“Off the pallet, straight onto the wall” ethos saves time, cost and improves quality, says Vivalda survey Research undertaken by Vivalda Group, the UK’s largest supplier of non-combustible cladding, suggests that sub-contractors could reduce their fabrication costs by up to 50% by outsourcing the process. Vivalda contacted 15 specialist cladding
Södra, one of the UK’s foremost suppliers of sustainable timber, has diversified its range of flame retardant treated timber products available to the UK market, with its C260 and C260 Xterior. For centuries, timber has been used in countless construction products, both indoors and outdoors, but today’s rigorous fire
Norbord now holds a net carbon negative status across all its products and operations, locking up more CO2 than it emits. Leading the way in tackling the issue of climate change, the company’s four European sites and three product ranges sequester a total of 1.1 million tonnes of carbon annually.
BAM Nuttall and BAM Construct UK have signed a solus agreement with Polypipe Group plc’s market-leading divisions Polypipe Civils & Green Urbanisation and Polypipe Building Products to supply drainage products to all BAM’s infrastructure and building projects in the UK. The move signals a closer relationship in procurement between BAM
Södra, one of the UK’s foremost suppliers of sustainable timber, has launched a landmark immersive experience that transports viewers to its world-leading Swedish forestry operation. Using the latest 360ᴼ video technology, Södra’s video takes users to the forest – just a small section in its network totalling over two million
As a Toronto homeowner, you have a lot of responsibilities. One of them is your sewer line. Your sewage system is made up of a lot of pipes buried underground…where you can’t see them. When this network of pipes is working well, it’s easy to take your sewage system for
The high performance, reliable and easy-to-install Cascade Cast Iron Style Rainwater System from Brett Martin has been specified for a new housing development in Tutshill, Gloucestershire, the village where JK Rowling spent her childhood and which inspired many Harry Potter books. Located in the stunning Forest of Dean, on the
Aquaspira Ltd, has secured a six figure grant from Innovate UK (part of UK Research and Innovation) to explore ways to help the construction sector achieve Government de-carbonisation targets. The announcement comes as part of the UK Government’s unveiling of a multi-million pound investment to support businesses across the country
Heating is expensive. Especially in winter. You can blame basic thermodynamics for this. The tendency for heat to radiate outwards and try its hardest to escape as temperature levels normalize in a region is a basic fact of life. As a direct result of this, heating a room can be
Located along the Vltava river, Prague’s Dancing House is a hotspot for tourists and admirers of architecture. While its sloping structure gives the illusion that the building is dancing, the design offers nothing in the way of structural benefit. But would a building without such an eye-catching design feature gain
“Off the pallet, straight onto the wall” ethos saves time, cost and improves quality, says Vivalda survey Research undertaken by Vivalda Group, the UK’s largest supplier of non-combustible cladding, suggests that sub-contractors could reduce their fabrication costs by up to 50% by outsourcing the process. Vivalda contacted 15 specialist cladding contractors across the UK and asked them to provide their hourly rates for three specific processes; standard board drilling, specialist drilling, and fixing of brackets to boards. The differences between quoted sub-contractor rates and those charged by Vivalda were surprising. Here are the key findings: Standard drill holes for rivet and screw fix. Assuming 12 holes per m2, average sub-contractor labour rates quoted were up to 50% higher than those charged by Vivalda. Specialist ‘secret fix’ drill holes. The price difference between specialist off-site fabrication and on-site labour rates quoted was equally remarkable. Overall, prices quoted for this more complex procedure were approximately 20% higher compared to the cost of standard drilling. Sub-contractor labour rates for this work came out at approximately 40% more expensive when compared to prices quoted by off-site, high precision material engineers such as Vivalda. Fixing brackets / secret fixings to board. This too came out at around 35-40% higher compared to rates typically charged by third party suppliers. Commenting on the findings, Chris Meyerhoff, branch manager at Vivalda’s Hull branch said: “We are seeing a major trend towards off-site fabrication, with contractors increasingly turning to us to cut boards to size, drill holes and even fix brackets so that facades can be installed as soon as they arrive on site. Despite the proven cost savings and quality guarantees offered by outsourcing, we wanted to understand why a hardcore of contractors continue to do this job in-house. After all, it’s a notoriously time-consuming job that a lot of subbies don’t like doing on-site. That’s why we undertook this research into the relative costs quoted for this activity. “Given the very clear savings contractors could make by outsourcing elements of their cladding fabrication process, we have to ask why aren’t all sub-contractors using third party specialists to prepare boards ready for on-site installation? Is it about control and quality? With damaged and poorly cut boards as the likely outcome, I cannot imagine this is good reason. Also, our use of CNC technology ensures boards are cut to within the tightest tolerances, with brackets fixed using the right tools in well lit, warm surroundings as opposed to rainswept, building sites with restricted space and strict on-site working regulations. “Perhaps some sub-contractors don’t consider the cost of fixings as being that significant? Well, for a project comprising 5,000m2 of cladding, our investigation suggests that this could cost anywhere from £300,000 to £600,000 in fixing labour costs – depending on the location and complexity of the project. That’s not chicken feed in anyone’s book. I’d urge any contractors out there to reconsider this part of their supply chain as it could improve quality, reduce accidents and boost profits in one fell swoop.” Based on its recent survey, Vivalda Group’s UK-wide fabrication facilities could save sub-contractors between 35 and 50% on labour costs, while significantly improving the accuracy and quality of the cladding systems prior to installation.
Södra, one of the UK’s foremost suppliers of sustainable timber, has diversified its range of flame retardant treated timber products available to the UK market, with its C260 and C260 Xterior. For centuries, timber has been used in countless construction products, both indoors and outdoors, but today’s rigorous fire protection requirements run the risk of limiting creative expression. This is the view of Lars Broström, Sales Manager for Special Products at Södra, who believes that Södra’s new C260 and C260 Xterior products offer a much-needed solution to this problem. Lars further comments: “Whether you’re an architect, developer or contractor, Södra’s C260 and C260 Xterior timber makes meeting fire safety regulations straightforward.” Södra’s C260 and C260 Xterior are treated in Sweden by Woodsafe, one of Scandinavia’s leading companies in flame retardant treated timber products. The name C260 is a reference to the ignition temperature of wood. Both products are CE-certified in accordance with EN 14915: 2013 and Construction Products Regulation (EU) 305: 2011. When using C260 Xterior, there are no requirements for surface treatments, creating optimal conditions for timber’s natural ageing process. “For C260, the flame retardant treatment chemical is applied using a high-pressure vacuum process,” explains Lars. “When this fluid is exposed to fire it releases carbon dioxide, which suffocates flames much like a fire extinguisher. This is what makes C260 the best choice for both safety and aesthetics. What’s more, C260 Xterior also requires very little maintenance.” C260 Xterior provides the same level of flame retardant protection as C260, but the timber is given an additional weatherproofing according to EN16755, making it ideal for outdoor use without any further treatments. The flame retardant treatment fluid is embedded into timber fibres at a cellular level, so it can’t be washed away by rain or harsh weather conditions. “The C260 Xterior flame retardant treatment can be applied to a wide range of different timber types without the need to apply topcoat,” continues Lars. “Now you can use timbers such as cedar, larch or heat-treated pine to build flame retardant protected structures while preserving the natural grain of the timber.” Both C260 and C260 Xterior can be used for a wide range of applications; a benefit Lars describes as offering “freedom to be creative with your building projects.” Applications include: Cladding for walls and ceilings Sound-absorbing cladding Arenas and sports facilities Lecture halls and auditoriums Music venues and concert halls It can also be applied to a number of attractive timber types, such as Western Red Cedar, heat-treated timber and larch. Södra’s flame retardant treated timber panels can be painted in any solid colour, remaining compliant with fire regulations for: façade cladding, decorative elements, roofs and walls, balconies, and construction work, as long as it meets reaction to fire properties. For UK customers interested in our flame retardant timber products treated with C260 and C260 Xterior, visit https://www.sodra.com/en-gb/gb/building-systems/components/facades/ or contact Lars Broström, lars.brostrom@sodra.com, +46(0)7258 18228 or Elin Bäckfalk, elin.backfalk@sodra.com, +46(0)7258 34644. Our production and sales managers are based in Sweden.
Norbord now holds a net carbon negative status across all its products and operations, locking up more CO2 than it emits. Leading the way in tackling the issue of climate change, the company’s four European sites and three product ranges sequester a total of 1.1 million tonnes of carbon annually. While carbon neutrality means that an activity releases net zero carbon emissions into the atmosphere, carbon negativity signifies that an activity goes beyond achieving net zero carbon emissions. This creates an environmental benefit by not releasing carbon dioxide that would ordinarily be released into the atmosphere. As timber is the main component of Norbord’s products, carbon is sequestered and locked up for the life of the board. The confirmation of Norbord’s carbon negative status comes after more than a year of analysis and independent verification, although it’s evident that many Norbord products have been carbon negative for significantly longer. All Norbord products have Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs). These independently verified and registered documents communicate transparent and comparable information about the product’s life cycle environmental impact. The life cycle analysis accounts for all stages from forest to merchant, including harvesting, production, sales and logistics. Steve Roebuck, Director, EHS, Norbord Europe believes “carbon dioxide emissions are one of the most significant drivers of climate change and there is an urgent need for products and businesses to achieve carbon neutrality in order to meet the UK’s aim to be carbon neutral by 2050. Norbord’s carbon negative status means we’ve not only already achieved this goal but have gone significantly further, clearly demonstrating our determination to be a market leader in sustainable, climate-friendly products”. For further information, call 01786 812 921 or visit www.norbord.co.uk/carbon-negative/
BAM Nuttall and BAM Construct UK have signed a solus agreement with Polypipe Group plc’s market-leading divisions Polypipe Civils & Green Urbanisation and Polypipe Building Products to supply drainage products to all BAM’s infrastructure and building projects in the UK. The move signals a closer relationship in procurement between BAM UK businesses, anticipated to be the first of several such arrangements. BAM believes carefully targeted deals will offer a competitive advantage for its clients, and benefits in quality and performance. “We are focused on meeting clients’ demands,” says Daniel Billinge, recently appointed as BAM Construct UK’s head of procurement. “This includes securing their key drivers like sustainability, faster programme delivery, and with modern methods of construction that demand more off-site manufacturing and standardisation. This step enhances all of those criteria.” The BAM solus agreement with Polypipe supports earlier and closer collaboration throughout the project life cycle. Economies of scale and a raft of benefits will reduce capital costs for Clients and add sustainable value. Using just one drainage supplier on a project means BAM can plug products into the design from day one. This component-led approach removes the need to alter drawings – or digital designs – further down the line. Reducing redesigns saves time and resolves clashes and interfaces before a project gets onto site. As all components are compatible, the system’s quality and performance are assured. “Ultimately this arrangement will not only take a lot of inefficiency out of the design, tender and construction stages, it will allow us to focus on what adds value for the customer on that particular project,” says James Lees, head of supply chain at BAM Nuttall. “Polypipe’s technical teams will be feeding into the design process which will help us look at a wider range of possible solutions, and take early decisions based on value not just capital cost”. For both Polypipe and BAM, working together collaboratively will establish a platform for innovation and continuous improvement particularly in areas such as carbon reduction and the wider use of recycled materials and SMART technologies. It will also allow the development of bespoke net-gain solutions based on the unique Green Urbanisation approach which allows the integration of optimised green assets within urban and infrastructure schemes. Polypipe Civils & Green Urbanisation became an approved supplier to BAM Nuttall around nine months ago, and the two organisations have already been working closely on projects for Highways England. BAM Nuttall is part of the LinkConnex consortium with partners Aecom and Mace which will work on Regional Delivery Framework projects on the M54/ M6 and the A38 in the Midlands and on the A27 in the South East. BAM Nuttall is also working on the M27 upgrade, part of the Smart Motorway programme, in joint venture with Morgan Sindall. BAM Nuttall and Polypipe Civils & Green Urbanisation have been collaborating to create a library of BIM models for highway drainage. As well as streamlining the design and construction phases, this approach aims to bring efficiencies to the operation and maintenance of the roads. “This deal is exciting because we are moving from a transactional relationship to a collaborative one,” says James Haddon, account manager for Polypipe Civils & Green Urbanisation, who has worked closely with James Lees and Daniel Billinge to set up the solus supply deal. “We are really happy about the way that our relationship has progressed and that we have been able to include other parts of our two groups in our journey”.
Södra, one of the UK’s foremost suppliers of sustainable timber, has launched a landmark immersive experience that transports viewers to its world-leading Swedish forestry operation. Using the latest 360ᴼ video technology, Södra’s video takes users to the forest – just a small section in its network totalling over two million acres – and the ‘Södra neighbourhood’. The virtual reality neighbourhood offers a glimpse of how wood-based products can facilitate a more sustainable way of life. In the forest, users can meet a forest inspector and a family of forest-owners. Södra is run by more than 42,000 forest owners in southern Sweden – many of whom have inherited forests passed on through several generations. As well as narration at each stage, users are able to click, drag and control their own perspective for a truly immersive experience. As they look around, knowledge bubbles appear, allowing users to view information, videos and fun facts relevant to what they’re seeing. For those in the UK’s timber and merchants’ industries this video offers a unique chance to discover the potential of wood-based products and experience Södra’s Swedish operation as close to first-hand as possible, without getting on a plane. Södra Sales Director, Nigel Buckley-Ryan, explains the motivation behind the experience: “We wanted to bring to life wood’s almost endless number of uses. Of course, we’re confident that high-quality, sustainable timber will continue to transform the UK construction industry in the coming years. But some of the perhaps less-obvious by-products of wood as a raw material are fascinating – from biomethanol and tall oil, both renewable fuels, to lyocell and viscose for textiles for clothing, bed linen and soft furnishings (to name just a few).” Nigel continues: “We’re incredibly proud of our Swedish operation and passionate about how sustainably-managed forests can facilitate a truly sustainable future. This video allows us to share this passion with our UK audience – some of whom may not have been aware of the possibilities wood can offer or ever had the opportunity to see what a world-leading forestry operation looks like. People can now experience that from the comfort of their own homes.” Södra’s immersive 360ᴼ experience is available to view at www.sodraexperience.com For more information, visit www.sodra.com/en-gb/gb/
As a Toronto homeowner, you have a lot of responsibilities. One of them is your sewer line. Your sewage system is made up of a lot of pipes buried underground…where you can’t see them. When this network of pipes is working well, it’s easy to take your sewage system for granted. You won’t be taking things for granted, however, if you experience common sewer problems like drains running agonizingly slow or toilets gurgling after they’re flushed. Whenever you encounter such problems, you need to book a drain line inspection in Toronto. Read on to find out more about what sewer video inspections are, when such inspections are necessary, why it’s actually cheaper to hire professional plumbers than it is to do the job yourself, and the expected results of a video inspection. What is a Sewer Line Inspection? A sewer line inspection is exactly what the term implies…an inspection of the inside of your sewage system. Professional plumbers use a special camera that is a waterproof device attached to a durable, yet flexible, cable. The camera is pushed through the pipe so that the plumber operating it can check out the condition of the pipes. After the sewer line inspection is done, the plumber will explain what was found, recommend a fix if there are any issues, any issues, and help you decide what option to take. When is it Necessary? There are at least 2 scenarios when a drain line inspection in Toronto is necessary. One involves buying or selling a home and the other involves drainage issues: Home Purchase or Sale: Are you in the market for a new home? Do you plan to put your home on the market sooner rather than later? It’s a good idea to retain the services of a professional plumbing company to perform a sewer camera inspection in either case. In fact, it might be mandatory. Getting this inspection will let you know whether or not the sewer piping is, firstly, in good working order and, secondly, up to code. You can well imagine how expensive things can be if undiagnosed problems are left to get worse over time. This is especially true if you’re dealing with an older home – one that is at least 25 years old. The materials used to make pipes back then aren’t as durable as the materials they use today. Drainage Problems: Another reason to call in a professional plumber to conduct a camera inspection is if you experience and sewer problems such as the following: Foul smell coming from the drains in your home Toilets will not flush Toilet gurgles after it’s been flushed Water takes a really long time to go down the drain If you encounter any of these issues, it’s worth contacting a professional plumber to check it out. Why is it More Cost-Effective to Hire a Company Versus DIY? While there are lots of projects that a capable DIY type can take on and successfully complete, a drain line video inspection simply isn’t one of them. This job requires specialized equipment, a knowledge of how to properly access the drain system, the skill to perform the procedure, and the ability to both interpret the findings and to recommend the right solution. When you consider that a full inspection will typically cost between $300 and $500, you can appreciate that the cost is quite reasonable for what the job entails. If you do it yourself, you will have to track down the proper equipment. That will be a tall order. Even if you are lucky enough to get your hands on a sewer camera, you would also need to know how to do it properly and how to fix any problems. There’s also the potential for costly errors. So you can appreciate the importance of hiring pros. Sewer Video Inspection: Expected Results The main benefit of getting a drain line video inspection in Toronto is that the plumbing professional doing the work will be able to quickly and accurately find any problems inside your pipes. And the sooner problems are discovered, the sooner something can be done to remedy them. If issues are left untended for too long, they will lead to greater issues that might end up costing far more than routine maintenance like an inspection. You can avoid headaches and stress by calling in a professional plumbing company to do a drain line video inspection.
The high performance, reliable and easy-to-install Cascade Cast Iron Style Rainwater System from Brett Martin has been specified for a new housing development in Tutshill, Gloucestershire, the village where JK Rowling spent her childhood and which inspired many Harry Potter books. Located in the stunning Forest of Dean, on the banks of the River Wye near Chepstow, Birch Grove includes 45 new three, four and five-bedroom family homes all built to a high-specification for discerning buyers. In order to achieve the desired performance and aesthetics, housebuilder ButlerWall Homes chose a comprehensive and cost-effective range of rainwater and drainage systems which met their demands for quality, durability, low maintenance and ease-of-installation. The specification across these family homes included Brett Martin’s Cascade Cast Iron Style Rainwater System comprising a 112mm Half Round Gutter and 68mm Round Downpipe in Classic Black. Significantly lighter than traditional cast iron rainwater systems, Cascade is much quicker, easier and safer to install at height, helping to offer the developer huge savings in terms of on-site installation costs. The system also features external fixing lugs designed to facilitate the use of power tools, further speeding up installation. Fascia boards in Foil Black were also supplied by Brett Martin to provide a seamless match across the rooflines of the homes. In addition to the popular Classic Black colour specified on the Birch Grove Development, Cascade is also available in a further seven heritage colours including Anthracite Grey, Oxford Blue, Chartwell Green, Olive Green, Graphite Grey, Sandstone and Porcelain White – all of which cater to the subtle nuances of local vernacular architecture. The complete colour range delivers the traditional appearance of real cast iron with the convenience of modern plastic materials. Cascade is also UV stabilised for a maintenance-free system that will stay looking great and working well for years, and comes with a 10-year guarantee. The development also saw the installation of Brett Martin’s underground drainage systems including the new Adoptable Access and Inspection Chamber Assemblies. Using a reputable manufacturer such as Brett Martin offers far more than the quality and versatility of the product itself – they provide superior technical support, detailed installation instructions and maintenance guidelines to ensure rainwater systems perform exactly as promised. With this fabulous new village development now complete, Brett Martin’s Cascade Cast Iron Style Rainwater System and a range of underground drainage solutions have met the aesthetic and performance requirements of the developer whilst ensuring a fast, efficient and economical installation.
Aquaspira Ltd, has secured a six figure grant from Innovate UK (part of UK Research and Innovation) to explore ways to help the construction sector achieve Government de-carbonisation targets. The announcement comes as part of the UK Government’s unveiling of a multi-million pound investment to support businesses across the country pursue clean growth projects. The Sustainable Innovation Fund, delivered through Innovate UK, is a main part of the £1.25bn investment package announced by Chancellor Rishi Sunak in April to help businesses innovate during the COVID-19 pandemic. Aquaspira, a specialist manufacturer of large diameter drainage pipes, will invest £44,000 to supplement the £174,000 grant and is set to work in partnership with the University of Birmingham which secured a further £51,000 to deliver the project. Together they, and the UKCRIC National Buried Infrastructure Facility, will develop a lower carbon smart pipe for sustainable large-scale buried infrastructure projects. The research has the potential to make a significant step-change in helping the construction sector achieve Government de-carbonisation targets. It will explore the use of recycled materials for storm and drainage water pipes and the backfill required for their installation, as well as incorporating innovative sensing equipment for long-term asset monitoring. Neil Wallace, Managing Director of Aquaspira Ltd, said: “As a business we have been looking for the silver linings to the COVID cloud. At this difficult time, the grant will help our business to continue to innovate, grow and create jobs in the North West.” “This provides an incredibly exciting opportunity for new innovation. The Government’s objective of carbon zero by 2050 cannot be achieved without a significant reduction in the use of concrete in the construction process. This grant provides an opportunity to enhance understanding of the alternatives and deliver an exemplar low-carbon solution. It’s undoubtedly a major milestone for the business and will generate significant opportunities for Aquaspira in the UK and a potential export market.” Professor Nigel Cassidy, Professor of Geotechnical Infrastructure Engineering at the University of Birmingham, said: “Innovation is at the heart of the nation’s recovery from the COVID epidemic and we are delighted to be partnered with Aquaspira in this exciting and innovative project.” “Not only will the research deliver low-carbon drainage solutions for the construction industry but the new monitoring technologies will be vital for the long-term assessment of climate change impacts on our built environment.” The Innovate UK grant has been awarded by The Sustainable Innovation Fund and is part of the Government’s initiative to regenerate the economy after the impact of the COVID pandemic. The grant will significantly accelerate Aquaspira’s research and lay the foundations for the future growth of the business and employment in the area. The research will also open up future avenues for new products that will contribute to increasing the efficiency of the UK economy. Speaking about the multi-million pound Sustainable Innovation Fund to support clean growth projects, Business Secretary Alok Sharma commented: “The UK’s response to coronavirus has demonstrated the very best of British ingenuity, and it is this resourcefulness that will help us navigate our way through this pandemic. “Today’s investment will ensure that our innovators and risk-takers can continue to scale up their ideas, helping the UK to build back better and ensure we meet our clear commitments on tackling climate change.” Executive chair of Innovate UK, Dr Ian Campbell, added: “Yet again we see the exciting range of business innovation taking place across the United Kingdom, despite these difficult times. “Every initiative we’ve supported here represents an important step forward in sustainable economic development, but also one step nearer dreams becoming reality for ambitious hard-working company owners and their staff.”
Heating is expensive. Especially in winter. You can blame basic thermodynamics for this. The tendency for heat to radiate outwards and try its hardest to escape as temperature levels normalize in a region is a basic fact of life. As a direct result of this, heating a room can be an incredibly wasteful endeavour. In order to ensure you’re not pouring money down the drain, there’s a couple of different things you can do. Even if you have enough money to throw around, taking a few minutes to ensure you’re being energy efficient is something that you might want to get into the habit of. Especially as energy efficiency regulations and evaluations become more common across the globe. Bleeding Radiators This is something that you can do very quickly and easily. But it can make the biggest difference in terms of improving just how efficient your heating system is. No system is perfect by any means. Even inowadays, as time goes by, pockets of air can build up at the top of your radiator. These pockets of air prevent your radiator from being filled entirely with hot water. As a direct result, your radiators won’t heat up as quickly and might not get as warm as you’d like. Debris can also build up throughout your entire heating system. This can be flushed out by bleeding and refilling your system a handful of times. Radiator Reflectors Radiator reflectors are a cheap and relatively simple innovation. Radiators are relatively efficient in the sense that most of them are room facing. But there’s still one key part of the radiator that often goes to waste – the back end. Radiator reflectors mount on top of your radiator and travel down the back. They stop heat from being radiated backwards into the wall and reflect it back towards the rest of the room. A simple and cheap solution that can help you save a few pounds that, otherwise, would go towards wasted energy. Upgrading Radiators If the steps above don’t net you enough of an increase in efficiency, it might be time to consider upgrading. There’s a massive variety of companies out there that produce high quality and modern radiators. Looking to upgrade, I went with Trade radiators which are a good choice if you’re also thinking about redecorating. There’s enough variety in there to have you set up for pretty much any aesthetic you could have planned out. Modern Heating Controls These are a must for anyone who’s worrying about efficiency too. Most modern heating control systems are wireless now, which can be a bit of a double edged sword. Losing your remote, for instance, can be a nightmare, especially if you’ve set your heating up on a timer. Most modern heating control systems are relatively cheap. They’ll often allow you to program your heating in time with you waking up in the morning, arrive home from work or for any of the other times you’ll find yourself coming and going. Ensure your systems have frost control settings. If you’re off on holiday during the winter, you’re going to want to enable this. Frost control will only kick in when the temperature in your system drops low enough for the pipes to freeze. Water expands as it freezes, which can make your pipes burst. By setting up your frost control system, you will be protecting not only your pipes and heating systems, but your whole house.
Located along the Vltava river, Prague’s Dancing House is a hotspot for tourists and admirers of architecture. While its sloping structure gives the illusion that the building is dancing, the design offers nothing in the way of structural benefit. But would a building without such an eye-catching design feature gain the same appreciation? Here, Nick Cowley, managing director at exterior cladding and outdoor living product supplier Endurawood, explains how cladding can take building design to new levels. Cladding has been popular in the construction industry for decades. It offers many benefits including thermal insulation, weatherproofing and protection of the building’s structure. Cladding does not support the structure of a building, but instead acts as a second skin to the exterior. The National BIM Library (NBS) categorises cladding into categories such as H10 for patent glazing, H21 for timber weatherboarding and H51 for natural stone slab features. While cladding offers a range of practical benefits, its design potential is often overlooked. All a façade Apart from adding style and colour to a building’s design, cladding can also be used as an architectural enhancement. Building design is important and, particularly for high rise structures, it can be difficult to distinguish one building from the next. Cladding can transform a usually overlooked building intoan eye-catching display. While cladding is traditionally applied to the entire exterior of the building, it can be used to decorate and accentuate specific areas. A façade is a simple addition that can dramatically improve the appearance of a building. For example, The Center for Wellbeing in Edinburgh, Scotland used timber cladding to create a 3D façade of the organisation’s name, Thistle. The façade creates an exterior that provides a friendly welcome, just like the staff on the inside. Low maintenance Unlike other common exterior finishes such as pebbledash or paint, which can become tarnished from weather conditions, cladding is built to last. As one of the main purposes of installing cladding is to provide a weatherproof barrier for the building, cladding must be able to withstand harsh weather conditions. While some cladding materials are naturally more durable than others, they still require additional treatments to increase their durability. These treatments can vary depending on the material. Aluminium cladding from Endurawood is corrosion, freeze and frost resistant and non-porous. Aluminium reacts with oxygen in the air, which forms a thin layer of oxide on the surface of the material. This works to eradicate corrosion caused by moisture, pollution and mould growth, which reduces maintenance and costs, maintaining the building’s design. Refurb over replace Typically, some building refurbishments require a substantial amount of work when undergoing upgrades. However, minor refurbishments to the exterior can be resolved with cladding. Using cladding to refurb is a quick way to improve the appearance of a building. Building Abseiling techniques allows virtually any job to be carried out by our experienced technicians on buildings or structures without the need for expensive and disruptive methods, such as scaffolding or cradles Cladding is versatile enough to be applied by a homeowner or installer for larger projects and is usually applied with ease, which means it’s ideal for both home and large-scale refurbishments. Without its unique design, it’s unlikely that the Czech capital’s dancing landmark would attract as many tourists as it does today. While architects must always consider the structural performance of building materials, design remains an important consideration. Alongside its weatherproofing and insulation benefits, cladding can help take building design to new levels.
