refurbishment

The Problem
Armed with the latest U-value testing equipment, and excited by the improved thermal performance data shown by the next generation SprayCork material in the lab, Corksol set out to assess the product’s thermal insulation performance as a Thin Internal Wall Insulation in a real-life situation.

The background to the testing was the UK Government’s March 2021 report on Thin Internal Wall Insulation (TIWI), which highlighted the potentially very large nationwide benefits for both energy efficiency and fuel poverty from high performance TIWI systems. The chosen test property was an 1890’s solid walled Yorkshire stone detached cottage in Halifax.

Beauflor® attended Europe’s largest housing festival to show its sheet vinyl flooring that meets the quality and affordability challenges of the sector.

Beauflor used June’s Housing 2023 show in Manchester to demonstrate the suitability of its floors for social and affordable homes. Beauflor sheet vinyl floors offer benefits for housebuilders, developers, local authorities and housing associations. Meeting the quality and affordability challenges of the sector, while providing tenants with a floor that’s homely, comfortable and easy to look after; providers can ensure a floor that’s not just lasting but one that also helps to create a good quality home for tenants.

Façade systems, and especially the cladding of high-rise buildings, have been, and continue to be, the topic of increased discussion and scrutiny in the construction industry and beyond. Due to recent changes in building regulations, the main driver for recladding projects has been the improvement of fire performance, although new, modern cladding can also improve other aspects of the environment for the users of the building like the thermal and acoustic performance with the added benefit of an updated, aesthetically pleasing design.

If our water usage patterns don’t change, the UK will have an ongoing water deficit of 4,000 Megalitres per day by 2050.  Reductions in leakage and domestic consumption are the two primary strands of water conservation targeted by Defra and the water companies.
 
Some areas of England are already restricting future development unless ‘water neutrality’ can be demonstrated. This requires both existing and new properties to reduce per capita consumption (PCC) to the extent that overall water usage levels do not increase.

Over the last couple of years, consumer trust in the gas and electricity industry has dropped significantly.  This erosion of trust is primarily based on rising bills, particularly when record profit announcements are made by the big oil and gas producers. When headlines announcing that companies like Shell are making profits of $11.5 billion are published alongside other headlines telling stories of pensioners dying alone in unheated homes, it is no wonder that questions are being asked - and so they should be!
 
The complexities of the energy supply chain have resulted in a lot of misery on the streets of the UK. The conflation between energy retailers and energy producers creates a confused narrative that is not necessarily the true picture. The retailing part of the entire supply chain is particularly volatile - which is why the UK lost 28 gas and electricity providers back in 2021, leading to 4 million customers being hoovered up into the larger companies. Overall, the erosion of trust is exacerbating the levels of anxiety in our communities.
 

When retro-fitting fire sprinkler systems, the UK Boxings range of pre-finished pipe and fire sprinkler boxing provides a consistent finish to installations by quickly and easily concealing pipework, which saves save time and money on site compared to site fabricated alternatives.

The Pendock Profiles range of specialist pipe boxing and casing solutions is one of the most comprehensive available, and is already a common feature in countless projects across the UK including heating system refurbishment, boiler upgrades and retro-fit fire sprinkler system installation.

For interior pipework, MX and TK pipe boxing can be used in most general applications, such as heating system or waste pipework, while MXF boxing is a dedicated concealment solution for fire sprinkler systems, where its widespread use is helping speed fire safety improvement projects across the UK.