This week, we offer up to you superskinny bath taps, mortar that resists shrinkage and ultra cool rooftop chillers. Plus, a round of manufacturers' news, including a court wrangle over internet piracy
Slim mixer taps
Bathroom products maker Hansgrohe has launched a line of mixer taps. The range, which is called Axor Starck SL, has longer, slimmer bodies than the company's existing Axor Starck range. The range includes basin and bidet mixers, a floor-standing bath and shower mixer, a wall-mounted shower mixer and a wall-mounted bath and shower mixer.
Hansgrohe
www.hansgrohe.co.uk
www.building.co.uk/enquiries 301

Interlocking slate roof tiles
Marley Roofing has launched the first single-lap interlocking stone slate available in the UK. Called Dalestone, the product contains crushed natural slate and is intended to recreate the riven surface texture of natural slate. It is available in three colours and can be used with the company's range of ventilation and dry-fix systems.
Marley Roofing
www.marleyroofing.co.uk/slates
www.building.co.uk/enquiries 302

High thermal insulation
Insulation specialist Thermal Economics has launched a cavity wall insulation product. Ultratherm is a urethane board with a foil backing. The company says it has a U-value of 0.35 W/m2K when used with 100 mm wide concrete blocks.
Thermal Economics
www.thermal-economics.co.uk
www.building.co.uk/enquiries 303

Unshrinkable mortars
Dugussa Construction Chemicals has launched two repair mortars that are fibre-reinforced to prevent shrinkage. Emaco S97HB is a high-build mortar that bonds well to steel reinforcement and concrete. It can be applied by spray or trowel and is for deep section structural repair. Emaco R232 Fairing Coat is a trowel-applied mortar suitable for application to new or old concrete. It can be applied 2 mm to 8 mm layers and is suitable for repairing surface blowholes, cracks and other irregularities.
Dugussa Construction Chemicals
www.degussa-cc.co.uk
www.building.co.uk/enquiries 304

PVCu coating that doesn't yellow
Paint maker Akzo Nobel Decorative Coatings has added a third product to its PVCu coatings range. The latest addition is called Sandtex Trade PVCu Restorer and is for removing the yellowing colour on PVCu without damaging the plastic. The existing products in the range are for cleaning PVCu and priming it before applying paint finishes.
Akzo Nobel Decorative Coatings
www.sandtex.co.uk
www.building.co.uk/enquiries 305

Circular louvre grille
Ventilation specialist Rytons Building Products has launched a circular louvre grille called the RytAround Ventilator. The company says it is suitable for use with either tubes or holes drilled in masonry with a diameter ranging from 100 mm to 150 mm. The product is made from white plastic and is secured with metal spring clips. It is supplied with a flyscreen for background ventilation applications. This can be removed if needed.
Rytons Building Products
www.vents.co.uk
www.building.co.uk/enquiries 306

Rooftop chillers
Distributor AiAX has introduced a range of rooftop chillers made by Italian manufacturer Aermec. Called RTA, there are nine different sizes of unit that have cooling-only and heat-pump modes with capacities ranging from 8.4 kW to 47.7 kW. The units have double-skinned alloy cabinets, variable-speed fans and microprocessor control, and weigh between 235 kg and 770 kg. There is also a range of accessories available including coils suitable for corrosive environments.
AiAX
www.aermec.co.uk
www.building.co.uk/enquiries 307

Movers and makers

  • British Precast, the trade body for the precast concrete and masonry industry, has launched its 2004 Innovation Award aimed at the suppliers and makers of concrete products. The award ceremony will be at Madam Tussauds in London on 23 September. Entry forms are available at: awards@britishprecast.org

  • The Quarry Products Association has recorded a 1% drop in its crushed rock sales, and a drop of 3% in sand and gravel sales for the first quarter of 2004. Sales of ready-mixed concrete were unchanged and asphalt sales fell 8%. The association said it believed this drop was due to the completion of the Birmingham North relief road, but also indicated general lack of progress to improve roads due to lack of funds

  • Timber products company Finnforest Corporation has signed a strategic agreement with Russian laminated-veneer lumber maker LVL-Ugra. According to the agreement, Finnforest will be responsible for starting up LVL-Ugra’s production operations and quality control. In return, it will have additional capacity to meet the growing demand for Kerto, its LVL product and the move will help the company to expand into the Russian market. Finnforest will have exclusive rights to market the products outside Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States.

  • Fitted furniture maker The Symphony Group has successfully taken legal action against competitor In Home Design for internet piracy. In Home Design is an online sales organisation and had configured its computer source code to include words and phrases linked to Symphony, which redirected internet searches to the In Home Design website. Rick Peter, In Home Design’s proprietor, was ordered to pay £13,000 costs, cease use of the Symphony trademark, delist all Symphony details from internet search engines and hand over details of all transactions.

  • Building systems and construction software group Eleco has acquired roofing accessories company Prompt Profiles. Prompt Profiles makes specialist flashings, gutter systems, facias and architectural louvres. The acquisition is intended to complement the activities of another of Eleco’s companies, SpeedDeck Building Systems. This makes roofing and cladding systems. Eleco said the move took it closer to realising its goal of becoming a single-source supplier for complete building envelopes.

  • Engineered timber floor and roof truss maker Donaldson Timber Engineering has been awarded Programme for Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) certification. The company said it was the first UK manufacturer to achieve this. The certification was awarded in respect of the roof trusses that DTE makes and the Finnjoist product range that it distributes.