Interiors

Gypsum plaster is one of the most extensively used materials within social housing but is it always the right solution? Matthew Allen, Business Development Manager for Tarmac’s Limelite product group, puts a case forward for the Limelite Plaster system as an alternative solution.

With the UK’s population rising, so too are the number of families and young people living in social housing. In the main, properties owned by housing associations have gypsum plaster applied to the internal walls. This is due to the ease of application and low-cost. Gypsum plaster has long been the ‘go to’ choice of professionals across the UK building industry, but possesses some inherent weaknesses which have been thrust into the spotlight in recent years, bringing into question its long-term suitability.

The onus on local authorities and borough councils to provide affordable housing has never been greater. It’s a weighty responsibility and one that Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council (Dudley MBC) take extremely seriously.

Affordable housing includes social rented, affordable rented and intermediate housing provided to specified eligible households whose needs are not met by the market. It can also be a new-build property for use as an affordable home. In making provision for the increased housing demand Dudley MBC, would as a matter of priority, require flooring refurbishments for several of their existing social housing schemes.

Kaldewei’s Puro Set Wide bath is the perfect solution for bathing and showering, with a centrally-positioned waste outlet and extra wide rim, giving maximum freedom for positioning taps and fittings. With an ergonomic backrest and extra steep walls on three sides, Puro Set Wide offers reclining comfort and optimum legroom while bathing and freedom of movement and excellent underfoot safety while showering.

All Kaldewei bathroom solutions are 100% recyclable and are supplied with a 30 year guarantee.

Forbo Flooring Systems has launched a brand new, adhesive free sheet vinyl product category into its flooring portfolio – Modul’up. Requiring no adhesive, tackifier or double-sided tape, Modul’up can not only be installed quickly, but it can also be walked on immediately after installation, reducing downtime and minimising impact on day-to-day business. It also offers excellent dimensional stability and an unrivalled choice of colour and design, making it an attractive proposition for applications where a quick turnaround is required to minimise disruption.

The need for long-term care support can be alleviated, and best value achieved, by appropriate choice of assisted living aids, that can still be operated despite deterioration in the user’s condition.

Closomat, the UK’s leading provider of enabling toilet solutions for elderly and disabled people, delivers a unique solution. Its Palma Vita shower (wash & dry) toilet is the only one of its kind that can be tailored, initially AND retrospectively, to accommodate the user’s needs. Particularly, a range of operating mechanisms enables it to be used without help from a carer- mechanisms that can be changed with the user’s needs.

AKW, one of the UK’s leading providers of accessibility solutions, has launched its stylish new Onyx range of bathroom accessories. Designed with both safety and sophistication in mind, the Onyx range brings contemporary design to inclusive bathroom solutions. 

With minimalist design, tactile finishes and chrome, black and white colour options, the Onyx range enables mobility aids to be incorporated in a stylish, inconspicuous way into any home. Space saving details such as rails and shower seats that fold away when not in use are ideal for any modern, multi-use bathroom. Simple, elegant and strong, Onyx’s grab rails can support up to 150kg and with a variety of options, they blend discreetly into the wall, whilst integrating with the other accessories in the range.

Fibo innovative wall panels are being used in a new modular build development in Widnes for Halton Housing. Offsite specialist Simply Modular is building four of the eight houses in an initial trial, which aims to demonstrate the value of modular construction. The total time for the build of all four 2-bed properties is sixteen weeks, with onsite foundations and factory assembly completed in May.

Fibo’s Traditional range of wall panels are being used for kitchen splashbacks and shower areas. “I first saw Fibo at the CIH Housing Show in Manchester last year,” comments Allan Foster, Technical Director of Simply Modular. “We’d only used ceramic tiles before, as wall panels in general have a lot of catching up to do on quality: but Fibo is far superior. The panels are absolutely brilliant in terms of the time and skillset required for installation, and the quality is there too, with a good choice of finishes and colours.”