Latest innovations and products in the interiors section of the construction industry.

Interior Film – refurbishment made simple

Interior Film from David Clouting Ltd is a self-adhesive, decorative film designed for a wide range of applications where speed of refurbishment is often time critical.

Interior Film can be applied to almost any surface including: wood, metal, plaster board, plastics and melamine. This enables walls, doors, furniture, skirting and architrave to be quickly transformed with minimum disruption and at low cost.

Features & benefits:

  • Safety – Self-extinguishing when tested for flammability
  • Application – no air bubbles
  • Durability – resistant to impact, abrasion and scratching
  • Stability – remains stable when exposed to heat, cold and humidity
  • Flexibility – can be adhered to complex shapes and curves
  • Economical – rapid installation, easy to repair or remove
  • CE Certificated –specify with confidence
  • Manufactured – by LG Hausys

Available in a range of designs and finishes including: Exotic woods, Leather effect, textured metals and Natural stone, the Interior Film range is also available to view on the BIMSTORE website.

For more information please visit www.davidclouting.co.uk

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Relcross Automatic Door Systems Continued Growth at Harper Adams University

The relationship between Relcross Ltd and Harper Adams University goes back a long way with specialist installer Rowsman Ltd the happy intermediary. Since 2008 Rowsman have installed 25 Relcross LCN Auto Equalizers around the campus to provide occasional automatic opening for doors designed primarily for manual operation. The six latest to be installed are all in their new, and very impressive, Agricultural Engineering Innovation Centre.

Harper Adams University recognised that some of their staff and students would struggle to operate some of the doors encountered in the course of their normal daily routines. So, since 2008 they have been steadily installing LCN Auto Equalizers. These can be activated in a variety of ways including wall mounted push buttons and wheelchair mounted fobs.

When activated, the pneumatically powered Auto Equalizer silently pushes or pulls the door open depending on which side of the door it is mounted. After a short delay the integral traditional door closer takes over to close the door and complete the cycle. Power is supplied by a pneumatic compressor tucked away out of sight in a convenient cupboard or cubby hole and a single compressor can power up to 5 or 6 doors. The capacity of the compressor is selected carefully at the specification stage to accommodate the likely traffic profile (i.e. frequency of use of doors) and the distances involved between the compressor and the doors to be controlled. In fact costs per door leaf decrease significantly as the number of door leaves increases.

An added advantage is reliability and ease of service. A lack of reliance upon micro-processors and (often) complicated electronics means the Relcross Auto Equalizer has much less opportunity for failure. It has been independently tested to over three million full load cycles and requires only occasional, minimal servicing of the compressor, usually with easily available proprietary components. The compressor is almost silent in operation with a noise level of dB (A)/1m 45 – equivalent to a ‘country quiet’ sound level.

The extreme reliability of the system is one of its major attractions. Estate Foreman Arthur Broadhurst said “They are very cost effective and virtually maintenance free whereas electric doors almost always need something replacing at a service”. Some of the doors are fire doors and are in a “hold open” state which is automatically released in the event of a fire alarm. UK Fire Certification is in accordance with BS EN 1634-1:2014 (timber) – 120 minutes.

The history of Harper Adams University goes back more than a century. In 1892 a wealthy Shropshire gentleman farmer called Thomas Harper Adams died and bequeathed his considerable estate ‘for the purpose of teaching practical and theoretical agriculture’. The institution developed throughout the 20th century offering a wide variety of agricultural diploma courses progressing to the development of degrees and achieving its own degree awarding powers in 1996. Today Harper Adams University is highly regarded nationally and internationally and was runner-up University of the Year at the WhatUni Student Choice Awards 2015.

The University Campus is a single site and includes a commercial farm of about 550 hectares involving both arable and livestock enterprises. Their quest for excellence in all their activities is equally reflected in everything from their academic standards to the quality of the maintenance and facilities management.

For further information call Relcross on 01380 729600, email sales@relcross.co.uk or visit www.relcross.co.uk.

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Manifolds from Marflow Hydronics

Reacting to what customers want, as always, the technical team at Marflow Hydronics has modified its portfolio of manifold solutions and has just relaunched them as the Diversiflow range.

A centrally located, multi terminal manifold unit provides significant benefits when compared with the conventional approach of installing individual valve sets at each terminal unit. The Diversiflow manifold system houses all of the valves required for a group of terminal units in a single, insulated box and this provides easy and convenient access for the commissioning and maintenance of a number of chilled beams or fan coil units.

Nick Martin, Technical Manager, says “We have extended our range and we now offer four different types of multiple valve sets. We have the Large Linear, Small Side Entry, Large Bi-Lateral and Small Linear. They are all designed to be used with multiple terminal units and massive savings can be made in terms of commissioning time, as there’s no longer a need to visit each individual terminal unit to perform the task. Just visit the one manifold box and all the units can be adjusted.”

For more information on the Diversiflow range from Marflow Hydronics, go to www.marflowhydronics.co.uk/diversiflow.

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Contour unveils new low cost, ‘no fuss’ LST radiator range

A new value-engineered low surface temperature (LST) radiator has been launched by Contour, the leading designer and manufacturer of LST heating systems.

Primarily designed for general healthcare, educational and commercial environments, the Covora range is ideal for building services contractors and heating and plumbing installers who are working to price-sensitive budgets but require simple, high quality safety compliant radiators.

Leigh Simpson, Managing Director at Contour said: “We have developed this new range after listening carefully to the needs of our customers. For the past 12 years, we have gained a reputation as one of the sector’s most innovative companies, designing exceptional products that meet the highest demands for safety and hygiene in very sensitive environments such as hospital wards and mental health units.

“However, many contractors have told us that they want to use our radiators and guards in more general environments that may not have to meet such stringent hygiene standards.

“With this in mind, we have created the Covora range, specifically for projects where no performance specification or brand has been demanded by the client. It means contractors can continue to use our products secure in the knowledge that they are high quality and meet safety needs. Essentially they can ‘fit and forget’ with confidence.”

No corners have been cut to create the Contour Covora LST radiator, which is made in the UK. It is available in a range of colours, including Oyster White (RAL 1013), Tele Grey (RAL 7047) and Jet Black (RAL 9005), making it ideal for areas such as hotel lobbies, leisure centres and retail spaces, where appearance as well as functionality is important.

It is also available in more than 150 sizes to suit single convector (Type 11), double panel plus (Type 12) and double convector (Type 22) radiator models. The radiator cover is manufactured from 1.2mm mild steel as standard.

Bullnose corners and half bullnose edges increase product strength and reduce the risk of injury in the event of a fall against the cover.

The Covora radiator guard is supplied as a one-piece unit, complete with pre-fabricated cut-outs for valves, skirting boards, and pipework, for ease and speed of installation.

Crucially, the radiator cover is punched with 5.5mm wide radius grilles, which makes it easy to clean, while the narrow grille width prevents most small items, including fingers, being inserted.

And for added peace of mind, Covora radiator emitters and guards are covered by Contour’s ten- year and five-year product warranties respectively.

Powder-coated to an average thickness of 60 microns internally and externally, with white RAL 9003 paint as the standard finish, the Covora range also comes with optional silver-based anti-microbial BioCote® coating, which will help to reduce the risk of infection transmission in environments where the maintenance of hygiene is of significant importance.

“We anticipate our new range to be very popular in environments such as GP surgeries, day care and nursing homes, schools and colleges and general commercial venues, where safety needs to balance with cost-effectiveness,” said Leigh.

Covora is available to order directly from Contour, with short production lead times available from 10 days.

To download Covora size options and heat output information visit: www.contourcasings.co.uk/products/safe-surface-temperature/lst-radiators/covora-lst-radiators/

Contact:
Tel – 01952 290 498
Email – sales@contourcasings.co.uk

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British Spirals & Castings hops in for the Old Brewhouse

A 16th Century building in Suffolk has been given a contemporary twist thanks to a stunning cast aluminium spiral staircase created by British Spirals & Castings.
The Grade II listed property had already seen a good deal of change in its lifespan, originally being used as a dairy range and a brewhouse, before work began to convert the building into a dwelling. After the project stalled under the previous owners, Peter and Christine Rodgers took on the oak-framed wattle and daub farm service building and transformed it into the home it is today.

Peter Rodgers commented, “To give ourselves a little more room, we wanted to build a new two storey extension, however, the layout of the old building made it difficult to create access to the new first storey bedroom from the adjoining rooms. We therefore decided to install a spiral staircase from the new living room directly below. This saved a lot of space compared with a straight option and also provides a dramatic design feature.”

“We initially visited a number of specialist showrooms which showed examples of mainly Italian made staircases but we were unhappy with the design and quality of the models. We then started to look for UK suppliers, and that’s when we came across British Spirals & Castings. Having noticed that all their staircases are designed and manufactured here in the UK, we visited their showroom for a consultation and from there our staircase was born!”

British Spirals & Castings Managing Director, Richard Harding said ‘We were more than happy to take the Rogers around our showroom and workshop in Chapel-en-le-Frith to help them to get a feel of the type of staircase they wanted, and to also discuss design preferences so we could create a staircase truly tailored to them. As the bedroom has a sloping roof, we also carefully designed the staircase to ensure there was sufficient headroom to comply with the Building Regulations.”

The couple opted for a white coloured cast aluminium spiral staircase from the modern art deco range, providing a simple yet stylish finish which beautifully compliments its surroundings. Typically these staircases will have plain round or square balusters, but other balusters options can also be used.

British Spirals & Castings have been designing and manufacturing bespoke spiral stairs, straight staircases and balconies since 1980; all hand crafted here in the UK to each customers requirements.

For further information please contact:

Tel: +44 (0) 1663 750 716
email: sales@britishsc.co.uk
Website: www.britishsc.co.uk

https://twitter.com/BritishSpirals
https://www.facebook.com/britishspiralscastings

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Prestige Johannesburg office development stays cool with SE Controls

A new prestige office development in Sandton, Johannesburg is using a combined smoke and natural ventilation system, involving automatic window vents in the building’s elliptical glazed central tower, which is actuated and controlled by an integrated solution from SE Controls Africa.

Located in the Sandton business area, which is regarded as one of South Africa’s prime commercial locations, the R208 million (£10.7 million) Capital Hill development combines seven floors of office space with residential apartments, as well as covered parking for almost 400 vehicles.

Designed by MWLF Architects, the building not only provides high quality business facilities and residential accommodation, but is also highly energy efficient and is constructed to achieve a ‘Four Green Star’ rating from the Green Building Council of South Africa.

As part of this process, the building’s 12 storey elliptical central tower features a fully glazed external facade within an aluminium lattice structure, which incorporates an automatic window and vent opening system to provide natural ventilation and overnight cooling, as well as smoke ventilation in the event of a fire.

To achieve the necessary level of versatility and control required for the automated vent system, SE Controls supplied 49 SECO N 24 25 twin chain actuators with a 350mm stroke length together with 7 SHEVTEC® control panels and manual control points (MCP), which were networked using the company’s OSLink network cards. An external weather station was also installed to provide an information feed on ambient conditions into the system.

In normal operation, the windows open and close automatically, to provide cooling and a supply of fresh air, but in the event of a fire this is over-ridden and vents are opened to allow smoke to be vented, enabling escape routes to be kept smoke free.

Russel Cramb, General Manager with SE Controls Africa, explained: “Capital Hill is an iconic building and has already attracted a lot of attention for its eye-catching design, green credentials and the quality of facilities it provides. We have an immense amount of experience in combined natural and smoke ventilation solutions, which we used when working with the architect to create a solution that wouldn’t compromise the smooth architectural lines of the external glazed facade.”

Further information on SE Controls’ products, solutions and projects can be obtained by visiting www.secontrols.com or calling +44 (0) 1543 443060.

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Polypipe Ventilation provides residents with improved home environment control

Polypipe Ventilation, manufacturer of market leading energy saving domestic ventilation systems, is pleased to announce the launch of an innovative new Silavent air management controller, AMIE and a new range of Domus duct sound attenuators – designed to provide residents with greater control and comfort over their indoor environment.

The stylish Silavent AMIE (Air Management for Indoor Environments) controller provides enhanced control of Polypipe’s award winning Silavent Green Line HRX and HRX2 Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery (MVHR) systems. A compact, wall mounted unit, AMIE enables the resident to directly manage the humidity and ambient air temperature of their dwelling through two main MVHR functions: extract fan boost speed operation, to help remove humid, unhealthy air and heat exchanger (summer) bypass to stop the unit from supplying pre-warmed air into the home; making AMIE ideal for summer and night time cooling.

There are often times within a domestic property when increased ventilation (boost rate) is required to remove excess humidity and temperature. Silavent AMIE provides the resident with the ability to boost the air flow through the MVHR system either automatically by humidity level sensing or manually using an external switch or push button. In the case of the latter, the MVHR unit will return to background speed after 15 minutes.

The MVHR unit’s summer bypass facility, which helps prevent homes from overheating during the warmer months – a popular option on the HRX MVHR models, can be more effectively controlled automatically using Silavent AMIE by room temperature sensing or programmed time settings. As households perceive what is a comfortable indoor air environment differently, AMIE very flexibly offers nine, easy to use pre set programmes to select from and a further four user defined bespoke programmes available with clear on screen instructions to follow.

In addition, Silavent AMIE has the option to proactively provide an MVHR filter cleaning reminder every 3,000 hours (approximately four months) and replacement reminder every 9,000 hours, helping to ensure healthy and clean indoor air quality is maintained

The second most recent key product launch for Polypipe Ventilation is the Domus duct sound attenuators, often referred to as Silencers, which offer improved sound attenuation and thermal insulation.

Domus rigid duct sound attenuators provide a simple, cost-effective solution to reduce nuisance noise from whole house mechanical ventilation systems which connect to a centralised appliance ducted to a number of different room outlets (such as an MVHR system). They effectively absorb sound over a range of audible frequencies, including traffic noise, noise from the ventilation fan and room to room cross talk. Building on the success of the previous sound attenuators, the new range provides greater sound attenuation than ever before, reducing noise levels by as much as 50dB; most importantly at the audible levels that are most commonly heard about the home.

Incorporating rigid duct sound attenuators into a whole house system is not only beneficial for home occupants but also helps installers and developers meet Building Regulation recommendations, which advise the system should not produce excessive noise as this may lead to the user adjusting the system detrimentally.

Third party verified by the Sound Research Laboratories (SRL), the new Domus rigid duct sound attenuators, which are designed for use with Polypipe’s most popular rectangular 204x60mm and 220x90mm duct systems are also now available for use with Domus Thermal duct insulation. Domus Thermal is a patented insulation system which will not only improve the thermal performance of the system, but also complies with Building Regulation requirements.

Keeping the homeowner’s indoor environment in mind, Polypipe have also manufactured the new Domus duct sound attenuators with Microban® protected foam to protect against microbial growth for a clean and fresh ventilation system.

Polypipe Ventilation has a well deserved reputation for quality, supported by excellent technical support, from a market leading manufacturer and designer. Polypipe Ventilation are well placed to offer immediate, practical solutions to Building Regulations Parts F & L. The company continues to provide differentiated solutions in the private and social housing sectors, transforming the way developers, specifiers, installers, home owners and distributors meet emerging environmental standards.

For more information, please go to www.polypipe.com/ventilation or contact Polypipe Ventilation on 08443 715523.

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Game, Set, Match for Ahmarra Installations

Bespoke joinery fit-out for The All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) at Wimbledon.

Ahmarra Installations have completed a joinery fit-out sub-contract for the world famous tennis club.

A series of orders were secured with the AELTC in which Ahmarra’s skilled joiners worked to tight deadlines to deliver the scheme in time for this year’s Championships, whilst ensuring the promised high quality levels of finish and design.
Ahmarra Installations undertook work in the Aorangi Pavilion, Millennium Building and the new areas underneath Courts 14 and 15, which houses the 24-hour media restaurant, a bespoke working area for some 250 photographers as well as new accommodation for the ball boys and girls. This order forms part of AELTC’s Master Plan for the Club and The Championships which includes the construction of a new retractable roof over No.1 Court.
“We are delighted to be associated with such a prestigious British institution and we hope that our efforts will evolve into a long term relationship with this landmark sporting venue” commented Richard Panrucker, Ahmarra Installation’s Director. “Our installation team worked to a very tight programme of works whilst still providing enough flexibility in the project plan to allow for any unforeseen challenges, as it was vital that that we had no negative impact on the day-to-day running of Wimbledon” said Richard.
The highly bespoke works included press, writers and radio desks, dressing room benches, player support desk, wall planter system, counter tops, roller shutter cupboards, shelf units, vanity units, changing cubicles, lecterns and internal fire doors.
For more information, call Ahmarra Installations on 02392 389 076 or visit www.ahmarrainstallations.co.uk

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Trend goes with the flow with its new PICV range

Trend Control Systems, the leading international manufacturer and supplier of state-of-the-art Building Energy Management Systems (BEMS), has extended its range of control system components with a new range of pressure independent control valves (PICVs). These innovative devices have been designed to fully optimise the control of thermal comfort and provide significant energy savings.
The Trend range of PICVs is perfect for use in variable flow systems in new builds for both commercial and industrial applications. Now a well-established technology, PICVs provide constant flow regulation under varying pressure conditions and a single product replaces the use of three separate components that would traditionally be required to be installed – a differential pressure regulator, a maximum flow limiter and a temperature control valve.
Ideal for system designers, installers and commissioning specialists looking for a fast, reliable, quiet and easy-to-use solution, Trend’s PICVs improve a building’s thermal comfort, whilst maximising energy savings at the pump. By controlling flows through fan coil units, air handling units and chilled beams fed from variable flow heating and cooling systems, they can adapt to variations in pump speeds, saving energy and minimising wear and tear on these expensive plant components. They also contribute to balanced flow rates and heat outputs across all areas of a building, something that can often be difficult to achieve with traditional configurations.
Trend’s PICVs make specification and installation easy thanks to the ability to pre-set the flow rate between 10-100 per cent of nominal value for the valve. In addition, they also improve system stability and controllability when the flow percentage is adjusted by not limiting the stroke of the flow, but by an independent control element within the valve.
Chris Monson, Trend’s Strategic Marketing Manager, commented, ‘Our new range of PICVs offers absolute and precise control of flow, guaranteed system performance and full optimisation of energy usage. The ability of these devices to reduce excessive flow and pressure acting against control valves also improves the performance, operation and valve lifespan. This new product range is great news for those looking for a single source supplier of control system components, which also includes our popular range of actuators.
For further information please call Trend Marketing on 01403 211888, email marketing@trendcontrols.com or visit www.honeywell.com.

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New Aico AudioLINK technology helps Adactus Housing with CO investigations

Adactus Housing, which owns and manages over 13,000 properties across the North West of England, has announced it will be fitting Aico Ei208 Carbon Monoxide (CO) alarms featuring new AudioLINK data retrieval technology.

A long standing Aico customer, Adactus Housing has been protecting tenants with Aico smoke and CO alarms for eight years and was keen to take advantage of the new AudioLINK technology to help them with their investigations into CO alarm activation investigations.

AudioLINK allows for invaluable real time data to be extracted via the alarm’s sounder – all you need is an AudioLINK enabled CO alarm, a tablet or smartphone and the free AudioLINK App. This data is converted into an Alarm Status Report, which is simple to review and store. The Report displays useful information about the alarm and detection levels of CO, and can be emailed or stored in a key location for future reference.

Ivan Meredith, Group Gas Compliance Manager at Adactus Housing, explains why he considers AudioLINK to be invaluable: “The added ability to provide us with historic data regarding the presence of CO is a fantastic benefit, helping us to take the right action when ensuring the safety of our tenants. Investigations into CO alarm activations can be lengthy and therefore costly. The ability to extract this data straight from the alarm will give us guidance that we can rely on. It should point us in the right direction right from the offset of every investigation.”

Aico has incorporated AudioLINK technology in to all of its CO alarms, with no additional cost, including the highly popular Ei208 Lithium battery powered CO alarms which is the model Adactus Housing will be installing. These alarms will be fitted in to all Adactus Housing properties with fossil fuel appliances on a phased approach. This approach will be a risk based assessment ultimately giving vulnerable tenants first priority. The aim is to install one CO alarm per property but, once the initial programme is completed, this may evolve to adding a second or even third alarm to properties that would benefit from the extra protection.

A wholly owned subsidiary of Ei Electronics, Aico are market leaders in residential fire and CO protection in the UK. All alarms are designed and built in Ireland specifically to meet the UK standards and regulations. 2015 sees Aico’s 25th anniversary. With more mains powered domestic smoke alarms installed in the UK’s social housing than any other manufacturer, Aico are tried, tested and trusted. Aico have a dedicated team of Regional Managers to support specifications and supply of products. Aico also offer technical support over the phone and an internal sales team to help with any enquiries.

For more information please visit www.aico.co.uk.

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