Refurb and maintenance

Housing associations under pressure to make budgets work harder and ensure tenant satisfaction with the properties they provide and maintain, should consider the installation, performance, sustainability, aesthetic, and cost benefits of low maintenance PVC-U solutions for both exterior and internal living spaces. Hazel Verschuere, building products director from Deeplas explains more.

With over 1500 housing associations in operation in the UK, responsible for two million homes that provide safe and secure living spaces for five million people*, the importance of the role of housing associations cannot be underestimated.

We’ve all seen the horror stories around retrofit cavity wall insulation. Every day, new reports of tenants suffering with mouldy walls hit the headlines. These stories often start the same way: “We never had a damp problem until we had new insulation put in…”

The good news is that this wave of penetrating damp in properties with retrofitted cavity wall insulation is entirely preventable. Upskill yourself with all the latest retrofit regulations and methods with Safeguard’s RIBA-approved PAS 2035 and Retrofit Insulation CPD Webinar. Join Product Development Chemist Michael at 1:00 PM on Tuesday 5th April for a masterclass on managing retrofit installation works.

Goole’s maritime history and industrial past is written into its skyline. Alongside tall cranes and derricks, you will find distinctive water towers and proud Victorian buildings. Walk into the centre and you’ll also discover the new Goole, a bustling vehicle-free shopping centre with its own market hall and an abundance of quiet gardens and parks.

Where fire sprinkler systems are being retro-fitted in social housing tower blocks and flats, Encasement’s Versa range provides a cost effective, durable and easy-fit solution when boxing-in surface mounted fire sprinkler pipework.

Manufactured as standard from pre-formed EUTR/UKTR compliant plywood, and pre-finished in a durable white melamine, Versa ‘L’ shaped boxing is available in either 5mm or 8mm thicknesses for use within flats, as well as communal areas, such as corridors and lift lobbies.

To aid compliance with sustainable building codes and relevant timber procurement policies, an FSC® ‘Chain of Custody’ certified option is also available as part of the Versa range.

Awareness around mould and damp amongst housing tenants is at an all-time high. A recent Housing Ombudsman spotlight report highlighted the need for all housing providers to ‘adopt a zero tolerance approach to damp and mould interventions’. 51% of renters surveyed have experienced damp and mould problems, according to a YouGov poll commissioned by Safeguard Europe.

A Property MOT® serves to identify the best-practice and innovative approach upholding necessary changes in culture, behaviour and approach.
Uniformly certifying the health of a building will not only confirm the structural condition but, provide expert guidance to meet the new challenges demonstrating a zero-tolerance to damp and mould.
David Bly, Director of Cornerstone Professional Services (UK) Ltd, the company behind the development and introduction of the Property MOT® system explains why the process is key to delivering the changes in a uniform process.

The PanelStyle PVC wall and ceiling panelling collection offers a cost effective and practical alternative to paint, wallpaper and tiles.

With a total of 50 decors across four easy-to-fit ranges of Splashpanel, Splashpanel Narrow, Proplas and Proplas Tile, PanelStyle provides a budget-friendly option to suit every wall and ceiling application in any room of the home.