Interiors

AKW, one of the UK’s leading providers of accessibility solutions, is pleased to announce that the company’s highly successful Bluetooth® enabled electric shower is being rebranded as of 1st November 2018 to the AKW SmartCare Plus.

The decision has been taken so that moving forwards, AKW SmartCare Plus - the world's first Bluetooth® Smart electric shower - can be positioned as the flagship product in a new range of AKW ‘smart’ products that the company will be launching in the future.

Helping a client manage the expectation of lifestyle changes is being simplified, at least in the bathroom, with a new service from Closomat.

Britain’s leading provider of accessible toilet solutions offers a complete management service. It means that the complete process is efficiently managed by a team expert in, and dedicated to, ensuring smooth, compliant new build and refurbishment projects. The service covers all elements, from choosing the configuration of a Closomat Asana shower toilet (and other accessible fixtures within a bathroom) through to installation, and future servicing/maintenance.

‘Pod’ seems to be a buzzword latching on to multiple room styles at present, none more so than kitchens and bathrooms. Pod kitchens and bathrooms are compact, prefabricated spaces that can be installed quickly and easily in applications where time, money and crucially space needs to be made the most of.

These space saving pieces of genius are ideal for buildings that need to utilise every last inch, such as city hotels and student accommodation. Furthermore, considering the rate at which high density housing is being built across the UK, it looks like pods might be here to stay.

A new briefing paper from the House of Commons is highlighting increased funding that should lead to almost a doubling of home adaptations under Disabled Facilities Grants.

To help social housing providers deliver in a timely manner, Closomat- Britain’s leading provider of disabled toilet solutions- has a unique package in its sector.

Windows not only have the ability to change the overall look of a house, but, depending on which material used, can impact ongoing energy efficiency, the level of upkeep required and home security. 

PVC-u is the most common material used for new and replacement windows; it’s cheaper than its timber and aluminium alternatives and the stats are impressive! It offers a cost effective and virtually maintenance free solution. Here, you can find everything you need to know about PVC-u windows in order to assess their suitability for your needs:

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.