R&R Final PDF's November '17 cc

Refurb
November 2017 issue R6
retrofit
magazine
Is it safe, is it legal?
Allegion UK Commercial Leader
Pete Hancox offers some valuable
tips on how to keep your fire doors
working as they should.
Two launches for RCM
RCM managed to complete two
successful launches – a brand
new website and a new eyecatching
exhibition stand.
Kitchen Warnings
Refurbishing and refitting kitchens
provides an ideal opportunity to fit
heat and CO alarms as Kidde
Safety Europe explains.
page
16
page
25
page
34

Article
New steel renovation window offers more
choice than ever
Launched in the UK in 2011, the Janisol Arte steel renovation window system from Schueco Jansen won a coveted Gold Medal
at France’s Batimat Exhibition in the same year. It is now to be found in use in refurbishment projects all over the UK.
Elegantly ‘retro’ in appearance thanks
to its slender Bauhaus-type steel
glazing, the Janisol Arte renovation
window routinely achieves in older
buildings the impressive ‘U’ values
demanded by UK planning authorities for
the fenestration included in new-build
projects.
Indeed, its success is based upon its ability
to satisfy the concerns of conservation
officers in respect of Listed Buildings
Consent while still meeting the strict
energy-saving requirements contained in
Part L of the Building Regulations.
Now a second version of Janisol Arte is
being introduced into the UK and Schueco
UK is confident that with its enhanced
specification and improved performance
characteristics, Janisol Arte 2.0 will prove to
be an even more popular product than the
original system.
Particular enhancements include an
enlarged range of profiles with sight-lines
from 25 mm and an expanded range of
glazing bead shapes – right-angled,
bevelled, scotia and flat, making it even
easier to find an exact match for steel
windows that are
being replaced.
In addition, Janisol
Arte 2.0 combines
an improved
aesthetic
appearance with
simpler fabrication
techniques that
make for faster
manufacturing.
As an example of
this, the time
required to make a
single casement
vent has been
reduced by up to
85%, meaning six
and a half Janisol
Arte 2.0 vents can be produced in the same
time as it used to take to make one in the
old system.
Even insulation is significantly better thanks
to special new foam profiles located
between the glass and the frame. Moreover,
following the introduction of insert profiles –
which also speed up fabrication – drainage
has been made even more reliable.
New options include stainless steel (left) and Corten steel
Importantly, the range of projects for which
the Janisol Arte window is suitable has been
expanded because it is now possible to add
laser-welded profiles to standard Arte
profiles to increase mullion spans for larger
areas of fenestration.
Like its predecessor, the Janisol Arte 2.0
window will be available in all the
conventional opening types commonly
encountered in both pre- and post-war
industrial buildings (see right).
However, maximum vent weights have
increased to 150 kg as a result of the
adoption of new 3D adjustable stainless steel
hinges.
Another benefit of the new window is
improved corrosion resistance because all
Janisol Arte 2.0 profiles go through the latest
ZF 100 galvannealed hot-dip process. This
also results in enhanced processing
weldability.
Finally, as well as standard, premium quality
steel profiles, customers can specify Janisol
Arte 2.0 profiles in high grade austenitic
1.4401 stainless steel. A further new option is
Corten steel, completing a specification that
is thought to be unmatched by any other
renovation window currently available.
www.schueco.co.uk
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November 2017 R6

A perfect example of the slender steel glazing achieved with Janisol Arte
November 2017 R6 Refurb retrofit
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3
Photo: ©Jens Willebrand

Dear Reader,
We all know that warmer houses are
more comfortable and more healthy,
but a study undertaken by the Centre
for Health Economics & Medicines
Evaluation (CHEME) at Bangor
University, working with Gentoo
Housing Association and Nottingham
City Homes, has found a link to
reduced NHS service use.
The retro-fitting of new energy efficient
combi-boilers and double-glazed
windows has a positive impact on the
health status, health service use (an
incredible 69% reduction in hospital
outpatient appointments, 46%
reduction in A&E attendance, and a 10%
reduction in GP visits), and fuel poverty
risk of social housing tenants.
Better energy efficiency pays off for
commercial structures too. From 1st
April 2018, the new Minimum Energy
Efficiency Standards (MEES) come into
effect, and John Birchall tells us how
any new or renewed leases can
comply.
Fire safety is foremost in many people’s
minds, and Pete Hancox offers some
advice on fire doors, and how to stay
on the right side of the law.
And finally, Shaun McCarthy shares a
survey by the Supply Chain
Sustainability School, which reveals that
whilst businesses accept the
importance of carbon reduction and
efficiency, they are slow to turn
intention into action and implement
strategies, or put in place key practices.
And if you have a topic you want us to
cover, give us a call!
Regards,
Refurb retrofit
magazine
18 It’s all about MEES…
New property regulations are coming into force next year, and East Anglian
surveyors, property consultants and estate agents Fenn Wright’s senior
surveyor John Birchall MRICS is advising commercial landlords to act now.
20 Selecting the right door canopy
Space is a key factor in all refurbishments and retrofits, which is why
maximising it, both indoors and out, is key to delivering the best possible
results.
22 Crittall reinforces Mayfair chic
One of Mayfair’s most prestigious apartment blocks has undergone a
transformative refurbishment with a major contribution from Crittall
Windows.
28 Former cattle market gets an overhaul with Selectaglaze
William Julian Courtauld paid £50,000 to give Braintree its own Town Hall.
Constructed in 1926, it has been in constant use ever since.
30 Gradus is best in class with wall protection solutions
Gradus has supplied wall protection systems as part of a refurbishment
project at the University of Liverpool’s Veterinary School, based at the
Leahurst campus in the Wirral helping to improve the aesthetics of the
building and reduce ongoing maintenance costs.
November 2017 issue R6
Juliet.
Consulting Editor > Juliet Davies
editor@buildinsite.co.uk
Advertising > Paul Barstow
paul@buildinsite.co.uk
Press Releases >
press@buildinsite.co.uk
Production > Di Smith
di@buildinsite.co.uk
Design > Ellie Rich
design@buildinsite.co.uk
Circulation
circulation@buildinsite.co.uk
Enquiries 0121 661 9484
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BuildInsite Limited. Reg. No. 10260163
Special Features
20 > Building Envelope
26 > Interiors
32 > Kitchens & Bathrooms
36 > Fire Safety & Security
Front Cover
Discover how Keymer’s handmade tiles
have been used for two challenging
restoration projects.
Keymer Handmade Traditional Plain Tiles
had been fitted for the roof restoration of
Loseley House, a historical attraction
located near Guildford, Surrey.
Also, KeymerTiles were chosen for the
reroofing of The Grade 2 listed building,
The Old Vicarage in Suffolk.
For more information see page 10
November 2017 R6
Refurb
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magazine

News
Public awareness on CO safety is still inadequate
Recently released figures by the CO Be Alarmed campaign (co-bealarmed.co.uk) show that almost a third of renters in the UK do not have a
potentially life-saving carbon monoxide (CO) alarm in their property. Adrian Keats from Honeywell’s Home Safety business is reminding installers
of the importance of these devices, and says that advising the public on CO safety is paramount.
“CO safety is now more relevant than ever, with around 50 people dying from CO poisoning every year, and more than 200 being admitted to
hospital,” he said. “But installers can take a lead role in reversing this trend by alerting homeowners, landlords and tenants of the dangers,
following best practice for siting and providing the appropriate level of protection. In this way, CO-related injuries and deaths can easily be
avoided.
“Under current regulations, landlords in England and Wales are only required to provide a CO alarm in properties with a solid fuel appliance.
However, more than 80% of homes contain a gas appliance, meaning a large number of renters could be endangered by inefficient combustion
processes that produce CO contamination. What’s more, the danger may not be so evident, as CO is a silent killer.
“For complete protection, a CO alarm should be placed in every room which contains a fuel burning appliance, as well as an alarm in any
bedroom in the building.”
UK launch for water leak detection
Central Alliance has entered into a strategic partnership with
specialist satellite imaging analysis organisation ULTILIS Corp. to
bring a revolutionary new method of analysing saturated ground
and detecting water leaks to the UK.
The technology enables organisations to map ground saturation
and water leaks remotely from space using innovative satellite
imaging analysis. The innovative, cutting-edge technology can also
be used to highlight drainage issues across areas of land, as well as
spot areas that could be prone to earthworks or structure failures.
Presented in the form of a ‘heat map,’ data analysis can also help
understand the potential impacts of leaking water pipes and their
interaction with critical infrastructure and identify ‘at-risk’ locations,
where structures or earthworks could be prone to failure.
Berry Piling secures Camden Lock project
Piling contractor Berry Piling London, specialists in restricted access
piling works, won the contract to install secant piling at Camden
Lock Village in London, working on behalf of main contractor Mace.
A sequence of 450mm diameter secant piles will be installed
through a number of rail viaduct arches off Kentish Town Road,
Camden in London, in order to retain structures during the
excavation of five service trenches. The project was not without its
difficulties, and required the company’s specialist piling knowledge
of similar projects. Mace led an 18 month process of obtaining
Network Rail approval for the works, leading to Berry Piling’s
appointment.
The piling scope of works commenced in September 2017, and
utilised two of its specialist low headroom and restricted access
piling rigs.
Supply Chain School leads launch of landmark report
Whether designing homes, hospitals, workplaces, schools, shops or railway stations, social value matters. From mitigating impacts of austerity
through affordability, to combatting ageism via accessibility, it is critical to creating inclusive, caring communities, for health, wealth and
wellbeing.
Now, five years on from the Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012, its significance for projects in the built environment extends far beyond the
procurement of public-sector services; it has changed client expectations of how construction, infrastructure, refurbishment, fit-out and facilities
management projects should be delivered.
With ‘Social Value and Design of the Built Environment,’ the Supply Chain Sustainability School has brought together expertise from across the
design community, plus construction and civil engineering as a whole, to inform and inspire both current practitioners and the next generation
of professionals.
The document explores why social value in design matters, what trends are driving the agenda, where the key challenges lie and, ultimately,
what designers themselves, both individually and collectively, can do as part of a strategy for conducting their business responsibly. For a 21st
century architectural practice, delivering social value is not just about projects, but process, too.
Turning policy into practice, the 53-page report showcases an extensive gallery of case-studies across six prime built environment sectors;
Infrastructure, Education, Housing, Health, Offices, and Retail. The range of exemplars speaks to the diversity of applications of social value in
design.
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New MD for URETEK UK
URETEK, one of the world’s leading contractors specialised in geopolymer technology for ground engineering, has appointed Richard Holmes as
Managing Director of its UK operations.
Richard, a degree educated and chartered engineer, joins URETEK from Keller Geotechnique, where he was Managing Director and brings with
him over 30 years of geotechnical experience amassed having worked around the globe in various construction, tunnelling and mining roles.
“URETEK is an exciting and innovative company with ambitious growth plans for the UK,” said Richard. “My primary role will be to provide
direction and strategy for this growth, whilst also building strong relationships with existing and new customers. The potential of the UK market
is enormous and one of my goals is to ensure it is in the best position possible, with the right people, products and services to capitalise on
these opportunities.”
Richard’s sector experience, having worked with industry leading companies such as Keller, Van Elle and Halcrow, as well as a period of selfemployed
consultancy, equips him ideally with the experience, understanding and industry connections to support URETEK as it continues to
develop the UK geotechnical market.
BDA remind of the importance of hearing
protection
The British Drilling Association (BDA) is issuing a reminder of the
need to wear hearing protection and also the importance of a
thorough understanding of the impact of work-related noise as a
contributor to hearing loss.
In addition to loud noises, such as those typical of standard
penetration test (SPT) or chapping casing, which can have an
immediate impact on hearing, the BDA is also keen to highlight
the damage to gradual hearing loss, which can occur as a result of
prolonged exposure to other work noise at levels above 80dB.
“Put simply, if you need to raise your voice to be heard at 2m
(roughly two arm lengths) the noise will be in excess of 85dB and
hearing protection must be used,” explained Anne Baxter, Chair of
the BDA.
BAM raises £19,000 for charity
Employees at BAM Construct UK stepped, cycled, kicked, bounced
and ran their way through Childhood Cancer Awareness Month in
September and raised an incredible £19,000 for children and young
people’s cancer support charity CLIC Sargent. Hundreds of workers
across the country got involved to show their support and raise vital
funds for children and young people living with cancer.
Highlights during the month included BAM bikers across the regions
cycling 3,910 miles and raising £10,844 in sponsorship, employees
taking 7,079,004 steps as part of a sponsored ’60-Mile Step Challenge,’
raising £2,200, and 96 colleagues from across the UK took part in a
football tournament in Leeds, raising £5,000. A team from its head
office took on the 12k Bear Grylls challenge, which involved eating
meal worms, to raise £500, whilst another BAM team took part in the
world’s longest inflatable challenge raising over £1,000.
Reforming procurement must enable Welsh SMEs
The Wales Audit Office (WAO) has published a report on the current state of public procurement across the nation. Entitled Public Procurement
in Wales, the report found that Welsh public sector bodies spent approximately £6bn on the procurement of goods, services and works. The
auditors have however pointed out ‘notable procurement failures’ across local public institutions in Wales.
“Our findings are clear,” said Huw Vaughan Thomas, auditor general at the WAO. “While public bodies face a range of challenges in a changing
procurement landscape, they can do more to strengthen their procurement arrangements and recent examples highlight the financial and
reputational risks of getting procurement wrong.”
The National Federation of Builders (NFB) believes that based on the scale of the projects undertaken by larger organisations, SMEs are often
overlooked in spite of the expertise and efficiency they bring to the supply chain.
Construction SMEs, in particular, train and retain two-thirds of all construction workers. In addition, for every £1 invested with an SME, 90p
remains locally to train local apprentices, employ local workers, and grow the local economy.
A study by Bangor Law School into the barriers preventing SMEs from securing public sector contracts has helped bring about greater
transparency in public procurement and resulted in more successful bids for SMEs.
The research uncovered a number of flaws, including evidence that public bodies in Wales were not providing sufficient tender evaluation
information. In many cases, they were not even advertising ‘sub-OJEU-level’ contracts (below £130,000), which are of the ideal size for SMEs.
ForViva to fit sprinklers in tower blocks
ForViva has announced plans to fit sprinkler systems at all of its 17 high-rise blocks across the North West. The group, which includes City
West Housing Trust and Villages Housing Association, will carry out a £5m sprinkler programme on 12 blocks in Salford and five in
Knowsley.
The programme of work, which will see sprinklers fitted within apartments and in communal areas, has been approved by ForViva’s Board
following consultation with fire safety experts and regional fire and rescue services.
Work to install the sprinklers will be underway before the end of the year. ForViva will be contacting residents living in the high-rise
buildings to confirm when work will start.
“The safety of customers is an absolute priority for the group,” explained Tim Doyle, Group Chief Executive for ForViva. “That is why we have
taken the decision to carry out this programme of work, which will provide peace of mind for customers living in high-rise blocks.
“We will continue to work with customers throughout the process and make sure they are aware when work will be starting in their
homes.”
November 2017 R6 Refurb retrofit
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Product News
Living the high life
Upgrading the manual access
system to the iconic 23 floor
Sussex Heights building in the
centre of Brighton, TORMAX was
contracted to install two sets of
automatic sliding glass doors,
creating a contemporary
entrance befitting this
prestigious residential tower.
Powered by the incredibly reliable TORMAX iMotion 2202 operator,
the doors silently slide open in tandem, allowing residents and
their guests smooth access into the lobby, whilst minimising heat
loss from the building.
In keeping with the upmarket environment of Sussex Heights, the
old manual swing doors were replaced with an automatic
entrance system more befitting a luxury apartment block.
TORMAX recommended their iMotion 2202 operators to power
the doors as they are housed in a slim casing, making them
particularly unobtrusive and suitable for a sophisticated,
minimalist entrance. Vibration absorbent mountings of the guide
rails ensures elegantly quiet operation.
Understandably security is an important consideration for
residents, and the new TORMAX automatic doors feature an
electro-mechanical locking mechanism to ensure a high level
of burglary protection. They are also certified for rescue
and escape routes.
www.tormax.co.uk
Visit Glass: a new event for the flat
glass industry
Responding to 40% of the 10,000
visitors to the 2017 FIT Show who
declared their interest in seeing
glass products and glass-related
processing equipment and
technology at the event, Visit Glass
will become the first UK exhibition
and forum dedicated to the
manufacture, processing, and
application of flat glass for almost
15 years.
The event is designed to appeal to glass industry professionals,
together with specifiers and buyers of flat glass products and
systems. These include insulated glass units, architectural glass,
processed flat glass for all non-glazing applications including
kitchens, bedrooms, bathrooms, and the furniture industry; and
glass for interiors including offices and decorative interior design
schemes.
Prompted by the visitor feedback, the organisers of the FIT show
carried out further research into the viability of such an event and
were told that professionals operating in the sector would respond
positively for something created specifically to address the unique
needs of the UK flat glass industry, one that continues to undergo
substantial technological and market changes.
Visit Glass will take place alongside the FIT Show in May 2019 at the
NEC.
www.fitshow.co.uk/visitglass
A4 Fasteners lead with quality &
sustainability
Developer and client demands for building envelopes which offer
outstanding build-quality in the long term, and enhance the overall
green credentials of the finished building, are driving increased
interest in high performance A4 (316 grade) stainless steel fasteners,
according to global fastener manufacturer SFS.
The company, which pioneered A2 (304 grade)
and A4 (316 grade) stainless steel fasteners for
roofing and cladding in the UK more than
30 years ago, has completed orders for A4
stainless steel fasteners for a string of
high profile building projects during 2017.
These include the stunning new goldenclad
Alchemist bar and restaurant which is
set to be a new landmark at Salford Quays,
the Vita York student complex, the Royal
Liverpool Hospital Life Science Accelerator
building, the Broughton Airbus Building, and several buildings at the
Jaguar Land Rover plant.
The key advantage of A4 fasteners versus A2, which have made an
enormous contribution to improving standards in roofing and
cladding installations in recent years, is that they offer extended
resistance to corrosion. This gives OEMs and contractors the scope
to offer warranties on the building envelope of up to 40 years
(depending on the system and building type/location), an additional
15 years on what A2 fasteners are capable of.
www.sfsintec.co.uk
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Saint-Gobain helps structure
Queensferry Crossing
Saint-Gobain in Scotland
has provided its expertise
and materials to the
construction of the new
Queensferry Crossing, the
2.7km long bridge linking
Edinburgh and Fife.
Saint-Gobain-owned Leca UK, which specialises in the
production of Leca® expanded clay aggregates, supplied 5500m3
(worth £251k) of its lightweight aggregate Leca® LWA 10-20mmR
to be used in the reinforcement of the bridge’s supporting
structure, by raising part of the existing A90 mainline levels and
widening westwards.
LWA density is around 25% of that of conventional fills, so the
team opted for excavating the existing ground to a depth that
allowed for replacement and filling up to the new design level.
This resulted in a net load of zero being applied to the underlying
soft strata, which assured that the post-construction settlement
was kept to a minimum and differential settlement issues
compensated.
Leca’s LWA brought additional short- and long-term benefits, such
as significant time saving in construction duration, which resulted
in minimal disruption and delays to existing road users. This
came with environmental benefits, as there was reduced
congestion and vehicle emissions.
www.saint-gobain.scot

Article
History in the making
Discover how Keymer’s handmade tiles have been used for two challenging restoration projects.
If you care about preserving heritage then
you’ll want to know more about Keymer,
one of the UK’s oldest established roofing
brands. For four and a half centuries it has
manufactured every clay roof tile through
traditional handmade techniques, passed
down through generations.
These handmade tiles are soft and durable
clay products that offer variations in colour,
texture and shape that cannot be replicated
anywhere else. They’ve been relied upon for
some of the country’s most challenging
heritage projects: in May 2016 over 90,000
Keymer Handmade Traditional Plain Tiles (all
handmade!) had been fitted for the roof
restoration of Loseley House, a historical
attraction located near Guildford, Surrey.
It’s a high profile building - drawing
thousands of visitors every year. Not only
that, but it’s used as a prime filming location
for national TV shows such as Midsummer
Murders and The Crown. As such, the
pressure to do a good job was high. Michael
is a direct descendant of original owner Sir
William More and in over 500 years of the
house’s history, very little has been changed
to the exterior of the property – providing an
accurate depiction of the house when first
completed.
So when the time came to replace Loseley
House’s roof – only the second roof in the
history of the home – it was vital that the
product used reflected the property’s rich
heritage and traditional architecture. Michael
More-Molyneux was dissatisfied with the
house’s current slate tile, which replaced the
roof’s original Horsham slab in 1856, and so
sought a softer tile that would be more
reflective of the home’s 16th century origins.
Keymer was the obvious solution when the
family sought to undertake repairs on
Loseley’s roof. The premium handmade tiles
are produced using the original clays of the
South Weald, and perfectly complemented
the heritage look and feel the More-Molyneux
family wished to replicate.
The tiles unique design means that they
weather naturally, and look better with each
year that passes, vital in a heritage project
such as Loseley House. The Keymer
Handmade Traditional Plain Tiles design
contrasts with the house’s hand-made brick.
It results in a country home which flawlessly
preserves its unique heritage and, thanks to
the roof replacement, can be enjoyed for
another 100 years to come. Indeed, the 16th
century building remains beautifully
authentic - vindicating Loseley House owner
Michael More-Molyneux’s choice of Keymer
for the project.
The Keymer brand forms a strong foundation
for the heritage industry in the UK. Even
though it has moved base several times it has
always stuck to its artisan approach. The
handmade process is mesmerising to watch.
Every tile is mixed, moulded, cut and shaped
by hand. The makers use unique
combinations of sand and clay to bring out
special variations of colour and texture. Take
the Keymer Handmade Traditional Plain Tiles
“Keymer handmade clay
tiles are a perfect fit with
the historic property and
its nearby surroundings.
The finished project looks
truly incredible and has
been much admired by
the local community”
for example: to get the vibrant, warmth of
colour they once used the specific local, rich
Wealden red clay. Furthermore, every Keymer
tile is uniquely marked by its maker - the
impression of their hand is left on every tile.
Before we tell you about another project let’s
take a quick glance at the Keymer range,
looking at two products in particular. We’ve
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November 2017 R6

already mentioned the first: The Keymer
Traditional Tile, a genuine handmade British
clay tile that has its own inimitable style.
Produced in three colours – Antique,
Elizabethan and Wealden Red – it is designed
to make your project look outstanding. Every
tile weathers naturally to look better and
improve with every passing year.
Keymer’s Heritage range is also extremely
impressive, including traditional terracotta
roof finials, ball finials and ridge tiles, as well
as the more unusual. Gargoyles, imps and the
impressive Wyvern – are available to help
make every roof that little bit special.
Award-winning and experienced renovator
Tim Pitt chose Keymer for the reroofing of
The Old Vicarage in Suffolk. His aim was to
keep the historic integrity of the Grade 2
listed building whilst creating a comfortable
and insulated family home. With that in mind,
he chose Keymer’s Traditional handmade
tiles in Antique and Elizabethan colours in
order to ensure a sympathetic renovation to
complement a beautiful building.
The building had evolved in three stages -
from Tudor origins right through to a
substantial Georgian extension. Tim took the
decision to sympathetically repair the outside
of the house completely, as the render and
roof were in poor repair. The facade was
painstakingly repaired to its former glory by
replacing the lime/horsehair plaster and
finishing with a lime wash. There was
evidence of earlier chevron pargeting on the
front of the building, which was carefully
recorded and re-instated.
Tim installed as much insulation as possible
to the spaces between the beams and a layer
of breather membrane immediately behind
the plaster. The same level of insulation was
repeated below the Keymer roof tiles. Due to
the Grade 2 status of the property, it was
essential to the success of the reroofing stage
that the tiles chosen fitted in with the overall
character and quality of the building. By
selecting a 50/50 mix of Keymer’s Traditional
Elizabethan and Antique tiles, the period
property now boasts the use of beautiful
handmade heritage products.
The renovation project was undertaken by
the house owner after gaining previous
experience working on awarding-winning
Grade 1 listed properties. The property, listed
in 1961, hadn’t been over-modernised by the
previous owners but needed a lot of
sympathetic care and painstaking attention in
consequence to bring it back to its former
glory. The Keymer handmade clay roof tiles
replaced the peg tiles expected to be seen on
a house of this period and location. The
owner considered these to be a very
significant improvement - the machine made
plain tiles that had been laid previously kept
slipping and falling from the roof.
Christine Leadbeater, Client Development
Manager for Keymer, commented: “The
Keymer team here at Wienerberger are very
proud to have been involved with such a
prestigious project, helping Tim rescue the
property from years of decline. The Old
Vicarage is now a very impressive home and
we were thrilled to have been able to support
him to achieve his vision. Keymer handmade
clay tiles are a perfect fit with the historic
property and its nearby surroundings. The
finished project looks truly incredible and has
been much admired by the local community.”
Tim Pitt is also very proud of the project and
the results. He commented: “I selected
Keymer tiles for the re-roofing of The Old
Vicarage as they are the best hand made tiles
on the market. When I first purchased the
property I was planning to replace the leaking
roof with machine made plain tiles but after
doing some research, I found that Keymer’s
Traditional Elizabethan and Antique
handmade clay tiles were undoubtedly the
closest match to the peg tiles I would have
expected to see on a house of this period and
location. I’m delighted with the outcome and
very happy with how the new roof looks.”
For specifiers, architects and roofers, there is
no better roofing aesthetic available than
Keymer's hand made clay tiles, whether they
are used for a new build or the restoration of
a historical landmark.
For more information on Wienerberger please
visit www.wienerberger.co.uk. Follow
Wienerberger on Twitter at
twitter.com/wienerbergeruk
For more information about Keymer
handmade clay tiles visit their website.
www.keymer.co.uk
November 2017 R6 Refurb retrofit
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Article
Aspiration > Action
When it comes to managing carbon, the construction sector understands why it should be doing something, but not how,
according to an industry-wide survey of contracting organisations and supply-chain companies.
Shaun
McCarthy OBE,
Director of
Action
Sustainability
and Chair of
the Supply
Chain
Sustainability
School
The survey was undertaken by the
Supply Chain Sustainability School, in
association with The Carbon Trust
and UK Green Building Council (UKGBC).
Findings show that although business is
clearly sold on the importance of carbon
reduction and efficiency, it is proving slow to
turn intention into action and implement
strategies, or put in place key practices. Whilst
most companies measure carbon and have
targets, more than a third do not, with very
few working towards formal standards.
The figures support a growing sense of
concern that the industry is currently failing
to get to grips with responsibilities around
carbon, as well as the opportunities involved,
leaving firms exposed to future business risk,
argues Chair of the Supply Chain School,
Shaun McCarthy OBE.
“The Government’s Construction 2025
strategy calls for a 50% reduction in carbon
Dominic
Burbridge,
Associate
Director, The
Carbon Trust
emissions,” he said. “Industry support for the
target in principle is not, however, adequately
manifest in practice, with the Survey
revealing a clear disconnect between
aspiration and action. As a result, we are
facing the need for a step change in our
approach to carbon - in terms of both what
we build and how we build it - before
disruptive players enter the marketplace to
profound effect."
The commercial business case for carbon
management nevertheless remains strong
and clear, especially as the likes of
infrastructure clients become more
demanding, raising expectations for
subcontractors and suppliers.
“Main contractors recognise that, in many
cases, where there is carbon there is cost,”
said Associate Director at The Carbon Trust,
Dominic Burbridge. “Around 95% of the UK’s
construction spending is channelled through
these main contractors. Over the next five
years this will amount to some £400bn,
across the 600 projects that are in the
National Infrastructure Pipeline, so the cost
reduction opportunities from taking action on
emissions are enormous.”
What is needed, going forward, is a
combination of courage and conviction to
drive transformation, plus clarity of purpose
to set and achieve meaningful goals,
concludes Cat Hirst, Director of Learning &
Innovation, UKGBC.
“Our industry recognises that carbon
reduction is good for business,” she told us.
“What we need now is ambition and bold
leadership to make the step change -
incremental reduction in carbon just isn’t
enough.
“Through our global network, UKGBC is
working with industry to deliver 100% net
zero carbon buildings by 2050, and this clear
target will provide us with a focus that
businesses can get behind, and against which
supply chains can deliver.”
Given the range of advice, guidance, learning
resources, project programmes, networks,
assurance and certification available through
the School, The Carbon Trust, UKGBC and
others, the call to construction is to turn
good intentions into sustainable actions and
bridge the disconnect on carbon.
Cat Hirst, Director
of Learning &
Innovation,
UKGBC
Key Figures & Findings from the
Carbon Survey:
Top-line data shows strong support
from respondents for carbon
management, in principle:
• Almost 9 out of 10 (89%) believe
carbon reduction and efficiency is
good for business;
• Most (59%) now measure carbon,
although over a third (34%) still do
not.
Breaking down the responses in
detail, however, reveals a level of
disconnect between aspiration and
action amongst companies
measuring carbon, with failure to
account for supply chain impacts
common, in practice:
• Almost 9 out of 10 (89%) actually
know what they measure;
• However, nearly 7 out of 10 (69%)
measure just their own direct
impact; and
• Only 2 out of 10 measure their
supply chain, too.
Ultimately, the typical approach to
achieving carbon targets in
construction at present appears to
lack the necessary rigour:
• More than half (56%) have targets
for carbon; but
• Fewer than 1 in 5 (18%) are working
towards formal standards.
12 Refurb retrofit
magazine
November 2017 R6

Supply Chain School: www.supplychainschool.co.uk
Action Sustainability (the Delivery Partner for the School): www.actionsustainability.com
World Green Building Council: www.worldgbc.org/advancing-net-zero
UK Green Building Council (UKGBC): www.ukgbc.org
The Carbon Trust: www.carbontrust.com
November 2017 R6 Refurb retrofit
magazine
13

Article
Warmer homes = healthy homes
Warmer homes can improve the health of social housing tenants - and reduce NHS service use, according to health economists
at Bangor University.
Research has revealed how housing
improvements can lead to health
benefits. Working with Gentoo
housing association and Nottingham City
Homes, Health Economists at the University’s
Centre for Health Economics & Medicines
Evaluation (CHEME) evaluated the costs and
outcomes
associated with
social housing
improvements,
and found a link
between warmer
homes and
improved health
for social
housing tenants
- and reduced
NHS service use.
The results,
published in the
International
Journal of Public
Health, showed
that retrofitting
new energy
efficient combiboilers
and double-glazed windows has a
positive impact on the health status, health
service use, and fuel poverty risk of social
housing tenants.
Bangor University’s Professor Rhiannon Tudor
Edwards and Dr Nathan Bray provided Health
Economics support from the University’s
Centre for Health Economics and Medicines
Evaluation to the Warm Homes for Health
Project.
“A year after receiving housing improvements
from Gentoo, tenants reported improved
health status, less use of outpatient and
emergency NHS services, that they could heat
an extra room in their home, and that they felt
more secure financially with respect to fuel
bills,” explained Professor Edwards.
Dr Bray added, “This was a group of tenants
with considerable ill health and financial
deprivation, who experienced a number of
significant benefits after receiving housing
modifications to
improve the
warmth of their
homes.”
Using an historical
cohort study
design costs and
outcomes of
retrofitting social
housing
improvements
were examined.
Over 470 social
housing tenants
from nearly 230
households in
Sunderland were
surveyed both
Dr Nathan Bray
before and 12
months after
installation of new boilers and double glazed
windows by Gentoo, at no cost to the tenants.
The cohort proved to be highly
socioeconomically deprived; the vast majority
of households had an income of less than
£15,000 per year. Recruitment was staggered
to counter any effect of seasonality. On
average the cost of completing the housing
improvements was £3725 per household.
After the housing improvements had been
installed, six month household health service
use costs reduced by £95 per home, equating
to a 16% reduction in household NHS costs.
On average a 69% reduction in hospital
outpatient appointments was observed per
household, as well as a 46% reduction in
accident and emergency attendance and a
10% reduction in GP visits. For this cohort of
228 homes alone it is estimated that the NHS
saved over £20,000 in six months after
completion of the housing improvements. It
was also found that the health status of main
tenants significantly increased by almost 8%
and financial satisfaction increased by 7%.
Additionally, small non-significant
improvements to main tenant happiness, life
satisfaction, anxiety and well-being were also
found.
After the home improvements were
completed, most households were able to
heat all rooms in the home, where previously
most households left one room unheated due
to energy costs. Furthermore, over a third of
households were no longer spending 10% or
more of their income on energy bills, a key
indication of reduced fuel poverty.
“More needs to be done to ensure that
everyone in the UK lives in a ‘healthy’ home
which is warm and free from damp,”
concluded Professor Edwards. “This research
could influence healthcare commissioners,
councils and housing associations to work
together to improve health through better
housing.
“There is a real need to improve housing in the
UK: it is estimated that almost 44,000 more
deaths occur during the coldest months of the
year compared to the rest of the year. Chronic
illnesses, such as respiratory disease, are
exacerbated by cold and damp homes and
contribute to these avoidable excess winter
deaths.”
Health and Care Research Wales have funded
PhD student Eira Winrow (CHEME, Bangor
University) to further investigate the impact of
housing on health and NHS expenditure.
www.cheme.bangor.ac.uk
14 Refurb retrofit
magazine
November 2017 R6

FLG Services boosts construction sector’s
provision of on-site life-saving equipment
The lifting and safety specialist has become one of the first equipment hire providers to offer shorter rental periods for the
hire of portable, public access defibrillators.
Until now defibrillators have generally been available on a long-term lease or had
to be purchased. They will now be available for hire from FLG Services with a
minimum hire period of just one week.
With cardiac arrest among construction workers on the increase, this new product and
flexible options for hire could increase the chance of survival.
FLG Services has made a significant investment in the HeartSine Samaritan PAD 500P with
integrated CPR Advisor. The defibrillator delivers a life saving shock and provides real-time
visual and verbal feedback to guide the rescuer on the force and rate of Cardiopulmonary
Resuscitation (CPR) compressions based on real time patient impedance.
The HeartSine
Samaritan PAD 500P
with integrated CPR
Advisor now available
for short hire periods
from FLG Services
Survival rates can increase up to 74 per cent if CPR and a shock from an Automated
External Defibrillator (AED) are provided within three minutes of collapse.
The life saving equipment is contained in a high visibility 'tough box' and has the highest
industry rating for the protection against dust and water. It has the fastest time to ‘first
shock delivery’ with a charging time of eight seconds.
Danny Smalldridge, of FLG Services, a division of A-Plant, said the new defibrillators have been launched to coincide with FLG Services’ safety
week starting on October 16th.
“We are extremely pleased to be one of the first specialist hire providers to offer defibrillators on a national basis, for short rental periods,
providing companies with greater flexibility than ever before to look after the needs of people working on construction sites.
“The HeartSine Samaritan PAD 500P is used in more than 40 countries and has delivered many life-saving shocks across the world.
“With cardiac arrest among construction workers on the increase, it is vital that companies have the right equipment available to significantly
improve the chance of survival if someone goes into sudden cardiac arrest.”
www.flgservices.co.uk
November 2017 R6 Refurb retrofit
magazine
15

Article
Is it safe, is it legal?
Following on from Fire Door Safety Week in September, Allegion UK Commercial Leader Pete Hancox offers some valuable tips
on how to keep your fire doors working as they should – and keep you on the right side of the law.
Pete Hancox
Following the Grenfell Tower tragedy,
fire safety is now at the forefront of our
minds. Worryingly, safety checks
currently underway on numerous multioccupancy
buildings throughout the UK
have revealed that many fire doors are in a
poor state of repair, and that in some
instances fire doors are missing from
compartments altogether.
It’s vital for anyone responsible for the safety
of occupants to ensure that fire doors are
regularly inspected and maintained in safe
working order. These simple checks can assist
you in determining whether your fire doors
are in a good state of repair and will perform
as required or whether you need to take
action to correct any defects. If in
any doubt, seek professional
advice from an
accredited fire door
inspector or fire door
manufacturer.
Door Leaf &
Frame
Firstly, it’s
important to
determine
whether the door
in question is
actually a certified
fire door. Check the
door for a BWF-
CERTIFIRE Fire Door and
Doorset Scheme label - visit
bwfcertifire.org.uk to find out what to look
out for. If not present, assume that the door is
not a certified fire door and seek professional
advice.
Once you can be sure that the doorset is
properly certified as a fire door, it’s important
to check that the door leaf and frame are free
from damage to ensure that the door set
functions correctly in the event of fire. Look
for dents, holes or chips, particularly at the
edges of the door and frame. If a door stop is
present, make sure that it is properly
fixed in place and that the door
leaf is free from distortion as
its rests against the stop.
The frame should be
securely fixed to
surrounding structure
and the gap between
the door leaf and
frame should be no
more than 3mm.
Threshold
There should be a
consistent gap
under the door that
allows it to swing
without touching the
floorcovering. The gap should be
in accordance with the door
manufacturer’s installation
instructions for the particular
16

...All fire doors must
be signed correctly
so users know how
they should be used.
They should be
clearly visible, easy
to read and
understand quickly,
which is crucial in
the event of an
emergency...
doorset design. If smoke seals are fitted, they
should give an even contact with the floor
but not interfere with the closing action of
the door.
Door Furniture
Check door lever handles for smooth
operation and that they freely return to
horizontal positions. If they don’t, there
could be a problem opening the
door in the event of an
emergency, or the door
closing correctly to
maintain fire integrity.
Check that pull handles are
securely fixed.
Exit Devices
If fire doors are on an escape
route, they must be able to
open without keys in the
direction of escape and must be
able to be easily operational.
Exit devices such as panic bars or
emergency exit hardware must
function correctly so that people
can immediately exit through the doorway
when required. Check that fixings are tight on
the device, the bolts, and the strikes, and that
the door opens freely when the exit device is
actuated.
Hinges
Hinges should be certified with a CE stamp or
the BS EN 1935 grade 13 marking. All fire
doors must have a minimum of three hinges
per leaf and all screws must be tight and
hinges should be free of metal fragments and
oil leakage.
Locks & Latches
The latch or deadbolt should engage fully
with the strike plate. If the door does not
latch fully to the door frame, smoke and
flame could escape around the door, which
can cause visibility and breathing problems
during a fire and potentially allow the fire to
spread.
Door Closers
Check that the closer is
securely fixed to the
door and frame and that
there are no visible
signs of damage or
leaking oil from the
closer. The closer
should hold the door
firmly in the frame
when unlatched.
Open the door to a 5°
angle, or to 75mm, and
release; the door should
close fully into the
frame and engage the
latch. If hung in pairs,
open both doors; they
should close in line if
they are both opened
and released together.
Hold-Open Devices
Hold-open devices, such as electro-magnetic
closers, are the only way fire doors can be
held open legally. They should release the
door immediately when the fire alarm is
sounded and close the door fully into the
frame.
Signage
All fire doors must be signed correctly so
users know how they should be used. They
should be clearly visible, easy to read and
understand quickly, which is crucial in the
event of an emergency.
Door Seals
As smoke spread is an even greater threat to
life and property than flames, fire doors must
be fitted with intumescent seals to stop the
ingress of smoke around the door edges. The
seals should be well-attached inside the
groove cut into the door or the frame. Make
sure that they are in good condition and
specified to the fire rating and function of
the fire door.
Glazing & Glass
Glazing in fire doors is an important safety
measure as it lets people see potential
hazards, but it can create a point of
weakness. Make sure that intumescent
seals attached to the glass and beading
are continuous and free from damage,
as it’s their job to hold the glass firmly in
place and prevent fire and smoke from
passing through. Safety glass must be
used in glazing panels below
1500mm from the bottom of the
door and if glass is at any time
replaced it must be fire-rated.
Make sure you check for a kite
mark on the glass.
If fire doors do not meet all
of these criteria, then they
may not function correctly in
the event of a fire. That’s why it’s so
important to carry out these simple checks –
they could help you save lives.
If you suspect that your fire doors do not
meet the required standards it’s important to
seek professional advice.
www.allegion.com/uk/firedoorsafety
November 2017 R6 Refurb retrofit
magazine
17

Article
It’s all about MEES…
New property regulations are coming into force next year, and East Anglian surveyors, property consultants and estate agents
Fenn Wright’s senior surveyor John Birchall MRICS is advising commercial landlords to act now.
John Birchall
MRICS
From 1st April 2018, under the new
Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards
(MEES), commercial landlords will not
be able to grant new tenancies for
properties with an Energy Performance
Certificate (EPC) rating of band F or G.
Additionally, from the 1st April 2023,
landlords must not continue letting a nondomestic
property which is already let if
the property has an EPC rating of band F or
G. We are urging landlords to deal with any
EPC issues prior to this implementation of
MEES next year.
As of April 2018 the local Trading Standards
Office will enforce a maximum fine of
£150,000 and minimum fine of £5,000
against those who fail to meet the MEES
criteria.
There are some exemptions which can be
sought, although it’s worth noting that all
exemptions are owner specific, and are ever
evolving. If a sale takes place the new owner
will be required to either improve or seek a
new exemption.
Now is the time to deal with EPC issues,
even if there is an existing tenancy in place
or a new letting to conclude prior to the
implementation of MEES. Any new lease
could be negotiated to include green clauses
which would enable the landlord and tenant
to work together to improve the efficiency
of the building – protecting the long-term
life of the building, and reducing running
costs for the tenant.
Highlighting the urgency of this, a recent
incident nearly resulted in a deal falling
through for a commercial property
purchaser.
The retail property was the subject of a
private sale with completion required for all
parties in quite tight timeframes. Fenn
Wright were
instructed by
one of the big
four banks to
value the
property and
quickly
identified
that the EPC,
dating from
2012, had a
rating of G,
and so
would fall
foul of the
upcoming
regulatory
change.
We
advised the
bank of the issue and worked with the client
to move matters forward.
The client, who was the tenant as well as the
purchaser, came to Fenn Wright for advice
due to the vendor threatening to withdraw
from the transaction, as they did not
perceive the EPC to be an issue. The bank
however, needed comfort that their security
was not at risk and simply could not lend
without knowing what work would have to
be undertaken.
After studying the original EPC report we
identified a number of recommendations
that appeared to
have already been
met as part of the
tenants initial shopfit
works. We liaised
with a local energy
assessor to carry out
a new report and
secured a new EPC
rating of D.
Once in receipt of the
new EPC, the bank and
client completed the
purchase the same day.
Often when
undertaking shop-fit
works, older inefficient
forms of lighting,
heating and cooling may
well be replaced with more modern efficient
methods.
In this instance, if the owner or tenant had
obtained a new EPC after completing works,
there would be little concern with the rollout
of MEES!
www.fennwright.co.uk
18 Refurb retrofit
magazine
November 2017 R6

Tridonic’s EM ready2apply: an ‘out of the box‘ solution for emergency
lighting
• Recessed emergency downlight
• New battery technology delivers 3-year guarantee
• Maintained and non-maintained variants available
Tridonic's EM ready2apply
is a new, ‘out of the box‘
emergency lighting
solution that gives installers
& FM managers a product
combining advanced battery technology with the latest in emergency lighting components. This
is the company‘s first stand-alone emergency luminaire and it is a highly effective solution to the
problem of reliable and compact emergency lighting. Uniting Tridonic’s lighting expertise with
some of the most rigorous testing processes to deliver a product that sets a bench mark for
future emergency lighting solutions.
Chris Slattery, Global Product Manager for Emergency Lighting, explained: "Our aim was simple.
Design a compact and easy to install product that fits through a minimal cut-out and into an
ever-diminishing ceiling void. The solution encompasses sufficient power to exceed the necessary performance figures, exceeds all
lifetime and safety requirements, and gives users the options on installation with a multi-optic design.”
The EM ready2apply includes interchangeable lens design, giving users a choice of how they want the product to perform without
stocking separate units, the "BlackBox" monitoring gives over 40 data points, the design for manufacture reduces operation steps to
provide a cost and time efficient production, and ultrasonic welding is used to finally seal the housing shut.
EM Built in
EM Top view
www.tridonic.com
GRP door & window canopies from Canopies UK
We have supplied more than
30,000 canopies throughout the UK to housing associations,
contractors, house builders and local authorities.
With a standard range of pop pular canopy designs, a bespoke manufacturing facility and
installation service if required, Canopies UK offer the complete solution.
Free site visit
CAD drawings
Full fixing kits
Delivery nationwide
Specification sheets
Installation if required
For a quote call Greg now on:
T: 01254 777002
M: 07846 423812
www.canopiesuk.co.ukk
Email:
greg@
@canopiesuk.co.uk
November 2017 R6
Refurb
retrofit 19
magazine

Building Envelope
Selecting the right door canopy
Space is a key factor in all refurbishments and retrofits, which is why maximising it, both
indoors and out, is key to delivering the best possible results.
Jason Eastwood
The Princess door canopy
The Royale door canopy
Door canopy installation
While they may only form a small
element of a refurb or retrofit, door
canopies can play a huge part in
the end result. Not only can they finish off a
project perfectly, they can instantly add a
touch of individuality and aesthetic appeal
too.
Jason Eastwood, Managing Director of
Canopies UK, the country’s leading designer,
manufacturer and installer of high quality
canopies, shares some best practice advice on
selecting the right door canopy for the project
at hand.
Door canopies might make up a small
proportion of an overall building, but that
doesn’t mean that they should be overlooked
or treated as an afterthought.
Get them right and door canopies can help
give properties that professional, high quality
finish. However, get them wrong, and they can
look out of place and compromise the overall
look and feel.
But there’s no reason why door canopies
should be classed as the latter, not if you take
the time to do your research and ask yourself
these key questions beforehand:
‘What are they made from?’
As obvious as it may sound, not all door
canopies are made from the same materials.
Some are made from concrete or timber,
which involve long-term maintenance costs.
Others, on the other hand, are manufactured
using GRP, which is highly durable and
maintenance-free.
It’s all very well your project looking good the
moment you’ve finished it, but how’s it going
to look five years down the line?
Unfortunately, all buildings do age and the
fewer features it happens to, the better,
entrance or porch canopy included, especially
as they’re one of the first features people see.
‘How are they manufactured?’
We’re not saying that you need to know about
the precise ins and outs of your
manufacturer’s processes, but it is extremely
useful for you to have some knowledge of the
standards that they work to.
Do their canopies conform to BS6399-3 and
European Standard EN1991-1-3:2003? And do
they use the highest quality gel coats and
moulds and durable paint?
Yes, they may seem like minor details, but it’s
this type of detail that will help ensure that the
canopies you choose a) conform with industry
regulations and b) are built to last. In turn, this
will help your project look the part for many
years to come.
‘What are the design options available
to you?’
Door canopies are available in a whole host of
different sizes and designs. Take our range, for
instance, we offer nine different styles, ranging
from flat roof and apex, to hipped roof and
bespoke. They can come with curved legs,
straight legs and in finishes, such as slate, too,
as well as match a particular garden/home.
If you truly want your door canopy to give
your project that extra edge, then you need to
spend time on carefully choosing which
design you’re going to go for. The type of roof
on the property you’re working with can be a
key influencer. For example, if it’s hipped then
you might want to complement it with a
canopy that’s hipped, but if you want
something different, then you might want to
go for a flat roof instead.
‘What about installation?’
So, you’ve shopped around, done your
research and found the door canopy that’s
going to complement your project perfectly.
That’s the hard work over, right?
Wrong. How it’s installed can also impact the
end result. Door canopies need to be properly
installed, anything less could wind up with
them looking unprofessional and involve ongoing
maintenance and problems.
Where possible, your door canopy supplier
should make installation as quick and easy for
you as possible. That’s why we make sure that
our canopies are delivered fully assembled
with full fixing kits and we offer an installation
service too, which can be useful if you’ve got a
shortage of skilled site workers.
Both refurb and retrofit projects can be made
to look and feel far more appealing, not to
mention inviting, with the addition of a door
canopy. However, with all key features, it’s
important you select the right options, which
is where the questions above can help you.
They are by no means exhaustive, but do
provide you with some best practice pointers
on how to make sure you get your door
canopy decision right, every time.
www.canopiesuk.co.uk
20 Refurb retrofit
magazine
November 2017 R6

Building Envelope
Crittall reinforces Mayfair chic
One of Mayfair’s most prestigious apartment blocks has undergone a transformative refurbishment with a major contribution
from Crittall Windows.
Chesterfield House, close to Park Lane, was built in the late 1930s
on the site of a Georgian mansion of the same name.
The nine-storey mansarded block comprises 105 flats providing residents
with high specification accommodation and a full porterage service.
The refurbishment works called for the removal of all existing original steel
windows and their timber subframes which were then replaced with new
timber subframes clad externally with special aluminium extrusions to
ensure the external surfaces were maintenance free.
New Crittall Homelight Plus double-glazed self-cleaning windows were
then installed into the subframes.
“The original windows were Crittall and Westminster Council planners
insisted that there should be a like-for-like replacement,” says Annika Blixt,
General Manager of Chesterfield House Management who considered
various alternative suppliers but concluded that Crittall’s proposals best
replicated the general appearance of the building while improving the
insulation value of the fenestration.
For more information contact: www.crittall-windows.co.uk
Chesterfield House, has undergone a
transformative refurbishment with a major
contribution from Crittall Windows
Under one roof
Marley Eternit launches new Roof System Specification Guide
Marley Eternit is helping to make roof system specification easier with the launch of
a new version of its popular roofing guide.
The 2017 Roof Systems Specification Guide now includes all of the information architects
need to design and specify a complete pitched roof system, ensuring compliance with BS
5534 and reducing the risk of product substitution.
Marley Eternit’s new guide covers more roofing elements than ever before, from battens and
underlay to clay and concrete tiles, fibre cement slates, profiled sheeting, shingles and shakes,
right through to ventilation and fixings. It covers all aspects of roofing design and practice,
including building regulations and standards, as well as the management of condensation,
thermal insulation and weather resistance.
Alex Gill from Marley Eternit, explains: “Just like the rest of the construction industry, we know
that architects and other specifiers are increasingly stretched. With more projects, less time,
new innovations and changing regulations, they can’t be experts on all products. That’s
where support from manufacturers is vital and resources like our new Roof System
Specification Guide can be invaluable. We’re sure that this new, more comprehensive, guide
will prove even more popular than previous editions.
“Recent figures from the NBS Specification survey show that 78 per cent of respondents think product substitution is still an issue in the industry, so
there is a clear role for manufacturers to support specifiers in developing robust specifications that protect design intent. Using a complete tested
roof system from Marley Eternit can help specifiers take greater control of the supply chain, with less risk of product substitution further down the
line. It also delivers clear levels of accountability and integration, giving greater protection to specifiers by helping to reduce risk to their design
liability.”
Marley Eternit offers the most comprehensive pitched roof system on the market, with more elements guaranteed to work together than any other
manufacturer and a fifteen year system guarantee.
To download your copy of the new Roof System Specification Guide, or request a hard copy, visit www.marleyeternit.co.uk/roofingguide
22 Refurb retrofit
magazine
November 2017 R6

Building Envelope
Finding the way to fire safety
Since the tragic events at Grenfell Tower back in June this year, fire safety has been at the forefront of everybody’s minds. Many
questions have rightly been raised, and whilst some will not be answered until the outcome of the public inquiry is known, this
is no time for the construction industry to stand still.
One of the biggest stumbling blocks in
trying to deal with the hundreds of
existing buildings needing remedial
work is the lack of clear guidance, and the
amount of misunderstanding about the
solutions that are available.
It is crucial, therefore, to know what to look
for, before rushing in to replace one façade
system with another that may not deliver the
desired results. The reason for this caution is
the diverse range of materials and designs for
façade systems on buildings over 18 metres,
combined with complexity of fire dynamics at
such heights, making it crucial that the fire
performance of the complete façade system is
carefully assessed.
However, many systems are approved through
a basic, tick-box, ‘Linear Route to Compliance’,
which relies on small scale testing of individual
products.
Is it really non-combustible?
This ‘Linear’ approach is outlined in Approved
Document B2 (ADB2) Section B4-12 -
Construction of external walls , for England
and Wales, and Technical Handbook Section 2
(THB2) for Scotland. It allows façade systems
which use ‘non-combustible’ insulation
(Scotland) or ‘non-combustible’ and ‘limited
combustibility’ insulation (England & Wales) to
be deemed compliant on buildings over 18
metres, so long as performance requirements
for the façade cladding panels are also met.
Façade cladding panels must be either noncombustible,
low risk / Class 0 or Class 1
depending on country, position on building
and location of the building in relation to its
‘relevant’ boundary.
There are several potentially serious issues
with this approach. ‘Non-combustible’, ‘limited
combustibility’, ‘Class 0 / Low Risk’ and ‘Class 1’
classifications of insulation and façade
materials are made solely through small scale
tests on isolated product samples. In the case
of BS 476-6:1989+A1:2009 (the test used to
assess surface spread of flame) the product
specimen measures just 225mm x 225mm. No
consideration is given to how the elements
will perform when combined as part of a
complete system.
Furthermore, this route can also allow systems
containing large quantities of combustible
materials (such as binders, sealants, vapour
barriers, tapes and helping hand bracket
thermal breaks) to be deemed automatically
compliant.
Systems incorporating ‘non-combustible’
insulation in combination with combustible
rainscreens have already been shown to fail
when tested to BS 8414. Indeed, during the
Department for Community and Local
Government’s testing programme, the
construction featuring mineral fibre insulation
with a polyethylene core ACM failed over a
minute and a half before the relative
construction with PIR insulation.
Large Scale Testing
ADB2 and THB2 also refer to a route to
compliance for façade fire performance, using
the large-scale test - BS 8414 - in tandem with
BR 135: ‘Fire performance of external thermal
insulation for walls of multi-storey buildings’,
which provides clear pass/fail criteria for the
assessment of façade systems.
The BS 8414 test is designed to replicate a fire
starting inside a room, breaking out through a
window and exposing the external façade to
fire. The complete façade system is erected on
an 8 metre test wall and exposed to flames
from a combustion chamber at its base for 30
minutes. This is not a test of individual
products. Only the complete external façade
system that was tested can be deemed
compliant via this test, providing a clear
assessment of how a fully installed insulated
façade system will perform in the event of a
fire.
Safety First
Whether buildings are being upgraded, or
remedial work is being undertaken, occupant
safety must always be the foremost concern.
To deliver this, it is vital that the limitations of
the linear route to compliance are fully
acknowledged and that large-scale system
testing is used as the benchmark for true
performance.
For further information and technical support,
please contact 01544 387 384 or email
info@kingspaninsulation.co.uk
www.kingspaninsulation.co.uk
24 Refurb retrofit
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November 2017 R6

Two successful launches for RCM
The complete through-wall solutions provider RCM managed to complete two successful launches in just one month alone – a
brand new website and a new eye-catching exhibition stand.
RCM’s new website
www.buildingboards.co.uk offers
visitors a great depth of information at
their fingertips. Navigation on the new site
has also been well designed and visitors can
now easily find their way around the site in
no time at all.
The main Navigation button on the site on the
top right-hand corner is split into the main
product sections: building boards, facades,
airtightness solutions and fixings and
insulation. Within each of these categories
there is a product overview, as well as
technical data and downloadable certificates
of conformity and declarations of performance
(where applicable).
Full case studies are also available to
download. Further a new feature has been
introduced: the Sample Basket. This is where
visitors will be able to order their samples
online with only a few simple clicks.
Rich photography of products used in projects,
shown in and on buildings, further enhance
the user’s visual experience of the site.
RCM is looking forward to growing the site
organically, as more products and projects, as
well as case studies and news stories are
added over time.
“We are excited about our new website launch
and the great wealth of information it provides
for customers and visitors alike. We believe
that our new site will allow our visitors to have
an informative experience as we continue to
grow and increase our presence in the
market.” (Ian Quinton, Managing Director,
RCM)
The other major launch this month was the
newly designed and built RCM exhibition
stand, which premiered at the recent Timber
Expo, UK Construction Week at the NEC on
10th – 12th October.
The eye-catching stand has been built to a
large extent out of Cemboard, RCM’s very own
building-board. Some of the walls as well as
the floor were made out of this board with its
distinctive grey colour. This further enhanced
all the colourful façade samples and the
Supertech cladding RCM have to offer, which
were cleverly displayed for visitors to admire
Another attractive design feature was achieved
using eight revolving through-wall solution
models, which showed the materials involved
in different through-wall solutions. This
provided visitors with a real understanding of
how the different materials fit together, as well
as being a tactile object which could be
further explored by rotating the model and
looking at it from several angles.
During the recent Timber Expo show at the
NEC in Birmingham, RCM received numerous
complementary comments about the new
stand design and its features. RCM are
planning to use the new stand at the RCI
show, which will be held at the Ricoh arena in
Coventry on 1st and 2nd November (stand
number: J5).
“I am proud of our team at RCM for achieving
such a lot in such little time. The exhibition
stand is a perfect vehicle for RCM to showcase
our products in the best possible light.
Facades are on
show in various
colours, as is the
colour range of
Supertech
Weatherboard, our
rainscreen
cladding system.
Small building
board samples are
also incorporated,
so visitors are able
to take samples
with them on the
day. Best of all is
the fact that most
of the stand is
built out of
Cemboard, RCM’s
very own high-performance cement bonded
particle building board.
A great stand all round – useful and visually
pleasing!” (Dai Roberts, Sales Director, RCM)
About RCM
Established in 2004, RCM is a major
supplier of complete through wall
solutions to the UK construction
industry.
Supplying specialist building boards,
façades, breather membranes and
airtightness solutions, RCM offers a
fully integrated approach to the
building envelope whilst delivering on
time and budget.
RCM are a market leader in providing
innovative products and solutions
designed and tested to meet the
demanding needs of construction.
Specified for use in external façades,
fire protection, acoustic, airtightness
and decorative applications, our
extensive portfolio has been installed
on many of the UK’s largest projects.
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November 2017 R6
Refurb
retrofit 25
magazine

Interiors
Removing old floor coatings
Terrco - grinding
concrete to receive resin
The Preparation Group specialises in environmentally friendly solutions for preparing, cleaning and finishing surfaces. Its
contracting division PPC, was recently employed to remove 1-2mm of epoxy resin from the 840m 2 concrete subfloor of a
Howden’s warehouse, ready for the application of a single pack coating.
The company used its 250 Planer fitted
with a milling drum, removing the
flexible resin material which varied in
thickness and cutting into it with minimum
damage to the background surface. After
planing, the floor was ground with the heavy
duty Terrco® 2000 Grinding and Polishing
machine to create a perfectly smooth, flat
‘profile’ suitable for the application of the
final thin coating system.
Planing
When selecting a Planer, it is important to look
for machines that are simple to use and that
offer precision cutting. The 250 Planer benefits
from both lever and wheel drum lowering
devices and no complicated switches. You
simply turn on/off and lower the drum.
In planing, there are four main types of quick
change drums fitted with different flails for a
variety of applications:
Milling Drums
For removal of thermoplastic line markings,
bitumous and rubber deposits, epoxy coatings
and cementitious screeds in excess of 2mm.
TCT Drums
For traffic markings removal, stone surface
cleaning, concrete grooving, heaving milling
of concrete, scabbling, cleaning and
roughening concrete and asphalt.
Beam Drums
For cleaning off paint without damage to
concrete, de-scaling steel and removing oil
and grease deposits.
Star Drums
For cleaning concrete
laitance, de-rusting,
general cleaning, paint &
mill scale removal.
Grinding
The Terrco® 2000 multi-head
machine is one of a range of
grinders and polishers, the
brand having evolved over 85
years. It is ideal for removing self
levellers, screeds, coatings and
adhesives from concrete, asphalt
and stone surfaces. It also
produces a high gloss finish on
terrazzo, resin systems, concrete
and asphalt.
On the Terrco®, different grades of diamond
accessories are fitted to the rotating arms of
the grinder, smoothing & removing as the
machine moves forward, with the debris
collected by a dust extraction unit.
When selecting diamond accessories for
grinding, it is important to note that the
materials used in the construction of floors
250 Planer
varies considerably. The geographic location
of the project provides an insight into regional
materials used and must always be considered
when selecting diamond accessories to
prepare surfaces.
A simple equation is to examine the type of
surface being treated. A hard composition
surface will require a soft bond segment
and a soft composition surface will require a
hard bond segment.
In each instance the selection of the
correct accessory will optimise
the life of the diamond and
provide cost effective solutions
for the designated project.
In the event that the incorrect
grade of diamond is selected it
will simply glaze over the
surface not creating the
correct cutting actions, or “wear
out” extremely quickly and often in
the initial stages of the operation which proves
to be costly and unsuccessful.
The Preparation Group’s technical support
team is available to advise and recommend on
the correct combination of equipment and
accessories for your specific project.
www.thepreparationgroup.com
Removing resin with 250 Planer
26 Refurb retrofit
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November 2017 R6

Interiors
Former cattle market gets a sustainable overhaul with Selectaglaze
William Julian Courtauld paid £50,000 to give Braintree its own Town Hall. Constructed in 1926, it has been in constant use
ever since.
Braintree Town Hall had to become more energy efficient, which was not
straightforward due to it being Grade II* Listed. The Town Hall approached
Selectaglaze to address thermal issues with the windows.
A meeting was arranged with Braintree Town Hall and the local Conservation
Officer, where an aluminium sample from Selectaglaze was set up. Those
attending were impressed at how well the timber grain effect blended in with
the wood panelling of the room.
Thereafter, Selectaglaze installed 20
vertical sliding units. All products were
finished with a timber grain effect that
matched seamlessly with the interior.
The installation of secondary glazing reduces heat loss and all units are bespoke to achieve airtightness
to virtually eradicate draughts. An extra benefit of secondary glazing is the reduction of outside noise.
“The windows contain thermally efficient low emissivity glass that retains heat and the frames have been
measured and manufactured to achieve an airtight fitting. They also provide excellent sound proofing,
blocking the noise of the regular traffic.”
Councillor Robert Mitchell, Deputy Cabinet Member for Environment and Place
Founded in 1966 and Royal Warrant Holder since 2004, Selectaglaze is the leading specialist in secondary
glazing. Selectaglaze will be exhibiting at the UK Security Expo, at London Olympia on the 29th and 30th
November 2017. Located on stand L66, Selectaglaze Technical Advisors will be happy to answer any
secondary glazing related questions.
www.selectaglaze.co.uk
This year’s hot ticket
This year’s National Painting and decorating Show is a must-see! The biggest and best yet, it is your opportunity to see the latest
products, proven best sellers, preparation tips and finishing techniques that will be making the news in 2018 and beyond.
Decorating contractors and facilities managers are always on the lookout for the latest colours, materials and textures – as well as the best tools to
get every job done quickly and profitably.
An action-packed two days buzzing with
• New product launches
• Practical demonstrations
• Fantastic show-only deals
• Free samples
• Hands-on trials
• Fun competitions, raffles and prize draws
• Sporting challenges and celebrity appearances
Ricoh Arena, Coventry,
28th & 29th November
Big discounts
The major manufacturers use the show to bring new products to market, while
stockists tempt visitors with big discounts, and suppliers pack their stands with
extensive selections of tools, ancillaries and workday essentials.
See the masters at work
Brush and roller techniques, abrasives innovations, spray demonstrations, new decorative effects . timber repair are just some of the presentations
by experts taking place every 30 minutes in two ‘open-area’ MasterClass theatres situated right in the centre of the exhibition. Check out the daily
programme in your FREE showguide.
Pre-register today for FREE tickets.
www.paintshow.co.uk
28 Refurb retrofit
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November 2017 R6

Interiors
Sky Central - the UK's best new office
Sky Central has been crowned ‘the best workplace in the country' by the British Council for Offices (BCO). The centrepiece at
Sky's group headquarters in west London, designed by PLP Architecture, AL_A and Hassell - enlisted the expertise of offsite
solutions specialist contractor - B&K Structures.
Sky Central was the second phase of the
development at the Sky Campus,
Osterley, London. The mixed-use
scheme totalling 41,000m² - combines office
space, studios and production facilities
together with research and development
zones. B&K Structures supplied and installed
over 7,500 linear metres of glulam beams and
just under 16,000m2 of large timber roof
cassettes.
The Sky Central building, which brings
together 3,500 of the broadcaster's workforce
under one roof - picked up both the Best
Corporate Workplace in the UK and the overall
Best of the Best workplace at the BCO's
national awards.
The Feel-Good Factor
The judges were particularly impressed by the
18 separate 200-person workspace
neighbourhoods, built around six cores which
they said ‘resurrected the Bürolandschaftinspired
planning rules'.
The health and wellbeing of occupants is
becoming an increasingly important factor
when it comes to building design and
specification. The commercial impact of
building in structural timber has been much
discussed, from the sustainability benefits to
the speed of installation. Whilst much has
been written about the impact construction
has on the environment, what has not often
been highlighted is the positive impact that
building in timber can have on its occupants.
While there are still many details that need
more research, studies conducted so far
indicate that structural timber creates pleasant
surroundings in terms of humidity and
acoustics, as well as contributing to reduced
stress levels, amid other benefits. Timber
interiors create a pleasant acoustic
environment - the sounds can be described as
‘softer' than the ones in interiors designed with
other materials.
The impact of buildings on their occupants is
high on the construction agenda in the USA.
The International WELL Building Institute
claims that ‘wellness' is the next trillion-dollar
industry which can help businesses play an
integral role in improving the health and
wellbeing of employees and reap the benefits
from a greater return on investment from a
healthier and happier workforce.
This concept has yet to gain traction in the UK,
however ‘the wellbeing of occupants' is now a
significant consideration at the early stages in
the design and build process. The usage of
timber in construction has been rising in many
markets recently. As a renewable and
sustainable material, it brings interesting
opportunities for the construction industry.
Add health and wellbeing into the equation
and this is yet another compelling reason for
the specification of timber.
www.bkstructures.co.uk
B & K Structures
Defining the right structural solution is
crucial and by providing a range of
systems that meet the design and
construction brief in terms of cost and
performance, B&K Structures delivers
award winning optimised offsite
solutions across the education, leisure,
health, sport, commercial and retail
sectors.
November 2017 R6 Refurb retrofit 29
magazine

Interiors
Gradus is best in class with wall protection solutions at
the University of Liverpool Veterinary School
Gradus has supplied wall protection systems as part of a refurbishment project at the University of Liverpool’s Veterinary School,
based at the Leahurst campus in the Wirral helping to improve the aesthetics of the building and reduce ongoing maintenance
costs.
The Small Animal Teaching Hospital is part of the University of Liverpool’s Institute of
Veterinary Science and employs over 350 staff, including over 100 veterinary surgeons,
and 280 students. The facility is one of the largest and most innovative veterinary
hospitals in Europe and plays a key role in educating veterinary students, teaching them the
very latest theory and techniques.
As part of the building’s refurbishment and upgrade, Gradus specified standard PVC-u corner
guards and wall guards to protect both circulation areas as well as individual rooms.
Corners are one of the most vulnerable parts of a building and when left exposed they can suffer
damage from a multitude of sources including trolleys and other mobile equipment. The PVC-u
corner guards specified will help to reduce ongoing maintenance costs and maintain interiors by
absorbing damage and deflecting impact.
The dual height wall guards were selected in a clay colour to contrast with the walls at the
veterinary school. This helps to aid navigation whilst modernising the interior and giving the
environment a more relaxed, less institutional feel.
Wall protection systems supplied by
Gradus at University of Liverpool’s
Veterinary School.
Maria Morgan, Product Manager at Gradus, said: “Gradus wall protection systems are ideal for use
in busy working environments such as The Small Animal Teaching Hospital. Our corner and wall
guards will help to minimise maintenance costs and prolong the lifespan of the facilities interior
by preventing damage to wall coverings, paintwork and equipment.”
Gradus has over 20 years of experience in supplying and fitting wall protection solutions and can
manage your next project from specification to installation.
For more information, or to request a hard copy of the new wall protection brochure, please
contact Gradus Technical Support on 01625 428922 or visit www.gradus.com
Heckmondwike shortlisted for best product award by
national trade magazine
Heckmondwike, one of the UK’s leading carpet manufacturers, has been shortlisted
in trade magazine Tomorrow’s FM’s annual awards for its Supacord fibre bonded
carpet range.
The national magazine, which is read by facilities managers across the UK, selects the top
50 companies that manufacture products and services that it feels are worthy of
winning the prestigious ‘best product/service title’..
A full list of entries is released in a Guide produced by the magazine in January and readers are
invited to vote online for who they believe deserves to win. Three winners then receive a trophy,
which will be presented in March 2018.
Heckmondwike Supacord
fibre bonded carpet
Jeremy Broadhead, Commercial Manager at Heckmondwike FB, said: “We are really pleased to have been shortlisted for this prestigious award.
Our Supacord range is very well established and widely specified for education and commercial projects – what really makes it stand out is the
42 different colour choices within the range. We’re really excited to see the results of the online voting!”
Rebekah Thompson, Editor of Tomorrow’s FM magazine, said: “We’d like to congratulate Heckmondwike for being shortlisted. We reviewed
hundreds of companies’ products and services, so it is a real achievement for Supacord. We wish them and all the other shortlisted companies
all the best in the final voting stage.”
Used in classrooms for over 40 years, Supacord is considered the number one carpet solution for schools, colleges and universities. It has an A+
BREEAM rating, offers anti-static and anti-slip properties and a reduction in impact noise. Like all Heckmondwike’s products, Supacord can be
cut on-site without the risk of fraying, allowing individual flooring designs to be created and installed with ease.
Heckmondwike carpet tiles are British-made and provide outstanding performance, as well as being backed by a 10 year limited wear warranty,
which means they can be specified in complete confidence.
Sample cards are available on request by calling 01924 413637 or by visiting the website www.heckmondwike-fb.co.uk.
30 Refurb retrofit
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November 2017 R6

THE ULTIMATE FAST-TRACK
SOLUTION
Fortunately F. Ball has the solution. A range of high performance
waterproof surface membranes to tackle relative humidity ratings
up to 98% RH.
projects specify F. Ball’s isolator membrane.
For videos and in-depth technical information
visit our website at www.f-ball.co.uk
Cheddleton, Leek, Staffordshire, ST13 7RS, UK
GREAT BRITISH
INNOVATION

Kitchens & Bathrooms
ACO Building + Landscape launches
dedicated wetroom
Domestic wetroom installations have been on the rise over the last ten years, and with the trend showing no sign of abating,
ACO Water Management’s Building + Landscaping division has expanded its product portfolio to include a dedicated range of
wetroom channels and gullies.
The new offering will give house
builders and contractors the option of
sourcing all their internal and external
water management systems from one
reputable supplier. Suitable for both newbuild
and retrofit wetroom applications,
ACO’s new wetroom range will include the
ShowerDrain C Line system, and ACO Shower
Gullies.
ACO’s new range of wetroom solutions also
includes a gully system for use within tiled
floors. With eight different 150mm square
grating designs – all manufactured from footfriendly
electro-polished stainless steel – to
choose from, ACO’s new Shower Gullies come
in horizontal or vertical outlet variants,
meaning they are easy to install in both
suspended and solid floor constructions.
Delivering a flow rate of 1.2 l/s, the compact
outlet also benefits from a foul air trap with
50mm water seal.
“As with so many other
elements of domestic
construction, the last few
years has seen homeowners
embrace open plan living.
With traditional boundaries
between hallways, kitchens
and dining rooms becoming
much less rigid than they
once were, the same can
now be said of bathrooms”.
drainage solutions. Given our heritage as a
supplier of external water management
systems, our latest additions to our product
portfolio will give housebuilders and
contractors one reliable port of call for both
their internal and external drainage
requirements.”
For more information on ACO’s new solutions
for the wetroom market, please visit the
website.
www.aco.co.uk
The ShowerDrain C Line range is a highquality
stainless steel shower drainage system
with an integrated removable foul air trap. The
channel is available in lengths from 585mm to
1,185mm, and with four different grating
designs including the Wave, Quadrato, Slot
and Tile styles. The ShowerDrain C Line
system will provide a sleek yet highly
functional finish to any wetroom project.
The range features a 50mm spigot outlet for
integration into the wider plumbing network,
and delivers a flowrate of 0.5-0.8 l/s,
depending on its proximity to both the
showerhead and the wall.
Both the ShowerDrain C Line and Shower
Gully ranges are manufactured to the BS EN
1253 standard for gullies for buildings.
Phil Windus, Market Manager at ACO,
comments: “As with so many other elements
of domestic construction, the last few years
has seen homeowners embrace open plan
living. With traditional boundaries between
hallways, kitchens and dining rooms
becoming much less rigid than they once
were, the same can now be said of bathrooms.
“While wetrooms are becoming a popular
addition to many homes – both as a new
build and retrofit – they bring with them their
own unique water management challenges.
With a view to solving these in an efficient and
aesthetic way, ACO Building + Landscape has
launched a new collection of wetroom-specifc
32 Refurb retrofit
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November 2017 R6

Queen’s Award for Enterprise
Following the announcement of Kohler Mira’s grant of the Queen’s
Award for Enterprise: Innovation in April; Liz Hazeldene, Managing
Director, recently received the award on behalf of the company
and its workforce from the Lord-Lieutenant of the East Riding of
Yorkshire at Mira’s production facility in Hull.
The award – presented by the Hon. Mrs Susan Cunliffe-Lister, the
Queen’s representative in the county – is for the Mira Flight Safe
range of anti-slip shower trays. Mira Flight Safe is the anti-slip
version of Mira Showers’s ever-popular Flight Low shower tray, and
was developed by the company in response to market demands
for bathroom products that deliver multi-generational bathroom
installations.
The Queen’s Awards for Enterprise are the UK’s most prestigious
business awards, and are designed to celebrate and encourage
business excellence in the UK. Key to the award for Mira Flight Safe
was the company’s ability to demonstrate a high degree of product
innovation; its addressing the needs of an ageing demographic;
superiority over competitive products, and high levels of Corporate
Social Responsibility and strong commercial success.
Mira’s state-of-the-art shower tray factory in Hull was opened in
early 2012, and represented a £6 million investment that puts the
company further in the vanguard of shower tray manufacture in
the UK.
Liz Hazeldene,(right) receiving
the Queen’s Award for
Enterprise: Innovation from
the Hon. Mrs Susan Cunliffe-
Lister, Lord-Lieutenant of the
East Riding of Yorkshire.
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Hoist accessibility to increase bedroom usage
‘Best practice’ could be effectively implemented, and customer base extended, with no impact on floorspace.
Under British Standards (BS8300:2009), for new multi-occupancy buildings including hotels,
student accommodation, nursing & residential homes, a minimum 5% of bedrooms should
be accessible, with an en-suite and have a fixed tracked‐hoist system or similar system.
This compliments the legal Building Regulations, Approved Document M, which states one bedroom in
every 20 in buildings other than dwellings should be wheelchair-accessible.
“Latest figures by Tourism for All show that 1 in 5 people in the UK is disabled- 20% of your potential
customer base. Parties that include a disabled person spend £14billion a year on tourism and travel in
the UK, they stay longer and tend to spend more. In higher education, there’s been a 56% increase in
five years, of students with a known disability. And many nursing and care home residents have
mobility issues. So there’s a sound business reason to accommodate their needs,” observes Robin
Tuffley, marketing manager at Closomat, Britain’s leading provider of accessible intimate care solutions.
Closomat’s fixed track hoist system runs across the ceiling, so takes up no floor space, and doesn’t
impinge on the room being occupied by able guests. It also offers a range of ‘clip on’ accessible
accessories based round a wall-hung track, that enable an en-suite to quickly and easily be adapted
with support arms, shower seats, hand rails, back supports.
“Thus, one room becomes dual-purpose,. If you are designing a hotel or care environment, it opens
your doors to up to 20% more clients. And the disabled student population is on the increase: now,
almost 10% of higher education students have a disability, who also need any or all of the bathroom
adaptations, and so should be accommodated!” adds Robin.
Closomat (www.clos-o-mat.com) can provide, in-house, full design advice, supply, install and
subsequent service/maintenance of the equipment, to help the accommodation industry
accommodate disabled needs, not just in bedrooms/ en-suites, but throughout the venue’s sanitary
provision. The company is the UK’s brand leader in provision of toilet solutions that enable
independence, dignity and control in domestic, public and commercial environments.
Closomat’s fixed track hoist
system runs across the ceiling,
so takes up no floor space.
For more information visit: www.clos-o-mat.com
November 2017 R6
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Kitchens & Bathrooms
Most fires start in
kitchens and heat
alarms are essential
Kitchen Warnings
Refurbishing and refitting kitchens provides an ideal opportunity to fit heat and CO
alarms and substantially improve safety and peace of mind for little additional cost,
as Kidde Safety Europe explains.
Over 60% of domestic fires start in
kitchens and, as the Scottish
Technical Standards point out: “a
significant number of fire related deaths
(62%), occur from fires started in living
rooms and kitchens. It is therefore important
that the outbreak of fire in living rooms and
kitchens is detected quickly and the alarm
raised as early as possible during the early
stages of fire growth.” Despite this, and
contrasting with the Code of Practice BS
5839-6:2013, Approved Document B for
England and Wales requires heat alarms
only where a kitchen is not separated from
the circulation by a door.
But a closed door reduces the passage of
smoke through to the other side and delays
triggering any smoke alarm there. Similarly, it
reduces the passage of sound from a corridor
smoke alarm, limiting the ability of occupants
on the other side to hear it. So, a kitchen fire
could take hold, affect building fabric and
services such as gas, and start moving
through the building before alarms sound.
And, will occupants in living rooms or
bedrooms with doors closed hear and be
awoken by the alarm anyway?
Although some kitchen fires are started
accidentally by occupants, many other less
obvious sources can go unnoticed – notably
faulty electrical appliances. This is a
particularly dangerous situation with
appliances operating at night on low tariff
electricity while occupants sleep. Without
doubt, heat alarms are essential in all kitchens
and utility rooms, for housing of all types and
tenures – new or old.
Low energy mains smoke and heat alarms
minimise running costs for tenants
Fire & CO together
Kidde believes that there is also a strong case
for installing carbon monoxide alarms at the
same time as smoke and heat alarms, sharing
the Scottish Government’s view in its recent
consultation that: “…it makes practical sense
to combine installation programmes for fire
and smoke alarms and carbon monoxide
alarms together”.
Mains CO alarms can be fitted
together with smoke & heat alarms
and interlinked to provide a
comprehensive system
Of course, kitchen and utility rooms with
boilers should have CO alarms but
combustion cooking appliances are a risk as
well. For example, annual gas safety checks
may exclude the tenant’s cooker where it is
not the landlord’s property, posing an
increasing risk, and there have been several
instances of faulty grills on almost new
cookers causing death and injury.
Sometimes fitting a battery-only CO alarm
may be simpler and Kidde’s 10LLCO is the
only range of 10-year guaranteed alarms with
CO sensors – the key component – actually
tested throughout a 10-year period or longer.
Alternatively, mains CO alarms are easily
installed together with hard-wired smoke and
heat alarms. But considered as a system, they
can offer extra safety features as well. Kidde’s
4MCO and 4MDCO hard-wired CO alarms
can not only be interlinked with each other
but also with the company’s latest Firex range
of hard-wired smoke and heat alarms, using
the unique ‘Smart Interconnect’ feature. Here,
all the interconnected alarms can act as
sounders to alert of either risk, forming
comprehensive systems.
Crucially, the alarms have different, distinct
alarm sounder patterns for carbon monoxide
and fire, as required by BS 5839-6. They can
automatically alert occupants of the specific
hazard allowing them to respond quickly,
making the right choice from the very
different alternative actions for either fire or
carbon monoxide. As a straightforward, low
cost early warning, smoke, heat and CO
alarms should be considered as an essential
first step for fire safety, whatever other
measure are taken, to make all housing safer.
For more information, call: 03337 722 227,
email: sales@kiddesafety.co.uk or visit the
website.
www.kiddesafetyeurope.co.uk
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November 2017 R6

Accessible toilets can open doors
Do you want a way to increase customer numbers? Head to the toilets…!
Alton Towers opened its Changing Places
and Space to Change at the start of the
2017 season, and is seeing the facilities
used on average 20 times a day, every day.
Cornwall Services on the busy A30 trunk road
opened its facility a year ago, and is seeing it
used on average 10 times a day, with visitors
reporting stopping there specifically because
of the toilet.
Under Building Regulations and British
Standards, it is desirable in buildings to which
the public have access to include, in addition to
a conventional wheelchair-accessible toilet, a
3m x 4m wheelchair-accessible WC facility with
a ceiling track hoist, adult-sized changing bench
and privacy screen: a Changing Places toilet.
Conscious that many venues do not have the
available space, campaigners and Closomat
developed Space to Change, which bridges the
gap between a conventional (Document M)
type wheelchair-accessible toilet and a full, to
specification Changing Places; it utilises a little
more space (5.5m2) to include an adult-sized
changing bench and hoist in a conventional
wheelchair-accessible WC.
Closomat is Britain’s leading provider of helpful
toileting solutions, at home and away, including
Changing Places. Uniquely, the company can
provide an in-house, ‘one-stop-shop’ complete
package for ‘away from home’ assisted
accessible toilet facilities, from design and
commissioning, through to project
management, supply and installation, and can
also provide subsequent maintenance and
repair.
Closomat’s website is the ‘go to’ resource for
Changing Places and Space to Change facilities,
for campaigners, providers, and specifiers alike,
with a raft of support information including
white papers, calling cards, CAD blocks, video
and case studies, available for free download.
www.clos-o-mat.com
“A large proportion of
people can’t use
conventional wheelchairaccessible
toilets: they need
extra space, they need help,
they may need lifting or
changing- be it a mum with
a youngster with special
needs through to someone
with a stoma. Or they rely
on a carer to help them, and
the carer needs help to lift
them. Or their carer needs
the loo when out and about,
so needs the space to
accommodate the
wheelchair and the screen
to give them privacy whilst
they ‘go’.
Explains Kelvin Grimes, Closomat’s
away from home project manager
Offsite solutions awarded contract to supply bathroom
pods for new £69m hospital in scotland
Offsite Solutions, the UK’s leading bathroom pod manufacturer, has been awarded the contract to supply bathroom pods for the
new £69 million, state-of-the-art East Lothian Community Hospital.
East Lothian
Morrison Construction, part of Galliford Try plc, is principal contractor for the 22,000sqm,
Community Hospital
purpose-built community hospital in Haddington, appointed by Hub South East Scotland
on behalf of NHS Lothian. When completed, the new facility will increase inpatient beds by
around 60 per cent to enhance the quality of care for the people of East Lothian.
Offsite Solutions will provide 134 factory-built bathroom pods for the project. These units will be
supplied without floors to allow for continuous level flooring throughout the wards and avoiding the
need for thresholds to make the bathrooms fully accessible.
Designed to meet HTM requirements, each of the large 2.6m x 2.2m pods will easily accommodate a
patient and a carer, and will have a wider pre-prepared aperture for two door leaves for easy access.
The wash basins, toilets and showers will be pre-installed in the Offsite Solutions’ factory in Somerset and the easy-to-clean, hygienic walls will
be finished in white with a feature wall from a range of colours.
The scheme has a complex phased construction to allow the continuation of clinical services in the existing hospital buildings on the site. As a
result, the bathroom pods will be installed in batches throughout 2018.
Commenting on the specification of bathroom pods for this project, Paul Godwin, Design Manager at Morrison Construction, said, “Having the
bathrooms arrive on site as a finished product gives us the benefit of a significant programme saving and this use of offsite construction means
we need less labour on site, which is safer and more efficient.
Offsite Solutions offers a wide range of bathroom pod solutions for the healthcare sector. This includes easy-to-clean and low maintenance GRP
pods for hospital environments; steel-framed pods for tiled finishes for care homes and supported living schemes; and options for floorless units
to meet specific project requirements.
Anti-ligature fixtures and bathroom fittings can be supplied for enhanced safety for mental health facilities. All GRP pods in Offsite Solutions’
extensive range can be provided in a demountable configuration for refurbishment projects and sites which do not have access for fully
assembled pods, provided adequate access routes.
www.offsitesolutions.com
November 2017 R6
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Fire Safety
Containment of fire spread within external
cavities
Construction techniques, through the introduction of modern methods of construction, have changed dramatically over recent
years and this is particularly significant in the manner in which the building envelope is created. Requirements for fire safety,
acoustic and thermal insulation as well as the aesthetic appearance of the building can often be seen to conflict. Although it
seems obvious that the fire safety aspect, due to the potential catastrophic effects of getting this wrong or missing it out
completely, should be a top priority; it is still often considered very late in the design process or as an afterthought.
This can particularly be apparent for
areas of the building that are hidden
from view such as concealed cavities
in external walls. These can either contain
combustible materials or can be an open
path for unseen fire and smoke spread.
External wall systems often require an open
ventilation cavity to create both a thermal and
moisture barrier between the external and
internal components. Such ventilation paths
are not new and have been used for hundreds
of years and it is a practice which is proven
and effective.
However, the major difference in modern wall
constructions compared to more traditional
methods is that the combination of insulation
materials plus a mix of new or conventional
building materials can perform very differently
in a fire.
Recent tragic events have highlighted the
need for careful consideration of construction
materials and associated components and the
importance of ensuring they can work
together as a system. This system must not
only ensure that their functionality in every
day conditions is maintained but of at least
equal importance is the performance of the
system in a fire.
Such external cavity fires are inherently
difficult to extinguish which is why the
specification and installation of a tested and
approved system is so critical.
Recent full scale fire tests and subsequent
guidance provides recommendations on
approved material types as well as making
clear the importance of ensuring that cavity
fire barriers are incorporated within the system
to limit fire spread through the open cavity.
Horizontal fire barriers are a particularly
effective method of preventing vertical fire
spread within an external wall cavity.
Traditional types of horizontal cavity barrier
would be solid sections of rock mineral fibre
that effectively fully fill and close off the cavity.
However, this not only bridges the critical wall
cavity, creating potential moisture and thermal
transfer problems but also prevents the
circulation of air which is required to prevent
damp problems or indeed allow certain types
of external wall systems to ventilate and
function as designed.
This presents, once again, a conflict between
aesthetic design and functionality. An
aesthetically pleasing external finish is
desirable, however closing off the external
cavity would require the introduction of
openings to reintroduce ventilation into the
system. Such openings can be negated if
ventilation can be maintained within the
cavity, however traditional cavity fire barriers
would not make this possible.
The use of reactive intumescent materials that
are designed to rapidly expand when heated in
a fire situation has provided a solution to this
conflict. The intumescent material allows an
air gap to be maintained within the external
cavity, which not only maintains ventilation to
reduce potential damp problems and allow
systems to correctly function, but also
prevents the inner and outer structure from
being in contact and so limits thermal
bridging.
Utilising this intumescent technology,
TENMAT has developed and fire tested a
range of Ventilated Fire Barriers for use as
“open state” cavity fire barriers capable of
providing fire resistance within cavities up
to 450mm in various construction types.
Most typically these products, referred to as
Ventilated Fire Barriers or Open-State Cavity
Fire Barriers consist of a high density mineral
fibre section to which an intumescent material
is fixed to the outer edge.
TENMAT manufacture a range of intumescent
materials with a uni-directional expansion
characteristic which have proven to be
particularly well suited for use within
Ventilated Fire Barriers due to their ability to
expand directly across the open air gap and
maintain larger ventilation gaps of up to
50mm.
Utilising this intumescent technology,
TENMAT has developed and fire tested a range
of Ventilated Fire Barriers for use as “open
state” cavity fire barriers capable of providing
fire resistance within cavities up to 450mm in
various construction types.
The retrofitting or replacement of external wall
systems will typically also require horizontal
and vertical cavity fire barriers to be installed.
Please contact TENMAT for further details on
the range of Ventilated Cavity Fire Barriers.
Tel +44 161 872 2181
Email: passive.fire@tenmat.com
www.tenmat.com
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Residents at The Landmark apartments in Dudley stay
safe with SE Controls
An iconic and popular residential development in the West Midlands, The Landmark at Brierley Hill, is using smoke control
systems from SE Controls to ensure escape routes are kept free of smoke in the event of a fire, allowing residents to exit the
building safely.
Located at the Waterfront complex adjacent to the Merry Hill retail centre in Dudley, The Landmark was formerly the HQ for a financial
services company before being acquired by investment property developer, Seven Capital, who converted it into 181 apartments with
Colmore Tang Construction, all of which were sold off-plan within five
months.
The shape of the building and its graduated seven storey tiered design, made the
new apartment development attractive to residents, but it also presented a
number of challenges which were addressed by SE Controls during the design
and engineering of the smoke control system.
As the travel distance from some of the apartments to the building’s five existing
escape stairs was more than the maximum 7.5 metres allowable for code
compliant naturally ventilated smoke control system within Building Regulations
Approved Document B, SE Controls designed and installed four individual smoke
ventilation solutions. Each of these was based on the specific requirements of
each floor within the building and combines both mechanical fan and natural
smoke extraction.
The Landmark at Brierley Hill
The ground and first two levels have the largest floor areas and highest density of apartments, so an SE Controls SHEVTEC Extended Travel
Distance mechanical fan system was installed to protect the corridors and three of the stairwells where apartments are located more than 7.5
metres from the escape stairs.
On the second, third and fourth floors, supplementary automatic opening vents (AOV) are provided to ensure additional stairwells and
corridors are kept free of smoke to aid escape from apartments located within 7.5 metres of the stairs.
A further naturally ventilated system is used on floors five and six. Although these have the smallest floor area, a further dedicated escape
staircase is protected by AOV louvres at the head of stairs. The main escape route in the seven-storey section of the building is also protected
by a naturally ventilated smoke system, which covers all the floors.
www.secontrols.com
November 2017 R6 Refurb retrofit 37
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Public Sector Housing
From trouble to trophies…
A former council estate which became synonymous for poor quality housing, crime and anti-social behaviour, is part-way
through a major regeneration which is giving its new and returning residents a feeling of security, and a sense of pride about
their new community.
The playground overlooked by homes has replaced the site of the Swilly bonfire
Originally known as Swilly and
renamed North Prospect in 1969, the
development, two miles north of
Plymouth city centre, is the largest
regeneration project in the South West.
Under the management of Plymouth
Community Homes (PCH), it involves
demolishing 800 homes, building 1,110 new
homes and refurbishing a further 300.
Building commenced in 2011, and the third
of five building phases is now underway.
To help address concerns about the reputation
of the former Swilly estate and to encourage
confidence in the new development, PCH
invited Secured by Design (SBD), the national
police crime prevention initiative, to work with
architects, developers and local authority
planners to ‘design out crime.’
These planning meetings involving SBD’s
specialist Designing Out Crime Officers started
long before building commenced and have
meant that security has been embedded into
the layout, landscaping, and physical security
of all properties in North Prospect.
SBD’s advice on the built environment has
included creating safer spaces through greatly
increasing natural surveillance. Front garden
hedges have been replaced by railings whilst
high fences protect rear gardens. Properties
have living rooms that overlook cars parked
either in the street or within the curtilage of
the building, and gable end walls with
windows provide visibility over pathways and
public spaces. There are no alleyways at the
rear of gardens and no hiding places.
The physical security of properties has
included products that meet SBD’s Police
Preferred Specification, such as external doors
and accessible windows that are sufficiently
robust to resist attack from a casual or
opportunist burglar. Front doors have
quadruple locking systems, door chains, and
spy holes as well as letterboxes with protective
cowls to stop thieves using rods to ‘fish’ for
vehicle keys or other valuables left inside.
Every property has been fitted with an external
light. Rear garden gates have two bolts and a
separate key-lock, and every lockable shed has
a large metal ground anchor to help protect
bicycles, motorbikes and mowers.
Devon and Cornwall Police report a fall in
recorded crime in North Prospect by 62%
between 2007-2016 in four key
neighbourhood crime categories: residential
burglary has fallen by 49%, criminal damage
by 84%, vehicle offences 78%, and violence
against the person 14%.
The results are testament to the vision and
determination shown by PCH who have
become well practised at making North
Prospect succeed in many ways. These
include the complex, lengthy and sensitive
process of helping residents to move to better
homes, obtaining the necessary grant funding
at a time of constrained public sector finances
to avoid a partially completed project, tackling
the many construction issues including using
existing infrastructure on a sloping site, and
overcoming the many legal issues, such as
identifying the owners of houses that had
been left empty.
PCH Programme Manager James Savage said
regeneration goes beyond providing new and
better homes to improve family lifestyle,
health, education and security.
“A case study we did with the Homes and
Communities Agency reported that because
families now have properly insulated homes,
children would not have to do their
homework wrapped up in a duvet on their
bed and could use the kitchen table instead,”
he explained. “It’s so easy to get lost in all the
statistics around new homes, but children are
achieving at school and health rates are
improving.”
North Prospect started to win architectural
and building awards and even received a visit
from Princess Anne in 2015. With many of the
technical problems, rehousing issues, and
funding difficulties overcome, the
regeneration at North Prospect is continuing
and is due for completion in 2022 at a cost
of £130m.
www.securedbydesign.com
38 Refurb retrofit
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November 2017 R6

Old houses
New houses
November 2017 R6 Refurb retrofit 39
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Whatever the r oofing project, no matter the size,
Metrotile has it covered. Find out more about
The No Dram ma Roof at www.metrotile.co.uk