refurbishment

Manufacturing windows and doors to keep communities safe has been a key driver for Shelforce for more than four decades.

The Birmingham-based company provides high-quality PVCu products and Fire doors for specialist window and door projects tailored to local authorities and housing associations and employs some of the city’s most vulnerable people with 75% of its workforce disabled.

As a result, Shelforce has developed effective relationships and works with national contractors and leading house builders within Birmingham and beyond.

The switch to non-combustible construction materials continues to impact housing, with ever-changing regulations leaving property managers looking for compliant and cost-effective options for fire-safety remediation projects across the UK. We spoke with Richard Izzard, managing director of AliDeck to see
how they’re leading the way in providing fire-safe aluminium decking and balcony components.

When concealing external pipework, building services and other utilities associated with low carbon district heating schemes or air-source and ground-source heat pumps, our metal pipe boxing range provides protection against accidental damage and improves a project’s aesthetics.

Bespoke manufactured to the individual project specifications from 2mm aluminium, as standard, Pendock metal boxing is available in two styles. CHM is a three-sided channel profile, for securing to a single flat surface, while the MXM is a two-sided 90-degree design for fixing to adjacent surfaces, such as walls and ceilings.

Hazel Verschuere, building products director from Deeplas, highlights some of the wide-ranging PVC-U product choices that can deliver budgetary and operational advantages for housing associations.

Housing associations must continually optimise the support and services they provide, while at the same time delivering high levels of tenant comfort and satisfaction.

As a result, it is important product specification choices take account of upfront costs, material performance, aesthetics, and ongoing maintenance commitments. Of these, any reduction in repair and maintenance can help cut financial pressures.

The Dulux Trade Commercial Colour Services team has been hailed for their expert design support on a council owned social housing regeneration programme that saw residents take a lead role in decision-making.

The initiative by Exeter City Council followed the principles of their Better Homes For Local People strategy that promises full and transparent consultation and involvement with those affected by building and renovation projects from the outset.

Fibo, the leading manufacturer of tile-effect waterproof wall panels, is giving housing associations the chance to trial its wall panel system for FREE.

For many years, tiles have been the go-to solution for bathroom installations and renovations, despite wall panels being the optimal solution. Recognising this, Fibo is offering private and public housing associations the chance to trial its range of waterproof wall panels for free on a bathroom project.

In the UK water conservation has been almost treated with derision.  Excepting the summer of 1976, water restrictions are limited to occasional hose pipe bans.  However, the wider impact of excessive water usage is now becoming recognised.

The connections between water, the environment and energy costs are being highlighted by organisations as diverse as the United Nations through to local conservation groups.