This week, why the Germans are a bright bunch, top brass for that contemporary door, and how to keep those nasty croaks off your forecourt – plus the latest news and gossip hot off the conveyor belts
Lighting systems, outdoors and in
German lighting products company Erco has launched several light-fitting ranges. The Quadra, a compact recessed ceiling range, has square fittings available as single, double or quadruple-lamp modules and accepts halogen or metal halide lamps. The Skim range consists of circular, recessed ceiling luminaires and wallwashers that accept halogen or metal halide lamps.

The other products are lighting bollards for exterior use. These include the circular Panorama (pictured) and the square Lightmark.
Erco
www.erco.com
www.building.co.uk/enquiries 301

Sticky stuff for all materials
Adhesive specialist Laybond Products has added three adhesives to its Gripfill range.

There are two single-component, polyurethane-based products. Liquid PU is supplied in a bottle and is designed to give a high-strength bond to a wide range of materials in five minutes.

5 Minute PU has the same attributes but is supplied in a 310 ml cartridge for gun application. The third adhesive, Mitre Adhesive, is intended for securing mitre joints in timber.

It is a two-component product and is said to give a high-strength bond in 10 seconds.
Laybond Products
www.laybond.net
www.building.co.uk/enquiries 302

Textured tiles
A range of highly textured carpet tiles has been launched by carpet maker Interface Europe. The Highlighting Your Floor range has five variations that can be used in combination for a wider range of design possibilities. The tiles are made from Alto Chroma nylon yarn, which is said to maintain the appearance, and are suitable for heavy contract use.
Interface Europe
www.interfaceeurope.com
www.building.co.uk/enquiries 303

Energy-efficient boilers
Heating products manufacturer Johnson & Starley has brought out the RENO range of gas-condensing boilers, said to comply with Part L of the Building Regulations. The HE30C is a combination boiler that delivers a claimed 12.5 litres of water per minute, with a 35ºC temperature rise and a heat output of 25 kW. The HE25S is for sealed heating systems and has a 25 kW output. The HE25H has the same output but is a heat-only boiler for traditional, vented heating systems.
Johnson & Starley
www.johnsonandstarley.co.uk
www.building.co.uk/enquiries 304

Coloured granite tiles
Clay flooring specialist Daniel Platt has launched a range of natural granite tiles. The tiles are available in 10 different colours in a choice of flamed, honed or polished finishes. They are supplied either in a standard size of 305 x 305 x 12 mm, or 600 x 600 x 12 mm, which is available on request.
Daniel Platt
www.danielplatt.co.uk
www.building.co.uk/enquiries 305

Contemporary door handles
Brassware maker Carlisle Brass has launched a range of five lever door handles called Serozzetta that it says are designed for modern domestic and commercial interiors. The handles are mounted on a 52 mm diameter, one-piece, round rose and are available in satin or polished chrome.
Carlisle Brass
www.carlislebrass.co.uk
www.building.co.uk/enquiries 306

Cladding collaboration
Cladding product companies Dryvit UK and Lindab have collaborated on a wall system. The system combines Lindlab's lightweight steel external wall studs and Dryvit's external insulation and finishing system, which incorporates expanded polystyrene panels protected by a glass-fibre reinforcing mesh. The panels are finished with a protective acrylic coat. The system is covered by a single warranty.
Dryvit UK/Lindab
www.dryvit.com
www.building.co.uk/enquiries 307

Glass-fibre wall coating
Cladding and coating maker Sto has developed a decorative, textured wall coating for interior use called StoTex. It is based on glass-fibre yarn that is woven into a choice of patterns. This is stuck to the wall like wallpaper, then overpainted with the company's StoColor Latex, a washable coating. The company says the product is very robust, suitable for bridging cracks and easy to apply. There are three ranges: the Classic range has 24 patterns; the Avantgarde range has 19; and the Signet range can be customised to the specifier's design. The StoColor range is available in 800 colours and the company supplies a range of specialist finishes.
Sto
www.sto.co.uk
www.building.co.uk/enquiries 308

Part L-compliant joist support
Manthorpe Building Products has developed a joist support that it says solves the problem of air leakage around timber joists and complies with Part L of the Building Regulations. Called the Joist Seal, it is a plastic box that is built into the inner leaf of the wall into which the joist can be inserted. It has a foam gasket to accommodate shrinkage as the joist dries out. The product has flanges on its inner and outer faces to help locate it within the wall. It can also accommodate restraining straps if needed.
Manthorpe Building Products
www.manthorpe.co.uk
www.building.co.uk/enquiries 309

Frogbox enclosure
Noise attenuation specialist The Frogbox Company has developed an enclosure system for controlling the noise emitted by refrigeration and air-conditioning equipment. Suitable for use on garage forecourts and retailers, it can also be used for other noise-generating equipment. The product is a modular weatherproof box that can be adapted to suit individual locations. It has secure access panels for servicing and can be camouflaged with various materials to help it blend into its location. The company says it saves up to 70% of the space needed by more traditional solutions.
The Frogbox Company
www.frogbox.co.uk
www.building.co.uk/enquiries 310

Movers and makers

  • Sanitary products maker Geberit has agreed to acquire Mapress Group. Mapress’ core business is water supply and heating for residential buildings, drainage, gas distribution, industrial applications and the marine sector. Geberit said the acquisition was a major strategic expansion of its piping systems division.

  • Kingspan Insulation has achieved seals of approval for the fire performance of two of its products. They are for the company’s Thermaroof TR26 FM and TR27 FM insulation boards and Thermataper TT46 and TT47 tapered insulation boards. The company says it was the first insulation maker to achieve the two approvals.

    The approval was granted by the Loss Prevention Certification Board, and is in addition to the products’ existing approval granted by the Factory Mutual Research Corporation, USA.

  • A group of manufacturers, merchants, housebuilders and contractors has set a range of standard partition widths and corresponding doorset and doorlining sizes to make it easier to comply with Part E of the Building Regulations, which deals with sound insulation. The group includes door and window manufacturer JELD-WEN, housebuilders Bryant Homes, Persimmon Homes, Westbury Homes and Wilcon Homes, supplier Marley Building Materials and merchant Travis Perkins. Three standard widths have been adopted: 77 mm for standard 75 mm deep metal partitioning systems; 95 mm for standard timber stud walling; and 150 mm for standard block wall construction finished with dot-and-dab-adhered plasterboard. The lining thickness has been standardised at 25 mm. The group hopes these standards will increase efficiency across the supply chain.

  • European steel building systems supplier Trimo has opened a production facility in Slovenia. The facility cost £4.1m and will produce Trimoterm fire-resistant panels. The company said that the increased flexibility and lowered production costs would make it more competitive and would help it to meet the demand for its products in the UK, which has increased by 110% in 12 months.

  • Science company DuPont has announced it is adding a $15m glass interlayer manufacturing line at its site in Fayetteville, North Carolina, USA. The product is a high-strength polymer used in the manufacture of structural laminated glass. The company said demand for the product was growing 50% a year, and the plant would supply the international market.

  • A fuel cell developed by Scottish company Smart Energy is to be trialled in a Carbon Trust-funded project at building research group BRE’s Watford site. The fuel cell will produce both heat and power from hydrogen gas in a full-scale test that aims to replicate real-life demand in a home. A gas-fired heating system will augment the heat produced by the fuel cell – which will be on display at an exhibition for renewable and innovative technologies at BRE on 7-10 June.