Interiors

Beauflor® Crown is the new sheet vinyl collection for new housing projects.

With sheet vinyl being a cost-effective flooring solution for social and affordable housing, Beauflor Crown is an ideal choice. The floor is made in a specification designed to excel in social and affordable homes, prioritising comfort to improve tenant well-being and maximising value for providers.

With a dramatic rise in multi-generational living, combined with the growing importance of reducing water and energy usage, it is important to specify sustainable appliances with residents of all ages in mind. Neil Wilson, Senior Marketing Manager at Triton Showers, discusses the key considerations when purchasing inclusive electric showers.

Furlong Flooring, one of Europe’s largest carpet manufacturers and flooring distributors, has launched its new Housebuilder Guide, a comprehensive resource that simplifies flooring selection for social housing providers. The guide is tailored to help developers and housing associations make informed decisions about flooring that is both cost-effective and durable, ensuring high-quality homes for tenants while staying within budget.

Of course, in England there is no regulation for the provider to equip homes with flooring other than in kitchens and bathrooms (Scotland makes no such stipulations), but with the Welsh Housing Quality Standard 2023 stating that all habitable rooms, staircases and landings should have suitable floor coverings at change of tenancy, the writing is certainly on the wall. With the Decent Homes Standard now also in review, including a look at what the expectations are for a ‘decent’ home, we may well see change that means flooring in these areas will become a requirement in England too.

Developed and manufactured by industry leaders Mira Showers, the new Mira Advance Heatloop^TM is the first ever electric shower to be designed to work with Recoup waste water heat recovery for shower systems (WWHRS), revolutionising waste water efficiency and reducing energy wastage.

While showering represents around 50 to 75% of household hot water use, around 85% to 90% of the heat energy in shower water actually ends up going down the drain. With research from the Energy Saving Trust revealing that heating water at home also makes up about 5% of the UK’s carbon emissions, it’s never been more important to identify a way of reusing that lost heat to save energy and reduce energy bills for end users to support the decarbonisation of UK homes.

The need to introduce more energy efficient and cost-effective systems into the home is further exacerbated by the impact the cost-of-living crisis has had on peoples’ finances, especially those living in social housing. Even the slightest adjustment to everyday tasks, such as showering, and their resultant costs, could make a huge difference.

Beauflor® showed how its sheet vinyl flooring solutions can meet the needs of the housing sector at Housing 2024, the UK’s leading event for the industry.

With collections that provide a cost-effective floor in housing of all types, Beauflor® used Housing 2024 to show the industry how its floors can improve the long-term value of the project and support the well-being of tenants.

As we stand on the brink of potentially a major re-focus for the social housing sector and a new emphasis upon delivering affordable homes to meet an ever-growing demand, we must not lose sight of the need for maintaining quality, regulatory and environmental standards.

In the realm of fire safety, Vicaima has established itself as a leading manufacturer of timber doors and door kits, setting a benchmark in the industry with comprehensive certification and third-party accreditation. With a commitment to design quality and performance, Vicaima has consistently demonstrated its ability to produce doors that not only meet the needs of current living, but forever look to the future.  With an unwavering attention to sustainability goals, Vicaima products integrate seamlessly with the needs of the social build environment.