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New weberend protect provides hydrophobic coating for buildings

weberend protect by Saint-Gobain Weber is the perfect solution for invisibly protecting external renders and other building substrates from water and liquid ingress. This hydrophobic coating prevents absorption of most types of surface contamination including water, oil and graffiti and reduces the risk of algae, moss, lichen and mould.

Easily applied by roller, brush or spray, this protective coating keeps the building exterior clean and dry, providing permanent protection against the elements while allowing the substrate to breathe, ensuring the façade looks better for longer. Water beads simply run off the treated surface removing contaminants at the same time.

“weberend protect ensures dirt, stains and other atmospheric contaminants do not adhere to the surface,” says Tracey Dempster, head of marketing, Saint-Gobain Weber, “so preventing deterioration of surfaces. By doing so it increases the substrate lifespan and reduces maintenance costs. It is also ideal for areas of high weather exposure where substrates might be damp, such as coastal areas.” weberend protect is UV resistant, non-flammable and non-toxic.

The colourless protective coating does not stain, and can be used on external renders, decorative finishes, masonry and concrete substrates, in newbuild, refurbishment and retrofit projects, and on historic buildings. weberend protect is also suitable for ground and horizontal surfaces that receive high levels of foot traffic and prevents chewing gum from adhering to the surface.

weberend protect is sustainably manufactured in the UK, pre-packaged and ready for immediate on-site use.

For more information about this product, or for technical support including award winning training courses, please contact Saint-Gobain Weber on 08703 330 070, or visit www.netweber.co.uk.

A free download of the Weber App for iPhone and iPad users is also available from iTunes and from Google Play for Android smartphones and tablet users. Follow Saint-Gobain Weber on Twitter @SGWeberUK for the latest company news and updates.

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webermineral TF render marked 10/10 at Poyntzpass Primary School

High performance webermineral TF render has been specified for an extension to the Poyntzpass Primary School in Newry, Northern Ireland. Designed to overcome delays caused by wet weather conditions and low winter temperatures during application, webermineral TF was specified by Maurice Cushnie Architects Limited, Portadown, and applied by main contractor Maghera Developments Limited, County Down.

“Wet weather always hinders building schedules but when you have to finish an extension to a school, the timetable is especially critical,” says Pat McAreavey, Saint-Gobain Weber. “The building team at the primary school were hampered by a continuously damp summer this year with June being especially wet.”

Concerns that the weather would delay render application were overcome with the technical attributes of webermineral TF, a through-coloured, textured decorative finish designed for use with multi-coat render systems including Weber’s thermally efficient External Wall Insulation. This cementitious render can be applied at temperatures as low as 1°C. webermineral TF has rapid drying benefits that prevent wash-off in 1 hour, making it ideal for wet conditions and winter working, and achieves a durable, resilient and weather resistant finish for all year round protection.

With the Poyntzpass Primary School project at risk, Saint-Gobain Weber’s technical team advised the specification of webermineral TF, not only to overcome weather delays, but because it closely matched the existing colour and texture of the original structure’s finish.

“This is the first project in Ireland to specify webermineral TF,” says Pat McAreavey. “The blockwork substrate was coated with weberend OCR, a basecoat render which is applied in one coat avoiding the drying time associated with traditional sand and cement render, and offers excellent weather protection and durability. weber PR310 primer was then applied in preparation for the 1.5mm textured decorative finish of webermineral TF in Ivory.” weber PR310 primer reduces suction and ensures that the subsequent finish will have a minimum life of 10 years. It is easy to apply using a roller allowing both speed and economy. “Weber also provided on site supervision and guidance for the first-time application of this advanced render finish that will prove highly beneficial in avoiding expensive site delays in the cold and damp climates of northern Europe.”

webermineral TF is easy to apply by hand using a steel float. It is available in four colours – White, Cream, Ivory and Stone Grey, supplied in 20kg sacks, and requires only the addition of clean water on site. This product is manufactured in the UK at facilities in Shropshire, helping to ensure product quality, uniformity and availability with reduced transportation costs and CO₂ emissions.

For more information about this project, or for technical support including award winning training courses, please contact Saint-Gobain Weber on 08703 330 070, or visit www.netweber.co.uk.
A free download of the Weber App for iPhone and iPad users is also available from iTunes and from Google Play for Android smartphones and tablet users. Follow Saint-Gobain Weber on Twitter @SGWeberUK for the latest company news and updates.
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Visit Saint-Gobain Weber on YouTube for guidance on repairing fine cracks in monocouche render

Saint-Gobain Weber takes training in the specification and application of their innovative, market leading materials responsibly. A team of technical advisers are available to support and advise, either over the telephone or on site, on the correct use of a diverse product offering.

“In addition to the Saint-Gobain Technical Academy here in Bedfordshire, one of several across the country,” says Rob Speke, training academy manager, Saint-Gobain Weber, “we now have a wide inventory of How To videos posted on You Tube for specifiers and applicators who are unable to attend a related course at the Academy.”

How To Videos have been created to address the most frequently raised technical enquiries received by Weber’s technicians for tile preparation, flooring products, renders and external wall insulation systems.

A popular and frequently viewed Weber video identifies the benefits and characteristics of weberpral monocouche renders. This is a high performance range of low maintenance, cementitious, through-coloured renders in which small knocks and abrasions are not as noticeable as with traditional painted render. But if a fine crack appears, caused by drying shrinkage, aesthetic repairs can be easily carried out.

“With over 3,000 views this video is designed to help render applicators ensure that perfect aesthetics are easily achieved when dealing with fine cracks in monocouche render,” says Rob Speke. “By following a few simple stages – from opening the crack, to accurately preparing the render repair mix, achieving the correct application technique and the final finishing treatment – a perfect and satisfactory remedial job will be delivered.”

This How To video is one of 30 currently hosted on YouTube with plans for many more over the coming months. For more information, or for technical support, please contact Saint-Gobain Weber on 08703 330 070, or visit www.netweber.co.uk.

A free download of the Weber App for iPhone and iPad users is also available from iTunes and from Google Play for Android smartphones and tablet users. Follow Saint-Gobain Weber on Twitter @SGWeberUK for the latest company news and updates.

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Floor screeds made simple with Saint-Gobain Weber’s YouTube video

Saint-Gobain Weber takes training in the specification and application of their innovative, market leading materials responsibly. A team of technical advisors is available to support and advise, either over the telephone or on site, on the correct use of a diverse product offering.

“In addition to the Saint-Gobain Technical Academy here in Bedfordshire, one of several across the country,” says Rob Speke, training academy manager, Saint-Gobain Weber. “We now have a wide inventory of How To videos posted on YouTube for specifiers and applicators who are unable to attend a related course at the Academy.”

How To videos have been created to address the most frequently raised technical enquiries received by Weber’s technicians for tile preparation, flooring products, renders and external wall insulation systems.

Watch the video here.

A popular and frequently viewed Weber video identifies the many benefits of the weberfloor 4310 fibre flow floor screed. This fibre-modified material is formulated from special cements, aggregates, supplementary binders and chemical admixtures. Designed for quick, efficient and effective pump application weberfloor 4310 fibre flow has excellent spreading and smoothing characteristics. It is supplied as a pre-blended dry powder and only requires the addition of clean water on site.

“The versatile weberfloor 4310 fibre flow screed is designed for covering a variety of substrates including tiled, carpeted, flexible floor coverings and even parquet flooring,” says Rob Speke. “One of its greatest attributes is that it can be applied at thicknesses between 5 – 50mm in comparison with 100mm of a traditional concrete screed. It is also ready for covering after 1 – 3 weeks in comparison with a concrete equivalent which takes 5 – 7 weeks.”

Manufactured under BSI Quality Assurance Scheme ISO 9001, weberfloor 4310 fibre flow can be used in domestic and commercial applications. It has low alkalinity, is low in emissions and is casein-free.

This How To video is one of 30 currently hosted on YouTube with plans for many more over the coming months. For more information, or for technical support, please contact Saint-Gobain Weber on 08703 9335 2999, or visit www.netweber.co.uk. Customers in Ireland should call 028 9335 2999 or visit www.weber.ie.

A free download of the new weber.app for iPhone and iPad users is also available from iTunes and from Google Play for Android smartphones and tablet users. Follow Saint-Gobain Weber on Twitter @SGWeberUK for the latest company news and updates and look out for more introductions of new How To videos.

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Weber monocouche render remodels Lochside restaurant in Scotland

The market leading, high performance weberpral M monocouche render by Saint-Gobain Weber has been architecturally specified in the extension programme of a popular restaurant in the tourist area of the western Southern Uplands of Scotland.

Standing on the shores of the gleaming Loch Ryan, the Driftwood Restaurant is a popular venue for tourists exploring the beautiful area of Dumfries and Galloway. Nestling by the water’s edge, just minutes from the Stranraer ferry terminal that connects Scotland with Northern Ireland, the Driftwood has recently been extended and refurbished to meet the expanding “staycation” business that is boosting Scottish tourism.

Dumfries and Galloway Council are the property landlords of Driftwood who carried out a business assessment that established the need to expand the property to meet the required capacity and the commercial viability of the restaurant in servicing the local and visiting community. The design and build project was handled by DG First, the Council’s in-house construction and maintenance division, and plans were drawn up by Alan Hewitt of the Property and Architectural Services department. The design almost doubled the size of the structure using timber frame with a blockwork skin which has been finished with weberpral M monocouche render.

Factory produced to ensure product consistency weberpral M is a cementitious, through-coloured render suitable for one-coat application to appropriate brick or block work substrates. Produced from carefully selected raw materials, weberpral M monocouche render is formulated for pump application which allows quick and efficient installation. This contributes significantly to shorter programme periods, reducing associated scaffolding and site costs and permitting the completion of ground works at an earlier state. It is supplied ready-mixed with only the requirement of clean water to be added on site and is applied in a two pass operation to a thickness of 20-28mm; it is then scraped when green giving a minimum render thickness of 15-25mm.

Weber recommended applicator J & J Runcie Plasterers Limited, Stranraer, carried out the render to the new structure. “The architect specified weberpral M from the experience gained on many housing refurbishment and new build projects in the region. As an applicator, we always choose Weber products for their quality and ease of application,” reports James Runcie. “The Chalk colour selected really sets the Driftwood Restaurant off to its best in this parkland setting. We machine applied the render as weberpral M is perfectly formulated for this fast and accurate application method. We are very pleased with the finished result.”

Recent changes to the formulation of weberpral M have been designed to be fit for combat in the war against unsightly algae. Saint-Gobain Weber has worked closely with French microbiologists to understand the effect of the composition of the render and the effect that external factors have to play, such as surface condensation, temperature and rain fall. By changing the product formula as classified in EN998-1 weberpral M effectively repels water from the surface helping to ensure that Britain’s homes and buildings remain looking better for longer.

Saint-Gobain Weber is the first manufacturer of monocouche renders to be awarded an A+ rating as defined in the BRE Global 2008 Green Guide to Specification. This audited material helps specifiers to make selections that will collectively reduce the environmental impact of their buildings while achieving a higher number of BREEAM material specification credits. weberpral M has excellent weather resistance and durability whilst allowing the structure to breathe. Its through-coloured characteristic requires no decoration, is truly low maintenance and offers a variety of ways to achieve architectural features. It is available in a palette of 24 attractive colours.

For more information, or for technical support, please contact Saint-Gobain Weber on 08703 330 070, or visit www.netweber.co.uk
Customers in Ireland should call 028 9335 2999 or visit www.weber.ie
A free download of the new weber.app for iPhone and iPad users is also available from iTunes and from Google Play for Android smartphones and tablet users. Follow Saint-Gobain Weber on Twitter @SGWeberUK for the latest company news and updates.
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Stevenage homes brought up to spec with Saint-Gobain Weber External Wall Insulation

Innovative, high performance External Wall Insulation (EWI) by Saint-Gobain Weber has been specified for a proportion of homes in the extensive property upgrade programme being carried out by Stevenage Borough Council in Hertfordshire. Seventy six homes have benefitted from this improved thermal efficiency and aesthetics treatment in 2015 and a further 150 properties were included in the 2016 program.

The homes, constructed in the late 40s, early 50s, are a combination of traditional solid brick and Wimpey No Fines system build. The u-value achieved for the improved properties is an impressive 0.30 W/m²K, down from the original 1.98 W/m²K rating. The webertherm XM EWI system specified 90mm EPS insulation and high performance render to achieve this substantial improvement.

Equally appealing for residents is the ‘new’ external visual results where four alternative render colours from the extensive palette of the weberplast TF acrylic based, pre-mixed decorative finishes have been applied. A new-for-this-project colour, Marshmallow, has been used alongside Antique Ivory, Winter White and Palest Pink.

Main contractor Wates Living Space, one of several contractors involved in this on-going renovation scheme, specified the Weber EWI system in order to meet the performance specification required by the Stevenage Borough Council property team who are familiar with the product’s qualities and attributes. Build-Therm Services, whose headquarters are in nearby St Albans, Hertfordshire, were responsible for the application.

Agron Sopjani, director of Build-Therm Services Limited responsible for the Stevenage program, acknowledges the value of the webertherm XM EWI system. “The application process is very straight-forward enabling our site teams to make good progress. Cutting the u-values down to these levels is impressive and the external finishes really lift the whole residential area. It’s clean and bright and together with the improved thermal performance it’s a real winner.”

The webertherm XM high performance external wall insulation and meshcloth reinforced polymer render system provides efficient thermal insulation for these refurbishments with the render coat and surface finish delivering water shedding capabilities to protect the building fabric. The 90mm of EPS insulation is mechanically fixed to the existing substrate surface and covered with a 6mm meshcloth reinforced coat of weberend LAC. This is a low density, polymer-modified cement-based mortar which is applied in two passes. weber PR310 primer is then applied prior to the application of the weberplast TF decorative finish.

“The External Wall Insulation installed in Stevenage has transformed our tenants’ homes by reducing heat loss, and making them easier to keep warm. Our tenants are very pleased with the results which should make considerable savings on their heating bills,” says Lydia Wisby, Stevenage Borough Council’s energy and sustainability co-ordinator.

For more information about this project, or for technical support, please contact Saint-Gobain Weber on 08703 330 070, or visit www.netweber.co.uk. Customers in Ireland should call 028 9335 2999 or visit www.weber.ie

A free download of the new weber.app for iPhone and iPad users is also available from iTunes and from Google Play for Android smartphones and tablet users. Follow Saint-Gobain Weber on Twitter @SGWeberUK for the latest company news and updates.

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Weber Monocouche render with ashlar detail adds elegance to St. George’s Park Retirement Village

High performance monocouche render by Saint-Gobain Weber has been specified for recent new-build properties at St. George’s Park Retirement Village in Burgess Hill, West Sussex. The new buildings will provide extended accommodation for the retirement community established and run by Augustinian Care which is set in 250 acres of glorious parkland and gardens.

The buildings are finished with weberpral M, a one-coat, through-coloured external decorative render. An elegant ashlar architectural detail has been used to underscore the traditional aesthetics required to blend perfectly with buildings already established in this community. The project was designed by award-winning PRP Architects, with practices in London, Manchester and Surrey, who undertook the original brief for the St. George’s Park Retirement Village. PRP Architects specialise in designing high quality buildings that enrich the lives of users and their communities.

The main contractor, Galliford Try Building, is very impressed with the weberpral M decorative render noting that it is a high quality material and that the application work carried out by Complete Rendering Systems was first class and has given the very best possible finish for St George’s Park.

weberpral M, a one-coat, cementitious, through-coloured render, is suitable for application to most brick and block work substrates. It is factory produced from carefully selected raw materials for consistency and supplied ready-mixed requiring only the addition of clean water on site. It is formulated for pump application which makes for quick and efficient installation, contributing to shorter programme periods, reducing associated scaffolding and site costs and permitting the completion of ground works at an earlier stage.

weberpral M has excellent weather resistance and durability whilst allowing the structure to breathe. The through-coloured render requires no decoration, is truly low maintenance and offers a variety of ways to achieve distinct architectural features. On the St George’s properties ashlar patterns have been applied. weberpral M is applied in a two pass operation to a thickness of 20-28mm and then scraped when green giving a minimum render thickness of 15 to 25mm. When set but not fully hard, the ashlar detail is cut into the render ensuring that a minimum of 15mm is left at the base of any cut. The through-colour characteristic of weberpral M ensures that the overall colour aesthetic is maintained even in the deepest recess.

The properties at St. George’s Park Retirement Village have been finished in Ivory, just one of 24 colours in the weberpral M range. Specialist applicator Complete Rendering Systems of Lewes, East Sussex, were awarded the contract and director Bradley Halls supervised the project. “Our extensive experience of applying Weber render products gave us complete confidence that we would meet the client’s expectations. Overall there was 1000m² of weberpral M applied and the ashlar work covered approximately 600m² with the remaining surface carrying a plain scraped finish. We worked at St. George’s Park Retirement Village over a six month period as the buildings were readied and the colour consistency is perfect.”

Saint-Gobain Weber is the first manufacturer of monocouche renders to be awarded an A+ rating as defined in the BRE Global 2008 Green Guide to Specification. This audited material helps specifiers to make selections that will collectively reduce the environmental impact of their buildings while achieving a higher number of BREEAM material specification credits.

St. George’s Park Retirement Village is located on the site of the original Retreat that was the first home established by the Sisters of St. Augustine when it was re-formed in 1866, principally to care for the mentally and physically ill. The Sisters have continued to care for those that need it ever since in several care facilities in Sussex.

For more information about this project, or for technical support, please contact Saint-Gobain Weber on 08703 330 070, or visit www.netweber.co.uk. Customers in Ireland should call 028 9335 2999 or visit www.weber.ie.
A free download of the new weber.app for iPhone and iPad users is also available from iTunes and from Google Play for Android smartphones and tablet users. Follow Saint-Gobain Weber on Twitter @SGWeberUK for the latest company news and updates.
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Saint-Gobain named as Top Employer 2017

Saint-Gobain UK and Ireland, leader in the construction materials markets, has been recognised as a Top Employer in the UK for the fifth year running, and in Ireland for a second consecutive year.

The awards, based on research conducted by the Top Employers Institute, recognises organisations that have achieved the highest standards of excellence in human resources, particularly in the areas of working conditions, learning and development opportunities, career and succession management and the overall culture of the organisation.

Mike Chaldecott, General Delegate and Regional Managing Director for Construction Products at Saint-Gobain UK and Ireland, said “It is a great achievement to have been awarded this accolade once more. It recognises the steps we continue to take to ensure an open, collaborative and fulfilling environment, where our colleagues can thrive.

“We want all of our colleagues to enjoy their time with us, and also to feel supported, challenged, and fulfilled by an organisation that gives them the tools and creates the culture in which they can expand and develop their career for the long-term. With more than 30 businesses in the UK and Ireland, we are able to provide careers in a huge range of disciplines enabling employees to achieve a career without boundaries.”

For a second year in a row, Saint-Gobain has been certified Top Employer Europe and Top Employer Global – only one of 10 companies worldwide to receive this certification.

To find out more about the diverse and rewarding career opportunities available at Saint-Gobain in the UK & Ireland, visit http://www.saint-gobain.co.uk/careers/.

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Saint-Gobain Partners with UK-GBC for Industry Training Programme

Saint-Gobain UK and Ireland has teamed up with UK-GBC for its Learning and Development Programme. The partnership, which began in October, will continue throughout the rest of 2016 and into 2017, equipping the industry with the knowledge and skills to help create a more sustainable built environment.

Saint-Gobain and UK-GBC are working closely as part of the partnership to carefully plan the courses to provide the best information and skills necessary for built environment professionals, sustainability leaders and businesses to grow their understanding of sustainable building.

The partnership aims to achieve this through the delivery of a compelling message on sustainable buildings across 3 learning levels – awareness, understanding, and application.

Shenaaz Chenia, Director of Industry and Community Training for Saint-Gobain UK and Ireland, said: “The programme offers a broad range of skills to widen the industry’s understanding of the impact that creating sustainable buildings can have on the environment and the occupants. Partnering with UK-GBC is a great fit for us, as its goals to encourage and grow thought leadership on sustainability in the built environment, as well as the emphasis on comfort, health and wellbeing, perfectly match our vision for the industry.”

The next course in 2016 is:

Integrated Planning: Creating Sustainable Communities, Wednesday 30th November

Understand ways to engage stakeholders and plan sustainability at a community and citywide scale. Learn how environmental issues, planning policy and sustainability-focused tools can inform decision making at the planning stage. Find out more and register here.

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New moisture resistant weberfloor DPM damp proof system saves application time

Saint-Gobain Weber, the manufacturer of many innovative, high performance construction products and systems, and specialists in industrial and commercial flooring products, has introduced weberfloor DPM, a highly moisture tolerant, epoxy resin damp proof system.

weberfloor DPM has been designed to bond to concrete surfaces even when the concrete is still drying out and when it contains a high degree of moisture. It is a two coat system which is easy to apply to concrete and cement-based substrates as well as to Weber levelling compounds.

“This really is a hard working product,” says Tracey Dempster, marketing manager, Saint-Gobain Weber, “as weberfloor DPM supresses the passage of moisture by up to 98% and is resistant to a wide range of chemicals. Its ease of application reduces project timescales and allows early installation of floor finishes. It can also be used at temperatures as low as 5°C which allows winter working.”

weberfloor DPM contains a tin of resin and a bottle of hardener packaged in a 5.6kg box. Before application all surfaces must be mechanically sound, dry and clean; free from dirt, dust, grease or other contamination or coating. Laitance must also be removed from concrete.

Immediately after mixing, weberfloor DPM should be applied evenly and uniformly over the entire substrate using a brush or roller. When the first coat has partially cured, around six to eight hours depending on ambient temperature, a second coat should be applied. Immediately after this second application cover weberfloor DPM in a full sand scatter using 1-2mm of kiln dried sand.

After 12 hours, or overnight, the floor should be brushed and vacuumed to remove any loose sand particles and then primed with weberfloor 4716 in preparation to receive a Weber levelling compound. weberfloor DPM permits early overlaying with vinyl, carpets and resin based products without the conventional ‘drying out’ period required of concrete bases.

For more information about this product, or for technical support, please contact Saint-Gobain Weber on 08703 330 070, or visit www.netweber.co.uk. Customers in Ireland should call 028 9335 2999 or visit www.weber.ie.
A free download of the Weber app for iPhone and iPad users is also available from iTunes and from Google Play for Android smartphones and tablet users. Follow Saint-Gobain Weber on Twitter @SGWeberUK for the latest company news and updates.
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