78 INTERIORS; LANDSCAPING & EXTERNAL WORKS
TO HELP PREVENT ACCIDENTS, HANDRAILS AND GUARDING SHOULD ALSO BE INCORPORATED INTO THE STAIRCASE DESIGN.
EVOLVING REGULATION AND ITS POTENTIAL IMPACT
At the BWF we’re working with the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) on a revision to Approved Document K (AD K) for Requirements K1 and K2. AD K covers protection from falling, collisions and impacts in and around buildings, while Requirement K1 states stairs shall be designed, constructed and installed to be safe for people moving between different levels. Requirement K2 outlines that stairs should be provided with barriers where it is necessary to protect people from falling. Based on research by the Building
fewer falls. Not only would this save many lives, but it would also reduce the burden on A&E departments and limit the impact that a serious accident on the stairs can bring.
Research Establishment (BRE) which demonstrated that stairs, including those that conform to existing building regulations, could be changed to reduce the number of accidents that occur on them, BS 5395-1 has been developed. BS 5395-1 recommends several key changes for private stairs including that there should be graspable handrails on both sides of the stair, and that the
minimum going for a private stair should be 250 mm and the maximum rise 200 m. In addition, the changes would set out a new maximum staircase pitch at 38.5 degrees, a minimum clear width measured between handrails of 800 mm as well as ensuring the walking line of the winder is centred on the newel post.
If these changes are introduced into AD K, housebuilders and developers will need to dedicate more space to the stairway as the stairs will become both wider and longer. In turn, this could mean that house designs would need to be revisited and plot sizes made bigger, or room sizes reduced.
By working in collaboration with stair manufacturers and housebuilders and developers, the BWF hopes to develop AD K guidance to maximise staircase safety, while minimising the impact on the housebuilding industry.
Kevin Underwood is technical director at the British Woodworking Federation (BWF).
Norcros Rock-Tite is a hit with landscapers! N
orcros Rock-Tite Exterior Porcelain & Stone System was developed specifi cally to appeal to landscape designers, tilers
and DIYers who want an easy-to-use system for installing the increasingly popular 20mm porcelain tiles externally for patios and terraces. One of the latest recommendations from a land- scaper indicates that the product is certainly making life easier for workers in that profession. Landscaper, Brett Corcoran of TC Fencing & Landscaping, has recently used the product on a patio job in Staff ordshire and was full of praise once the project was completed: “After using the Rock-Tite range of products throughout a recent project completed I can strongly recommend it,” he said. “I can recommend the Rock-Tite products to not only the building trade but DIY customers too due to their simplicity to use.” This project was an ideal candidate for
Norcros Rock-Tite. The home owner wanted to extend their living space into the garden with the installation of porcelain tiles to form a new outdoor leisure area, making the transition from internal to external space as seamless as possible. The end-result is highly attractive and defi -
nitely a very worthwhile improvement to the property. The tiles on this project are Johnson Tiles, 20mm porcelain, 600 x 600, from their Boundary collection in colour Dune. Laying the tiles was made much easier than it would otherwise have been without the assistance of Norcros Rock-Tite.
The system comprises a Primer, a choice of
Mortars (either with or without sand) and a Brush-In Grout. The product provides a high strength mortar for bonding concrete, natural stone and porcelain paving slabs to a hardcore or solid base. The Rock-Tite additives improve performance, workability and freeze/thaw resist- ance of the fi nished mortar mix. The choice of mortars allows customers to purchase their sand separately if they wish. The full system includes Norcros Rock-Tite
Porcelain Primer in three 5kg bags, supplied in a 15kg mixing bucket. Part 2a (without sand) is
HBD08_Norcros_Landscaping & External Works -
Paving_HPAdv.indd 1
WWW.HBDONLINE.CO.UK
supplied in a 12.5kg bag, while the alternative Part 2 comes in a 25kg bag. The system includes a ready-to-use Brush-In Grout, in three 5kg bags supplied in a 15kg bucket. The grout colours available are Blanched Almond, Steel Grey and Tropical Ebony, matching other grouts from Norcros Adhesives. All elements of the Rock-Tite system
are covered by the Norcros Adhesives lifetime guarantee.
01782 524 140
www.norcros-adhesives.com
19/07/2022 10:46
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