refurbishment

Since this announcement in January 2022, major water companies have been developing plans to upgrade the UKs water supply and reduce current usage from 150 litres per person per day to 110.  

Smart meters are seen as a significant part of the solution to reducing domestic water usage.  Thames Water have recorded post installation savings of 12-17%1.  Following multiple trials, all water companies are now working on plans for Advanced metering infrastructure, where all new connections or meters use the latest generation of smart meters.

Finding suitable roosting spots in urban areas has become increasingly difficult for bats in recent years due to improved building practices and materials that reduce defects. However, the innovative Manthorpe Bat Ridge Roost™ provides a solution by offering these important pollinators a new home among the rooftops.

Our durable and weather resistant metal pipe boxing is used widely to conceal and protect external pipework and building services from the risk of damage on a range of applications, while also helping improves the finish of completed projects.

The Encasement range of pipe boxing and casings for social housing is widely used across the UK to conceal interior and exterior pipework in fire sprinkler installations, heating system upgrade projects and low carbon district heating schemes.

There are a number of issues that come about from the fact that nearly 80% of homes in England are over 40 years old1 – and it is forecast that 80% of our existing building stock will still be in use in 20502!

The most common issues include condensation and damp, draughts, and excessive cold brought on by a lack of insulation which makes heating systems work harder for more money and less warmth. This leads many people to pay for wasted energy – which they struggle to afford as we continue to experience a cost of living crisis. According to the English Housing Survey 2022-23, over a quarter of tenants struggled to pay rent in both the private and social housing sectors3, so it is crucial that their property is energy efficient and air tight so they are able to retain heat within their property.

Ensuring that materials used on buildings are fire resistant is more important than ever, especially for residential buildings above 18m (11m in Scotland) in height, where UK building regulations now require the use of incombustible materials that resist the spread of fire.

KEIM silicate paints are fire resistant to the highest Euronorm classification (EN13501-1), with a classification of A2-s1, d0, ideal for specifiers, contractors, housing associations and councils involved with decoration and refurbishment of high rise buildings in the UK, to ensure compliance with current fire regulations.

Removal and replacement of lead water supply pipes is not only good for occupiers’ health, but part of UK water companies ‘Green Recovery Programme’.