When Fife Council consulted its residents at Broomhead flats in Dunfermline about the future of their homes, the options were pretty clear cut. The three 50-year old blocks of flats had reached the point where they either needed significant investment to bring them up to the current Scottish Housing Quality Standard, or needed to be demolished and replaced with new build properties.

The result of the residents’ consultation favoured refurbishment and, in May 2014, Fife Council’s Housing and Communities Committee gave the go-ahead for this project to begin. A key requirement was to deliver refurbished homes which offer a higher level of protection against fuel poverty.

The multimillion pound project has transformed 216 properties, housed within the three 12-storey blocks. The building fabric has been brought up to a higher thermal standard, utilising product technology which was simply not available in the 1960s. And that primarily involved the £5.1m contract with CMS Window Systems for the replacement of windows, doors and curtain walling, application of external wall insulation (EWI) and replacing balconies.

CMS was appointed as the main envelope contractor after winning the competitive cost and quality based tender. For Fife Council, this helped simplify the procurement process and supply chain from the outset. CMS was able to help develop a specification for the windows, and their appointment ensured consistent quality, trouble free interface integration and clear communication channels – all proving important to the success of this extensive refurbishment project.

Every flat benefits from A-rated, highly insulating windows which are manufactured with Sheerframe lead-free PVCu profiles and feature thermally superior low-e softcoat double glazed sealed units. With a low U-value, the energy rating (WER) of these fully UK-made windows represents a huge improvement in thermal performance.

CMS also manufactured and installed aluminium curtain walling which spans up to eleven floors on each block, enclosing all communal walkways – equating to more than 2,000m2 of curtain walling. This replaced existing steel balustrades and steel screens in communal areas to raise the quality and visual appeal, internally and externally.

A third component to the structural elements was the replacement of balcony enclosures. CMS installed more than 1,700m2 of enclosures created using Windoor System 1000 featuring ‘Light’ glazing systems. Their design gives tenants the freedom to use their balconies all year round.

Completing the transformation of the building fabric, CMS also over-clad the external walls with a mix of insulated render and render only, as required, using mast climbers for safe access and to ensure speedy delivery with minimum disruption. With total wall coverage of more than 11,000m2, this extensive over-cladding work has improved the insulation level of all walls to complement the performance of the windows, doors and curtain walling.

John Rodigan, Senior Manager of Building Services at Fife Council said: “The Housing and Neighbourhood Service of the Council demonstrated great foresight in their decision to invest in the energy efficient measures at Broomhead.

“It’s also no coincidence that one of our most environmentally committed companies won the contract, it’s been the perfect partnership with all stakeholders sharing the same objectives. The result for the Broomhead tenants will be significant in terms of reduced energy costs and increased comfort. These works have made a substantial contribution to Fife’s green agenda as well as supporting local employment and trade apprenticeships – the delivery of this project has been a real triumph for the Council.”

Find out more at www.cmswindows.com.

The exceptional waterproofing and durability properties of Sika-Trocal single ply roofing membrane has proved its worth on a highly challenging project to refurbish a number of roofs at a busy college campus.

MidKent College is one of the largest further education and training providers in the South East with an estimated 8,500 students enrolled at its Maidstone and Medway-based campuses. The roofs on five buildings at its Maidstone campus, housing classrooms, workshops, kitchens, TV studios and staff rooms had reached a state of disrepair due to wear and tear.

With water ponding on the roofs, leading to water ingress, a solution was required. Sika-Trocal S provided the solution. A total of 4,200m2 of 2mm thick Sika-Trocal S was specified by contractor K&S Construction for the project which was carried out during term-time and with minimum disruption to buildings on site.

The application of Sika-Trocal S was designed to minimise the standing water risk and ensure correct falls towards appropriate outlets and hoppers. This was achieved by over-roofing existing roofs consisting of a number of different bases including felt and asphalt.

Sika-Trocal’s vapour permeable membrane was mechanically fastened at the perimeters and around penetrations using the product’s innovative laminated metal disc system. This system sees the membrane fixed to the roof in a single process, ensuring a fast installation, minimising components required and reducing overall project costs. A 120mm thick, high performance rigid thermoset insulation was also applied to improve the thermal efficiency of the buildings. 

Stuart Marris, Manager at K&S Construction commented: “The MidKent College project is one of the biggest in the firm’s history so it was imperative we specified the most reliable product for the job. Because Sika-Trocal S is amazingly versatile and easy to apply it meant we could carry out the work with little disruption and without the need for people to move out of the building.

“Of its many outstanding features, Sika Trocal’s reliability scores most highly with us.

It is vapour permeable so if there is any water trapped in the system it is possible to over-roof the building without having to worry about things such as condensation.”

Offering exceptional waterproofing, durability and a simple installation process, the cold-applied Type S roofing membrane from Sika-Trocal is approved by the British Board of Agrément (BBA) to have a life expectancy of up to 30 years. As well as providing a single, comprehensive solution to the roofs’ drainage issue, it has brought a pleasing, aesthetic uniformity to the campus buildings. 

Combined with an efficient installation that ensures an improved seal, the Type S waterproofing membrane delivers excellent performance and will provide buildings at MidKent College with safe, reliable all-weather protection for many years to come.

For more information please visit http://gbr.sika.com/.

Ibstock, the UK’s largest brick maker, has launched the latest edition of its Ibstock-Kevington Special Shapes brochure, exhibiting its extensive range of specially designed bricks and solutions for creating stand-out designs and speeding up builds every day.

IBSTOCK

The magazine showcases the popular Ibstock-Kevington range of products for delivering stunning architectural visual effects and a ‘special’ edge to projects from either manufactured or cut and bonded brick shapes. Readers of the brochure will discover the endless design possibilities achievable through a combination of technical information and diagrams, and high resolution photography.

The products displayed in the new brochure include bullnose bricks; used for creating vertical and horizontal curves, spiral bricks; a completely unique design which uses a simple shape to create a complex and intricate finished result and Caplock; a capping and coping system that resists vandalism and improves the durability of the wall.

Andrew Halstead-Smith, Group Marketing Manager at Ibstock, says: “The new Special Shapes brochure not only makes the selection process easy, but delivers real design inspiration to support creativity across the industry. While brick has, for centuries, provided the traditional cladding for the UK’s buildings, its ability to move with the times and embrace changing trends and styles means it remains the construction material of choice. This brochure allows tradespeople to make informed decisions on how to meet the aesthetic and structural requirements of a building.

“The new brochure also outlines the CAD services available from Ibstock to ensure products fit bespoke specifications from customers.”

Available free of charge, the 2016 Special Shapes brochure can be ordered through the Ibstock Samples and Literature Hotline on 0844 800 4578 or visit the website at www.ibstock.com/literature.

Rinnai’s Energysaver range of fanned convection powered flue gas-fired space heaters are designed specifically for use in schools, community centres, libraries, conservatories and churches and other large spaces, where they have earned themselves great popularity with end-users and installers.

Now, with a new super energy efficient addition to the range in the form of the Rinnai Energysaver 559FT with sleek good looks, and a matching new streamlined look for the popular Energysaver 309FT, Rinnai is leading the field in large interior space convector heating.

Sporting a modern, sleek casing, the heaters simply blend into the background in line with modern demands for modern interior aesthetics while offering exceptionally high efficiencies in operation and reduced running costs.

Changes have been made to the operation board which is now an easy to use touch control pad sited conveniently and discreetly on top of the appliance, (rather than on the front with a flip up cover). The unit is also supplied with a child lock to eliminate any problem of small hands tampering with the controls.

Added to these advantages are the timer function and eco mode which are combined with the new unit’s ability to heat spaces fast.

The 559FT has an input of 6.4kW and output of 5.2kW. The streamlined unit measures 554mm x 750mm x 250mm.

The Rinnai Energysaver 309FT, like the 559FT, sports a similar sleek casing and turns in net efficiencies of 88%.

It has an input of 3.4kW and output of 2.92kW. The streamlined unit measures 695mm x 465mm x 257mm. Natural Gas usage has been pegged at 0.31m3 while LPG consumption is 0.26kg/hr.

Also available is the Energysaver 1004T with its impressive input of 11.6kW and outputs 10.23kW. Its measurements are 670mm x 930mm x 315mm and it has energy efficiencies of 96% under the guidance of Part L 2014. This puts it in the top rank of space heaters in its class.

Like the Energysaver 559FT and 309FT, the 1004T heater is also suitable for central timer control. This feature allows the building manager to run any number of Rinnai space heaters off a central time clock providing heat to the largest of spaces. The Energysaver Multi controller is not limited to single Energysavers as the flexibility of the system guarantees units can be mixed and matched to satisfy even the most unique of buildings.

Rinnai Energysaver range delivers energy-efficient and consistent warm air powered by Natural Gas and LPG options and is built with fully modulating burners so heat output and energy input is reduced as the space warms up.

The Rinnai Energysaver range comprises fanned convection-powered flue models that exceed seasonal thermal heating guidance under Building Regs Part L.

In a building with high vaulted ceilings, with conventional convector heaters the heat will immediately rise to the ceiling. With the Energysaver range Rinnai has successfully come up with a solution that heats from the floor up and by modulating gas usage in relation to room temperature, provides unparalleled levels of comfort combined with efficiency.

For more information on the RINNAI product range visit www.rinnaiuk.com.

Drainage product and access cover leader, Clark-Drain, has added a choice of Road Gullies certified to the Highways Authority Product Approval Scheme (HAPAS) to strengthen its underground range.

The Gullies are designed for quick and easy installation, in urban areas and on roads, for direct connection to PVC-U plastic pipe systems or with a suitable adaptor, also supplied, to clay and twin wall drainage systems. The gully outlet is 160mm diameter as standard with 178mm diameter available when using the outlet adaptor.

Manufactured from High Density Polyethylene the Gullies will be sold alongside Clark-Drain’s Ductile Iron Gully Grates which are BSI Kitemark Certified to BS EN124:1994 for a D400 (40 tonnes) load rating.

Dave Westacott, National Sales Manager at Clark-Drain says: “The addition of the Road Gullies supports the tendency in new installations to use plastic gully pots instead of pre-cast concrete. They are easier to handle, require less people and no heavy lifting equipment, resulting in cost savings. The plastic gullies also have a similar lifespan to pre-cast concrete when installed with a concrete surround.”

The practical design of the road gullies will also support the maintenance regimes of Local Authorities and their responsibilities for odour control.

Dave continues. “When used as a trapped system the gullies are airtight to prevent smells rising up from the existing sewers. This is mandatory for connections made to a Foul or Combined system, and is recommended for connections to Surface Water systems. It is also easy to maintain with a removable rubber plug that enables the gully to be rodded or cleaned using conventional equipment and machinery to clear debris from the drainage channels. The gullies have also been tested under HAPAS requirements to be fully watertight”

The Road Gullies have a clear opening of 450mm and will be offered in two depth sizes to 750mm and 900mm depth with water holding capacities of 83 litres and 107 litres volume respectively.

For more information please visit www.clark-drain.com/products/underground/no-series/686/

Roofing, walling and flooring from Welsh Slate feature on the redeveloped cardigan castle.

A three-pronged helping hand from Welsh Slate has contributed towards giving a medieval castle a new lease of life.

The manufacturer’s roof slates, walling and floor tiles feature on multiple aspects of the £12.5 million redevelopment of Cardigan Castle which had been in danger of being lost to the nation forever.

Penrhyn Heather Blue slates from Welsh Slate’s quarry at Bethesda have been used to re-roof Castle Green House, Ty Castell and The Stables while 200m2 of dark blue grey cleaved walling from the company’s Cwt-y-Bugail quarry clads the interior and exterior walls of “1176” – a new 70-cover contemporary restaurant which cantilevers over the castle walls.

Here the coursed walling is complemented by Welsh Slate’s Cwt-y-Bugail Dark Blue Grey floor tiles which are echoed in a total of nine new bathrooms in the East Wing guest accommodation and Green Street Cottages visitor centre. The new Welsh Slate flooring was laid by main contractor Andrew Scott of Port Talbot.

The Welsh Slate materials were specified by Purcell architects who worked for 10 years to repair and regenerate the 13th Century site, albeit with a few modern money-making twists.
Project architect Izaak Hudson said: “Cardigan Castle is one of the most significant historic building projects recently completed in Wales and all of the project team were very keen to be able to use local materials where we could.

“We specified Welsh Slate to match the existing slate on site, with WEFO*1 funding targeted at Welsh materials and contractors, but also because it was historically appropriate and good quality.”

“Castle Green House, the main dwelling within the castle walls, has a large-format, wet-laid diminishing course roof. This was expertly re-laid by skilled roofers from Tree and Sons of Milford Haven. The wet laying took some time as due to the weight of the huge Penrhyn slates we had to wait for the lime mortar of lower courses to carbonate before laying more, but it was a key existing feature and Cadw were very keen to reinstate it.”

Home to the first recorded Eisteddfod in 1176 (hence the restaurant’s name), the castle was partly dismantled by Cromwell’s forces after the Civil War, then enjoyed a brief renaissance in the early 19th Century as a Romantic site for a new mansion.

By the end of the 20th Century the site was derelict and ruinous, its buildings collapsing and roofs open to the weather. Most noticeably, the castle curtain walls were propped up with great raking shores to prevent their collapse onto the town’s main road.

This was despite the castle’s designation as a Scheduled Ancient Monument and the six buildings within its walls being listed Grade II or Grade II*. So under public pressure, Ceredigion County Council acquired the site from the elderly owner while a group of local people set up the Cadwgan Trust to help.

Purcell architects were commissioned in 2005 to carry out an options appraisal to identify future potential uses which were agreed as heritage interpretation, a restaurant, holiday accommodation, restored gardens and space for open air events.

Phase I of its redevelopment was the £1 million repair of the castle’s curtain walls; Phase II was the conservation and upgrading of the six buildings within the castle walls and restoration of the Regency gardens.

The conservation works covered all aspects of traditional building skills, ranging from structural carpentry repairs, to slate roofing, leadwork, masonry repairs, external joinery repairs and lime rendering.

Purcell carried out careful research, along with trials and testing of materials and finishes, to inform its conservation decisions and ensure the building would be an exemplar for innovative conservation practice.

The project brief required new accommodation to house the restaurant and catering facilities and the decision was taken to locate the new building above a section of the castle walls which had collapsed in the 1970s.

The position provides views across the Teifi quayside and the river below and inwards across the castle Regency gardens. Purcell’s design cantilevers out above the castle walls, its strong visual presence indicating to visitors there is something special inside.

The new restaurant is uncompromisingly contemporary with large glazed elevations taking advantage of the views and giving it a transparency which helps minimise its impact on the site. Where solid, the external and internal walls were constructed of coursed Welsh Slate laid by Coe Stone of Carmarthen, specialist stonemasons concentrating on the conservation and repair of historic buildings and monuments, echoing the Cilgerran slate garden walls that form the backdrop to the site.

“It was a very challenging and interesting project and we learned a lot about slate,” said Izaak.

*1The Welsh Government organisation distributing funds from the European Union for economic and social development.

For more information please visit www.welshslate.com.

SMARTGLASS Dynamic, powered by SageGlass is a new glazing technology which has been hailed as a revelation. SMARTGLASS allows you to switch from clear glass through three progressively darker tints, giving you more control over both heat and light levels – all in a matter of minutes. The various shades of blue tint help to reduce glare and allow for a relaxed environment, no matter what the weather is doing outside.

Developed in the US and only recently arriving on UK shores, SMARTGLASS is currently available for residential homes via a range of lantern roofs, with full conservatory and bi-folding door products due to be available at a later date. SMARTGLASS is also ideal for offices and commercial buildings, especially where meetings take place and where screens suffer from glare.

SMARTGLASS offers three basic tint levels. The clear state is indistinguishable from normal glass and will let the same amount of light into the property. This tint level is ideal for darker winter days and for when a lot of light is required.

The full tint, at the opposite end of the scale, blocks 96% of the sun’s rays and reduces light transmission to just 1%. This full tint stage is ideal for very bright summer days, or where glare is a problem when reading or using technology. The blue hue creates a calming and relaxed space.

There is also a choice of intermediate states which allow you to tailor the perfect amount of incoming light. The glazing is tinted via a switch, which allows you to fully customise the light levels to best suit your needs.

SMARTGLASS Dynamic, powered by SageGlass works in a very simple and effective way. The glass itself is covered with layers of electrochromic coating. This is practically invisible to the naked eye and when in the clear state, this glass will simply look like ‘normal’ glazing. The layers of coating control the tint levels by allowing the lithium ions and electrons to travel through the layers when a low voltage is applied. When the ions and electrons are all transported to one layer of the coating, a dark tint is observed. As soon as the voltage polarity is reversed, the ions and electrons will travel back to their respective layers and the glass appears clear.

The voltage required is low (less than 5V DC) and is easy to install; just a simple wire through the frame is required. As mentioned above, SMARTGLASS is initially available in a range of roof lanterns. Five size options are available:

SMARTGLASS-Dynamic

Further information can be requested from Evander – one of the leading property services companies in the UK.

With capacity for almost 4000 guests and 96% occupancy, keeping the central area of Center Parcs Longleat Forest open was key to the refurbishment of its impressive Subtropical Swimming Paradise. A massive challenge for Delomac Roofing, the project to renew the roof with a Sika Sarnafil membrane was accomplished with two years of meticulous planning and 30 months of onsite construction.

Originally completed in 1994, the Subtropical Swimming Paradise roof and glazed rain-screen systems were in need of refurbishment. The new roof installation was planned in close discussion with the Sika Sarnafil and Delomac supply chain, developing the specification to address all the client’s strict performance, environmental and aesthetic requirements.

Chris Meadows, Technical Advisor, Sika Sarnafil explained: “The client needed a durable, long lasting roof system that would complement the woodland setting. This was complicated by differences between the swimming pool side and dry side, with restaurants and meeting rooms, of the building.

“We proposed two distinct solutions– a mechanically fastened system using Sarnafil S327-18EL for the dry side and an adhered system using Sarnafil G410-18EL for the more humid area. Both were specified in Patina Green to blend with the natural environment. Sarnafil membranes are cold applied and free from naked flames, the obvious choice for an open site.”

An innovative temporary terraced platform was designed and installed, suspended underneath the main structure by cables and lattice beam scaffold units. Work was carried out over 16 separate sections, like a wagon wheel – ensuring the structure was not compromised by uneven load distribution. This stepped, terraced temporary roof was then covered with plywood and completely weathered by Delomac with a Sarnafil membrane.

With the temporary roof in place, existing glazing and coverings could be safely removed, maintaining water-tightness with guests enjoying the facilities below. Scheduled over more than two years, this way of working resulted in a dry building envelope, despite some of the wettest weather on record.

Comprehensive vapour barrier measures were used on the pool side of the building to ensure the high humidity chlorinated environment was contained. Robust SFS sealant and Sarnafil metal-lined vapour barrier detailing at all Glulam beams and fascia interfaces ensured no risk of condensation.

Sarnafil membrane and accessories were used for all the coverings, and again overall specification development was tailored to suit the varying build-ups; new, overlay, bonded and mechanically fastened. An increased thickness membrane was manufactured in one single batch to ensure colour consistency. Sika added further value with an impressive 17 visits to the site by the Applications Team to advice and support.

Brendan McNulty, Delomac Roofing, described the challenges the team faced during the project: “Installation methods and curved roof areas required our operatives to work from harness and rope access. We developed an innovative material loading trolley with the builder to deliver materials to the work sections safely, without compromising finishes.

“Workmanship standards remained exceptionally high, despite the challenging logistics, and met the client requirement of consistent lap and detail arrangement. This was also helped by the quality of the Sarnafil membranes. The finished installation has transformed the internal and external appearance of the building. Rooflights and white soffit finished decking have provided a bright and airy environment, with the external green finish blending subtly with the landscape.

“Most importantly, safe, unlimited guest access to the pool, restaurants and meeting areas was maintained throughout the entire project; something we’re very proud of.”

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

For the third year, Polypipe Ventilation is pleased to announce its win in the Housebuilder Product Awards Best Services Product category; this time for its Domus Green Line, High Efficiency rigid duct bends. The company won the award in 2015 with its Domus Radial duct system and in 2013 with its Silavent Green Line HRX Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery (MVHR) system, whilst in 2014 it was highly commended for its Domus Thermal duct system.

With the move to more energy efficient air tight homes, effective ventilation in residential developments is an important necessity. This has helped evolve whole house, mechanically driven systems such as MVHR. However, if these are to perform efficiently, ducting needs to be an air-tight, quality end to end system, such as Polypipe’s Domus rigid duct systems.

The Green Line High Efficiency rigid 90° duct bends are the latest addition to the Domus range. They provide up to 60% reduction in resistance to air flow within the bend, significantly lowering a duct system’s total pressure loss and therefore overall energy usage. When used as part of an MVHR system, this can also lead to cost savings as certain properties may be able to use a smaller unit than previously possible.

The unique design of the Domus Green Line 90° bends results in reduced air speed through the bend, thus lowering system noise as well as smoothing the air flow, thereby helping to achieve higher air flow rates when required. All of these factors improve home owner comfort as well as making central ventilation systems easier to specify.

Domus Green Line High Efficiency 90° bends are available for use with Polypipe Ventilation’s best selling Supertube 204x60mm and Megaduct 220x90mm rectangular rigid duct systems, ideal for whole-house ventilation applications which require higher air flow rates.

The Housebuilder Product Awards were held at Edgbaston Stadium on the 29th June, where the winners were announced. Steve Heeley, General Manager – Director for Polypipe Ventilation comments, “I’m absolutely delighted we have won this award. It’s testament to the hard work, innovation and desire to advance the ventilation industry that exists within the business”.

Domus ducting has a deserved reputation for quality and excellent technical support, in line with Polypipe’s position in the ventilation market. Polypipe Ventilation is 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, homeowners and distributors meet emerging environmental standards.

For further information, please go to www.polypipe.com/ventilation or call 03443 715523.

Ashdowne handcrafted clay tiles transform 17th century pub.

Marley Eternit’s Ashdowne handcrafted clay plain tiles have been used to help transform a derelict 17th century pub into a new fine dining restaurant and village centre. The £3 million restoration project by David Bishop has seen the Wheatsheaf pub in Rettendon brought back to life as an exciting new complex which, in addition to Le Benaix Bar and Brasserie, includes a village store, hair dresser and separate beauty salon.

Famous for being a drovers’ pub back in the 17th century, the former Wheatsheaf pub in the Essex village of Rettendon is a building of significant historical importance but had remained derelict for almost ten years. The challenge was to restore and extend the ageing building, retaining many of the existing features.

Owner David Bishop selected the handcrafted Ashdowne clay plain tiles from Marley Eternit to replicate the aesthetic of the clay peg tiles used on the original roof. 38,000 tiles were used to create the beautiful clay roof, creating a heritage appearance that connects both the old and the new parts of the building. The roof includes a large octagonal shaped section to create a striking design feature.

David Bishop comments: “With such an important local building, we wanted to stay as close as possible to the aesthetic of the original clay peg tiles and we chose the Ashdowne handcrafted tiles because they had a very similar appearance and were more cost effective.

The aged look of the handcrafted tiles also meant we could use them to blend the new parts of the development in with the renovated historical pub.

“As the building was disused for almost a decade, many of the original roof tiles were missing, so we would have had to find a huge number of old clay peg tiles, so the City Council planning department acknowledged the benefits of the handcrafted tile instead. The finished effect is stunning and the tiles really do help to combine the two parts of the building and ensure the new build is sympathetic to the old. Complementing the local village surroundings was very important and we’ve had several local people comment on what a beautiful roof it is and how well it blends in.”

Ashdowne handcrafted clay plain tiles are available in two weathered colours making them the ideal choice to enhance the beauty of a new build development or for a refurbishment project. The traditional handcrafted finish ensures each and every roof takes on a character of its own.

Charlotte Hughes, product manager at Marley Eternit, adds: “The roof on this project certainly is stunning and demonstrates how handcrafted tiles like these can be used very sympathetically on restoration projects, at the same time as adding beauty to new builds. The Ashdowne tiles on this project help to blend the old and the new buildings very effectively, with the aged clay appearance complementing the vernacular style.”

Ashdowne clay tiles also offer impressive environmental credentials, including the ability to achieve an A+ rating in the BRE Green Guide to Specification, BES 6001 Responsible Sourcing accreditation and certified carbon footprint data at product level.

For further information, visit www.marleyeternit.co.uk/Roofing/Clay-Tiles/Ashdowne-Clay-Tile