Housing in Southern Africa October-November 2016

Floors & Walls

Contemporary flooring solutions When it comes to designing a space, it’s important to consider the flooring options available today.

S aint-Gobain Weber share in- sights into the popular use of floor screeds, a unique flooring style, which brings flair and function to any space and achieves the ‘Indus- trial Chic’ look that is highly sought after globally and seems to be gaining traction in South Africa. Weber brings you one step closer to achieving this easily with its com- prehensive range of flooring solutions for the residential markets. Products include surface preparation of a floor before application, various floor screed options as well as sealers and cleaners. Saint-GobainWeber recommend a screed that is typically self-levelling and fast drying, designed to provide anuncompromisedunderlayment for any finished floor. Using the Weber WB300 underlay self-levelling screed before tiles, carpets or vinyl is ap- plied, will extend the life and improve the performance of the finished floor. A Weber Design Floor screed can get you as close as possible to a through colour finished floor, which has become a firm favourite in the contemporary residential market. B oogertman + Partners pre- sented ‘Innovation in Afford- able Housing’ at the recent International Housing Solutions 8 th annual conference at Johannesburg Country Club. Murray James from Boogertman + Partners offered an insight into the building envelope – particularly windows, floors and roofs. There are a lot of options, brick and concrete, lightweight wall sys- tems, steel frame and polystyrene. There is a perception in the market- ing that lightweight wall systems offer less security and associate the product with dry walling. Typically householders do the ‘knock test’ and although it is accepted overseas lo- cally there have been challenges. “We have some way to gowhere in the entry level and aspirational per- ception – less security – some of the systems have suppliers and preferred

Its continuous appearance makes them ideal for open-plan layouts where various areas of the home will flow seamlessly into one another. Politerm blu is added during appli- cation and will improve the room’s ambient temperaturemaking it warm in winter and cool in summer. The is available in various colours to suit almost any space. Screeds are rapidly being adopted as an alternative flooring option. “At Weber we want to partner with in- dustry professionals from the onset of the design of the space to be able to create beautiful flooring. We offer a turnkey flooring solution, sharing our knowledge of market research out- comes and international trends when it comes to selecting the right prod- uct for the desired finish,” explains Ramielle De Jager, Product Manager Flooring at Saint-Gobain Weber. For further information on Saint- GobainWeber’s comprehensive range of tile adhesives, grouts, surface preparations and flooring solu- tions visit www.weber-tylon.co.za or call 08600 WEBER (93237) or email ramielle.dejager@saint-gobain.com ■ installer. If the supplier doesn’t meet what is expected and there is limited skills training on the product then brickbasedandblockbasedproducts are probably what we are going to be stuck with in the residential market.” Everite has started up manufac- turing its solid easy to construct its flexible on site and doesn’t require any further skills or specialist in- stallers, construction times quicker, gypsum skim coat and that time based saving has a knock on effect the cost of financing the construc- tion period. Anything we can do to pull back the construction time, pulls back the overall costs.” The Hebel Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (AAC) has gained considerable share of the international construction market. It offers a combination of strength, light-weight, thermal insulation, sound absorption, fire resistance and ease of construction. The structural

The building envelope

material is approximately onequarter the weight of conventional concrete, composed of minute cells which give the material light weight and high thermal insulation properties. It is available as blocks and pre-cast reinforced units for roofs, floors, walls and lintels. The naturally smooth sur- face only requires a skim coat finish and eliminates the needs to plaster. Although a 10mmconventional plas- ter can be done, internally walls only require a gypsum skim coat. ■

October/November 2016