Social Housing Floors at Homes 2015

The development, refurbishment and maintenance of the UK’s social housing stock is a hotly debated topic and one which will be at the forefront of attendee’s minds at this year’s Homes event.

The exhibition, taking place at London’s Olympia on 18-19 November, is the perfect opportunity for social housing industry professionals to discuss the sector’s latest trends, technologies, concerns and opportunities.

On stand H214 of the show, Flowcrete UK will be demonstrating how its high performance resin flooring solutions are ideally suited to the refurbishment demands of large-scale social housing projects. The resin flooring specialists have taken into account the aesthetics, sustainability, longevity, application practicalities and budgetary concerns typical of the social housing market.

Seamless resin flooring is highly advantageous in sizeable residential buildings, as it is easy to clean and has an impermeable finish that won’t absorb unpleasant odours. The robust, long lasting nature of these systems minimises the need for refurbishments or repairs, avoiding these unwanted costs for the building’s operators.

The impervious, waterproof nature of Flowcrete UK’s resin flooring range was an important factor for Tower Hamlets when it revitalised its main circulation areas. The chosen finish combined the decorative effects requested by the tenants with the anti-slip, stain resistant, anti-graffiti and waterproof properties the large residential area required.

Flowcrete UK’s Managing Director, Kevin Potter, said: “Our social housing range allows landlords to choose flooring materials tailored to specific parts of the building. So, whether it’s a corridor, balcony, reception room or refuse area that is suffering from a failing finish, this comprehensive collection of flooring materials has a fit-for-purpose solution.”

Flowcrete UK has designed this range to minimise disruption to occupants during a refurbishment by using methyl methacrylate (MMA) technology, which speeds up the floor’s rate of cure and thus enables follow-on trades to start work, or residents to return to everyday activity, much sooner than usual.

This fast drying speed was ideal for the Peckham Estate when it undertook a major refurbishment at a number of low cost apartment complexes. As part of the London Borough Council’s commitment to making local homes and neighbourhoods great places to live, all entrances, walkways, stairwells and balconies in the multi-occupancy buildings were given a new, colourful finish

Flowcrete UK’s social housing range includes Flowfast SHF and Flowfast SHQ for highly trafficked stairwells, corridors and external balconies as well as Naturewalk Pave, a bonded gravel system to replace loose stone and Deckshield Rapide SH which creates bright, anti-slip floors in back of house areas.

Exposure to the elements can cause asphalt balcony floors to deteriorate, exposing the concrete substrate and steel underneath. Flowcrete UK’s balcony protection system has been formulated to simultaneously treat and protect this area of the building.

Alongside solving flooring concerns, Flowcrete UK’s social housing range includes wall, ceiling and soffit solutions such as Deckshield Anti-Graffiti and Deckshield Anti-Carbonation. Deckshield Anti-Carbonation has been proven to meet the National Building Regulations Class 0 for fire protection. This classification rates the system as a ‘low risk’ surface, protected from the spread of flames and the extreme temperatures released during a fire.

Architects attending Homes 2015 can also find out about Flowcrete UK’s recently launched RIBA accredited CPD seminar ‘Renovating Communal Areas for Social Housing’, which explores why floors in such environments typically fail and analyses the finishes available to the sector. Participants will be advised on a specification framework that will ensure a floor is chosen that delivers a good return on investment, lifecycle efficiencies and a positive impact on sustainability. 

If you would like to find out more about flooring for social housing developments or to discuss a refurbishment project, head to stand H214 of Homes 2015 or click here to download Flowcrete UK’s social housing brochure.