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Hambleside Danelaw, the UK market leader for GRP mortarless flashing products, is urging builders to follow a new NHBC recommendation that they should seriously consider opting for dry systems on pitched roofs to reduce their risk of incurring remedial works due to mortar failure.

The NHBC has just reported that 60% of claims handled in 2010 related to pitch roofs and half of these claims were due to mortar issues. The Council’s latest Technical Extra guidelines ask, “When was the last time you considered the latest dry systems available?”

Availability is easily found within one of the most comprehensive ‘dry roof’ ranges offered by a British manufacturer. The range includes Dry Fix valley troughs, ridge and hip systems, soakers, verges and bonding gutters. Some of these Danelaw products are listed in the WRAP procurement guide because they contain up to 50% recyclable content.

Scotland leads the way

The NHBC says that almost all of its insured sites in Scotland are now being built with dry systems for ridges, verges and hips. Claims figures appear to support this move to dry systems, with Scotland experiencing a smaller proportion of pitched roof claims per property covered.

Since the start of 2011, Project Managers for three local authorities in Scotland and the Glasgow Housing Association have specified Hambleside Danelaw’s Dry Fix Bonding Gutters and HD TV15 Tile Vents.

Dry verges reduce claims

Verges are also reported by the NHBC to be a common feature of pitched roof claims and can require complicated and expensive scaffold access to facilitate repairs. Hambleside Danelaw supplies GRP Dry Verges in an attractive slate grey colour for batten and sark boards or face fixing which are suitable for all natural and man-made slates.

Chris Avery, Hambleside Danelaw’s managing director, comments: “Repairs directly undertaken by builders add to the £11m bill which the NHBC faces for pitch roof claims, so it really makes sense for specifiers and contractors to look at the Dry Fix option. And if you choose Hambleside Danelaw, you are buying products designed and made in Britain.”

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Introducing Low-Build UFH from Thermoboard. It’s a slim, energy-efficient, plumbed system that can be installed quickly and safely. It’s designed to fit onto existing floors with minimum build-up and no major disruption.

Low-Build plumbed UFH vs Electric mat UFH

Until recently, an electric mat system was the usual solution for adding UFH to existing floors. However, the high running costs of electric UFH have always been a drawback.

Like all plumbed UFH systems, Low-Build UFH is less costly in service than electric systems. In fact, when compared with Low-Build UFH, an electric system can cost up to 3 times as much to run.

Low-Build UFH is based on ultra-slim polystyrene panels with pre-routed channels for 10mm polybutylene pipe. The installed height is just 15mm. That’s actually less than the diameter of a UK 5p coin. Each panel has a thin aluminium diffuser layer as a built-in heat reflector. A 6mm ply load-bearing layer may be added if required.

Key benefits

• No digging or dismantling of existing floors to accommodate UFH.
• No significant rise in floor level necessary.
• No separate end-return panels needed.
• Less disruption to doors and skirting.
• No special tools required.
• Panels easy to handle and trim to size.
• No assistance required to lay panels and pipe.

Applications: for existing floors

Low-Build can be installed directly onto any flat and level existing floor, whether solid or timber-based. It’s perfect when renovating:

• Kitchens
• Conservatories
• Bathrooms
• Newly-separated en-suites for bedrooms
• Garage conversions

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Daikin Europe has launched the latest in its series of advanced air purifiers – the MC70L – combining re engineered Daikin ‘Flash Streamer’ technology, improved performance and ultra quiet operation.

Suitable for use in rooms of up to 46m2, the new air purifier operates quietly (16dBA in ‘silent mode), blends unobtrusively with any form of interior décor and offers substantial air flows of 420m3/h (in turbo mode). The unit is also compact, portable and features an easy to read and understand function display panel.

Employing a multi-layer filtering system and re engineered Daikin ‘Flash Streamer’ technology, which captures removes and decomposes allergens, bacteria, dust particles, odours, pet hairs, moulds, pollen and mites, MC70L has a filter life of 2 years and comes supplied with 5 additional filters to provide 10 years of high quality air purification at normal activity levels.

The high energy efficiency and functionality of the unit is enhanced by an advanced hand-held remote controller, which enables the user to programme the air purifier to supply treated air rapidly and whenever required.

Sleek, stylish and ideally suited for use in residential and light commercial applications such as hotels, restaurants, libraries and canteens and small offices, MC70L incorporates a ‘sleep mode’ for increased night time comfort, a ‘turbo mode’ for rapid operation and an ‘auto mode’ that senses air quality and adjusts operation accordingly.

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As part of a major digital update and to offer further support to professional tradesmen, Polycell Trade has launched a new and improved website.

Packed full of useful information on high performance fillers, adhesives and decorating aids, the new website – www.polycelltrade.co.uk – is designed to support professionals at any stage of their career in selecting the correct product for domestic and commercial projects.

It's quick and simple to use, and has a particular focus on product quality and performance, including a section containing details of the brand's 'Best Performer' range. At the click of a button, visitors will find up-to-date product information, as well as a 'Tips and Support' section which offers answers to frequently asked questions.

With the aid of an easy to use search tool bar, users will also discover a range of support tools designed to help them achieve an excellent finish, including details of alternative decorating aids.

“We're always looking for ways to help our customers and the new website has been created to do just this, by making information and advice readily and easily available to them online,” said Nick Watson, Polycell Trade, Brand Manager. “It contains a wealth of information, and its user-friendly feel means professionals can access the information they need quickly and conveniently.”

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Mira Showers – the UK’s leading manufacturer of showering products and accessories – has compiled a comprehensive collection of showering and bathroom products from both its own range and from Rada’s commercial range that particularly suit the demands of the social housing sector. Each element combines safety and security for the user, together with water efficiency, ease of installation and low maintenance.

The collection includes showering, bathing and hand washing products as well as adaptation products that enable less-able tenants to wash and shower independently. Among the impressive accreditations that many of the products have been awarded are TMV2, TMV3, BEAB Care, Waterwise and endorsement from the Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB).

The showering range offers a choice of products to suit every type of UK domestic water system whether it be low or high pressure, hot and cold water or cold water alone.

Contemporary mixers incorporate the latest ‘Eco’ water efficiency technology and electric showers feature thermostatic control for safer showering.

Among the products included are the Mira Excel EV, the UK’s best-selling thermostatic mixer which is suitable for all pressures, and the Mira Sport. One of the UK’s best-selling slimline electric showers, the Mira Sport features Sensi-flo™, which prevents scalding if there is any loss in water pressure or any blockage in the hose. Sport also features Opti-flo™, which ensures optimum flow performance throughout the year.

The breadth of technology-led products from Mira and Rada provides a range of products that can adapt conventional fittings so they can be used by the less able, such as long lever taps, non-touch digital showers and infra-red operated non-touch taps. For instance the Mira Advance ATL Flex is not only one of the few electric showers to be awarded the BEAB Care mark for safety, it is also endorsed by the RNIB thanks to its user friendly features designed specifically for blind and visually impaired users.

Each year around 20 people die and nearly 600 are seriously injured by scalding, an issue addressed by Part G of the Building Regulations which highlights the importance of thermostatic controls in safeguarding children and the elderly. Rada and Mira are leaders in the development of thermostatic controls, so their combined range of TMV2 and TMV3 products makes compliance with these regulations straightforward.

The range is competed by shower trays, wall panels and accessories that can be employed to adapt and upgrade existing fittings. Mira Flight trays and panels, already specified in the healthcare sector, incorporate BioCote® antibacterial protection which reduces bacteria and mould by 99.9% and are easily installed: the panels are up to 75% faster to install than conventional tiles.

The accessories in the range are selected to meet the demands of community housing developments and special needs adaptations and include showerheads that limit water usage and lime scale, corner-mounted slide bars that save space and shower seats. All these products are detailed in the latest publication from Mira, Showering and Bathroom Products for Housing Communities.

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• The first high efficiency glanded pump
• New GIGA pump features Highly Efficient Drive concept (HED – High Efficiency Drive) and offers motor efficiencies above the new IE4 limit value*
• An exciting new opportunity for the building services and industrial sectors and up to 70% lower energy consumption compared to conventional, uncontrolled pumps

Wilo has launched the Wilo-Stratos GIGA here in the UK. It’s another highly efficient pump product – the first high efficiency glanded pump – and it’s targeted specifically at the building services and industry sectors.

The Wilo-Stratos GIGA offers building designers, specifiers and architects the chance to easily optimize the energy costs and environmental balance of a building or industrial complex. With its hydraulic output and specification, the new Wilo-Stratos GIGA is ideal for commercial, industrial and residential buildings. These include universities and colleges, schools, office blocks, hotels, conference centres, factories, prisons, hospitals, primary care centres – in essence, any new building where energy consumption and emissions need to be reduced and any existing building where the current pumps are elderly, uncontrolled pumps, consuming far more electricity than they should in the current energy climate.

It’s the first pump from Wilo’s new high-efficiency series for heating, cold-water and cooling applications, and it’s targeted at projects where energy saving pumps will pay significant dividends over a typically fifteen year lifecycle.

The figures associated with the new Wilo-Stratos GIGA are quite staggering.

Due to the combination of new hydraulics with a new highly efficient drive concept (HED – High Efficiency Drive) the Wilo-Stratos GIGA offers major energy saving benefits. Specifying the GIGA for your projects will result in a saving of emissions amounting to approximately 8,000 kg CO2 per year as well as saving up to £70,000 in electricity costs per pump installed over a 15 year lifecycle, compared to conventional uncontrolled pumps (based on the Blue Angel load profile). The new GIGA has a typical payback period of less than two years, which highlights the benefits and value of installing high efficiency Wilo pumps.

The new pump series that the GIGA leads is a completely new development. For the first time glanded pumps are driven by highly efficient energy-saving EC motors and the pumps' hydraulics are optimally adjusted to the motor technology. According to Wilo, GIGA pumps can claim particularly high total efficiency based on a motor efficiency of up to 94 per cent at a nominal motor power of 4.5 kW. The motor's energy efficiency is based on a new high-efficiency drive concept, the High Efficiency Drive (HED) from Wilo and even outclasses the limit of efficiency class IE4 (acc. to IEC TS 60034-31 Ed.1) outlined under the new and far reaching ErP Directive for energy related products. That’s impressive by any measure.

Thanks to the proven “red-button technology” and an easy to monitor display, the pump guarantees user-friendly operation. On the basis of optionally available IF-Modules that can be integrated, different interfaces for Bus communication can be utilized – including PLR, LON, Modbus, BACNet and CAN – making external devices redundant.

Earlier this year, just before its first unveiling at the ISH trade fair in Germany, the Wilo-Stratos GIGA was awarded the “iF product design award”. This sought-after design award honours design quality, as well as the degree of innovation, its environmental compatibility, functionality and ergonomics.

Wilo’s MD in the UK is Gary Mannus: “Wilo is taking huge strides in developing new products that respond directly to the requirements of the current environmental climate. But more than that, we’re offering equipment and expertise that will help the UK to meet its energy saving and emissions reduction targets. The potential for savings using these new pumps is staggering and when you consider that 85% of the lifecycle costs of a pump are the energy costs, being able to save up to 70% of those just by using a Wilo-Stratos GIGA is a very appealing argument for looking very closely at what Wilo has to offer.”

*according to IEC TS 60034-31 Ed.1

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Cuprinol Trade, the leading authority in high quality woodcare products, has launched its new website – www.cuprinoltrade.co.uk – to offer greater support and advice to professional tradesmen.

The new website is packed with useful information and helpful tools for woodcare professionals, including a handy 'Product Selector' to help make choosing the right product quick and simple. There's also a dedicated 'Advice and Support' page, containing information for appliers and specifiers, as well as a comprehensive woodcare FAQs section.

Visitors to the new website can access and download the very latest product literature and information, as well as get involved, with the opportunity to sign up and become a member of the online Cuprinol Trade woodcare community. Those who join will receive a free thermal travel mug, ideal for use when working long hours outdoors.

With extensive specialist experience in the preservation and transformation of landscape wood, Cuprinol Trade has built up a well-earned reputation for reliable products which deliver professional results every time and ultimately 'make wood look good'. The extensive range includes its recently reformulated range of wood preservers including Cuprinol Trade Exterior Wood Preserver, Decorative Preserver and Wood Preserver Clear, all of which now offer even better protection.

Richard Bradley, Marketing Manager, Trade Woodcare at ICI Paints AkzoNobel, comments: “We've designed the new website especially for woodcare professionals looking for advice and guidance when making a product selection. The website will also create a fantastic online community where they can get access to all the information about the latest innovations from Cuprinol Trade.”

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Mira Showers – the UK’s leading manufacturer of showering products and accessories – is taking showering technology to new heights with the introduction of its latest wireless digital shower. The Mira Platinum is bristling with innovations to make showering an even more pleasurable experience, literally at the touch of a button.

The Platinum can be programmed to allow a number of functions to be set including shower duration, maximum and minimum temperatures and flow rates, as well as a warm up mode and eco mode. There’s even a clock display to keep an eye on the time.

The new digital shower uses radio frequency (RF) communication between the interface and control valve. This makes installation simpler, provides the freedom to locate the interface almost anywhere and also permits the use of additional interfaces which can be mounted outside of the cubicle, allowing the user to ‘warm’ the shower to the desired temperature prior to entry.

Installation could not be simpler with either ceiling or rear fed fittings available, and a choice of valves – a high pressure valve for mains pressurised systems or combination boilers or a pumped valve for low pressure or gravity fed systems – to choose from. Such is the flexibility of Platinum that the valve can be sited somewhere discrete be it in the loft, under a bath or other convenient location up to 10 metres from the controller.

With the launch of Platinum, Mira has raised the bar in digital showering offering convenience and control for the consumer, while providing flexibility and ease of installation for the trade.

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Thorn’s Quattro LED luminaire brings the benefits of LED lighting to recessed ceiling grid installations. It has one of the most homogeneous colour temperatures in the industry, a high colour rendering index (CRI) of 92, efficacies of up to 66 luminaire lumens /circuit Watt – far exceeding the target value of Part L – and is designed to last at least 50,000 hours. Moreover, with a choice of opal or micro prism diffuser there are soft, low brightness solutions for offices, schools and retail environments. The product utilises a Cree 58W LED light engine, which generates white light in a new way: a row of fittings will have the same colour temperature of 3500K, whereas most other LED fittings will have variations.

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