Editor’s Choice

Cold Weather and Outdoor Decorating, No Problem for Zinsser

DECORATORS and DIY’ers in need of exterior paints that allow decorators to continue their work outdoors, even in dipping winter temperatures, should look no further than Zinsser AllWeather Exterior Masonry Paint and Zinsser AllCoat Exterior (Solvent-Based).

Zinsser AllWeather Exterior Masonry Paint makes working outdoors in winter conditions easy, as this ultimate-performance exterior masonry paint forms a low-maintenance, water shedding, tough finish that is showerproof in 20 minutes and can be applied in temperatures as low as -5°C.

Once applied, it offers supreme protection to bare or previously painted exterior concrete, render, stone and masonry. AllWeather contains a biocide that protects the dried coating against fungal degradation* giving a longlasting stain and moisture resistant finish, designed to resist cracking, peeling and blistering.

In many instances AllWeather Exterior Masonry Paint is self-priming and will bond to existing paints without sanding, so for many refurbishing jobs there is no need to purchase a separate primer. After removing existing mould and mildew, two coats of AllWeather Exterior Masonry Paint will ensure that any exterior looks bright and beautiful for years. Available in white, black and a selection of bases that can be tinted to any colour. Zinsser AllCoat ® Exterior (Solvent-Based) gives excellent resistance against cracking, blistering and flaking for up to 15 years before first maintenance. The tough finish is resistant to rain and severe weather and offers excellent colour retention, in addition the paint contains a biocide to protect the dried coating against fungal degradation. After removing any existing mould and mildew, the first coat primes and seals the surface, providing a base. The second coat is the topcoat, which completes the sealing process and provides additional moisture resistance and protection.

Zinsser AllCoat Exterior(Solvent-Based), available in Satin and Gloss, will ensure that any exterior looks bright and beautiful for up to 15 years.

Available from Brewers and all good paint merchants.

For other substrates, including outdoor wood, metal, masonry, plastic, concrete and cladding, Zinsser AllCoat Exterior (Solvent-Based) silicon alkyd formula forms a low maintenance, water-shedding coating that is touch dry in 3 hours, even drying in low temperatures down to 5°C.

For more information on Zinsser and its range of specialist paints and primers visit www.zinsseruk.com, or alternatively for product advice contact Zinsser’s Technical Support Team on 0191 411 3166.

New Head of Supplier and Commercial Strategy plunges into action at The IPG

The IPG, the largest and fastest-growing membership group for independent plumbing, heating and bathroom specialists, has today announced the appointment of its new Head of Supplier and Commercial Strategy, David Cairns. David joins the senior management team and will take responsibility for synchronizing supply with demand and developing The IPG’s supply chain strategies to make them as effective and efficient as possible.

With over 20 years’ experience in sales, sales management, trade marketing and business development, David brings a wealth of experience to the role with a successful track record in Director level roles in well-known appliance brands, such as LG Electronics, Kitchen Aid, Whirlpool and Indesit. During David’s career, he has been instrumental in developing key projects such as launching the first Kitchen Aid branded flagship store in London Mayfair and implementing premium appliance strategies, which greatly increased display share and the number of new clients.

The father of two also brings a broad network of contacts across many business sectors and trade channels. David’s greatest strengths are his commercial experience, creativity, drive and leadership. He lives in Rustington with his wife Helen and has two grown up daughters. In his free time, when he’s not strumming his guitar or following surfing, David can often be found keeping fit on his allotment.

The appointment follows a phenomenal year for the growing membership group, with the announcement coming hot on the heels of the opening of not one, but three flagship stores with members namely; Plumb Inn (Enfield), Gas & Plumb Bits (New Milton) and Newline Plumbing and Heating (Dudley), as well as it’s biennial conference.

Robin Beal Founder and Chairman at The IPG, said: “We are thrilled to welcome David to The IPG family. David brings a wealth of experience and an impressive level of knowledge from household brand names. I am confident that David’s experience and hardworking nature will be invaluable in helping us to drive forward our strategy for 2020.”

For more information please visit: www.the-ipg.co.uk

BT1 – A new era of new sealants, from the creators of CT1

CT1 which is known by the trade and was christened as The Snag List Eliminator, changed the world of sealants forever. Introducing Hybrid Technology 18 years ago, the competition followed suit and released a flurry of sealants adorning the label “Hybrid Polymer”.

CT1 who seem to never sleep in their Research and Development Department, constantly strive to bring the latest technology to the building industry and lead the way in development. TRIBRID® Technology is the latest era of sealants. The science behind this has blown the industry away. Never seen before, never used before and never to be repeated, BT1 with TRIBRID® Technology has changed the world of bathroom sealants forever.

Welcome to TRIBRID® Technology – the Ultimate Bathroom Sealant and Adhesive.

Bathrooms are usually the most contaminated area of the house, and are typically the first area of the home that sealants discolour and eventually grow fungus and bacteria. CT1 knew of the need to create the ultimate product for the bathroom, which would guarantee no mould or fungus growth at all! When BT1 was tested alongside 5 of the UK’s leading conventional sealants, the results were mind blowing. BT1 had ZERO impregnation of bacteria and fungal growth, whilst the others performed poorly.

BT1, which is also the healthiest option for the bathroom and the most eco-friendly sealant and adhesive, shares the same accreditations as its sister CT1. BT1 is for bathrooms only. It retains its dazzling white colour and can be used as the ultimate product for the bathroom. Perfect for installing shower trays and panels without mechanical fixings, the multipurpose sanitaryware sealant has taken the industry by storm. But since its breakthrough onto the market, this tube of science is now being used in hospitals, clinics and any space which demands the cleanest of areas.

Building Contractors and Bathroom Installers are buying this scientifically and technically enhanced product for the professional! BT1 has been hitting the headlines on Social Media and all literature. BT1 has been proven to reduce bacteria by 99.99% and is effective against E. coli and MRSA.

Contact C-Tec Head Office to find your local stockist, or visit www.ct1.com to see a live demo.

GRAHAM ‘top’ of the class at new Oundle School Sports Centre

GRAHAM has marked a major milestone in the construction of a new Sports Centre at Oundle School with a topping out ceremony. The event gathered representatives from the privately-owned contractor and Oundle School to celebrate the progress of the £24m project.

Once complete in Spring 2020, Oundle School Sports Centre will accommodate a 50-metre swimming pool, an eight court sports hall that offers adaptable playing space for a range of sports, as well as the opportunity for whole School assemblies through the use of retractable seating, a 70-station fitness suite, a dedicated dance studio, and three further multipurpose rooms.

Dual use has been factored into the development to ensure that there will be year-round community and sports club access to the state-of-the-art facilities that span 5,000m2 of space.

Designed by Saunders Boston Architects, GRAHAM has implemented a range of off-site manufacturing processes into its construction programme with the main frame being constructed of Cross Laminated Timber panels, providing a sustainable structure with a high-quality finish.

developer-update.co.uk

Significant milestone

Commenting on the project, Ronan Hughes, GRAHAM Regional Director, said: “The topping out ceremony represents a significant milestone in the construction of the new Sports Centre at Oundle School. We are proud to be working in partnership with Oundle School, which is one of England’s leading co-educational independent schools.

“The new Centre will provide its pupils with elite sporting facilities and will help support the School’s vision to deliver a ‘thoughtful vision of sport’ to approximately 1,100 pupils at Oundle as well as a further 260 pupils at Laxton Junior School. Importantly, the multi-functional sports development will also be a hub for sporting and physical well-being activities for the wider community of the market town.

quality and attention to detail that will deliver lasting impact to the pupils and wider community of Oundle.”

Sports Masterplan

Oundle School, in Northamptonshire, is the third largest independent co-educational day and boarding school in England. Its pupils range from ages 11 – 18 and it also has a Junior School; Laxton Junior School for pupils aged 4 – 11.

The School has invested considerably in its sporting infrastructure as part of a wider Sports Masterplan that has also led to the development of a new athletics track, eight additional tennis courts, two new AstroTurf pitches, and six additional netball courts.

Speaking at the topping out ceremony, Sarah Kerr-Dineen, Head of Oundle School, said: “The new Sports Centre is really starting to take shape and to become a reality. For all of us who have been part of the process from the beginning, it is exciting to see the progress that is being made. The facilities will support sport at a top competitive level whilst catering for a multitude of sports and leisure activities at all levels, not just for our pupils but the broader community of which the School is a central part.

“We want our pupils to take from School the attitudes, knowledge and enthusiasms that will support a happy, productive adult life. This must also be true of our School sport, and this new Sports Centre will make a massive contribution to realising this ambition.”

Background Information on Oundle School

Oundle School is situated in the quintessentially English market town of Oundle, about 90 miles north of London. The School’s buildings, dating from the 17th to the 21st centuries, are dispersed throughout the town, which is, to a large extent, its campus. The School’s history dates back to 1556, when Sir William Laxton, Master of the Worshipful Company of Grocers and Lord Mayor of London, endowed and re-founded the original Oundle Grammar School, of which he was a former pupil. In 1876, the Grocer’s Company divided the School into two parts; Laxton Grammar School, primarily for the inhabitants of the town, and Oundle School, primarily for pupils from further afield. In 2000, the Grocers’ Company reunited the two schools under the common name of Oundle School and retained the name of Laxton for the day House.

At the beginning of the 20th century, Oundle was put firmly on the map of leading English public schools by its most famous headmaster, F W Sanderson, who established Oundle’s reputation as one of the great science and engineering schools, a reputation still renowned today. In 2016, the School completed its ambitious SciTec project, uniting Science, Mathematics, Design, Technology and Engineering both physically and philosophically, enabling pupils to move seamlessly from theory to practice and from pure science to the achievement of a workable technology. The development includes the groundbreaking Patrick Engineering Centre, a new Mathematics department and an extension to its sixteen state-of-the-art Science laboratories. Oundle is now completing a detailed Sports MasterPlan which will significantly upgrade sporting facilities across the School by 2020, incorporating the building of a new Sports Centre housing a fifty metre swimming pool and an eight court sports hall.

There are currently 1107 pupils on roll at Oundle School, with 837 boarders and 270-day pupils. Also, within the Corporation of Oundle School is Laxton Junior School, a day school for children aged 4 to 11.

Recovery of a jumper connector running tool after jumper installation.

RUD ROV Hooks for Subsea Installations

Oceaneering International, Inc. (Oceaneering) used four 10-tonne capacity remotely operated vehicle (ROV) hooks from RUD to fulfill two major subsea contracts recently—both in the Gulf of Mexico. The products were sourced from RUD distributor LiftPull.

First, Oceaneering used the hooks to install long baseline (LBL) transponder frames, weighing 2,000 lbs. each, at specified subsea locations. Oceaneering was contracted by a major offshore oil and gas company to deploy six LBL array Compatt frames (a transponder used for high precision survey and construction operations) and populate the array in 7,200 fsw using the 257 ft.-long multi-purpose support vessel (MSV), Connor Bordelon.

Recovery of a subsea basket after jumper installation.

In a second contract for another major oil and gas company, the ROV hooks were again used to install a rigid M-shape jumper and associated subsea distribution hardware. Here, the hooks were used to make several smaller lifts of ancillary equipment and frames, weighing between 5,500 lbs. and 10,000 lbs., in support of the jumper installation using the 309 ft.-long MSV Cade Candies.

Dan Cheek, engineering manager, Subsea Projects Group at Oceaneering, said: “We were looking for a safe and time-efficient solution to connect and disconnect loads subsea using a ROV. We needed something to reduce the risk of dropped objects, especially when passing through the water interface, and provide a user-friendly subsea solution. The alternative option would have been to use a ROV shackle in place of a ROV hook.”

The LBL Compatts allow for detailed acoustic positioning of subsea assets by surface vessels and tracking of the ROVs. Cheek explained that the frames hold the transponders upright subsea and off the seabed.

Ruben Delgadillo, regional sales manager at LiftPull, said: “The safe lifting and lowering of loads on deck and underwater up to depths of up to 10,000 ft.—coupled with ambient conditions, unpredictable currents and difficult lighting—presents enormous challenges. Further, the sector is nearly always time pressured and precision is always fundamental to safety.”

He added: “The new RUD ROV hook provides two efficient lifting solutions for demanding marine and offshore applications. Its innovative safety mechanism makes it impossible to accidentally open the hook. We serve as a DNV GL-qualified partner for marine and offshore applications with a comprehensive range of sling and lashing solutions.”

RUD also offers a higher capacity, 25-tonne version of the ROV hook. Cheek said: “We intend to use the 10-tonne capacity hook for upcoming contracts; it is especially useful for deploying and recovering the ancillary equipment and frames required to complete many of our projects. However, we are also excited about the 25-tonne version and see potential use for it on future assignments.”

For approx. 18 months, The Caldwell Group and the RUD Group have united their sales and marketing activities in North America for material handling and lifting devices within a common organization.

16

A-Safe Launches Cold Storage Protective Guarding Range

A-Safe Inc. has launched a new range of protective barrier developed by world-class polymer scientists to deliver maximum performance at sub-zero temperatures as low as -22°F.

The Baltimore, Maryland-based manufacturer of guarding products for warehouses, distribution centers and other facilities is primarily targeting the range at the food storage industry. Created from a unique blend of polymers, Memaplex Sub-Zero is designed to withstand impacts without cracking or fragmenting. It is food-safe, wipe clean and self-colored for maximum hygiene and ease of care.

Like other products in the range, it is made from A-Safe’s Memaplex material, the company’s patented blend of eight materials and rubber additives that, practically, absorbs impact without incurring damage. Additionally, it is purpose-designed for use in frozen food storage facilities and other challenging, sub-

Paul Barlow, CEO at A-Safe Inc., said: “The product is suited mainly to warehouses and food manufacturing, which require sub-zero ambient temperatures to be maintained at all times. Other polymer product manufacturers may imply that their materials can cope with these low temperatures, but in reality they cannot provide the impact ratings when the environment is that cold, due to the fact that normal HDPE [high-density polyethylene] or PVC [polyvinyl chloride] becomes very stiff and brittle at low temperatures.”

He added: “Typically, traditional polymers on the market can only operate in continuous temperatures down to 14°F. Memaplex Sub-Zero has been specifically developed for greater extremes. It offers the same benefits of our other products, including impact absorbing, low maintenance, reduced floor damage etc.—just in lower temperatures.”

A limited number of products are available upon last month’s (October) launch, including RackGuards, Standard Bollards, ForkGuard, Height Restrictors, Pedestrian Barriers, Single Traffic Barriers, and Single Traffic+ Barriers. All are identifiable by the blue accenting of the product to identify it as a ‘cold storage’ system. Barlow said A-Safe will be the first polymer barrier manufacturer to offer a “special polymer blend specifically designed for applications at subzero temperatures”.

The product, designed with the highest levels of protection to pedestrians, assets and infrastructure in mind, incorporates the patented A-Safe 3Phase Coupling System, which works in three sequential stages to cushion impact forces and dissipate energy through the barrier and away from fixings. This prevents damage and preserves floors, reducing the costs and downtime associated with repairs and maintenance.

A-Safe will offer the new product directly to end-users and to the reseller / distributor marketplace.

Platform lift enables access to the EIS, Sheffield

Located just over a mile North East of Sheffield City Centre is the English Institute of Sport. It is the largest multi-sport centre in the UK with 2 sports halls, as well as halls for table tennis, netball, basketball and an athletics arena! The world class facilities are home to many local and national sporting clubs, and accessibility is essential to provide this service for everyone.

Ability Lifts were contacted by Castle Building Services (South Yorkshire) Limited to see if they could offer a solution for disabled access between the first floor, and upper level of the building. After a site survey, they recommended their hydraulic Optimum 320 Open style platform lift, which was chosen as the ideal solution, as it’s compact dimensions enabled the lift to fit in a footprint of just 1400mm x 1600mm.

The lift was supplied with a black carriage and contrasting silver guides. The chequer plate flooring of the carriage includes an integral ramp in order to maximise space.

The main challenge for the Ability Lifts installer was that the upper landing threshold was constructed of a composite concrete floor with a steel beam support. In order to securely install the lift a special threshold trim plate was utilised that allowed the fixings to be positioned into the steel support.

A lifting capacity of 500Kg matched with a platform size of 900mm x 1400mm ensures even the heaviest electric powered wheelchairs can make use of the lift. The lower call button is mounted on the adjacent wall and the upper level call button is attached to the lift itself to maximise ease of use.

With a full 12 month guarantee, the lift will offer access for users of the sport centre long into the future.

Please contact the Ability Lifts team on 0845 006 8803 or email sales@abilitylifts.co.uk for further information on the Optimum 320 and the other products in the Optimum range of lifts.

PlatformLifts

HereatAbilityLifts,weoffer solutionsformanydifferent accessrequirements,from platformliftsandstairplatform lifts,toexternallifts,accesslifts andmuchmore.Weaimtooffer topqualityserviceandhighly competitiveprices.

Allofouraccessliftsarein compliancewiththeMachinery DirectiveMD2006/42/EC,EN8141andPartM,andwe’rehappy toadviseyouwithanyquestions youmayhaveaboutaccess requirements.

TheOptimum100-Theself supportingenclosedPlatformLift

� Glazingtoallfoursidesifrequired � Specialcoloursavailable � Uses75%lessenergythanothertypes � Footprint-1250mmx1560mm � Platformsize-1120mmx1480mm � EN8141andMachineryDirectivecompliant � Market leadingwarrantyperiod Pleasecallusforachat,wehavearange ofplatformliftstosuityourrequirements. Tel: 08450068803 Email: sales@abilitylifts.co.uk Web: www.abilitylifts.co.uk