Creative Build Magazine - October Issue

www.creativebuildmagazine.com - October Issue

Will Covid-19 change the future of building design?

Page 22

How construction companies in the South are coping Page 25

Raise the profile of your next architectural project Page 34

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Contents - October 2020

04 08 10 12 22 25 34 40 42

New fibre cities contract

Ultra-reliable ‘Full Fibre’ broadband to thousands of homes and businesses...

RoSPA Award for health and safety Celebrations after landing an internationallyrecognised award...

Hybrid roofing membrane

Ensure the right product is used for the right installation...

Fire safe compliance

Ensure the safety of building occupants...

Will Covid-19 change the future of building design?

Comments from Matt Linekar & Stephen Moore...

How construction companies in the South are coping A stark divide revealed...

Raise the profile of your next architectural project

Flexible and versatile construction materials...

New antibacterial Fenix kitchen range A response to the markets increased demand for home hygiene...

Maximise your heating options

Multi-rail heating solutions designed to enrich your home...

The front cover image for the October issue has been supplied courtesy of Sarah Toon Website: www.sarahtoon photography.com Twitter: @SarahToonPhotos Advertising Requests - Benjamin Seal ben@creativebuildmagazine.com Editorial Requests - Katie Sirdefield katie@creativebuildmagazine.com Editor - Cy D’Anjou cy@creativebuildmagazine.com

Ryan Leon Media Ltd will display content across a variety of media platforms. Editorial content, images and any other form of media may be organically sourced or written by the team or it may be paid for promotion by an associate of the publishing house. We do not accept any responsibility for the content supplied via external links outside of any owned Ryan Leon Media Ltd platforms.

Ryan Leon Media Ltd - Creative Build Magazine - 01227 314326

Creative Build Magazine | 3

NMCN awarded new fibre cities contract

NMCN will help to build ultra-reliable ‘Full Fibre’ broadband to thousands of homes and businesses

National construction firm NMCN

plc has been awarded a lucrative contract by Openreach to support a massive £12 billion project that’s bringing ultrafast, ultrareliable ‘Full Fibre’ broadband to millions of homes and businesses throughout the UK. nmcn will play a crucial role in building new fibre infrastructure to premises in Arnold, Nottinghamshire and there will also be additional network build in previously announced locations in the East Midlands including Nottingham, Gedling, Broxtowe, Rushcliffe and Derby. The detailed planning activity for the build is already under way and construction is due to start in the coming months.

The contract award follows a competitive tender process and will see MNCM supporting Openreach’s ambition to build ‘Full Fibre’ infrastructure to 20 million premises throughout the UK by the mid-tolate 2020s – delivering significant economic, social and environmental benefits for urban communities.

Openreach’s Full Fibre network is already available to more than three million homes and businesses across the UK and nmcn is one of nine

partners to win contracts which will see that extended to at least a further two million premises. As part of the contract, nmcn will be responsible for construction tasks such as: surveying, building, testing and supporting Openreach to commission the network so that customers can place orders.

John Maloney, Managing Director of Telecoms at nmcn, said; “At nmcn we are committed to our vision of having a positive impact on everything we touch and the results of this prestigious contract will certainly benefit thousands of households across the Midlands by providing ultrafast and reliable Full Fibre broadband. We look forward to further developing our working relationship with Openreach to deliver this project.”

Kevin Murphy, MD for Fibre and Network Delivery at Openreach, said: “Great connectivity is more important than ever, whether it’s to support home working, to keep in touch with family and friends, or to access digital services like health and education.

Full Fibre broadband enables this in spades, and we’re ramping up our own efforts to build our new network to as many homes and businesses across the UK as we can.

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“This is one of the largest infrastructure projects in the UK today, and if we’re going to deliver the enormous social, environmental and economic benefits that Full Fibre can bring, it’s important we can build the new network efficiently, safely and without compromising on quality.

“We’re delighted to be partnering with NMCN because they’ll be pivotal in helping us achieve those aims for our customers and for the UK as a whole.”

The Spine survey and build will begin later this year and the Access build which provides fibre connectivity to homes will begin in April 2021 with the build scheduled to last 18 – 24 months. With further tenders on the horizon, there is strong potential to grow the nmcn – Openreach partner relationship.

NMCN is currently recruiting people to its existing specialist Telecoms team to help deliver this project and Openreach will be offering world class training as part of this build programme which includes partner use of its 12 training schools across the UK. Interested candidates should visit nmcn.com for more info on open positions.

Isuzu expands its new truck sales operation in Scotland with double dealer announcement

Leading commercial vehicle

manufacturer Isuzu Truck UK has announced that two of its existing Parts and Service dealers in Scotland have been appointed as Sales dealers, with both organisations now offering full sales operations for the Isuzu 2020 truck range from 3.5t to 13.5t.

In the North of Scotland, Elgin Truck & Van Centre Ltd – ETV, will develop into Sales dealer status for both its Elgin and Inverness locations, Dundee and the East will be covered

by Norscot Truck & Van Ltd. Announcing details of this double dealer appointment, Richard Waterworth, head of sales, Isuzu Truck UK, said, “Both Norscot and Elgin Truck & Van joined the ITUK dealer network over a year ago as parts and service dealers. This next

step to full dealer status is a logical move for each organisation, who are both seeing an increasing demand for the Isuzu Truck marque in their areas of the country.”

At Norscot Truck & Van Ltd, Richard Taylor is the dedicated Isuzu truck sales manager for the Dundee region and as Managing Director George Barrack says, “As an established OEM dealer group, Norscot in Dundee will benefit from the Isuzu truck range filling a gap in the GVW sectors where we currently do not have a product offering, as well as targeting niche markets where the Isuzu’s proven payload is an important factor.”

“The addition of the Isuzu Truck authorized repairer status to our business has been a tremendous success. With business levels expanding significantly in such a short time. It is now the right time to capitalise on this growing interest in the Isuzu range from operators in the area,” said Colin Scott, dealer principal at Elgin Truck & Van Ltd. Further information about the full range of Isuzu Truck dealers in the UK can be viewed at www.isuzutruck.co.uk/dealers

Further North at ETV, the company’s Operations Director Colin Milne will be dedicated to selling the Isuzu Truck marque from both their Inverness and Elgin locations.

Industry News - Creative Build Magazine | 5

HS2 ‘Notice to Proceed’ welcomed by Sat Nijjer from Fortel – A leading labour supply company

The Government’s ‘Notice to

Proceed’ with High Speed Rail 2 construction has been praised as supporting an ‘unparalleled and sustainable pipeline of employment and career development’ during a time of wider concern.

The ‘Notice to Proceed’ process marks formal approval for main construction works to begin, following the long-awaited decision earlier this year to proceed with the project.

With an estimated 30,000 construction jobs to be created, a leading labour supply company for the industry has welcomed the Government’s decision to continue moving forward at a time of such uncertainty due to the Coronavirus outbreak.

Sat Nijjer, Fortel CEO, one of the UK’s largest suppliers of labour to the construction industry, said:

“This is welcomed at a time of concern around the future economy and employment, with a project that will deliver vital improvements to capacity and connectivity across the UK. “HS2 now enters its construction phase with its aim to level up business and social interaction across the country’s towns and cities.

“Supporting over 30,000 jobs at peak, HS2 is realising the opportunity to provide an unparalleled and sustainable pipeline of employment and career development.

“It is tackling our industrial sector skills challenges and boosting regional economies to the benefit of local businesses.

“It will inspire apprentices to become skilled workers with a long term project to potentially work on, at the same time as setting themselves up for a successful infrastructure career.

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“HS2 will sit at the heart of the UK’s rail network.

“It will drive the recruitment, education and skills development of those who will deliver it and transform the national capability in delivering major infrastructure projects in the future.”

With a key focus on infrastructure projects, Fortel is currently going through a period of growth, with a new headquarters being built at Junction 10 of the M6.

Fortel provides more than 2,000 workers at more than 130 locations across the country and although the recruitment process has migrated online with the latest technologies on hand rather than in person, they continue to recruit the very best talent for customers during the Coronavirus crisis. For more information please email vishal.sagar81@yahoo.co.uk or call 01902 603409 or visit fortel.co.uk

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Creative Build Magazine | 7

O’Donovan Waste receives RoSPA Award for health and safety achievements

O’Donovan Waste Disposal, a

leading family-run waste management business based in London, is celebrating after landing an internationally-recognised award for demonstrating high health and safety standards.

O’Donovan, who operate with 185 employees and run a fleet of 100 lorries, has received a RoSPA Silver Health and Safety Award for working hard to ensure its team get home safely to their families at the end of every working day.

Organisations receiving a RoSPA Award are recognised as being worldleaders in health and safety practice.

Every year, nearly 2,000 entrants vie to achieve the highest possible accolade in what is the UK’s longestrunning H&S industry awards.

Jacqueline O’Donovan, managing director, said: “We are extremely proud to have been presented with a silver RoSPA Award. This recognises our ongoing commitment to deliver a safe working environment for our much valued team and demonstrates our continuous dedication to maintaining an excellent health and safety record. The RoSPA awards are

known as ‘the toughest health and safety awards in the world’ so it is a huge achievement for us to receive one.”

Julia Small, RoSPA’s head of qualifications, awards and events, said: “The RoSPA Awards scheme is the longest-running of its kind in the UK, but it receives entries from organisations around the world, making it one of the most sought-after global accolades in health and safety.

“RoSPA wants every employee, wherever they are, to work safe in the knowledge that they will be going home unharmed and healthy at the end of every day. The RoSPA Award winners are vital to help achieve this goal, as by entering they are driving up standards and setting new benchmarks for organisations everywhere. Currently, around 7million people are directly impacted by the RoSPA Awards, but the scheme’s influence is even wider.”

The majority of awards are non-competitive and mark achievement at merit, bronze, silver and gold levels. Gold medals, president’s awards, orders of

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distinction and the Patron’s Award are presented to organisations sustaining the high standards of the gold level over consecutive years.

Competitive awards go to the best entries in 24 industry sectors including construction, healthcare, transport and logistics, engineering, manufacturing and education.

There are specialist awards for health at work, environmental management, safety delivered outside of the workplace, and fleet safety, and excellence trophies for the best international organisation, new entry, workforce involvement, leisure organisation, and organisation operating or based in Scotland.

RoSPA’s top accolade is the Sir George Earle Trophy.

Headline sponsor of the RoSPA Awards 2020 is NEBOSH – the National Examination Board in Occupational Safety and Health – for the 15th consecutive year.

For more information about the RoSPA Awards visit www.rospa.com/awards

Industry News - Creative Build Magazine | 9

Seal It - the next generation hybrid roofing membrane

Everyone has their favourites, and

in the roofing game the same can be said for choosing the right product!

Football or Rugby Union? Wine or spirits? Horse racing or Formula One? We all have preferences and in the roofing industry we face the same choices and ultimate decisions.

Although there are many roofing and weatherproofing compounds on the market, most roofing contractors have a favourite product that they will use time after time. Part of the reason for this is that all compounds appear to do more or less the same job. Indeed, it is a fact that in some installations the choice of compound is not critical, particularly given the tolerance there is in the products on the market. But the tolerance level can be stretched too far and often we don’t assess correctly the whole criteria required by a particular installation!

To ensure the right product is used for the right installation, a number of factors have to be considered. How damp is the installation and will it be prone to water retention? How long for the product to cure in order to become resistant to water and moisture? With roofing applications weather is always an unknown quantity and can often lead to roofing

installations failing because of too much H2O. It is not always possible to cover a roof to give protection from the elements and we cannot control the weather to give us consecutive days of sunshine!

What materials are involved in the installation – will the surface requiring priming to allow the compound to adhere? In particular, galvanized metals offer little keying properties for most acrylic based products and will inherently require a primer in order to fix the compound. This can extend application time considerably whilst you wait for the primer to dry before applying the compound. Also, how flexible is the material, if prone to movement then a product needs to be used that will give with oscillation and won’t break down or crack. Does the product need to be high-build and will it give a uniform 1 coat application?

Dependant on the viscosity of the liquid will it actually flow and reduce the protective layer or will it retain it’s properties allowing the product to be moulded into areas where required most.

Ventilation will also have a bearing on the product specification. In areas of poor ventilation high VOC products

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can cause irritation and in extreme cases nausea and dizziness to the applicator as well as subsequent residents. Particularly important with sensitive installations where lingering solvent smells will not meet health and safety requirements.

There are many things to consider when choosing the right product but with Bond It’s Seal It One Coat Roof Membrane weatherproofing situations are made easy and comes with added benefits!

Seal It Liquid Membrane is an easy to apply one coat roof seal offering a modern alternative to traditional GRP, PU, silicone and bitumen roof coatings. Seal It Liquid Membrane is a highly reflective, solvent-free, non-flammable liquid membrane formulated for professional roofing applications and requires no special training to apply. Designed to be used on its own it can, however, in more demanding situations be used in conjunction with a primer, accelerator, reinforcement mat and edging and trimming sealer. Altogether the system delivers a high performance, watertight, permanently flexible and extremely durable barrier coating for all existing roof substrates which is guaranteed for 25 years.

Offering primerless adhesion on a wide variety of building and roofing surfaces, such as metal, treated and untreated wood, brick, stone, polyester, glass, lead, bitumen coating*, tile, plastics, polycarbonate, concrete, without heating or bonding.

Ideal for repairing flat roofs, pitch roofs (less than 10o), leaking flashing, guttering and roof lights and cracked roofing panels, chimney stacks, corrugated or plate roofing materials, zinc, steel, fibre-cement and façade panels creating an impermeable seal to repel water damage and provide resistance to degradation from natural weathering like rain, snow and sunlight . Also suitable for zinc guttering, down pipes, ventilation ducts, etc.

Based on advanced hybrid technology and developed by the chemists at Bond It in the UK, this product remains permanently flexible once cured and will not harden or soften even under extremes of weather, temperature, UV radiation and external chemical attack. Excellent resistance to ageing, ultra-violet attack and discolouration.

Under test conditions, Seal It Liquid Membrane was shown to have superb cool roof thermal properties, outperforming black bitumen by 36% at just 0.8mm thickness. It was also 11.3% more efficient than solar reflective paint, all helping to reduce energy costs.

characteristics and self-levelling properties and is crack bridging, non-shrinking and non-cracking.

Compatible for use with most common roofing materials.

SEAL IT PRIMER: A one-part solventfree primer for preparation of bitumen surfaces and roofing .

SEAL IT REINFORCING MAT: A high grade 100% polyester fabric which is non-woven and spunbonded to offer reinforcement to blisters, splits, seams, details, joints and penetrations, etc. offering twice the strength once incorporated. Ideal for areas subject to high movement. Tear and puncture resistant.

SEAL IT CRACKS & EDGING SEALER: A hybrid polymer sealer suitable for filling cracks, edges, details and small gaps prior to application of Seal It Liquid Membrane. Alternatively, it can also be used after Seal It Liquid Membrane application to secure edgings and seals to create a selfterminating flashing or provide extra protection around roof elements such as chimneys, air vents, etc.

SEAL IT ACCELERATOR: For colder climates, where the air temperature can affect the cure process, Seal

It Accelerator can be mixed with Seal It Liquid Membrane to speed up drying rates. When used in conjunction with the Accelerator, Seal It Liquid Membrane will withstand temperatures down to -20oC. For all your waterproofing problems, one product can offer you the quick and easy solution. Make life less complicated and try Seal It today – you’ll see there is NO better alternative!

ONE COAT ROOF SEAL SYSTEM - 100% WATERPROOF HYBRID BARRIER FOR ROOFS! For more information on Seal It contact our Sales Team on 01422 315300 or visit www.bond-it.co.uk.

System Components: SEAL IT LIQUID MEMBRANE : A ‘one coat roof seal’, professional grade hybrid roof coating available in either white or grey. Solvent-free and nonflammable, making it safer to use, one part, moisture cure, easy to apply coating. Provides outstanding water resistance, weather proofing

Creative Build Magazine | 11

Fire safe compliance for an ‘out of sight’ building asset

Free Download A technical white paper, supported by Zurich, entitled “Broof(t4) Compliance: Fire penetration performance and spread of flame” is available to download here: https://bit.ly/3j3gMf4

The Independent Review of Building

Regulations and Fire Safety has led to increased attention on fire safety.

While much of this has been focused on high-rise residential properties, it is crucial that the specification of all building materials and systems adhere to current fire regulations and ensure the safety of building occupants.

Daren Fraser, Head of Technical at Langley Waterproofing Systems Ltd looks at compliance in flat roof installations in line with fire regulations.

A recommendation of the Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety is that there be a duty holder responsible “throughout the life cycle of the building”, to ensure that it is built safely, refurbished safely and maintained safely.

It is crucial that regulatory and legislative compliance is considered beyond initial specification and should extend to maintenance, repairs and replacements. Consideration is often given at the initial specification and installation to ensure full compliance, but it is essential that any subsequent

work does not undermine this compliance.

Only robust system tests and certification in real life scenarios should be obtained and fully understood by sufficiently competent assessors and peer reviewers who guarantee work.

Fire Regulations For roof installations, one of the key sources of regulation and guidance in England is Approved Document B (Fire Safety) of the Building Regulations. In particular section B4, which relates to the resistance to the spread of fire from an external source (as opposed to fire from within the building) as well as resistance to fire spreading across the roof. Approved Document B provides guidance on mitigating fire risks in all areas of the building. One of the main dangers for roofs specifically is that burning airborne material or heat from a nearby fire will cause the roof to ignite and the fire to spread. As such it states minimum distances between buildings and provides guidelines on the required fire resistance of building materials.

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Testing and Certification The fire resistance of a roofing material is evaluated on two criteria – the penetration of flame and spread of flame. Although the standard is largely harmonised, the testing process does include specific measures designed to meet the legislative requirements of different countries. The specified test for the UK has two stages designed to meet the stricter requirements demanded by UK regulations. If the system passes the required criteria, it receives Broof(t4) classification.

A Broof(t4) classified system is referred to as ‘unrestricted’ or ‘low vulnerability’ and therefore has no minimum distance requirement between adjacent buildings.

Anything less than a system that meets the Broof(t4) classification means that the building is more susceptible to fire risk.

Ensuring compliance It is crucial to interrogate the system information to ensure the selected solution meets the requirements and fully complies with regulations.

Evidence must be available that the system has undergone

independent testing and verification of its performance. For example, British Board of AgrĂŠment (BBA) certification will confirm compliance with the relevant Building Regulations and the Broof(t4) classification.

However, decision makers need to be aware of issues that may affect the installed performance of the roof system. One of the most common issues is a system that has not been tested with the type or thickness of insulation that has been specified for the build or works. If the system has only been tested with a specific type and thickness of insulation it is difficult to accurately assess how that specific system build up will perform in the event of fire.

Fire resistance classifications apply to the whole roof system rather than individual components, any changes to the composition of the solution will invalidate the ratings and accreditations. A particular risk is that the substituted components are more

combustible than the ones tested and therefore pose a significant fire risk if installed.

Roofing systems should only be installed by contractors who are trained to do so. To assist decision makers, leading system suppliers will have a database of approved contractors who are certified to install the system. It is also best practice to choose a supplier that monitors the installation work to ensure it is carried out with all the correct components and in the correct configuration.

Langley also has a ‘Mitigating Fire in Flat Roofing’ CPD seminar, available to be delivered live with an opportunity for a Q&A session at the end.

To book email cpd@langley.co.uk

Fire safety is one of the key considerations when selecting roof system for a new building or refurbishment. As such it is important that system information is interrogated with testing certification evidence to ensure the chosen solution can demonstrate that it is safe and compliant.

Creative Build Magazine | 13

‘High Risk Residential Buildings’ adding value with HDR

In response to a recent government

report published in June 2020

by Housing Communities Local Government (HCLG) which concluded that there are over 2,000 buildings still clad with dangerous materials with limited government funding, Peter Watkins at HDR | Bradbrook Consulting explores the opportunities and challenges faced by developers to add value to these buildings to help fund the costly upgrades.

It has been 3 years since the tragic events of Grenfell, where 72 people sadly lost their lives. The report

by Housing Communities Local Government investigated the progress of remediation of high-rise and highrisk buildings, the direct and indirect costs for residents, and wider fire safety concerns that are emerging.

It concluded that there are still over 300 buildings with ACM cladding awaiting remediation and a further 1,700 buildings with other forms of high-risk combustible cladding that are likely to require urgent remediation.

The Chancellor announced a £1 billion Building Safety Fund in March to help

cover the costs to remediate HRRB’s, however as stated in HCLG report, the Government’s own estimate is that the total cost is likely to be between £3 billion and £3.5 billion.

Whilst developers may not currently have a legal obligation to help fund the remediation works, there is arguably a moral obligation to assist funding these necessary upgrades to ensure the safety of the occupants of their buildings.

Funding The introduction of new government planning reforms in September 2020 may offer the opportunity for developers to explore adding value to their existing buildings to help fund these critical upgrades.

In March 2020, the Minister of Housing Robert Jenrick announced planning reforms for new Permitted Development rights for building upwards on existing buildings, including residential apartment blocks by two storeys without the need for formal planning consent. However, there will clearly be Limitations to the Permitted Development proposals.

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This relaxation in planning requirements is a potential opportunity for developers that are currently assessing ways to minimize the economic impact of upgrading old building stock, adding value to offset some of the costs to ensure compliance with the latest fire regulations.

However, there are many challenges in the refurbishment of existing buildings, and each building would need to be assessed independently.

What are the key challenges?

Structural viability Assessing structural viability is possibly the biggest challenge, this will require a technical load assessment to determine whether there is sufficient redundancy in the existing structure to incorporate additional floors.

Architectural Architects face the challenge of ensuring that the aesthetics of the proposed additional storeys are in keeping with the rest of the building

and surrounding properties, the opportunity exists to blend and co-ordinate this with the upgraded cladding proposals.

In addition to building aesthetics, spatial planning and the consolidation of spaces will be a key challenge to maximize property value.

Legal Legal challenges include obtaining permissions and consents from unwilling tenants to carry out works to their apartments. ‘Rights to light’ of neighbouring properties will have to be assessed to determine if the additional height obstructs any natural light to the properties.

Safety Safety will be a key challenge as the works would need to be undertaken safely whilst tenants are living within their properties.

Logistical Construction logistics will be a significant challenge, finding space to locate welfare facilities, cranes and hoists to safely transfer materials and site personnel on to the roof will have to be carefully planned, alongside space for the storage of materials and to accept material deliveries.

Contractors need to work within restricted hours and greater controls would be required to limit noise and vibration to within acceptable and tolerable levels.

Rooftop plant such as water tanks would have to be relocated, and a services strategy in place to ensure tenants are not without water and power during the construction works.

Conclusions Clearly the cost of upgrading HRRBs appears to have been a significant factor in the slow progress of their

remediation. The cost of cladding a high-risk residential building is likely to be significant, and the addition of extra storeys will not necessarily cover the costs of re-cladding a high-risk building in its entirety, though the potential to minimize the economic impact may be worth considering.

Adding extra storeys will not be viable to all high-risk residential buildings as there are many different challenges to overcome. These challenges can be assessed in detail at an early stage with a feasibility/viability assessment.

The challenges and risks associated with redeveloping existing high risk residential buildings may put most building owners and developers off, though with limited land availability in cities, this is a unique opportunity for landowners to consolidate their property assets to maximize value and fulfil their moral obligation.

For more information, visit: bradbrookconsulting.com or call +44 (0)20 7429 3333

Creative Build Magazine | 15

Competency – critical in achieving safety performance

There are many ways to mitigate risk and here Andrew Orriss, Director of STA Assure for the Structural Timber Association, considers the crucial factor of competency on building safety performance.

Fire does not respect material form – fire spread can occur in any building.

The fact is that all materials have some vulnerability to fire, for example, steel softens, and concrete cracks.

The key therefore is to protect the structure to ensure that the building retains its integrity.

Increasingly factory-manufactured buildings are considered as the ideal modern construction method. By taking the construction process away from sites into well-managed factory environments with stringent quality control systems in place, enhances not only the quality but also delivers predictability of fire performance. All factory operations in contemporary production environments are now controlled by Quality Management System such as ISO9001 or the STA’s membership and quality standards scheme – STA Assure.

STA Assure was launched back in 2017 – this scheme has evolved over the years to ensure our members know how to advise customers in accordance with regulations and manufacturers guidelines to achieve building safety standards.

Competency is crucial to achieving excellent standards across all building products. In support of our STA Assure initiative, we have been working on a number of key schemes to reinforce the importance of competent installation and the use of fire protection processes and products.

The STA’s award-winning Site Safe Policy further ensures that the stringent factory controls are carried through to site processes – ensuring full compliance with Health & Safety Standards and CDM regulations. It is essential that all materials cover every compliance requirement, not just for fire. It is mandatory for all STA manufacturing and installer members to take part in our end to end competency training schemes which cover design, manufacturing, installation and onsite safety.

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As part of the STA’s continual development programme, our experts have been collaborating with the Construction Scotland Innovation Centre, the University of Edinburgh and BRE to produce fire safety in use guidance for timber frame buildings.

Structural timber solutions are widely recognised as the offsite construction system of choice, offering many sustainable and efficiency benefits achieving quality low carbon buildings and regulatory compliance. The STA has invested in an industry leading fire in use research project to test and prove commonly used timber frame wall, floor and roof make ups used in the UK marketplace.

The output of this research, a pattern book of EN tested systems, is believed to be the first of its kind in the UK timber frame sector.

The EN tested systems and best practice recommendations provide a comprehensive package of information, for the design, specification and construction of timber frame buildings. This research now forms part of the STA’s library of fire in use best practice guidance.

The project was organised into four distinct, but connected work packages, running in parallel to gather the relevant data required for the pattern book.

• The first stage was the completion of research into various aspects of timber fire safety and testing • The second stage was the completion of a large programme of full-scale EN fire resistance testing • The third stage was the collation of all research and test information for analysis, peer review and subsequent endorsement by verifiers and regulators • The final stage was the creation of the pattern book

In addition to the extensive fire in use research of timber frame systems, our experts also identified that the installation of fire stops and cavity barriers are of equal importance when it comes to building safety, an issue which prevails regardless of the building methodology. The STA have responded by developing a new guidance document on cavity barriers to complement the existing evidence.

The information will be regularly reviewed and updated by the STA’s Technical Committee and Board and the pattern book and guidance on fire stops and cavity barriers are free to download from the Structural Timber Association’s document library which can be found by visiting: www.structuraltimber.co.uk/links/ research-documents

Creative Build Magazine | 17

Get back to school safely with Agrippa

Following the opening of nurseries,

schools and colleges, the government has advised schools to implement a range of protective measures in order to mitigate the risk of the virus being spread. The six preventative actions which have been outlined by gov.uk and Public Health England are: 1) Minimise contact with individuals who are unwell by ensuring that those who have coronavirus (COVID-19) symptoms, or who have someone in their household who does, do not attend school 2) Clean hands thoroughly more often than usual 3) Ensure good respiratory hygiene by promoting the ‘catch it, bin it, kill it’ approach 4) Introduce enhanced cleaning, including cleaning frequently touched surfaces often, using standard products such as detergents and bleach

5) Minimise contact between individuals and maintain social distancing wherever possible 6) Where necessary, wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) Research source: Gov.uk - The Agrippa range of door holders and closers can directly support schools to meet the Government recommended preventative actions by:

fire. The devices can also be programmed to automatically close doors at the end of the school day, or manually closed by pressing the autorelease button. The position of the device at the top of the door ensures that it will remain open until manually closed by an adult, preventing the risk of younger children catching fingers in heavy doors!

Improving air ventilation

Despite best hand washing and cleaning efforts, the frequent and inevitable use of door handles presents a potential hot spot for the transmission of infection. The Agrippa range allows any internal door to be safely and hygienically retained without compromising fire safety with the use of illegal wedges.

Ensuring good air circulation by opening windows and doors prevents the build-up of stagnant air and reduces the risk of coronavirus spreading. While it can be tempting to prop open a fire door with a homemade wedge or heavy item, this puts lives at risk. It is critical that fire doors are held open by a device which will automatically release in the event of a fire and is approved to European standards.

The Agrippa devices record the specific sound of a fire alarm in order to release the door in the event of a

Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Services Group expressed concern about the increase of fire door

Removing the need to touch door handles

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wedging for infection control stating: “We are aware that there some businesses have been propping open fire doors... We know that this has been done with the best intentions, however fire doors should not be propped open. They are there to save lives and slow the spread of fire...

Without them, the risk of fire death greatly increases.�

Improving visibility in corridors to help maintain social distancing Holding open internal doors improves visibility and allows social distancing to be maintained when walking through corridors or entering and leaving a room. Retaining the fire doors tightly against corridor walls, the wire-free and battery powered Agrippa range is a perfect solution for schools as it maximises the space available and will not release if the door is knocked by passing students, helping to prevent wear and tear to expensive fire doors.

To learn more about how Agrippa can support your COVID prevention strategy, visit www.geofire.co.uk/ agrippa-covid19-solution/

Creative Build Magazine | 19

Complete Fire Resistant Decking and Subframe System - The High Strength, Fire Rated system for peace of mind SAiGE Fire Resistant Decking Our FR Boards are produced using the most up to date composite decking manufacturing process of co-extrusion. With a Class B fire rating they have been designed to meet the demands of the construction industry.

Co-extruded boards are renowned for being the next generation of composite decking and maintain important advantages including durability, anti-slip properties, high strength and colour stability.

The FR boards use a hidden fixing system and have a wood effect finish to give the look of traditional decking with the added advantages of composite.

The boards are dual sided with Charcoal on one side or Grey on the other.

The benefits of Saige fire-resistant decking include:

Key benefits of the Saige aluminium decking frame include:

- Complete fire resistant solution when used with SAiGE’s fire resistant subframe system

- Fire resistant and non- fire resistant options available - Fire resistant to EN13501-1 B

- Class B fire rating - High strength - Anti-slip decking - Easy to install - Hidden fixings - Resistant to mould - British design

- High strength Our fire-resistant cradles and pedestals conform to EN13501-1 B fire testing making them suitable for commercial projects such as roof terraces, balconies and podiums.

Made up of 30% glass filled nylon, they are also lightweight in construction.

If you’re searching for the complete decking support, our aluminium subframe system has a simple, sturdy and high-strength design.

The structure of the joists means they are not only durable but can also work on a much longer span compared to similar systems, reducing the quantity of pedestals and cradles needed and in turn reducing the cost and labour time on site. Supports can be placed every 800mm on a 50mm joist and still offer maximum strength.

Available in both Fire Resistant and non FR options. It’s the ultimate decking support solution for both residential and commercial projects.

For a complete fire-resistant solution, our aluminium subframe can be used in conjunction with the SAiGE Fire Resistant decking boards.

- Low maintenance - Products fully tested & certified SAiGE Aluminium Subframe System

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- Long spans – up to 800mm - High impact resistance - High flexural strength – 199 mpa - Non-combustible - Rapid installation - Joists Powder coated to RAL 9005 (black) - Does not warp, rot or twist - Complete wood free solution - Will support any type of decking boards and paving, whether that’s SAiGE composite products, hardwood, softwood, PVC, or porcelain.

For more information on SAiGE Fire Resistent Decking or the full Saige composite products range, please call 01789331329 or visit: www.compositedecking.co.uk

Fire Resistant Pedestal and Joist

Fire Resistant Dual Sided Composite Decking Boards

Aluminium Subframe System

Creative Build Magazine | 21

Will Covid-19 change the future of building design?

The impact of Covid-19 on every

aspect of life is undeniable. As the pandemic began to spread throughout March 2020, no one could have foretold the ways in which this disease would change society. One industry that has remained open throughout lockdown and been forced to quickly innovate is construction – and Matt Linekar and Stephen Moore from contractor Willmott Dixon have been at the forefront.

Gone are the days where you could enjoy a concert surrounded by tens of thousands of people, or hug those outside of your household as a friendly greeting. Instead, we now live in a world of social distancing and masked outings. But the impact of Covid-19 isn’t just those changes staring us in the face. There are more subtle, underlying ramifications that are yet to be explored completely – such as alterations in building design.

The question is, are Covid-related changes we are now seeing in building design here to stay, or a passing trend as the industry attempts to guide itself back to normality when the pandemic is over?

A change in requirements One of the biggest changes in building design is the importance that is now being placed on ventilation.

The need for proper circulation and fresh air to reduce the risk of contamination has never been

more prominent – especially in the education sector where large groups of students must move around the building during regular intervals.

This requirement also means that designers must think about the importance of flexibility to be able to purge the air in classrooms, and also consider window patterns and wall fans and their impact on the acoustics of these rooms.

The care sector is another one that must adapt to changing times and, again, consider the importance of ventilation in communal areas or corridors that could be the hub of cross contamination. Many care homes are now drawing on primary care regimes and lobbying rooms to protect infected patients, altering facilities to increase the safety of both staff and residents.

But, with providers in these sectors already struggling to source funds and a potential vaccine set to hit the UK in 2021, many of these measures may not be instigated.

Stephen Moore, pre-construction manager at Willmott Dixon, said: “We have seen a variety in responses from our customers, with some not wanting to make significant, longterm changes to a problem that is deemed to be short-term. Cost management is key when it comes to these alterations, but many businesses are struggling to weigh

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up the short-term benefits with the financial impact that it can have on the outgoings of a project.

“This response is being reflected by local authorities. Spatial problems are undeniable when discussing social distancing in schools, but councils don’t have the money, space or desire to make long-term changes to facilitate social distancing measures, and we are seeing many private sector companies take a similar stance. There is a focus for adapting operational policy rather than a significant change to buildings and the way they are designed to function.”

Perfecting the process It’s not just the elements of design that have been impacted by Covid-19, but also the process in which these designs are created. The informal nature of construction sites means that social distancing is often hard to maintain. With a mountain of competing factors to contend with – such as the need for team work, the variety of jobs that have to be completed simultaneously and strict time scales that have to be adhered to – contractors have had to make dramatic changes to ensure staff stay socially distant while working on projects.

This has meant for many firms, including Willmott Dixon, that

focusing on off-site fabrication has helped the design process.

Matt Linekar, head of building services at Willmott Dixon, said: “One of the key things that the Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated is off-site manufacturing and the different ways in which we might be able to utilise modern methods of construction (MMC).

“MMC is already a hot topic for the industry and the pandemic has simply enhanced this – and the last few months has given us the opportunity to explore the options in more detail and will no doubt continue to play a part in construction projects in the longer-term.”

Long-term or short-term The construction industry is one that has never stopped working, so very quickly firms were forced to adopt new ways of working to help protect their teams and prevent the spread of Covid-19, all while ensuring that essential building projects did not stall.

Matt added: “Distancing on site – and within the wider community - is probably here to stay, so as an industry we are having to find ways to accommodate that, but whether or not there will actually be long-term design implications remains to be seen.

“The short-term response has been one of meeting practical challenges on sites and moving forwards with a different way of working, but the reality is that the construction industry is a very competitive marketplace – potentially even more so as the government has positioned the built environment at the forefront of the recovery strategy.

“The government is encouraging a ‘build back better’ approach but there are inevitably cost implications associated with that and without legislation to demand improved standards and a force for change.”

Should we change the approach to building design?

There are potentially significant positives associated with a change in design focus, especially when you consider the environmental targets the UK is working towards and the impact more sustainable building would have.

Stephen added: “Moving towards a focus on whole life cost is an important first step – but that will rely heavily on customers adopting a shift in mindset, thinking about overall value rather than initial outlay.

It’s challenging, especially against a backdrop of a damaged economy and already stretched budgets, especially within the public sector.

“Sustainability will be key, but that is something that has been put somewhat on the back-burner for the time being as we navigate through the Covid crisis. As an industry, so often the focus is on cost and designing to meet the minimum standards rather than considering the longer-term impact of a building.

Moving forwards, it would be great to see a move away from considering a higher initial cost, but a better performing building, as ‘uneconomic’ and seeing customers investing in better quality products.

“The manner in which we live and work has had to adapt to the implications of Covid-19- and design does not seem to be addressing a long-term fix at the moment but maybe this will change over time.

It is arguable that we will need to accommodate less densely populated workplaces with more space for flexible working; consumers will begin to demand something different and design will change to recognise that.”

What next?

The Covid-19 pandemic has changed the way we live, in the medium term at least, considerably.

We have undertaken the world’s biggest remote working experiment, learned to distance from one another and change our behaviours in accordance with ever-changing regulations – but will this change the face of building design for the longterm?

Matt said: “Any real changes to the industry will take time to filter through. At the moment, we have collectively been focussing on how to keep our industry moving safely and working alongside our customers to ensure that their spaces are flexible enough to meet changing requirements.

“Whether or not there will be longterm changes to design is yet to be seen. There’s no question that we approach life in a different way, but without legislation enforcing things like changes to ventilation systems or improved environmental credentials, progress will likely be slow. There is certainly the opportunity to shift towards a whole life value approach to building in the longer term, which would undoubtedly see us ‘build back better’.”

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Fire-Rated Pedestals: The hidden heroes

Since the 2019 change in Building

Regulations in regard to fire safety, many manufacturers have developed fire-rated flooring solutions specifically for ‘specified attachments’ above 18 metres in height.

In order for buildings to pass fire regulations, the whole flooring system has to be fire-rated. This includes the surface material, pedestal and any other substrate.

At Alfresco Floors, we consider firerated pedestals to be the ‘hidden heroes’ of the external flooring application. Despite being hidden from view, these pedestals have the ability to withstand substantial loads, allow for drainage and are instrumental in the overall finish of the project.

Not to mention that they offer ultimate assurance when it comes to fire protection.

What are Fire-Rated Pedestals?

A fire-rated pedestal is a component that allows for the installation of heavy tiles, slabs or other surfaces without the need for adhesive or grout.

What makes a fire-rated pedestal so unique is that it is made from completely non-combustible materials, for example, aluminium.

Many B-rated pedestals contain plastic, and whilst this is a perfectly effective material, it is not permitted on attachments above 18 metres in height, according to National Building Regulations.

Therefore, fire-rated pedestals have been especially designed for use in high-rise flooring projects. These may include (but are not limited to) balconies, terraces, walkways, roof gardens and winter gardens.

Specifying Fire-Rated Pedestals: What to look out for.

Firstly, your fire-rated pedestal should be classified through the Euroclass system and be given an A1 or A2 classification.

This means that it produces no contribution to fire.

In order for products to be awarded a Class A rating, they must undergo rigorous testing. You can find out about this process in our blog post here.

There are also some key characteristics to look out for when specifying fire-rated pedestals. They are: - Quick installation capabilities - Lightweight construction - Ability to accommodate heavy loads - Self-draining - UV Resistant - Chemical Resistant - Maintenance-free - Suitable for use in a variety of temperatures

This means that your product selection has to be carefully considered.

With your fire-rated pedestals in place, you should now consider your surface material.

At Alfresco Floors, we provide aluminium, porcelain, concrete and natural stone. Each surface material is very different and will thus deliver a unique aesthetic to your project.

To view how our concrete paving helped support the load of 40 thousand football fans, click here.

To explore how our porcelain tiles achieved a contemporary aesthetic to a unique apartment blog, click here. To see the unique visual appeal that natural stone can achieve, view our Goldman Sachs case study here.

Conclusion: Look no further for your Fire-Rated Pedestal.

Here at Alfresco Floors, we provide the full external flooring system, from the pedestal to the surface material.

We understand how the safety of the end-user is paramount, particularly when there’s a risk of fire.

Providing the full Fire-Rated flooring system.

With that in mind, be sure to check out The A-PED®: one of the UK’s only Class A1 rated pedestal for balconies, walkways, terraces and any other specified attachments, exclusively at Alfresco Floors.

When it comes to your external flooring project, you’ll want to ensure that every component is compliant, providing Class A rating.

Our team is always on hand to assist with any queries you may have, so fill out the form below or call us on 020 8977 0904.

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Stark divide in how construction companies in the South are coping with COVID-19 pandemic

A national survey of construction

companies published by Worthing and Gatwick-based chartered accountants MHA Carpenter Box, alongside their national association MHA, reveals a stark divide in how construction companies in the South East and beyond have fared during the COVID-19 crisis.

In line with national trends, almost half (49%) of companies said the impact of COVID-19 has been substantial; 44% stated it had had only minimal impact on their business; and only 5% described the damage was critical. Future expectations also showed a divide, with almost a third reporting that business activity was now back to normal, while 30% believed it would take over a year to return to prepandemic levels.

The biggest concern, shared by 61% of respondents, is economic uncertainty. Supply chain disruption also ranked high on the list of worries, mentioned by 45% of respondents, with 32% concerned about cashflow, which reflects the industry’s strong balance sheets, low debt risk and improved turnover prepandemic.

Other findings: • 81% have made use of the furlough scheme, with seven in 10 planning to bring back all furloughed staff • Close to a third (32%) have had to make redundancies • 68% have used the VAT deferral scheme • 47% reported it was easy to access government funding

from a rise in unemployment; and commercial building is unlikely to thrive, with many companies questioning whether they need as much office space as before.”

Commenting on the results of the survey, Robert Dowling, Head of Construction and Real Estate at MHA and MHA Carpenter Box, said: “Construction businesses in the South East have generally adapted well since lockdown was lifted.

They are managing sites to ensure activity can continue, whilst adhering to social distancing measures by spreading workforces around sites.

“Inevitably there are delays and completion dates are being put back, which in turn is expected to have some impact on funding by increasing the cost of capital.

“The future however is very uncertain. Government projects are now the most likely source of revival for the sector; housebuilding, although currently buoyed up by strong demand is likely to suffer

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House builder progresses works on new £15m housing development in West Oxfordshire

Building works on a new housing

development in Carterton, by property developer Taggart Homes, are progressing on track, with the show home set to open to the public in October.

Located in the sought-after town of Carterton in West Oxfordshire, luxury development Linden Gardens, which is due for completion in late 2021, will comprise of 32 semi-detached and detached family homes.

Featuring eight different property types starting from £250,000 and going up to £800,000, the development will offer 2 bed apartments, 3 and 4 bed semidetached homes and 3, 4 and 5 bed detached homes, all of which will be finished to the finest quality with high spec fixtures and fittings and landscaped gardens.

Situated just a mile south of Carterton town centre, the development is in a prime location next to Carterton Health Centre and a wide range of leisure facilities, shopping amenities and employment opportunities.

The location is next to the Kilkenny Lane Allotments and Kilkenny Lane Country Park and surrounding towns are Witney, Burford, Cheltenham and Swindon. The nearest city being Oxford.

Appealing to a varied demographic, Linden Gardens is suited to growing families looking to up-size or commuters looking to improve their home working surroundings.

There is also provision for first-time homebuyers with a range of Help to Buy and Shared Ownership options on smaller properties.

Ideal for A40 commuters and very close to the Cotswolds – the development’s closest train station -Long Hanborough - is just over 10 minutes from Oxford, 40 minutes from Reading and one hour from London Paddington for city workers.

Importantly for families, Linden Gardens is in the catchment area of many in-demand primary schools including Carterton, Shilton Park, Brize Norton and St John Evangelist, and secondary schools including

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Cokethorpe Private, Burford College, The Kings School and Carterton Community College.

It’s also a short drive away from a range of locations for days out including Crocodiles of the World, Bourton on the Water, Cotswold Wildlife Park and Sherbourne National Trust Park.

The scheme will inject new life into a previously underutilised rural site which had a single family house on it, that backs onto the edge of the Shilton Park housing development.

On the new Linden Gardens development, co-founder and chief executive officer of Taggart Homes, Michael Taggart, said: “We are delighted and excited to be bringing this exquisite luxury family development to this great location nestled in West Oxfordshire. Its location is the biggest selling point, adjacent to the country park, and with open fields beyond, it is ideal for families and commuters due to being in the close vicinity of major road and rail routes.

“As with all properties by Taggart Homes, our dedicated team of professionals ensure that each detail of each property is designed and built to the highest standards to provide the best possible product on the market - from the layout and design, to the workmanship and materials used for the build, interior fixtures and fittings and surrounding landscaped spaces.

“We want to build communities where neighbours become friends, where memories are made and we understand what a huge step buying a new home is, so we always strive to provide the finest quality properties, where luxury meets convenience.”

Paul Stachura, new homes sales manager at Connells estate agents in

Oxford, said: “We’re hugely excited to be working alongside Taggart Homes and offering these very special homes to the people of Carterton.

For more information visit: www.taggarthomes.com

“Interest in the development is already exceptional and the local branch is being inundated with enquiries for details, from people within the town and further afield. With such a great mix of houses in a stunning location, Linden Gardens will undoubtedly become the ‘place to live’ in Carterton.”

Interested homebuyers can now register interest at Connells in Carterton on 01993 847309. The brochure is due to launch September, with an off-plan reservation event scheduled for late September and official launch planned for early October.

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Million-pound homes outperform the rest of the market

Sales activity in the £1m+ property

market is storming ahead according to the latest Rightmove data, as wealthier buyers race for more space and leafier locations in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic and changing lifestyle preferences. This, according to Hilltop Credit Partners, makes it a perfect time to support developers and provide investors opportunities to invest in a market that has never looked more bouyant.

Paul Oberschneider, CEO at Hilltop Credit Partners, said: “A common conception is that houses in the £1m+ market take longer to find buyers than the overall market because of their higher price points. But the latest data from Rightmove shows that UK’s million-pound homes are actually outperforming the rest of the property market in terms of the number of sales being agreed. The hottest millionaire markets right now are Norfolk, Wiltshire, Cornwall, Henley, Hackney, Tooting, Stoke Newington, Balham with affluent buyers willing to part with huge sums of money to buy larger homes.

“A big reason for this market sentiment is the ongoing pandemic which is pushing many potential buyers to swap city apartments for

bigger homes with more living space and gardens. With the government’s big push for work-from-home once again, many employees are also expected to spend fewer days in the office and may look to relocate to a bigger property with more outdoor space. The post-Covid market will have an increased focus on indoor and outdoor space and wealthier buyers will be the first to move to bigger homes.

“Since the lockdown this year, UK’s property sector has shown incredible resilience despite the market setbacks. Demand from residential developers continues to be strong, and we are encouraged by the strength we have seen in the UK residential market over the past several months. At Hilltop, we are extremely proud of our one-stop funding solution which continues to be well received by the market, and how we have provided c. £30m in lending commitments (to date in 2020) to SME developers across England. The product offered by Hilltop has a dual pronged approach which includes both debt and equity elements. The equity raise on one side assists the developer, meet much needed final stretch and on the other, opens up these exiting

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developments to investors who may wish to invest and be part of the growth story.

“We continue to have a growing pipeline with great sponsors. Case in point our newly increased £50m loan-on-loan facility from OakNorth Bank which is set play a huge role in supporting our ongoing development finance lending. We also provided funds for an eco-friendly residential development in North Devon as it combines high-quality construction and design, with green space, energy efficiency, and affordability – catering perfectly to today’s home buyers.”

Hilltop’s management team includes former developers and finance experts, and together they have successfully originated and managed value-add and opportunistic residential deals through challenging market cycles. The fund is backed by the global real estate investment firm Round Hill Capital.

Sean Matthews is Screwfix top tradesman of 2020!

We have a winner! Sean Matthews, a Caerphilly carpenter & joiner, has been officially announced as the winner of Screwfix Top Tradesperson 2020.

Sean was presented with the award - one of the industry’s most coveted titles - during the virtual Screwfix Live event on Friday, 2nd October.

The 50-year-old, who has spent more than half of his life in the industry, walks away with the title and ultimate trade bundle consisting of £10,000 worth of tools, £5,000 worth of technology and £5,000 towards future training.

Over 2500 people entered the competition with 10 finalists facing a panel of esteemed industry experts, including representatives from Screwfix, The NICEIC, CIPHE, FMB and 2019 winner, Darren McGhee.

Sean was a stand-out winner thanks to his exceptional craftmanship,

his attention to detail and fantastic approach to customer service.

Sean said: “This is life-changing. My small Welsh family business is going to be elevated to the next level! Lots of my customers have been wishing me good luck so I can’t wait to share the good news.

“At the start of this year, I thought ‘this would be the year for us’ and then Covid-19 struck. I had to pick myself up and keep on going.

Winning this means that my hard work, and the team’s hard work has been recognised and rewarded. I’m dedicated to my customers and to doing the best job that I can, now I’m ready to take the next step thanks to this win.

“I plan to use the prize to continue to provide excellent attention to detail, grow my business and take on an apprentice –this award has set me on my way. I’m willing to prove you

can teach an old dog new tricks, and you’re never too old to take on another challenge!”

David Moore, Director of Brand Marketing at Screwfix, adds: “This competition is in its eleventh year and it’s still as exciting as year one.

We continue to be blown away by our tradespeople’s stories, none more so than this year, when we’ve heard about how they have overcome the challenges of recent months.

“Sean really impressed us with his skill, craftmanship and dedication to making sure his customers are happy with his work. He’s a genuine tradesperson who will do his best for his customers and has also really helped people in need. We are proud to announce Sean as our 2020 winner. I’m looking forward to seeing where this accolade will take his business.”

More information: www.screwfix.com

Creative Build Magazine | 29

Multi-award success for Midlands contractor Midlands contractor G F Tomlinson is celebrating being a successful finalist for both the East and West Midlands 2020 LABC Building Excellence Awards.

Announced via a virtual ceremony, the LABC Regional Building Excellence Awards are the largest business to business awards in the UK, and recognise outstanding public sector construction projects in 12 regions across England and Wales.

Successful projects that G F Tomlinson delivered were winners of the ‘Best Small Commercial Project’ in the East Midlands awards, and ‘Best Public Service or Educational Building’ in the West Midlands Awards.

Chesterfield-based project Ashgate Hospicecare was named as the winner of ‘Best Small Commercial Project’ in the East Midlands awards completed last year, the refurbishment of the hospice included the creation of nine new private bedrooms for end of life care patients.

G F Tomlinson has been a longstanding supporter of Ashgate Hospicecare, and as its designated charity partner, the firm has been supporting the important work of the hospice since 2016.

Another successful project in the East Midlands Awards was The University of Nottingham Biodiscovery Institute, and works involved the construction of a world-class educational facility for research into identifying breakthroughs in the treatment and diagnosis of serious diseases.

The project was awarded highly commended for the ‘Best Public Service or Educational Building’ category in the awards.

The Central Science Laboratories, Keele University project was the winner of the West Midlands ‘Best Public Service or Educational Building’ category, and works for this included the construction of a new 5,300 sq. metre, four-storey building which was completed in 2019, bringing state-of-the-art laboratories

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for geography, geology, forensic science and astrophysics courses to the Keele University Faculty of Natural Sciences.

Andy Sewards, managing director at G F Tomlinson, said: “We are delighted to have been successful in both the East and West Midlands LABC Building Excellence Awards this year.

“The awards recognise the hard work put into delivering highquality public-sector schemes and all of our schemes that have been finalists in this years’ awards have made a positive impact on the local community – which is something that we are incredibly proud of. Well done to everyone involved.”

For more information visit the website: gftomlinson.co.uk

Creative Build Magazine | 31

Works commence onsite at new luxury Beeston development

Nottingham-based luxury

home developer, North Sands Developments, has started construction works on a new soughtafter luxury residential scheme in the Beeston area.

Located in the Bramcote Village Conservation Area near Beeston, the development - known as ‘Cow Lane’, will comprise of one four-bedroom and three five-bedroom detached executive-style homes, ranging from £775,000 to £1million.

Expected for completion in summer 2021, the luxury properties will be situated in a cul de sac accessed through a private road and will boast landscaped gardens, open plan living areas, spacious bedrooms, bespoke bathrooms and kitchens, and highspec finishings throughout.

Close to Queens Medical Centre, Boots HQ, Nottingham University and Junction 25 of the M1, Cow Lane is the second North Sands development in the Beeston area, following the sought-after leafy Mulberry Close development that was completed last year.

Following the acquisition of the land and the granting of planning permission, demolition works began in August at Cow Lane, which was previously the site of a large bungalow. Construction works commenced on 1st September and once built, early purchasers will have the opportunity to choose from a range of fixtures and fittings to put their own stamp on their new homes.

At this stage, a purchaser would be able to choose kitchen layouts and appliances along with tiles, bathroom finishes and floor finishes throughout the house, using the highest quality materials including Porcelanosa Tiling, Duravit sanitaryware, Siemens, AEG or Miele kitchens, underfloor heating and fibre broadband.

In addition to this, the purchasers can spend time with the North Sands Developments independent interior designer and design team throughout the whole process, ensuring the best possible individual finish.

James Hartley, director at North Sands Developments, said:

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“Following the success of Mulberry Close, we are excited to be designing and building more homes in this great area of Nottinghamshire, and properties have been carefully designed by architects and interior designers to fit in with the surrounding neighbourhood.

“Situated within the Bramcote conservation area in a beautifully preserved and quiet village environment – Cow Lane is nestled in one of the most desirable locations in Nottingham, providing professionals and families with spacious, quality living spaces within convenient reach of Boots HQ, Queen’s Medical Centre, the University of Nottingham and major road routes including the A52 and M1, as well as many quality schools, public parks and transport links to Nottingham city centre.

“Beeston is a fantastic town centre that is constantly evolving and improving. With plans for Beeston Square – a new cinema complex with bars, restaurants and retail outlets – taking shape, now is a great time to purchase a home for the long term, especially with the government

announcement of the stamp duty holiday until March 31st next year.

Prospective homeowners that register interest early will also have the pick of our quality fixtures and fittings options, to ensure homes are built to a bespoke specification.”

Steve Parker, director of sales agent FHP Living, said: “We are delighted to be acting for North Sands Developments again on such an exciting site. This is a great opportunity for prospective buyers to work with this quality builder and developer, to have an input in choice and colours, with an independent interior designer to really put their personal stamp on these stunning new build homes. Now is a great time to talk to us and North Sands to start

the ball rolling on a most enjoyable journey to your new home”.

North Sands Developments is working alongside Taynton Construction, Peter Greenwood Architects and Nick Grace Planning for this housing scheme and the development will be marketed through FHP Living.

The new development has already received a large amount of interest and properties are expected to be available to move into by summer 2021 – contact Jules or Steve at FHP Living to register interest for Cow Lane. Award-winning developer North Sands has delivered highspec schemes in Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire and Salcombe in Devon since inception.

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At this St John’s Wood, London residential development, StoDeco profiles allowed the creation of impressive façades that would be prohibitively expensive to reproduce using traditional materials.

Let STO raise the profile of your next architectural project

As modern building designs become ever more adventurous, the demand for flexible and versatile construction materials continues to grow.

Fortunately, manufacturers such as Sto are able to satisfy this challenge by offering innovative products which allow architects and designers to give free rein to their imagination.

Prominent among these products are StoDeco façade panels and profiles, which offer unrivalled scope to create cornices, arches, columns, pillars or any other type of architectural detailing for a façade. These panels and profiles allow buildings to have a genuinely individual and striking appearance, no matter whether it’s modern, classical, Art Deco, Bauhausinspired or totally original.

They are manufactured from Verolith - a natural volcanic material that is mixed with binding agents and treated with heat and pressure to create the extremely strong but lightweight basic StoDeco profile blocks. Sto then uses state-of-the-art computer

-controlled cutting techniques to transform the blocks into 3-dimensional panels, profiles and decorative elements of all types.

Sto offers a wide range of standard StoDeco profiles to suit many different detailing requirements, and they can be used to create virtually any type of appearance for a building façade.

Recreating the past The StoDeco profiles are particularly appropriate when designing a new building that must blend with its surroundings, especially if it needs to reflect any specific architectural style or detailing found nearby.

Refurbishment projects also benefit if the building is historically or architecturally significant and there is a need to reproduce or repair existing architectural detailing.

Whereas this sort of challenge might previously have been met using traditional materials such as concrete or stone, these can be expensive and difficult to work with.

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They are also susceptible to cracking when repeatedly exposed to wet and freezing weather conditions. StoDeco panels and profiles overcome each of these difficulties, making them equally well-suited to any type of project, even those which feature the most modern and adventurous façade designs.

Thanks to a low co-efficient of linear expansion the StoDeco profiles resist the tendency to crack, and this allows them to retain their line, shape and attractive appearance. Their low water absorption characteristics and lack of water-soluble constituents also help to eliminate the danger of frost damage.

They are lightweight and extremely resistant to damage and environmental attack. They can be installed onto an external wall insulation system or direct onto solid substrates, and can be fixed with Sto’s purpose-designed adhesive, or easily drilled and dowelled on site to ensure that the installation process is simple and smooth.

The surface texture of the profiles provides an ideal base for primers and final surface coatings, and Sto offers a comprehensive range of compatible iQ intelligent paints which enable the final façade to be matched exactly to the architect’s original vision.

Sto can also provide bespoke profiles to suit the specific size, shape or design requirements of any individual project. Geometric forms can be cut from panels of varying thickness to create individual decorative elements, making the scope to add arches, columns, plinths, sculptural panels or even logos almost endless.

The profiles can be used to create contrast, add emphasis, and define the lines of a façade design, so allowing architects to create the type of visually striking façades that would be prohibitively expensive using traditional materials and methods.

Residential beauty Bespoke StoDeco profiles were specified for a project in St. John’s Wood, London. Together with StoTherm Classic external wall insulation they were used to create a stunning external appearance for 11 new residential properties, all of which were required to achieve a very high standard of architectural

finish, plus a BREEAM Excellent rating for construction sustainability.

They were specified for their outstanding quality of finish, and their speed of installation which would provide the fast-track solution required for the project. They allowed the designers to incorporate intricate architectural detailing with the same appearance as stone, but in a material that was lightweight and easy to cut, shape and install.

There was an enormous quantity of detailing required on this project and the highest standard of finish was a key requirement. Cornice, window and chimney detailing were all created, plus a wealth of columns, dentil courses and other features which enhance the development’s classically-inspired design.

For Hop House in Covent Garden, state-of-the-art CNC milling machines were used to create strikingly ornate StoDeco profile designs which add individual character to the building.

Many of the StoDeco profiles were manufactured to bespoke sizes and designs for this project, and were pre-cut prior to delivery.

Practical profiles StoDeco profiles carry the backing of a full design and technical support service from Sto. This includes guidance on every aspect, including drawings for the detailing, matching to existing profiles and specification of appropriate colours and finishes.

The Tara Arts Theatre building shows that even the most advanced architectural designs can be brought to life with StoDeco panels and profiles.

At Sussex House in Covent Garden, the resistance of the StoDeco profiles to the effects of the weather, and other environmental influences, will allow the building to retain its appearance well into the future.

For St John’s Wood in London, cornice, window and chimney detailing were all created, plus a wealth of columns, dentil courses and other features which enhance the development’s classically-inspired design.

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Healthy buildings not achievable without industry-wide change, new research reveals New research from Uponor, the total solutions provider of systems for the safe transportation of water around a building, found that the creation of truly healthy buildings is not possible without significant compromise, due to the challenges currently faced by the construction sector.

In a survey of over 200 construction industry professionals, 95% of respondents said that the M&E sector is unable to deliver healthy high-rise buildings without overcoming significant challenges.

The research, which is detailed in the new whitepaper ‘High-Rise and Net-Zero Buildings of Tomorrow: Is the Construction Industry Ready?’i, shows that these challenges include compromises to reduce costs and speed up construction often leading

to a lower standard of end user wellbeing. The impact the buildings we live and work in have on our health is more relevant than ever, with many people spending prolonged periods of time indoors coupled with an increased awareness of how intelligent building design can help minimise the spread of germs.

The research supports this, with 90% of those surveyed agreeing that the built environment plays an important role in our everyday wellbeing.

M&E systems were recognised as especially crucial, with the most important systems identified as being: Ventilation (77.5%) Water supply (47.5%) Temperature (43.5%) However, despite almost half of those questioned citing temperature

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control as an important factor in creating a healthy building, 20% admitted that they would compromise on this if cost was an issue.

In addition, it was revealed that square footage of rent-able/sell-able areas are sometimes increased to the detriment of M&E systems. Examples of this include ventilation air filters being blocked due to limited space, meaning that they cannot be properly maintained or replaced. Similarly, radiant heating systems are often side-lined for fan-coil units and radiator systems, despite the fact that studies show radiant heating provides better thermal comfort, takes up less space and is more efficient. In support of Uponor’s research, the issue of building

standards affecting health and wellbeing was also raised by a recent report into today’s housing which revealed that current regulations risk creating lower quality homes. This is an issue which could be exacerbated by the UK government’s recent building planning reforms, which are designed to speed up the pace of construction, a decision which has been criticised by professional bodies including the Royal Institute of British Architects.

James Griffiths, Project Development Director at Uponor, said: “Uponor has a lot of experience supplying water systems for high-rise residential facilities, where the scale and complexity of the structure means there are a lot of factors which need to be considered to ensure that the

water network will optimise the health and wellbeing of residents.

“Making compromises to M&E systems such as the heating and water delivery might lower initial costs, but we need to think about the long-term suitability of the buildings we’re creating, particularly in the current climate. Cutting corners in order to build quicker or cheaper risks significantly lowering building quality and making it even harder for construction industry professionals to design, build and maintain homes that properly support our health and wellbeing.”

“The M&E aspects of a building are the most important parts to making it healthy, especially by providing the comfort, heating and ventilation, so it is important that it’s done well.”

The report ‘High-Rise and NetZero Buildings of Tomorrow: Is the Construction Industry Ready?’ can be downloaded in full here: www.uponor.co.uk/specification/ whitepaper For more information on Uponor and the solutions it offers, please visit: www.uponor.co.uk

As part of its research, Uponor spoke to a number of construction industry experts. Project Architect at AWG Architects, Marjon Van Elk, said:

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‘Clean Living’ with new antibacterial Fenix kitchen range by Rotpunkt surface layer with small black aluminium frame. Seen here in the dark grey finish, Black Rock, this real stone furniture option creates an extra high 91cmpeninsula island that divides the kitchen and creates an ergonomic sink area with matching black SP13 sink, extra storage space and the potential for bar-style seating.

Rotpunkt, carbon neutral

manufacturer of quality German Kitchen furniture, address the markets need for increased home hygiene with the launch of Fenix: a new super matt, antibacterial door range in either Fenix Black or Fenix Grey finish.

Available for the company’s best selling Zerox kitchen furniture, the new Fenix door range by Rotpunkt is a high-pressure laminate solution which is soft to touch and extremely resilient, providing enhanced antibacterial properties so your kitchen surfaces arealways protected.

FENIX ADVANTAGES: - Enhanced antibacterial properties = inhibiting micro organisms to grow and reproduce.

- Extremely matt surface = low light reflectivity - Anti-fingerprint, soft to touch - Resistant against scratches and minor abrasions - Resistance to dry heat, acid solvents and household cleaning agents Matt Phillips, Head of UK Operations at Rotpunkt says, “Hygiene-related

kitchen design is big news right now due to the ongoing threat to global health. With this in mind, we never want to limit our customers and supply sterile furniture solutions where substance is more important than style. Presenting form and function in equal measure, our new range of Fenix doors are both practical and beautiful and are ready to make a significant contribution to the future of personal health and wellbeing in the home.”

Get inspired by this ultramodern kitchen concept by Rotpunkt where from the left, the new Fenix doors are shown on a tall larder unit with Tandem pull-out storage system, run of low-level base units with three internal pan-drawers and LeMans corner unit to maximise the level of discreet storage space for pots and pans. Matching panels are also available in Fenix Black or Fenix Grey and in keeping with the furniture, this contemporary kitchen also features a 30mm ceramic worktop in exactly the same colour and finish as the new Fenix doors for a flawless finish.

Working in combination with Fenix Black is the new Ceramica door range, which has a 3mm ceramic

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Also new in 2020, is the feature island in Ceramica Black Rock.

Designed to become a natural extension of the Fenix base units, the central island is brought to life with hidden bead lighting to create a high impact shadow gap and signature look. The dark grey Ceramica island and accents of City Brown Oak add a touch of raw beauty throughout this kitchen scheme and the oak on the back wall becomes part of the new Wall Panelling System by Rotpunkt. Seen here with 8mm thick glass shelves that are free to slide left and right, each wall accessory for the new wall system is designed to clip straight on to the panels for the height of customisation and future proof design.

Cube, the latest built-in appliance solution by Rotpunkt is highlighted with a pair of deck-mounted designs, which custom house two cooking appliances. Completing this highsymmetry kitchen concept is the new freestanding Glass Vitrine with chimney glass double-doors and a 20mm black frame: also available with 50mm frame option.

Designed with fixed glass shelves and integrated Manila LED lighting as standard, the new Glass Vitrine by Rotpunkt is seen here with a combicarcass and features a City Brown Oak interior and super matt Fenix Black exterior.

The new Zerox Fenix kitchen range is priced from £12,500+vat.

For further information, please contact: Rotpunkt UK | email: matt.phillips@rotpunktuk.com website www.rotpunktkuechen.de

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01698 820533 www.electric-heatingcompany.co.uk Creative Build Magazine | 41

‘Maximise your heating options’ with Modern Multi-rails by Vogue (UK) makes it the perfect partner for a streamlined décor with industrial accents, fashionable grey walls and elements in mixed materials.

Available in two heights and two different widths, this smooth operator is shown in a chrome finish with additional metallic finishes for a personalised look.

Smooth II CN036 → Mild Steel construction, Chrome finish | H1200 x W500 x D96mm | 11 bars | 335/1143 Watts/BTUs | Suitable for all heating systems, dual fuel & electric | 15 year Guarantee | Prices start from £417.60 with the pictured model retailing at £547.20including vat.

Vogue (UK), the UK’s largest

manufacturer of award-winning radiator and towel warmers reinvent the art of towel drying with a range of high quality, multi-rail heating solutions designed to enrich your home.

“With bathroom trends erring towards practical design which optimises space and functionality, we want to shine a light on our range of multi-rail towel warmers for the contemporary bathroom. Now becoming an essential part of the design process, the right towel rail can create a dedicated place to warm, dry and even store your towels, as well as reduce laundry costs for a more efficient, sustainable lifestyle. We understand that expressing your personal style is also vital when heating your home, which is why we offer a comprehensive range of classic and modern designs to raise both the style factor and comfort level of your bathroom”says Steve Birch, Sales Director at Vogue (UK).

When shopping for a multi-rail heating design, make sure you consider the

dimensions of your bathroom and space allowance as this will determine where you can fit it and what your necessary heating requirements are. Wall-mounted towel rails will give you untold design freedom as they can be installed in places that radiators sometimes can’t like above a bath or used as a focal point in a bathroom.

“Multi-rails are a timeless choice in a busy family bathroom, downstairs cloakroom or master en-suite, so whether you are making home improvements with a view to selling your property or simply wish to make your forever home even better, a multi-rail is the modern choice for your bathroom” says Steve.

To get you inspired, Vogue (UK) want to present three multi-rail designs that promise form and function: HIGH FASHION - The Smooth II CN036 is a wall-mounted towel warmer crafted in high quality Mild Steel and designed with distinct mitred corners to give a sleek designer finish. Its minimalist styling

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VINTAGE CHIC - Appreciate the elegance of the Ieri TM014-MS ladder rail, which is specially designed with a fixed shelf for stacking towels and face clothes or offering additional hanging space in the bathroom.

Available in two options with five or eight cross bars, this classic heating design in high quality Mild Steel is a superb addition to an en suite or guest bathroom, saving valuable floorspace while keeping your towels beautifully organized.

SPACE SAVING - If you need extra drying room, then the Pearl MD058 is a good choice, as well as making good use of space under a window.

This generously-proportioned rail enables you to dry towels side by side, so there will always be one available after a bath or shower.

Made of stainless steel for added durability, this designer heating comes in a choice of two widths with 9 or 12 cross bars.

Celebrating 30 years in 2020, please contact Vogue (UK) for further information: Vogue (UK) | t 01902 387 000 Email - info@vogueuk.co.uk Website - www.vogueuk.co.uk

Ieri TM014-MS → Mild Steel construction, Chrome finish | H1350 x W525 X D265mm | 8 sections | 277/945 Watts/ BTUs | Suitable for central heating systems, dual fuel & electric | 15 year Guarantee | Prices start from £465.60 with the pictured model retailing at £554.40 including vat.

Pearl MD058 → Stainless Steel construction, Polished finish | H600 x W1000 X D750mm | 9 bars | 517/1764 Watts/BTUs | Suitable for all heating systems, dual fuel & electric | 30 year Guarantee | Prices start from £398.40 with the pictured model retailing at £459.60 including vat.

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Renzo by Daval shortlisted for ‘Innovation in Kitchen Product Design’

Leading British designer and

manufacturer of quality fitted furniture, Daval, is proud to announce that its FSC Certified Renzo Furniture Collection has been named a finalist on Designer KB Awards Longlist in the category for ‘Innovation in Kitchen Product Design’.

The annual Designer Awards ceremony is highly coveted in the kbb and architectural design industry, recognising the work of outstanding designers, residential and commercial projects and leading manufacturers for innovation in product design.

The winners will be announced at the Covid-Safe awards event on 18th November 2020, which will take place at The De Vere Grand Connaught Rooms in Central London.

The ultimate in eco-friendly design, Renzo is a new kitchen collection that remains true to its environmental credentials and high-fashion contemporary, urban style. This exciting news comes ahead of Renzo moving into production next month

at the Daval factory in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, following its hugely successful launch at KBB Birmingham in March 2020.

Kind to the environment without compromising on style, this range balances sustainability with sophistication. The innovation comes through its environmental credentials where every door in the collection is made from 100% recycled material, which in turn makes it 100% green. The company’s passion and commitment towards the circular economy pushes Daval to innovate with regards to product development, sourcing materials and manufacturing techniques. As a second-generation family business, the new Renzo range demonstrates this methodology perfectly and provides the UK market with an option that gives future generations a better quality of life.

Simon Bodsworth, Managing Director at Daval says “We are absolutely delighted to be shortlisted at this year’s Designer Awards, especially

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given the current climate on both an economic and social level. To have Renzo make the 2020 kitchen longlist for innovation in product design is a huge testament to our sustainable developments and important strides we’re making in kitchen design for a better future.

It’s a real compliment to be judged by such an industry-rich panel of experts and as our commitment for sustainable production techniques is true and long term, we hope to see Renzo become the preferred choice for homeowners, designers and retailers for many years to come.”

The Renzo kitchen furniture collection is new for 2020 and inspired by the markets growing love for urban eco-design. Renzo by Daval Furniture presents a sustainable kitchen alternative with rich textural variety. Available in five new hightexture door finishes: [1] Charred Japanese Wood, inspired by the ancient architectural technique Yakisugi: a traditional Japanese method of wood preservation that

slightly chars the surface of the wood for greater durability, design appeal and resistance against water [2] Character Oak Tobacco: defined by its authentic grain patterns, small knots and dark variations of colour, this new wood-effect finish recreates the look of distressed wooden planks [3] Character Oak Natural: designed with authentic grain patterns, small knots and light variations of colour, this new wood-effect door finish simulates the look and feel of real wood [4] Artstone Quartz Grey finish: decorative stone effect door with textured dark grey finish [5] Artstone White Grey finish: white grey stone effect finish with textured surface Editor of Designer Magazine, Martin Allen-Smith says: “It has been a very tough year for many within the sector, but we’ve been impressed with the quality and quantity of entries despite the trying circumstances.

It’s clear that many design studios, retailers, and architects – as well as manufacturers – have tried to maintain the closest thing they can to ‘business as usual’, and it’s an impressive feat of resilience.” For the first time in the history of the competition, judges assessed entries remotely this year, to minimise travel and ensure social distancing.

Martin says. “But every one of the judges on our panel takes this process extremely seriously and they have been as thorough as ever in considering the projects. We look forward to featuring many of these superb schemes in the magazine over the coming months and to the awards presentations at our COVID-safe event which will adhere to all required social distancing precautions.”

“The future of furniture design, Renzo is a cutting-edge kitchen design with sustainability at its heart – fingers crossed for the results in November” says Simon.

For further information on Daval, its furniture and interiors storage solutions, please contact: Daval Furniture Phone: 01484 848500 Website: www.daval-furniture.co.uk

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Eco-friendly products for your garden room’s autumn maintenance

September has come upon us

quickly this year, and now’s the time to be thinking about your garden room’s bi-annual maintenance check. We show you exactly what maintenance is required, and share the eco-friendly products that caught our eye this month.

Last year, we spent some time turning our Essex showroom into an imaginative, stylish space packed with creative interior ideas to help inspire visiting clients. In our opinion, the making of a beautiful bespoke extension comes from really understanding what the homeowners like, and we want to pay attention and see how they feel as they walk around our showroom. One thing our customers always say when they come to see our beautiful orangery for themselves is how noticeable the quality and craftsmanship stands out.

While exceptional quality is one of our main values, we also give credence to ensuring that we run our business in an environmentally responsible

manner, and this is also something we like to discuss with our clients.

We do everything we can to maintain a low carbon footprint, from the way we run our workshop to the materials we use in our bespoke designs.

We invest in the latest wastereducing machinery to minimise on transportation and use sustainable redwood and Accoya® to the furthest extent possible in our builds. You can find more information about our full environmental policy here.

If you are interested in booking an appointment to visit one of our showrooms, contact us and a member of the team can help.

Maintenance – little and often Unnecessary waste is a big problem when it comes to the environment, and we believe that the most sustainable products are the ones that you never have to replace.

Providing that you give your garden room a little maintenance on a biannual basis, the paint surface will stay smooth and crack-free for up to

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12 years before they need repainting and your joinery frames will last for 50 years or more. As the effects of climate change become ever more pressing, as an eco-conscious business, we wanted to round up some of the best products to use when giving your garden room its biannual maintenance.

1. Clear fallen leaves from gutters and hoppers It’s essential that you do this in autumn when the trees start to drop their leaves. Organic debris from gutters can cause water to ingress into your garden room and cause leaks. Check gutters at the joints, and immediately address any issues before the joinery elements become damaged.

Eco-Friendly Suggestion: Home composting is the easiest, most sustainable thing you can do with garden and kitchen waste, and your flower borders will thank you for it.

We love these Beehive Composters, as featured in House and Garden.

2. Wash down all paintwork Your paintwork needs a simple wash down twice a year to clean off any destructive organisms. A mild detergent solution can be used with a synthetic brush and then thoroughly, but don’t use hosepipes or large quantities of water on the product.

We recommend that you clean the extended silicone glazing caulking at this time with an industrial wet wipe.

Eco-Friendly Suggestion: We love the eco-friendly, natural and vegan cleaning products from Kinn Living.

Their Sweet Orange Washing Up Liquid is fresh and fragrant.

3. Retouch any chipped paintwork Check the surfaces for any damage or chips in the paintwork. Look closely at horizontal surfaces, cills and bottom beads. Touch in any damaged areas with a lick of paint. Abrade the area with a fine grade abrasive paper first, then wash away any residual dust and allow to dry. Using a good quality synthetic brush or roller, apply a coat

of water-based paint and allow to dry for four hours, before applying a second coat.

For more severe bumps and marks like deeper chips, we recommend that you use a medium grade abrasive paper first, and then use the fine grade abrasive paper. Once washed and dried, apply a grain sealer to the affected area before painting.

Eco-Friendly Suggestion: Paints and sealers are available from Westbury, and we can help you choose the best products. Teknos uses highquality raw materials during their paint manufacturing process, which results in a high-performing paint product with a high solids content.

Sustainability takes a predominant role across their operations and supply chain, and the paint products have no or low VOC content.

4. Wash down the flat roof and roof cappings You should give your roof and cappings a good wash down twice a

year, using water and mild detergent with a soft brush. Take care, as the top can become very slippery when wet, especially in cold weather.

Avoid using heated power washers and take care using a hose, as you want to avoid forcing water through the glass. Give any automatic rain sensors on auto vents a wipe too, to keep them clean.

Eco-Friendly Suggestion: Instead of using single-use wipes or kitchen roll, use cloths which create zero waste. These reusable bamboo multipurpose wipes from Wearth London tick every box. They are plasticfree and handmade in the UK from organic bamboo.

5. Hardware Hardware such as bolts and hinges get a lot of wear and tear over six months. Inspect all fixing bolts for tightness every six months, including those securing brackets, and tighten if necessary. Lubricate door hinges with light oil if required and apply WD40 to espagnolette locks to help

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things feel smooth. Do not lubricate friction hinges, however. Check for any wear and replace any parts that seem excessively worn. Check door tracks for any obstructions and keep clean from dirt or excessive water.

6. Ironmongery Our door handles are factory finished with a protective colourless lacquer which keeps the handles in pristine condition. This coating can be vulnerable to salt air, and industrial pollution can cause it to break down.

Cleaning with soapy water and the occasional application of wax polish will prolong the life quality of your handles. Avoid metal polish or any abrasive cleaner.

Eco-Friendly Suggestion: Avoid using wax which is made from cheaper white spirit, a man-made synthetical chemical solvent. Try the bee-friendly, natural Beeswax Furniture Polish handmade the traditional way from Cambridge Traditional Products.

7. Underfloor heating It’s a good idea to turn on your underfloor heating and get the systems working again. It’s good practice to do this in autumn as the system has laid dormant over the summer and you have time to fix any issues before the colder winter weather arrives. www.westburygardenrooms.com

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