installed on every floor of the building; to help retain the heat in the floor 

space above, Kingspan Thermafloor TF70 floor insulation was installed beneath the heating pipes 

on every floor. 

www.kingspaninsulation.co.uk 

FAKRO low profile roof windows used to enhance 

visual aesthetic 

Phase one of the restoration and 

extension of the Larbert House 

and Country Estate near Falkirk has 

seen the former stables converted 

using 46 FAKRO conservation style 

roof windows. 

Top hung and pivot FAKRO FPP- 

V/C U3 windows with ELJ/C 

flashings were used so that they 

could be positioned low within the 

natural slate roofline. This enhances 

the visual aesthetic of the 

Georgian sandstone buildings, while giving home owners scope to switch opening from centre 

pivot to top hung simply by the use of a switch in the frame. 

www.fakro.co.uk

Roofing, Cladding & Insulation| 

GRP or polycarbonate rooflights 

for industrial buildings? 

Filon shed light on some of the material options available to those specifiying rooflights within industrial building projects. 

Since the late 1950’s GRP has been a feature of 

many commercial, industrial and agricultural 

buildings across the UK, bringing the free resource 

of natural daylight into the workplace. 

GRP is a strong thermoset material with good 

impact resistance and consists of, among other 

components, polyester resin which is reinforced by 

a glass strand mat. 

The success of Filon rooflights resulted in several 

UK based manufacturers continuously producing 

GRP. Eventually, this involved the use of alternative 

plastic materials such as PVC. As a brittle material, 

this was at times subject to damage due to storms, 

foot traffic on the roof and UV degradation. 

This didn’t stop the efforts of thermoplastic 

manufacturers to try to compete with ‘Filons’ and 

other GRP rooflights though and polycarbonate inplane 

rooflights were born and have since steadily 

encroached on the GRP rooflight market. There are 

many positive attributes to polycarbonate such as 

it providing high levels of light transmission, being 

very strong and having a good fire rating. There are 

however, many aspects that should be considered 

in rooflight material choice for profiled roof 

applications and we shall discuss them now. 

Thermal movement 

A thermoplastic material such as polycarbonate has 

much greater thermal movement than GRP and 

over 5 times more than the surrounding steel 

sheets. 

If no allowance has been made for this movement 

such as oversized fixing holes, it could create some 

problems particularly around the fasteners such as 

the sheet cracking and at the end laps with seals 

potentially failing. It is also possible for rooflights 

with an insulating box detail, such as those used in 

composite panel roofs, for the rooflight to expand 

but find resistance. The material will have no room 

to move as it will be constrained by the 

surrounding metal roof panels and so could belly 

out – bulge out of shape between the purlins. 

Light Distribution 

Another significant consideration is the type of 

illumination required in the building. GRP has high 

levels of light transmission and is also a naturally 

diffusing product. It will provide an even 

distribution of natural daylight across the area to 

create a balanced illumination reducing bright 

spots, shadows and hot spots. 

Thermoplastics like polycarbonate, when used as 

in-plane rooflights however, tend to be clear or 

colour tinted. They are much less diffusing and 

allow more light to pass directly through the 

rooflight. This can create localised bright spots 

with solar glare and also hotspots due to the 

nature of direct sunlight. 

The first images show two very similarly 

constructed equestrian centres but one is fitted 

with polycarbonate rooflights and the other with 

Filon GRP rooflights. The images clearly show a 

very different lighting pattern: the polycarbonate 

rooflights allow light to pass directly through so 

that their position is clearly replicated on the floor 

– even the purlins are casting shadows on the 

ground; the GRP rooflights in comparison provide 

a very even light distribution, so much so that 

there are not even any shadows visible around the 

horse and rider – the perfect conditions for easily 

spooked horses. 

The second pair of photographs show a 

supermarket distribution centre, firstly with 

polycarbonate rooflights and secondly after the 

rooflights have been replaced with Filon GRP. 

Again, in the first picture, the position of the 

rooflights is clearly visible by the bright spots on 

the floor. The picture with new GRP rooflights has 

eliminated all of the bright spots and reduced 

localised internal temperatures without 

compromising lux levels – much more suitable 

conditions for storing some supermarket goods 

and foodstuffs. 

The example projects highlight the importance of 

selecting the appropriate rooflight material. For 

your next industrial, commercial or agricultural 

building, please give careful consideration about 

the type of light distribution required. If an even 

spread of diffused light, without shafts of light, 

hotspots or dark corners is preferred, then GRP is 

likely to be the most appropriate choice. 

www.filon.co.uk 

: Supermarket Distribution Centre, GRP Rooflights 

: Equestrian Centre, GRP rooflights 

: Supermarket Distribution Centre, Polycarbonate Rooflights 

: Equestrian Centre, Polycarbonate Rooflights 

30 


Article | 

Aluminium decking becomes 

a refurbishment favourite 

A manufacturer of patented aluminium open grilles has tapped into widespread demand in the 

refurbishment sector by offering a more practical alternative to traditional timber decking. 

Yorkshire-based neaco has received a high volume of specifications for its unique 

Techdek system as garden decking, sun terraces, external walkways and balcony 

flooring. Many architects, designers, landscaping professionals and contractors have 

been quick to appreciate Techdek’s advantages for refurbishment work: the product is 

non-toxic, non-combustible, corrosive-free, extremely durable and easy to install 

without requiring hot works such as welding. A patented swage-locked construction 

between bars enables high structural efficiency and load-bearing capacity. 

neaco’s National Sales Manager, Peter Melia, comments: “We have been attracting a lot 

of specifications from refurbishment projects which require replacements for timber 

decking and terraces – Techdek is virtually maintenance-free, which gives it a clear 

advantage over wood which can be vulnerable to the elements. The erratic British 

weather can cause wood to expand and contract with fluctuations in temperatures, 

damaging the fabric of the timber. 

“It almost goes without saying that dampness and wood are an uneasy mix. Rain and 

moist atmospheric conditions are a major cause of decay and deterioration. Regular 

surface treatment is required to protect the grain. Aluminium decking is an excellent 

alternative – our grilles are available with a ribbed surface for anti-slip performance. Our 

advanced manufacturing facilities can even precision-cut bespoke holes in the decking 

panels to accommodate existing garden features - we can engineer these to outline 

unique shapes such as the base of tree trunk. The system can be easily recycled with no 

downgrading of its properties and very little energy required for re-melting.” 

neaco has also enjoyed a surge in demand from conversion projects which require 

balcony flooring for apartments. Techdek is similarly suited to this type of use with 

grille profiles that provide a generous 74% contact area yet drain water quickly and 

effectively. It has become one of the product’s most popular applications and neaco 

have developed another system, Neatdek 188, featuring concealed drainage gaps which 

provide even greater privacy for balconies by completely obscuring the view from 

below. 

Peter Melia said: “Many residential developments have specified our grilles as an integral 

part of our all-in-one modular balconies. We offer a range of modular balcony designs 

which also provide maintenance-free durability and fast installation with all 

components delivered to site, including grille flooring, handrails, balustrade and glass 

panel infills. Our experienced team of fitters can carry out construction with minimum 

disruption to other site activities.” 

Techdek was launched in 1972 as neaco’s founding product and back then its original 

design concept was conceived primarily as an industrial flooring application. However, 

its high-performance features, adaptable modular design and the natural attributes of 

aluminium make it suitable for much broader use. With the ability to accommodate a 

huge range of angles and unusual curvatures, Techdek has gained a reputation as one of 

the most versatile grille products on the market and has served a wide variety of 

architectural uses encompassing cladding, roof access walkways, screening, ventilation, 

bridge cycle/pedestrian ways, staging, balustrade infills and stair treads. Certain profiles 

have been specifically developed to provide solar shading, either as dual-purpose 

sunscreen/walkways or a brise soleil only. They greatly reduce the net heat gain 

(commonly in the order of 20-40%) of sunlight striking tinted or clear windows. 

32 

neaco's diverse product range also includes modular handrail and balustrade systems, 

Juliet balconies, structural glass and adaptive bathing facilities. All products are backed 

by a Lifetime Guarantee and the company’s website features a Members Area 

containing a host of useful design guides and technical files. 


www.neaco.co.uk 

01653 695721

Floors, Walls & Ceilings | 

Marmox Multiboard Peterborough pool 

Swimming pools present a notoriously aggressive environment for 

building materials including reinforced concrete, so it is a measure of 

Marmox Multiboard’s inherent durability and other attributes that it 

has been specified for an unusually challenging refurbishment 

contract at a leisure centre in Peterborough. 

The Regional Fitness & Swimming Centre is just a short walk from 

Peterborough Cathedral in the city centre and is popular with families 

as well as clubs and schools, attracted by the facilities and modern 

styling. Unfortunately, however, the warm moist conditions had 

caused areas of the paintwork around insides of the very : GaraRoll large White 

skylights to peel. High above the water and with asbestos present in 

the original lining panels, this meant a maintenance nightmare. Main 

contractor Amey was successful in tendering for the wider project, 

but brought in Commercial Rope Access with its team of abseillers to 

tackle relining the nine rooflights: each of which measures 8.5 x 4.5 

metres and is five metres deep. Working at night, the four man team, 

with a fifth assisting on the ground, erected an ‘umbrella’ structure 

beneath each rooflight in turn to prevent any tools or debris falling 

into the water. Then following the specification for the upgrade, halfsize 

sheets of Marmox Multiboard, measuring 1250 x 600 mm, were 

able to be fixed directly over the top of the existing asbestos based 

substrate, the Multiboards also offer a greatly improved thermal 

performance which will help prevent problems of condensation 

forming. The boards had been treated with one coat of EP150 on the 

reverse side and received a further two coats on the visible face. 

Despite the working time restrictions, the difficulties of accessing the 

upstand areas and the care required in dealing with asbestos in such a 

public space, the refurbishment of the rooflights was successfully 

completed with three months. 

Marmox Multiboards are manufactured from extruded polystyrene or 

XPS and offer a range of positive physical characteristics in addition 

to being fully waterproof. They are both light to handle and easy to 

cut, while still being able to sustain substantial loadings if required. 

For Further Information please visit www.marmox.co.uk 

34 

Style modernises office space in 

historic building 

Creating a new City 

Hall for 600 office 

staff at Leicester City 

Council, a centrally 

located 1930s Art 

Deco building has 

been completely 

refurbished by main 

contractor Willmott 

Dixon, and Franklin 

Ellis Architects. 

Challenged to maximise the use of space in the ground floor meeting 

areas, Style recommended installing a DORMA Variflex moveable wall 

system. Offering outstanding Rw58dB acoustic integrity, enabling 

meetings to run concurrently in exceptional privacy, the sliding 

partitioning panels are finished in a stylish high pressure laminate that 

perfectly complements the period décor. Quick, light and effortless to 

manoeuvre into place, the partitioning wall creates individual rooms or 

an open-plan meeting space at a moment’s notice. 

“DORMA Variflex is a hugely versatile moveable wall system, ideal for 

complicated room proportions and older buildings,” explains Mike Fine, 

Style’s director for the Midlands. “In addition, it delivers phenomenal 

acoustic performance.” 

www.style-partitions.co.uk 


Knauf AMF adds a touch of luxury 

‘One Jesmond Three Sixty’ has been transformed from a 1960s office 

block into a landmark building with striking architecture and 

contemporary interior design. Briefed to design a warm and chic 

interior for 80 apartments, GT3 architects were attracted to Knauf 

AMF Thermatex Acoustic ceiling planks for the reception and 

circulation areas which set the tone for the rest of the building. 

The smooth, white elegant appearance of Thermatex Acoustic planks 

help give the interior a welcoming ambience for residents and 

visitors. The building’s public spaces have a light, airy, open feel, 

thanks to the ceiling’s high light reflection (85%) and low air 

permeability. The surface of Thermatex Acoustic planks can resist 

dust which helps retain its bright appearance; combined with the 

ceiling’s high light reflectance this reduces the level of artificial 

lighting 

required. 

Thermatex 

Acoustic 

ceilings offer 

excellent 

acoustic 

control, and 

are classified 

A2 fire 

performance 

(noncombustible) 

to prevent flame 

www.knaufamf.co.uk 

spread.

alustr ade balconies 

flooring g rilles bathing

Floors, Walls & Ceilings | 

The silent scream 

Juliet Woodcock talks to Paul Barrett, Product Manager at ROCKWOOL Ltd, 

about acoustic issues in commercial and educational buildings. 

These days within my local library, there seems 

to be no issue regarding offering overspill 

space to the neighbouring crèche and play 

group, gathered in loud restless circles 

containing a dozen or more exuberant infants. 

However, there was a time when such 

municipal facilities demanded a peaceful 

environment for reading or cultural 

enrichment, while the stern voice of a librarian 

calling “Quiet please!” quelled noise in an 

instant. 

: Paul Barrett, Product Manager Flat 

Roofing, ROCKWOOL UK 

Intrusive noise coming from without as well as 

within is a fact of modern life, though 

fortunately, there are companies out there that 

do care about creating a peaceful environment 

for us to live, work or learn in, as Paul Barrett – 

Product Manager at Rockwool, explains: 

“Acoustics in commercial and educational 

buildings matter. It’s imperative that ambient 

noise is kept as low as possible to minimise 

intrusion and distraction in these environments. 

It’s no surprise that studies consistently show 

that quieter classrooms and workplaces achieve 

better results. Unfortunately, a large number of 

schools and office buildings in the UK suffer 

from poor acoustics.” 

Paul Barrett asserts that the most serious issue 

regarding poor acoustics is caused by flanking 

transfer, and went on to explain: “The noise is 

transmitted indirectly via paths such as external 

wall cavities, 

voids above 

partitions and internal 

corridors, or where there are 

problems of excessive reverberation 

within the rooms themselves.” 

But it is not just the internal environment that 

should be considered when trying to improve a 

building’s acoustic performance. Indeed, when 

refurbishing or specifying a new school or 

commercial premises, plans to reduce the noise 

from outside from wind, rain, hail and traffic, as 

well as playgrounds and sports centres should 

be included. 

Stone wool insulation is renowned for its 

excellent acoustic properties, its open fibrous 

structure making it ideal for absorbing and 

regulating noise in the building for the lifetime 

of the property. 

Paul Barrett continues: “It is also incredibly 

versatile, with products and systems available 

to suit a wide variety of building applications. 

These include metal and standing seam, flat, 

green and pitched roofs; ground, exposed and 

separating floors; internal partitions and 

separating walls; fire protection and fire 

stopping; HVAC and masonry cavity walls. 

“Fully tested to meet the rigorous demands of 

today’s legislation, stone wool insulation 

solutions are proven to reduce ambient, impact 

and reverberation noise in educational and 

commercial buildings.” 

Utilizing ROCKWOOL’s HARDROCK® Multi-Fix 

(DD) product on a flat roof, for example, as a 

0.25W/m2K single layer or 0.18W/m2K dual 

layer, mechanically fixed roof solution can 

provide an acoustic performance of Rw 35dB 

(single) and 39dB (dual layer) and Class C sound 

absorption. HARDROCK® Multi-Fix (DD) also 

ROCKWOOL Hardrock Recovery Board 

provides an impressive fire safety rating as a flat 

roof board insulation with a Euroclass (A1) noncombustible 

fire classification and LPCB 

approval (LPS 1181: Part 1 (Ext-A). 

ROCKWOOL’s 

solutions are proven 

to reduce ambient, 

impact and 

reverberation noise in 

educational and 

commercial buildings 

My local library was the last bastion of peace 

and quiet in my town; I used to know I could go 

there and get away from other people’s noise - 

including my adorable nephew’s teething 

tantrums. I would feel rested there, browsing 

through books, and in the early days of my 

journalistic career, going through the microfiche 

with the librarian to order tomes for 

research that would arrive up to six weeks later 

pre-Internet days… Good acoustic insulation in 

buildings is vital to our health, our capability to 

work and learn. 

36 


Durelis 

Const 

ructi on Board 

FLOOR 

TOPFINI 

ISH ® 

WALL 

1 

MOISTU 

URE 

RESISTA 

ANT 

ROOF 

2 

AIRTIGH 

HT 

3 

HIGH H IMPACT 

RESISTANCE 

CONC 

CRETE 

4 

EASY 

CLEANING 

NG 

P5 

For more information visit www.unilin.com 

Price, Pierce Forest Products Ltd 

Woking Head Office +44 ( 0)1483 221800 

Hull Office+44(0)1482 214610 

Email: woking@price-pierce.co.uk

Doors & Windows | 

Refurb proves best for Fife 

flats transformation 

When Fife Council consulted its residents at Broomhead flats in Dunfermline about the future of their homes, the options were pretty 

clear cut. The three 50-year old blocks of flats had reached the point at which they either needed significant investment to bring them 

up to the current Scottish Housing Quality Standard, or needed to be demolished and replaced with new build properties. 

38 

The result of the residents’ consultation 

favoured refurbishment and, in May 2014, Fife 

Council’s Housing and Communities Committee 

gave the go-ahead for this project to begin. A 

key requirement was to deliver refurbished 

homes which offer a higher level of protection 

against fuel poverty. 

The multimillion pound project has transformed 

216 properties, housed within the three 12-storey 

blocks. The building fabric has been brought up 

to a higher thermal standard, utilising product 

technology which was simply not available in the 

1960s. And that primarily involved the £5.1m 

contract with CMS Window Systems for the 

replacement of windows, doors and curtain 

walling, application of external wall insulation 

(EWI) and replacing balconies. 

CMS was appointed as the main envelope 

contractor after winning the competitive cost 

and quality based tender. For Fife Council, this 

helped simplify the procurement process and 

supply chain from the outset. CMS was able to 

help develop a specification for the windows, 

and their appointment ensured consistent 

quality, trouble free interface integration and 

clear communication channels – all proving 

important to the success of this extensive 

refurbishment project. 

Every flat benefits from A-rated, highly insulating 

windows which are manufactured with 

Sheerframe lead-free PVCu profiles and feature 


thermally superior low-e softcoat double glazed 

sealed units. With a low U-value, the energy 

rating (WER) of these fully UK-made windows 

represents a huge improvement in thermal 

performance. 

CMS also manufactured and installed aluminium 

curtain walling which spans up to eleven floors 

on each block, enclosing all communal walkways 

– equating to more than 2,000m 2 of curtain 

walling. This replaced existing steel balustrades 

and steel screens in communal areas to raise the 

quality and visual appeal, internally and externally. 

A third component to the structural elements 

was the replacement of balcony enclosures. CMS 

installed more than 1,700m 2 of enclosures created 

using Windoor System 1000 featuring ‘Light’ 

glazing systems. Their design gives tenants the 

freedom to use their balconies all year round. 

Completing the transformation of the building 

fabric, CMS also over-clad the external walls with 

a mix of insulated render and render only, as 

required, using mast climbers for safe access and 

to ensure speedy delivery with minimum 

disruption. With total wall coverage of more than 

11,000m 2 , this extensive over-cladding work has 

improved the insulation level of all walls to 

complement the performance of the windows, 

doors and curtain walling. 

John Rodigan, Senior Manager of Building Services 

at Fife Council said: “The Housing and 

Neighbourhood Service of the Council 

demonstrated great foresight in their decision to 

invest in the energy efficient measures at 

Broomhead. 

“It’s also no coincidence that one of our most 

environmentally committed companies won the 

contract, it’s been the perfect partnership with all 

stakeholders sharing the same objectives. The 

result for the Broomhead tenants will be 

significant in terms of reduced energy costs and 

increased comfort. These works have made a 

substantial contribution to Fife’s green agenda as 

well as supporting local employment and trade 

apprenticeships – the delivery of this project has 

been a real triumph for the Council.” 

Find out more at www.cmswindows.com

CO2: Don’t be neutral, be negative! 

It is common knowledge that in 

order to effectively combat 

global warming, we need to 

make conscious efforts to 

reduce our carbon footprint. 

Given that buildings are 

accountable for 37% of total UK 

greenhouse gas emissions 

(according to the Committee on Climate Change) we have a duty as 

specifiers, architects and construction professionals to lower this alarming 

: GaraRoll White 

figure. Joe Bradbury investigates. 

Going neutral isn’t enough 

Whenever CO2 reduction is discussed, we often talk about becoming 

carbon neutral, i.e. designing or retrofitting our building to use only as much 

atmospheric CO2 as it emits, leaving existing levels intact. However, 

approximately 30 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide is pumped into the 

Earth’s atmosphere from power plants, vehicles and various other industrial 

sources which are intensively fuelled from the burning fossil fuels. So, whilst 

going neutral can certainly help the problem, it’s a mere drop in the ocean in 

terms of fighting climate change. 

We therefore need to not only focus on reducing how much CO2 we 

produce, but also on how we can physically remove it from the air. 

Capturing CO2 

Allison Dring, head of start-up Elegant Embellishments, has designed a smogeating 

façade that is a perfect example of how a building can go a step 

further and actually become carbon negative. Described on the BBC, “The 

façade is coated with a special paint made from titanium dioxide, a 

pollution-fighting technology that is activated by daylight. It absorbs the 

fumes generated from traffic and converts them first into nitric acid and 

then into calcium nitrate, which is harmless.” 

The facade has currently been fitted on the side of a hospital in Mexico City, 

where pollution is a massive issue. Since being added to the building, the 

innovative façade has allegedly reduced pollution of around 1,000 cars per 

day, perhaps resulting in less people needing to visit the hospital in the first 

place! 

Allison is a staunch advocate of the idea that the materials we build with 

should actively give something back to the environment – and so am I. 

Putting it to good use 

Becoming carbon negative is a two stage process; consuming the CO2 is only 

the first part of the solution. What do you do with the CO2 once it has been 

captured from the air? Turning it into usable materials or less harmful gasses 

is the key to becoming truly carbon negative and actually being an asset to 

the environment. 

Atmospheric CO2 is one of the biggest issues of the 21st century… however, 

as the old adage “one man’s waste is another man’s treasure” implies, it is also 

a precious resource! We can use the CO2 taken from the air and convert it 

into useful carbon-based products, such as building materials, 

pharmaceuticals, fuels and plastics. 

Not only do these products help us as an industry, but the very creation of 

them absorbs more CO2 than we emit, ergo reducing CO2 in the 

atmosphere. Now THAT is a solution. 

So in short, when it comes to tackling climate change in the built 

environment, be negative! 



Let in the light but keep the cold out 

It’s a proven fact that natural light plays a crucial role in sustainable design and glazing is one of the few constants in 

every building. 

Structurally-glazed systems offer one method of achieving large expanses of glazing. 

Traditional structural glazing has featured steel reinforcement but there is an increasing trend towards adhesives 

solutions when it comes to bonding glass inside window frames or sashes. There are a number of aesthetic and 

thermal gains to be had by adopting this method. 

When glass is chemically adhered to a frame it means the PVC or 

metal frames themselves do not need to be as big which therefore 

allows more light into a building. 

With structurally-bonded glass negating the need for steel reinforcement in frames, it prevents cold 

bridging between the building’s exterior and interior, thus improving a building’s thermal envelope. 

Modern structural glazing systems featuring modern bonding systems will enable architects and 

contractors to fulfil four vital requirements – improved aesthetics; increased light; better thermal 

performance and, most importantly, happier occupants. 

www.sika.co.uk 

A good neighbour 

The Window Company (Contracts) is 

proving itself to be a very good neighbour 

by carrying out ongoing window and door 

replacement work at the special needs 

school just a few hundred yards from its 

Chelmsford head office. 

The award winning commercial installer, 

which was named Installer of the Year at 

both the 2014 and 2015 Glass and Glazing 

Awards, is fitting replacement windows and 

doors at Thriftwood School as it updates its 

buildings – some of which are 40 years old. 

All of the work is being carried out during 

weekends and school holidays to minimise 

disruption to the school’s 110 pupils aged 

between 5 and 13, and it is being done in 

stages to help the school to best manage its 

facilities budget. 

David Thornton, Chairman of The Window 

Company (Contracts), commented on the 

project: “We’re obviously best known for 

carrying out large scale new build and 

replacement projects in the social housing 

sector, but we also have considerable 

expertise in education and in particular in 

schools, where our fitting teams have been 

trained to manage the particular issues and 

associated risks. 

www.thewinco.co.uk 

TORMAX automates glass arch access 

Delivering invisible automation to a new arched glass doorway, 

TORMAX was contracted to install their technologically 

advanced iMotion 1401 operator into the stone floor of the 

entrance to the Porter’s Lodge, Christ Church, at Oxford 

University. Ideal for period properties such as this, the iMotion 

1401 makes it possible to benefit from the convenience of an 

automatic entrance, without interfering with an historic façade. 

Replacing a wooden door, aluminium and glass specialist 

Openwood was contracted to design and manufacture an allglass 

frameless arched doorway, with TORMAX providing 

specialist automation with the iMotion 1401 door drive. 

Entirely unique in the marketplace, the TORMAX range of 

iMotion door operators are recognised for their exceptional life 

expectancy. This is due to the fact that their high torque 

motors do not feature any of the parts that generally wear out, such as gears and brushes, 

significantly improving reliability in the long term and dramatically reducing required maintenance. 

Mumford & Wood play their Trump card 

www.tormax.co.uk 

Mumford & Wood, the manufacturer of 

Britain’s finest timber windows and doors, was 

chosen as supply partner to replace over 1000 

windows and doors as part of the major 

£200m restoration project at Trump Turnberry 

Resort. The specification of Conservation 

products includes top hung casements, many 

in a double and triple height configuration; 

large fixed sashes, including curved on plan; 

decorative curved header sliding sash windows; 

double and single French doorsets, as well as 

special bullseye shaped windows. 

Factory finished, double glazed Conservation products are manufactured from premium quality 

engineered Siberian Larch. Manufactured to the exacting standards of the British Woodworking 

Federation’s Wood Window Alliance scheme they are BRE A+ rated and offer the highest 

standards of thermal and acoustic performance, and many are Secured by Design accredited. 

They will be delivered to site with three coats of high quality, spray-applied microporous paint in 

RAL 9010 as standard which will provide the ultimate protection in this exposed, coastal location. 

www.mumfordwood.com 

40 


CMS is a building envelope contractor specialising i in the design, 

manufacture and installation of: 

- PVCu windows, doors and curtain walling 

- Aluminium windows, doors and curtain walling 

- Timber composite windows, doors and curtain walling 

- Cladding systems and external wall insulation 

For more information on the services provided by 

CMS or to discuss our full range of building envelope 

solutions for your project please call us on 01324 841 398. 

10 Caisteal Road, Castlecary, Cumbernauld, Glasgow G68 0FS 

Tel: 01324 841 398 Fax: 01324 841 282 

cmswindows.com


Optima: the revolutionary window 

& door system 

The industry has long-awaited a window and door system that can future-proof product specification for years to come. 

Hailed as the biggest new product introduction 

in the window industry for a decade, Profile 22 

has unveiled Optima, developed to be the most 

pioneering window and doors products available 

in the UK today. 

Developed specifically with commercial sectors 

in mind, and backed by the Profile 22 Approved 

Window Contractors scheme, Optima offers a 

compelling choice for the both new build and 

refurbishment markets. Behind this launch is a 

radical rethink of each of the key processes in the 

production of a window and door system for the 

21st Century: extrusion processes that ensure 

superb quality and consistency and products that 

easily satisfy current technical and aesthetic 

demands by anticipating those of many years 

ahead. 

The name Optima is derived from the Latin 

Optimus – meaning ‘best’. Profile 22 has 

launched not one but two of the industry’s most 

eagerly awaited window and door systems. The 

two product streams are characterised by the 

Optima Chamfered System and the Optima 

Sculptured System, from which a large number of 

options are available including a brand new Flush 

Casement to compete in the burgeoning 

‘heritage’ flush sash timber replacement sector. 

In basics the systems offers a 6 chamber outer 

frame (up to 8 with RCM inserts) and a 5 chamber 

sash (6 with RCM), structures that provide 

optimal thermal performance and rigidity with 

the capability of U values as low as 0.8 W/m 2 K 

with appropriate Argon filled IGUs. Important 

niche products such as a fully reversible window; 

a vertical sliding sash; flush tilt & turn; a flush 

casement; composite door; french door sets; and 

a patio door may be manufactured by combining 

existing profiles with the Optima suite. 

Performance is to A++ Window Energy Rating. 

The Profile 22 system that Optima replaces 

enjoyed huge popularity for its aesthetics and 

Optima retains a close similarity, but with a larger 

rebate and stylish slim upstand. The 

distinctiveness enjoyed by Profile 22 over other 

systems will therefore continue. 

The real difference however is in the details: the 

system is designed with a high performance 

centre seal option for improved weather and 

thermal performance, features that are unique to 

Optima amongst UK systems; deeper drainage 

channels further improve water egress and 

contribute towards weather performance. 

Optima has been designed to offer the widest 

choice of glazing options on the market including 

24 and 28mm double and 36, 40 and 44mm triple 

glazed units. Bead location has been fully 

researched with the result that glazing clips are 

unnecessary to pass security tests and are futureproof 

against proposed and anticipated 

enhancements to PAS24. 

The systems have been awarded the British 

Standard Kitemark which includes testing to 

BS6375 parts 1, 2 & 3, Performance of windows 

and doors in addition to testing in relation to 

PAS24:2016 enhanced security performance 

requirements for doorsets and windows in the 

UK. Both standards are the latest to be published 

and allow specifiers to assess Optima against the 

most exacting UK standards currently available. 

Products are also manufactured under 

Environmental and Health & Safety standards BS 

EN ISO 14001 and BS EN ISO 18001 respectively 

and BES6001 to ensure Responsible Sourcing of 

Construction Products. The Optima systems far 

surpass UK and EU Building Regulations and 

PAS24, and have the highly accredited Secured by 

Design approval. 

The Optima foil offer is superior to that of any 

other systems supplier boasting 28 colour 

options. The range of greys competes well with 

aluminium products. 

Andrew Reid, Commercial Sales Director of 

Profile 22 says: “We wanted the new window 

systems to be the best in the market and 

represent innovative design and exceptional 

thermal performance. We designed the new 

products around the needs of the specifier for 

slim, modern and stylish aesthetics, whilst 

offering the most technologically advanced 

product features and performance capabilities to 

future-proof our product range in meeting future 

Building Regulations. 

“Specifiers can include Optima knowing that they 

are choosing the most advanced window and 

door products available in the UK today with key 

benefits of exceptional thermal performance, 

reduced maintenance schedules and improved 

durability. Their clients will also enjoy the 

benefits of excellent design, greater comfort 

levels and security as well as reduced heating bills 

for tenants and homeowners alike.” 

Those wanting to appreciate Optima are 

encouraged to visit the Profile 22 microsite 

www.profile22.co.uk/optima, the showroom in 

Telford or at the Building Centre, London. 

www.profile22.co.uk 

42 



Retrofit | 

Transforming facades with 

silicone technology 

An external wall insulation system is a thermally insulated, protective, 

decorative cladding procedure involving the use of an insulating 

material and a render finish. The most common insulating material is 

polystyrene, others such as mineral wool, polyurethane foam of 

phenolic foam may be used. The render finish usually consists of a 

reinforced base coat followed by a decorative mineral or synthetic 

finish. 

The K Rend Silicone Thin Coat range is particularly suitable where 

lightweight render systems are required, such as an external wall 

insulation system (illustrated right). 

K Rend Silicone Thin Coat products are available in an extensive colour 

range using the NCS System which helps customers visualise special 

colours for their project. NCS - Natural Colour System is a logical 

colour notation system which builds on how humans see colour. 

K Rend Silicone TC 15 render holds the prestigious BBA certification, 

assuring you that vital product safety and performance requirements 

are met. 

Benefits of Using External Wall Insulation 

• Reduces heating bills by reducing heat loss through walls 

• Thermal efficiency of walls can be increased by up to 85% 

• Help to save the environment by reducing carbon emissions (as you 

burn less fossil fuel) 

• Reduce condensation (EWI raises temperature of internal walls) 

• Prevent damp & mould: EWI seals buildings from the elements 

• Improve acoustics: hi-density insulation reduces sound transfer 

Contact our Technical Support Centre on 028 2826 0766 

or email Sales@K-Rend.co.uk 

44 


ADEY tackles ‘zombie’ boilers 

Europe’s largest water treatment manufacturer serving the heating industry, ADEY 

Professional Heating Solutions, is encouraging installers to employ best practice as 

the most effective weapon to eliminate the estimated 12 million ‘zombie’ boilers 

residing in UK homes. 

While often marvelled at by their owners because they just keep chugging away 

and refuse to die, the underlying cost of owning a ‘zombie’ boiler and its 

accompanying dirty heating system is higher energy and maintenance bills. It also 

impacts detrimentally on the environment with higher carbon emissions. 

By encouraging their replacement with a modern condensing boiler and a 

programme of best practice maintenance, installers can help their customers take 

the first step towards reaping significant savings while protecting the environment. 

While some efforts have been made to support the scrapping of ‘zombies’, such as 

the recent implementation of the London Boiler Cashback Scheme and the 

extension of a similar scheme for homes in Northern Ireland, ADEY believes a great 

deal more can be done to secure the success of these schemes for the long-term. 

“To deliver the energy savings that government schemes promise and ensure 

ongoing boiler efficiency, they need to be supported with effective system 

protection,” says ADEY’s CEO John Vaughan. 

“If new boilers are fitted to dirty systems and aren’t properly protected by 

effective magnetic filtration and chemical water treatment, their performance will 

quickly deteriorate. Instead of focusing solely on the replacement of ageing and 

inefficient systems, the industry needs to support every new boiler installation 

with ongoing protection if we’re to ensure that the ‘zombies’ won’t rise again.” 

By adopting the ADEY Best Practice approach of clean, flush, maintain, protect 

and test, homeowners will ensure the ongoing efficiency of their heating system 

and help extend boiler life. Total energy savings could amount to as much as 15% a 

year and help extend the life of a household boiler beyond the average lifespan of 

12-15 years. 

www.adey.com 


Retrofit | 

Former chocolate factory transformed 

The Residence in York, a prominent five storey Grade II listed building and former 

Terry’s chocolate factory, is being converted into over 170 stunning and spacious 

apartments and penthouses. 

Evinox Energy worked closely with The PJ Livesey Group to provide a 

comprehensive district heating solution to suit this unique development. This 

includes the primary network design, prefabricated plant room skid, heat 

interface units, and ongoing service and maintenance of the plant room and 

HIUs. In addition, Evinox will also provide a billing and full revenue management 

service, including fully itemised energy bills for residents and a billing app to 

manage their account online. 

The network supplies the residents with thermal energy for heating and 

production of domestic hot water. The use of this type of system ensures that 

the listed façade of the building is maintained, with no requirement for individual 

boilers and flues or a gas network around the building. 

www.evinoxenergy.co.uk 

Creative wall coverings 

make an impression 

Creative design and production agency, 

Burrows, has revamped its Norwich based 

offices. After being located for 21 years in a 

character-filled converted Methodist 

Church, the agency wanted to refresh its 

environment to create a stimulating place 

in which to work and bring clients. 

Head of Burrows’ Norwich offices, Jason 

Elkins explains: “Burrows is a very 

innovative agency so, as well as creating an 

environment that was inspirational to the 

staff, we also wanted to physically 

demonstrate our creative thinking to 

anyone who visits us here – we are all 

about helping our clients grow their 

business with compelling ideas and 

content, after all.” 

Structure-flex recommended a thin, 

woven, self-adhesive polyester fabric 

designed for smooth, flat surfaces that was 

both hard wearing and resistant to water 

so that it would stand up to the rigours of 

every day office life. The matt surface of 

the fabric was also capable of carrying 

exceptional printed resolution so it was 

perfect to carry the high definition designs 

that Burrows wanted. 

“We’re absolutely delighted with the result 

– cost effective mural art that has instant 

impact,” said Jason. 

www.structure-flex.co.uk 

BBA certification puts restoration UK firmly in the 

marketplace 

In search of respected, independent accreditation for its high 

performance waterproofing and damp proofing product, 

Restoration UK had only one notified body in mind - the 

British Board of Agrément (BBA). 

The BBA’s Certificate of Agrément is recognised throughout 

the construction industry as a symbol of quality and 

reassurance that the associated product has passed a series 

of rigorous, comprehensive assessments. To gain this 

prestigious hallmark of approval laboratory tests, on-site 

evaluations, quality management checks and inspections of 

production are among methods carried out during the 

thorough, expert process. 

Agrément Certificates are one of the only ways a 

manufacturer’s new product or system can gain quick 

acceptance in the market place. With this in mind, Restoration 

UK applied for BBA Agrément Certification for Restosil AQ, a silicate solution in concentrated form 

for use as a pressure injected damp-proof course. 

Its resulting approval means specifiers and organisations which recognise the BBA such as building 

control, local authorities and industry insurers have assurance the product has met the standards of 

the UK’s leading accredited service, guaranteeing the product’s quality and integrity. 

Erik Clarke, Restoration UK Managing Director, commented: “We have had a number of BBA 

approved products in our range for many years. We valued the idea of having Restosil AQ 

accredited as BBA is a quality benchmark sought after by architects, housing associations and the 

construction industry.” 

BBA inspections, tests and audits, which are carried out by teams with detailed technical 

knowledge and experience, can also take place during a product’s development to assist 

manufacturers with design issues should any emerge during the assessment process. 

Erik Clarke added: “BBA provides proof of the high quality of our products, including Restosil, 

Renderpel and Minisilan. It is a requirement for some architects but also helps show all customers 

that we have high standards. BBA provides proof of the high quality of our products, including 

Restosil, Renderpel and Minisilan. It is a requirement for some architects but also helps show all 

customers that we have the highest standards.” 

BBA is an independent non-profit distributing organisation committed to helping businesses and 

organisations supply the construction industry with products, systems and installers of the utmost 

quality. 

Its ambition remains as true today as the day it was formed 50 years ago - to provide reassurance 

to the construction industry that manufacturers’ products, systems and procedures are ‘fit for 

purpose’. 

www.bbacerts.co.uk 

46 


take your 

pick 

Decora ative Panels are always 

innova ating and creating new 

experie ences. We would like to 

announc e our new corporate 

brochure and resculpted 

website w hich can be viewed on 

different platforms to make your 

viewing experience even easier. 

Our new website includes: 

• All our designs on screen with 

the ability 

to filter through species, 

collections and shades. 

• Design assistance with swatches 

featu uring complementary and 

alternative colourway. 

• All liter rature and design/swatch 

guides av vailable to view on screen 

and download. 

the 

decorative 

panels 

group 

YOUR PERFECT PARTNER 

To 

order your copy of our new br rochure contact us 

Century House, Premier Way 

Lowfields Business Park 

Elland, West Yo orkshire 

HX5 9HF 

T: +44 (0) 1484 658341 

F: +44 (0) 1484 658812 

E: info@decorativepanels.co.uk 

www.decorativepanels.co.uk

R&R 8958 48 July '16 cc

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