that his talent for invention established a business that is known across the globe to professionals in the building industry. Today, with the original SCHIENE brand now known as Schlüter-Systems, the business stands for quality and problem-solving: with the range embracing tile backerboards, uncoupling membranes and time-saving components like shower trays, tileable niches and waterproofing components. Additionally, hydronic and electric underfloor heating systems, together with lighting, have also been launched. Having set up his business in Saerbeck, Germany, Werner moved it to Iserlohn just two years later where the headquarters remain today, expanding globally. As a result, the company has international offices and further subsidiaries in the USA, Canada, the UK, France, Italy, Spain and Turkey.


Doorways to development The concept for SCHIENE occurred to Werner when he was puzzling over tiling a particularly large and complex bathroom which featured no fewer than five doorways, all of which required a clean finish for the Florentine marble mosaic which was being laid throughout on a thin bed. At the time, there was no practical solution on the market for this sort of challenge, and he therefore drew on both his experience and his engineering instincts to develop an L-shaped profile that featured a perforated leg that is anchored in the tile cement, while providing a neat finish. It was this unique design which the authorities judged to warrant the approval of his patent application. The invention was well received across the sector and SCHIENE soon became viewed as a ‘hidden hero’ for professional tilers, who could immediately understand the potential benefits in terms of improved accuracy, appearance and productivity. Having originally been manufactured in brass, SCHIENE is also available in aluminium or stainless steel which means they are ideally suited to high traffic areas. The precisely engineered 870 trim is the embodiment of form and function. In addition to the edge protection and finishing qualities, SCHIENE also offers discreet transition between different flooring zones: most commonly from ceramic or porcelain tiling to carpeted areas. Enhancing the design flexibility of the timeless trim, Schlüter-Systems added its very colourful TRENDLINE collection of powder coated finishes to the trim. There is the caveat, though, that while the original will withstand the


heaviest pedestrian traffic, the powder coated alternatives are subject to wear. Significantly from an interior design perspective, TRENDLINE finishes have been applied to numerous profile families, shower drain grates and storage solutions for a cohesive look across bathroom design elements. Throughout the company’s history,


there has been an identifiable evolution, with products such as the BARA and JOLLY profile ranges introduced early on and, in 1981, the anchoring leg of the SCHIENE was finally given the distinctive trapezoidal punching. The joint spacer introduced by Schlüter-Systems in 2001 has taken the


JN5


product one step further as it provides a pre-defined joint chamber to the covering material and makes it even easier to install simply and precisely. 2015 also signalled the first appearance of the stainless steel SCHIENE with joint spacer. Fast forward 50 years from Werner


Schlüter’s Eureka moment and SCHIENE is established as one of the most admired products not just within the Schlüter- Systems range, but as a milestone for the wider construction industry, on a par with other product innovations like prefabricated timber roof trusses, plasterboard or self-levelling screed. User-friendly as well as beautifully made and robust, SCHIENE set a benchmark for achieving customer satisfaction which extends through the supply chain from stockist to installer, and developer or end user. Ultimately, the 50th anniversary sees


Schlüter-Systems celebrating its history, while continuing to look ahead for the medium and long term. The company seeks to enable and to educate industry professionals, while striving to elevate the spaces in which we live and work.


For further information, call 01530 813396 or visit www.schluter.co.uk


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