The Building Envelope

The first tower block to be built in Paisley, West Scotland, is to undergo partial refurbishment, using ultra lightweight external cladding from Chromatics Glass Ltd.

George Court was built in 1959 and has been one of the most popular high rise blocks managed by Renfrewshire Council.  The 15-storey, 40 metre high building, comprising 56 flats is a brick-based structure that underwent major refurbishment in the late 1990s, when external balconies were incorporated into interior space, external cladding was applied, new windows installed and a low-pitched roof added.

Leading window, door and curtain walling manufacturer and installer CMS Window Systems has further strengthened its position as one of the UK’s leading fenestration partners to social housing providers by securing a place on the two most widely used public sector procurement frameworks in Scotland and Wales, the Scottish Procurement Alliance (SPA) and the Welsh Procurement Alliance (WPA).

The company is one of a select few suppliers who have been able to demonstrate compliance with stringent technical, quality, supply chain management and customer service criteria set out by the SPA and WPA. Backed by leading UK procurement body, LHC, the SPA and WPA chooses only the best suppliers to join its frameworks. This enables them to provide public sector clients with assurance in terms of price competitiveness, procurement efficiency, legislative compliance, access to project data, deliveries, service levels and much more.

Protect Membranes, UK producer of roofing and construction membranes, has introduced Protect TF InterFoil, a CE marked, highly reflective insulating breather membrane designed for use within a timber frame wall panel to enhance its overall thermal performance. Ideally suited to offsite and modular construction, Protect TF InterFoil features a low emissivity, vapour permeable reflective surface, using the tried and tested technology of TF200 Thermo, which can be installed either side of the insulation in conjunction with a 20mm air cavity. This means the building developer and fabricator can move from more expensive rigid high density boards to fibrous or EPS insulants without increasing panel sizes, thereby achieving material cost savings.

John Whalley, MD of Nationwide Windows & Doors, the UK’s leading fenestration partner for the public and private refurbishment and new build sectors, discusses how if done properly, offsite construction could well be the solution to the solve the housing crisis.

Four million residents live in social housing across the UK and around 79,000 families are stuck in temporary accommodation. It’s no surprise that the impact of dwindling social housing stocks from decades of counter policies is taking its toll.

The government has made steps to combat these issues, with targets for new homes and a focus on affordable housing, but many of these aims seem unachievable in the current market.  Aside from the lack of decent, affordable homes, the supply chain tasked with delivering these targets is faced with other challenges. Interest rate increases are affecting borrowing.

Safeguard Europe – the UK’s leading specialist in damp- and waterproofing, and masonry repair solutions – has augmented its market-leading Stormdry Masonry Protection Cream by introducing three additional, aligned products that deliver solutions from anti-graffiti coating to crack bridging and mortar repair.

The new range now comprises Stormdry Masonry Protection Cream, Stormdry XR Mortar, Stormdry AG Coat and Stormdry CB Coat.

Safeguard Europe – the UK’s leading specialist in damp- and waterproofing, and masonry repair solutions – has developed a cost-effective system to improve the energy efficiency of solid-walled properties. The launch of Stormdry EPC comes as the new Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) relating to rented properties have taken effect.

The new standards, which originate in The Energy Act 2011, say that from April 1st this year any commercial or residential property that is being let for the first time, or where a lease is renewed, must achieve an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) of Grade E or above. The rules will extend to cover existing leases from April 2020 for domestic properties and April 2023 for commercial ones.

As the leading fenestration partner for new build and refurbishment projects in public sector housing, Nationwide Windows & Doors has been hitting record manufacturing and installation output, thanks to many large and diverse contracts across the UK. Here’s a snap shot:

Nuneaton & Bedworth Borough Council: Replacement of Fire Door Sets
Now six months into this three-year, £1.2 million project, the team has been busy on the manufacture, delivery and installation of fire doors to the council’s housing stock across the borough which, on the doorstep of Nationwide’s 7-acre facility in Rugby, has a population of just over 120,000.