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HOME Product Highlights October 2007

Product highlights

Colours and textures

Lucite International manufactures cast Perspex in different grades. These include general purpose grade for signage and design applications: impact modified grade for more robust applications: sunbed grade for sunbeds: sanitaryware grade for baths and Jacuzzis; and Bi Sign grades.

Perspex from Lucite is available in different colours such as solid, translucent, transparent, tinted and the Innovations colours. It is supplied in different thickness, sizes and textures, such as gloss, silk and satin finishes.

Perspex is available in 29 standard colours. The Innovations range, available in 35 new hot, funky colours has recently been launched to the design and architectural markets. Perspex can also be matched to any required colour, be it a corporate company colour or any new colour required.

Perspex is already a household name in South Africa and is used in many different applications such as signage, lighting, fabricated products, POD, corporate imaging, shelving, interior design, furnishings, baths, shower trays, basins, Jacuzzis and also aquariums.

Woolworths, Renault, Nissan, Nedbank and Absa Bank are just a few corporate companies that have used Perspex as the solution for their needs and requirements

Perspex is easy to work with and its unique characteristics and properties make it the first choice for any building, design, architectural, corporate imaging and signage requirements. It can be applied externally, as well as internally and is available nationally.

 Refer to SPECXpert 2007/8 for further information

Designer Italian doors and windows

Plessio has recently updated their catalogue in Specifile. The Plessio range includes security doors, windows, interior doors, hotel doors, sliding door systems and metallic doors.

Their double glazed timber windows are provided in a wide range of designs and opening options. They are manufactured using select woods such as pine, Oregon pine, meranti, hemlock, oak and mahogany. These windows provide sound and thermal insulation, are watertight and exceptionally strong. They are certified according to European regulations.

The Henry glass series presents an innovative solution to dividing spaces. The light games and transparencies of the glass enhance the beauty of the rooms, whilst its purity and lightness allow personality and character into individual spaces.

Rever metallic doors are available in standard sizes and are fully reversible. They are manufactured from sheet metal that is epoxy-polyester powder coated with a scratch resistant embossed finish. The door leaf with cellular fibre filling, beveled casing, lock, black door handle, hinges and fixed bolts are included. Made to order double doors are also available.

All hotel doors are certified for endurance of thirty minutes during fire.

The large variety of interior doors are designed by the likes of F.A. Porsche, Cini Boeri, Laura Griziotti and Guido Nardi. These are available in a wide selection of colours and wood finishes.

The Scrigno concealed cavity system can accommodate any internal door and is suitable for both plaster and dry wall applications.

Refer to SPECXpert 2007/8 for further information

Natural richness

Aluturca Natural Stone Wholesalers offer a beautiful range of tiles, mosaics, claddings, basins, listellos and more. They are committed to exceptional quality, superior service and competitive prices.

Aluturca Natural Stone Wholesalers source their travertine and marble worldwide, from the finest quarries and factories. They also own five quarries and factories, based in Turkey. Aluturca has been in existence for the past forty years and exports to over ten countries around the globe. They have branches in Cape Town, Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal.

Their travertine tiles are quarried, cut down to tile size, and then filled with a mixture of travertine dust and white cement, to ensure that the filler is the colour of the stone. Then it is hones to a smooth, satin matt finish. Travertine colours range from soft ivory to rich ivory to deep mocha browns.

Tumbled travertine is tumbled with sand, pebbles or steel balls to provide a more scuffed and weathered finish. These are available in mosaics and floor and wall tiles.

Split face cladding is manufactured by splitting the stone along its natural layer in order to expose the rough surface. Claddings are available in Dolomite white, to soft ivories, to pale creams, to golden honey. Applications include fireplaces, feature walls, kitchen backdrops and exterior walls.

The Aluturca basins are handmade and each basin has its own unique shade, finish and character. Standard shapes include round with lip, round, V-shape and U-shape.

An extensive selection of porcelain and polished tiles is available, in standard sizes of 450x450 and 600x600.

 

Refer to SPECXpert 2007/8 for further information, as well as the Specifile Building LIbrary

Conserving energy for life

With ever increasing building costs, the requirement for rapid building, rising energy costs and greater awareness of global warming and energy conservation as an important aspect of building design, expanded polystyrene (EPS) is becoming increasingly used in modern day construction.

Expanded polystyrene (EPS) building systems are commonplace in the rest of the world and are gaining increasing acceptance in South Africa.

Issues of global warming and, in South Africa, concerns over power supply are driving the building industry to more energy-efficient product solutions.

Currently South Africa rates very poorly when buildings are graded on their energy efficiency, primarily because the climate here has always been considered temperate and sources of energy have been inexpensive.

Labour has also always been regarded as cheap.

The requirement criteria for building materials have therefore not been based on either labour or energy efficiency. Expanded polystyrene offers a viable alternative for building products due primarily to its thermal insulation, lightweight and decorative properties.

The building envelope which comprises the roof, walls, windows and floors of a building is what controls heat gain in summer and heat loss in winter. The introduction of Energy Efficient Standards for Buildings through legislation will be promulgated by 2008 and thermal insulation will then be a prerequisite in future building design.

The TASS (Thermal Acoustic Slab System) is a rib and block floor slab system for multi-storey buildings. It is made up of a combination of a moulded EPS block which acts as a permanent void former and cold rolled, galvanised steel channels which form the ribs. The TASS void formers are left in place and act both as a thermal and sound insulator.

The TUFS (Thermal Under Floor System) is a 40mm thick, EPS, under floor, thermal insulating system used as an integral part of ground floor slabs between conventional foundation walls. TUFS prevents heat generated inside buildings being soaked into the ground and is particular effective in improving the performance of underfloor heating systems. TUFS also acts a moisture proof barrier. It can also be used as an EPS thermal insulating cavity void former in external brick walls.

Other products available from Automa Building Products include:

Share the project, share the progress

Onsite Progress offers a service to the building industry, which monitors and publishes the activity of building projects on a secure web portal. They contract with the various stakeholders to take photographs of a building’s development at agreed intervals. These are loaded onto a password protected website for viewing and analysis. All entities, who are provided with a password, are able to view the progress of the building site from the comfort of their office or home.

All photography, administration and web-work is handled by Onsite Progress, with specific focus on agreed responsibilities, enabling the client to focus on other projects and work in hand.

Onsite Progress boasts some of the most sophisticated and unique photographic equipment in South Africa. Their large format panoramic camera is able to shoot images for high quality print up to “The side of a Bus” in unbelievable resolution.

They have a top end scanner (one of three in South Africa) which can convert these images into digital format for any commercial print

Onsite Progress clients receive the following as part of the service:

Refer to SPECXpert 2007/8 for further information, as well as the Specifile Building LIbrary

Quartz carpet

Quartz Carpet is a unique seamless stone flooring system created by blending natural imported glacial quartz aggregates and clear epoxy resins. This attractive interior and exterior flooring system is available in 32 colour shades, unlimited colour combinations, three aggregate sizes and a choice of gloss or matt polyurethane finish. The stone aggregate is a 7 on the MOH (measure of hardness) scale with a diamond being 10.

Why choose this finish?

Quartz Carpet offers an unlimited spectrum of architectural and design opportunities for retail, commercial, institutional, recreational and residential properties. Applications include shopping centres and retail outlets; entertainment and recreation areas; residential homes; restaurants and bars; hotels and conference centres; health spas and athletic clubs; design centres and galleries; auto showrooms; entrances and foyers; and swimming pool surrounds.