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Dulux Trade Leads New Approach To Meeting Part M
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Dulux Trade has launched a new CD Rom to help specifiers create aesthetic colour schemes that also meet the duties of the DDA Guidelines. Drawing on Project Rainbow research from ICI, the University of Reading, the RNIB and Guide Dogs for the Blind, the Dulux Trade Colour & Contrast Design Guide allows specifiers to address the visual contrast elements of Part M and BS8300, without compromising on good design.
Project Rainbow led to the development of Part M and BS8300, Key DDA guidance documents. Under Building Regulations Approved Document Part M specifiers are advised to contrast visually adjacent critical surfaces such as walls, ceilings, doors and floors by differentiating the colours used by a light reflectance value (LRV) of more than 30 points. BS8300 suggests minimum visual contrast as 20, preferably 30, points difference in LRV. However, this can lead to monochromatic, unappealing colour schemes and potentially little scope for colour choice.
The Dulux Trade Colour & Contrast Design Guide is designed to offer the specifier the widest colour choice possible within the required parameters. By using the Dulux Trade Colour Palette fandeck, the unique colour notation allows specifiers to identify the LRV of a colour. By utilising the Project Rainbow Research, the guide is able to offer specifiers additional flexibility when it comes to colour scheming.
Once a guideline has been chosen to work within, e.g. Part M, a user can approach a scheme in three ways. The CD Rom contains a series of pre-selected schemes that allows users to apply designs created by Dulux Trade Colour Consultants – based on a selection of the most popular colours from the Dulux Trade Colour Palette. Alternatively, specifiers can build a scheme from a chosen colour tone area, i.e. red or yellow, or from a specific colour notation taken from the Dulux Trade Colour Palette Fandeck or Trade Classic Colour Card name.
Once developed, a visual representation of any colour scheme, together with details of the colour specification, can be saved and printed from the CD Rom. The colour specification has been formatted to enable the user to pass the document to clients or building officers for approval. The user can also link to the Dulux Trade website to order samples of the chosen colours.
The Dulux Trade Colour & Contrast Guide is available from 1st November 2006 free of charge from Dulux Trade. Email: colour_contrast@ici.com or telephone 0870 769 7668 for further details.
