SterlingOSB – perfect for refurbishment projects

SterlingOSB – perfect for refurbishment projects

Sterling OSB (oriented strand board) is ideal for all sorts of roofing, flooring and general building projects. And now builders are substituting plywood for Sterling OSB; it’s more cost-effective, environmentally-efficient, easy to use, and highly versatile.

Roofing and flooring (pictured) for outbuildings is a typical application be it a refurbishment or new build project.

SterlingOSB (Oriented Strand Board) is a multi-layered timber product which is very different from plywood. Instead of being made from alternate sheets of veneer placed at 90 degrees to each other, SterlingOSB is made from layering strands of wood in specific orientations and then bonding the layers with a resin.

Norbord, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of engineered wood-based panels, now produces eight types of Sterling OSB – SterlingOSB2, Sterling OSB3, SterlingOSB T&G, SterlingOSB – Conti, SterlingOSB Roofcoat, SterlingOSB Sitecoat and a range of three new SterlingOSB fire solutions. Each has been developed for specific applications.

Each panel is made from forest thinnings that are the by-product when small diameter timber is felled; this give better quality trees space to reach maturity. Being produced in the UK from local, sustainable, FSC-accredited timber and produced to the criteria of the environmental standard ISO 14401, SterlingOSB can be employed with confidence when environmental credentials are demanded.

For further information on Norbord, please call 01786 812 921 or visit www.norbord.co.uk

Further reading

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Build Show move to October 2015 – avoids anticipated building peak, offers more time for planning

Build Show move to October 2015 – avoids anticipated building peak, offers more time for planning

Build Show, the first comprehensive builder and contractor focused exhibition and forum to take place for a decade, has announced that the event will take place in October 2015, revised dates are 27th, 28th and 29th October 2015.

The organisers say that the decision to change the dates was discussed with a number of key stakeholders with broad agreement that the move would bring considerable benefits.

Paul Godwin, Managing Director of Build Show said: “When we learned that autumn dates had become available for the same halls at the NEC, and after discussions with a number of our key stakeholders, it became clear that the move to the later dates was the right thing to do from every perspective.

“Autumn is a far better time for a contractor-focused event,” explained Godwin. “With increasing order books, SME builders and contractors especially might be hard pressed to take time off site in the spring. The longer lead-time will also be beneficial for exhibitors planning their 2015 budgets and participation at such a wide-ranging event, the first major business-to-business event for builders and contractors for several years.”

Sarah McMonagle of the Federation of Master Builders, said: “A six month delay will allow a longer period for SME construction firms to recover from what has been a particularly deep and protracted downturn for our industry. Also for many sectors, autumn is a little quieter than spring in terms of workloads as there is sometimes pent up demand for construction work after a severe winter. Hopefully this new date will attract even more small and micro construction firms to the show.”

Paul Godwin added: “We recently conducted a significant piece of research amongst construction professionals and it was skills shortages, more than a lack of materials that was highlighted as the biggest obstacle in the way of industry growth. A key part of our seminars and content programme at the Build Show will be focusing on skills, learning and development and this requires time to plan. Pushing the event back will allow longer to produce something appropriate to the needs of the industry.”

Taking place at the Birmingham NEC from Tuesday 27th to Thursday 29th October 2015, the Build Show is the most comprehensive contractor-based exhibition in a decade, bringing together contractors, specifiers, builders, suppliers, house builders, architectural technologists and clients, all under one roof.

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

For stand sales please contact:
Rik Henderson – 01939291377 or 07840378885
Chris Walton – 07867 414411
Jason Wootton – 07854 131050

Further reading

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MELODIE No 1 – First UK project uses innovative new clay interlocking tile

MELODIE No 1 – First UK project uses innovative new clay interlocking tile

A roof renovation project near Easingwold, North Yorkshire, has become the first in the UK to use an innovative new low pitch clay interlocking tile from Marley Eternit. The property owners sourced the tile from local merchant Burton Roofing in York after their surveyor discovered the new Melodie tiles on the internet.

Mr and Mrs Mayoh bought Drumlin Fold farmhouse and outbuildings last year and undertook an ambitious renovation project to turn the old tractor shed into a stunning guest suite, complete with bedroom, ensuite and its own kitchen and sitting room.

The existing structure had old tile effect steel roof sheets which were leaking, so the decision was taken to replace the entire shed roof. However, the owners needed to find a low pitch clay roof tile that would match the traditional clay pantiles that had been on the main farmhouse for almost twenty years.

Owner Sandra Mayoh explains: “We wanted a rustic looking clay tile that would complement the main building and surrounding barns but we needed to find one that could be used at a very low pitch. By sheer coincidence Marley Eternit had just launched the Melodie tile and our surveyor found it on their website. The contractor was able to source it from Burton Roofing who was one of the first merchants in the country to stock it. We’re delighted with the finished roof, which has a lovely Romanesque feel to it and fits in very well with the existing clay roof on our house.”

Michael Holford, from surveyors Lawrence Hannah in York, comments: “We thought the low pitch clay roof might present us with a challenge but actually the Melodie tile gave us the flexibility we needed. Converting farm buildings to habitable accommodation has its challenges but with the careful selection of materials and attention to detail, it has proved very successful.”

The Melodie roof tile is a single interlocking precision engineered clay pantile with an extremely robust interlock and integral weatherbars and drainage channels. The high weather performance of the tile means it is one of the lowest pitch roof tiles on the market and can be used down to 12.5 degrees. This means it can be used where other tiles are not suitable, without the addition of a fully waterproof membrane or specialist substrate.

Sarah Jackson, marketing product manager from Marley Eternit, adds: “We’re really pleased that the first use of Melodie was on such an interesting low pitch project. We launched the product for precisely this reason because we could see there was a real demand for a traditional looking clay pantile that could be used at a low roof pitch. Modern single lap clay interlocking tiles like this are increasingly popular as they are easy to fit and offer a high coverage rate, which can reduce installation costs by as much as 30%.”

For further technical information, samples and literature, please contact 01283 722588. Copies of the new Melodie brochure can also be downloaded at www.marleyeternit.co.uk/resources

For further information on our range of products and services just ask ME at www.marleyeternit.co.uk or call ME on 01283 722588. You can also follow ME on Twitter @MarleyEternit. If it matters to you it matters to us, that’s why with ME it’s all about you.

Further reading

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Brand New Xterminator Lite

Brand New Xterminator® Lite

Marflow Hydronics has launched a brand new Valve Set: Xterminator Lite®.

Xterminator Lite is the next generation 40mm centre assembly that works more ideally in today’s buildings and comes as a handy off the shelf solution.

The product development team at Marflow Hydronics has combined all their knowledge and understanding of valve sets to date with what they’ve learnt from customers to create a brand new assembly with great new features and associated fitting kits.

Not only is it smaller and more compact, it also comes in left and right handed versions. The handles are colour coded for ease of use, it has long levers and less leak paths, it’s suitable for vertical and horizontal coils, and it’s been designed so that interchangeability is simple.

Martin Lowe, Joint Managing Director, says, “After first developing the 40mm centre assembly in 2008, we’ve been constantly looking at real life situations in the field and we’ve been dedicated to making improvements wherever possible on our products. We’ve taken all the great features and benefits of the present valve set and have then added some brand new elements to the design to try and give our customers the best assembly we could.”

To find out more about Xterminator Lite go to www.marflowhydronics.co.uk/lite and download the product brochure. Alternatively, contact Marflow Hydronics on 0845 643 9096 or email solutions@marflow.co.uk.

Further reading

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BAM is one of first to adopt new Cygnus wireless fire alarm system

BAM is one of first to adopt new Cygnus wireless fire alarm system

BAM Plant – part of built environment group BAM Construct UK – has installed the Bull Products Cygnus wireless fire alarm system on over 10 construction sites. The new system was launched in May this year.

One of these projects is a new development Hayes Retail which incorporates an Asda supermarket of 8,000 sq.m. floor space including car park and petrol filling station. Due to the large site footprint and separate office and welfare complex, the project management team at BAM Fire Protection Services has chosen to install the Cygnus system as the temporary fire alarm system.

Mike Whitfield, Contracts Manager at BAM Fire Protection Services was extremely impressed with the development of the new Cygnus system by Bull Products. He comments, “We were looking to adopt a wireless fire alarm system within the group and as Bull Products were very responsive to our needs and were happy to develop a system with us, we have been pleased to specify the new Cygnus system. We particularly like the system’s addressability and the integrated first aid alert call point which satisfied our needs.” Bull Products are now working on a future option for controlling panels remotely. BAM’s London team have recognised the benefits of the system by issuing a Best Practice safety bulletin.

Launched only two months ago, the Cygnus wireless fire alarm system has the capability of linking together no less than 480 units in 15 different zones around a construction site, with each zone having the capacity to accommodate 32 units. The individual units can be fire alarm call points, first aid alert points, smoke detectors, heat detectors and a combined call point first aid alarm. The alarms which can be used time and again are addressable to the panel and can be re-addressed very simply after being relocated.

Intended purely for use on construction sites, the Cygnus system has been specifically designed for use in dense concrete and steel structured buildings and areas where there are many other radio frequencies in operation, and so particular attention has been given to achieving an impressive connection range. Where there are multiple sites within range of each other, the Cygnus system has been designed to operate on different site addresses in order to keep each system separate and free from interference.

A major feature of the Cygnus system is the optional control panel which provides a very sophisticated capability with an event log function which records any events such as an alarm activation, low battery warning, and signal faults, all of which can be viewed if necessary in the history folder held on the panel. The system also has the ability to test all units and has an evacuate function which will act as a call point to the rest of the alarm units.

Each unit in the system can provide the panel with information at regular intervals. This explicit information confirms the unit is still present and what the battery status of each device is. Known as the ‘heart beat’ this message is monitored by the control panel where fitted and if the ‘heart beat’ is not heard for several intervals, the control panel logs a full status for that unit.

Bull Products offers a one-year guarantee on all Cygnus devices and provides high levels of technical, on-site and after-sales service support in addition to its standard maintenance contracts.

Further information on the new Cygnus combined first aid alert and call point alarm is available from Bull Products on 0844 669 1111, by emailing info@bullproducts.co.uk or by visiting the company’s website at www.bullproducts.co.uk

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