In the years following the tragedy at Grenfell, and more recently, the student accommodation fire in Bolton, there has been much speculation as to whether the government will lower the combustible material ban from 18 to 11 metres. Since April 2020, some light has been shed on this...
Balconies, terraces, walkways and roof/winter gardens serve a multitude of purposes. An effective external area will perhaps allow for a unique seating and dining area and an opportunity to admire the views. On a practical basis, buildings will benefit from the added space that a decking solution provides. Overarching...
Here at Alfresco Floors we are keenly aware that the system you select to support your external area is just as important as what you choose for your surface materials. This has always been the case, but In light of the 2018 changes to building regulations (which state that...
Since the ban on combustible materials used on high rise buildings and “specified attachments” above 18 metres, architects, specifiers and other decision makers in built projects must make decisions driven by safety. When specifying materials for such purposes, it is essential that they are class A1 or A2 fire-rated,...
In the UK, building regulations state that any high-rise building above 18 metres (which is potentially being changed to 11 metres), should not have combustible materials within the construction of external walls and specified attachments. This means that on such buildings, only materials with an A1 or A2 fire...
You will have no doubt heard about construction products being described as ‘A1/non-combustible’, ‘A2/limited combustibility’ and so on. But how is this assessed? This blog sets out to give you a high-level overview of how materials in the UK (and other European Countries) are tested for fire ratings, allowing the...
As we are all aware, Building Regulations have prohibited the use of combustible materials in external walls on “relevant buildings” and “specified attachments” above 18 metres (and potentially soon to be 11 metres); these regulations have been in place since December 2018. Despite this, however,...
The A1 Fire-Rated Pedestal For External Balconies, Terraces, Walkways, Roof & Winter Gardens If you’re an architect or specifier, you’ll have no doubt that the construction industry has come under intense scrutiny in recent years. Incidents like the blaze at Bolton University and, of course,...
With increasing popularity of pedestal systems for raised external flooring, the development of external grade porcelain has accelerated and is easily able to compete with natural stone and timber. Specifiers, architects and designers can now reap the benefits of both systems. Just how ideal...
In the past, selecting the boards for decking or cladding projects came down to three options: tropical hardwoods, tanalised softwoods and wood/plastic composites. Advances in decking technology now mean that landscape architects have a wider choice of new materials. There are currently four major categories of...