TKC extends Vivo range with additional colour options

Posted on by Posted in Bathrooms and Kitchens

vivo-coloursTKC has added two new colours to its Vivo range of modestly priced mid-range kitchen doors.

The new colourways – Vivo Grey and Vivo Ivory – have been introduced to reflect current consumer tastes and illustrate how the same kitchen range can achieve two very different looks.

Vivo Grey epitomises modern living, with its bold lines bringing a fresh and contemporary look to any home, whilst the equally stylish Vivo Ivory combines sophistication with a classic colour to achieve a timeless finish.

Vivo features high gloss, factory painted slab doors which are available in a range of sizes and configurations and with coordinating square and curved cornices.

The inclusion of pan drawers and curved doors can add a further air of exclusivity, whilst painted door edges helps to ensure a high quality finish.

Also available as Vivo White and Vivo Cashmere, the range has quickly become one of TKC’s best-selling collections due to its design style combined with quality finish and competitive price.

www.tkcomponents.co.uk

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Green Deal Home Improvement Fund set for third release

Posted on by Posted in Heating, HVAC Industry, Plumbing Industry News, Renewable Energy, Useful Resources

ed-davey-amber-ruddMore people will enjoy a warmer home for less thanks to the third release from the Green Deal Home Improvement Fund (GDHIF) worth up to £70 million.

From midday, March 16, the popular scheme will open to new applications for the new release of funding, with up to £5,600 available to households in England and Wales to help with the cost of installing certain energy saving measures such as solid wall insulation, double glazing, boilers, cavity wall and floor insulation.

Energy and Climate Change Secretary Ed Davey said:

“We’re helping families keep warmer for less – driving bills down by encouraging more competition between energy suppliers and making over one million homes more energy efficient.

“Households up and down the country are reaping the benefits of a warmer home thanks to the GDHIF. And now, with more money available, thousands more can benefit.”

More than 25,000 households have already received a voucher for the GDHIF since it launched in June 2014. For the third release of funding, money has been increased for the two measures offer.

Domestic energy customers will be able to receive:

  • up to £3,750 for installing solid wall insulation;
  • and/or up to £1,250 for installing two measures from an approved list;
  • up to £100 refunded for their Green Deal Assessment;
  • up to £500 more if applying within 12 months of buying a new home.

The £70 million for the third release will be available for applications for solid wall insulation and/or the two measures offer until all the funding is allocated.

Energy and Climate Change Minister Amber Rudd said:

“This winter the government has helped people save money while keeping warm – taking an average of £50 off household bills and making it quicker and easier to switch supplier. But to cut bills every winter people need to use less energy.

“We’ve already improved over one million homes to make them more energy efficient and we want to help more. Thanks to the GDHIF, thousands of families will enjoy lower bills and a warmer home for years to come.”

Martin Lewis, founder and editor of MoneySavingExpert.com, said:

“There’s nothing that generates action better than free cash – which is what effectively the GDHIF is. So, yet again, demand is likely to be huge – the first time it was done £120 million went in six weeks, then £24 million went within 48 hours, so this time I suspect £70 million to last not much longer than a week.

“I’d suggest anyone who has already had a Green Deal assessment to be ready to pounce to make sure they aren’t left out in the cold. For those who haven’t but are interested, first do a quick online check which will tell you if it’s worth getting an assessment, if it is, then try and arrange one as soon as possible.”

To complete the two-stage application process, householders will need:

  • A Green Deal Advice Report (GDAR) or Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) that is less than two-years-old;
  • A quote from a GDHIF registered installer or provider for work specified on the GDAR or EPC and included on the list of GDHIF approved measures; and
  • Proof of property ownership (for landlords/undertakings only) householders are encouraged to get more than one quote, particularly when they are having expensive work done, to make sure they are getting the best deal available.

The up to £70 million available for release three is part of the additional £100 million for household energy efficiency announced in October 2014. This funding is in addition to the £450 million already allocated to household energy efficiency from 2014–17.

In providing a fund to householders the GDHIF will create job opportunities for the energy efficiency sector as a whole. More than 1,100 Green Deal authorised businesses are currently registered to provide work under the scheme.

Funds are limited and DECC may vary the terms of the scheme (including the incentive rates) or suspend or close the scheme, with immediate effect, without notice and at any time.

Roger Webb, director of the Heating and Hotwater Council, said:

“We welcome the reopening of the scheme in principle and are pleased to see an increase in monies available for installing the two measures from £1,000 to £1,250.  However, as the types of measures that are eligible under the scheme remain unchanged it will continue to be difficult to create a workable package for homeowners. This is why £5.5 million is still unallocated from the last round of funding.

“A further troubling area is the insistence that installers must be PAS20/30 accredited in order to work on this scheme – with only a handful of the 122,000 Gas Safe registered engineers approved homeowners often struggle to find tradespeople authorised to carry out the work.

“HHIC continue to meet and discuss the scheme with officials at DECC but we are under no illusions that the much needed overhaul will happen this side of the general election.”

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BAM wins £20m Bradford hospital extension

Posted on by Posted in Construction

BAM_bradford_hospitalBAM Construction has been chosen by Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust to build a new three storey ward block development.

The £20m+ development, designed by Bowman Riley, includes a new accessible link to Smith Lane, a new critical care unit, car parking and roadways for the hospital.

The three storeys will include new paediatric and elderly patient wards and retail and refreshments provision. They will provide improved access around the hospital.

With building work taking place next to live hospital facilities, BAM will have to pay special attention to dust and noise control. Other aspects of the scheme include service diversions and some challenging ground works.

BAM project director Paul Cleminson said:

“The critical factor for any construction scheme is the ability to work collaboratively. In a live hospital environment, this is so important. Our engagement with the client will be enhanced by our market leading use of BIM technology.

“Our record of delivering schemes locally in Bradford and Yorkshire is well known. BAM is already very engaged with changing the landscape, such as at Bradford College. But this is reinforced by our UK wide healthcare experience. This adds real value to a technically challenging project like this.”

He added:

“We’ve got a strong local supply chain and already this means the mechanical and electrical modules for the project will be made in Bradford.”

BAM expects to start on site this spring and complete in autumn 2016. The company has appointed Matthew Garnett as its project manager, whose experience includes nearby Wharfedale Hospital and the remodelling of the University of Hull Brynmor Jones library.

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Roca makes a lot of Rainsense

Posted on by Posted in Bathrooms and Kitchens

Roca-WebsiteRoca showcased a variety of new products at ISH 2015 in Frankfurt this March.

Visitors to ISH 2015 were among the first to hear about Roca’s new ceramic material FineCeramic, characterised by its lightweight and durable properties, plus a new solid surface material Surfex, which combines flexibility, aesthetics, hygiene, sustainability and resistance,offering creativity of design in the bathroom.

A further focus of the Roca stand was its Global Toilet Expertise, presented in a dedicated area, with new products and extensions to existing ranges on display. Visitors to the Roca stand could learn more about Roca’s rimless toilets, its innovative In-Tank WC with cistern built into the pan, plus a new range of intelligent toilets called In-Wash.

A further highlight of the Roca stand was the latest addition to its showering line-up, the Rainsense shower head. Said to offer style and performance in abundance, Rainsense is a large overhead shower head which is available as a square, rectangular or circular version.

Combining form and function, Rainsense offers the user a powerful performance and features Roca’s EasyClean system on the rubber jets, acting as a barrier to lime scale for ease of cleaning.

Roca also presented its new Inspira collection, which will be available in the UK later this year. Featuring sanitaryware in three on trend shapes – Round, Soft and Square – Inspira can be combined in a variety of ways to suit individual tastes and needs.

www.uk.roca.com

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Ideal Standard re-engineers the flush

Posted on by Posted in Bathrooms and Kitchens

Ideal-StandardIdeal Standard has taken ISH 2015 by storm with the launch of its revolutionary AquaBlade flush technology which it claims, with some justification, is the most significant development since the invention of the flush toilet in the 19th century.

The exclusive and patented technology promises to offer the best superior flushing performance ever, even at low water volumes.

The AquaBlade system uses an innovative ‘Microslot’ technology, which is a newly engineered system of channels to create a cascading wall of water from the top of the toilet bowl opening and, two powerful plumes to energise the flush action.

Unlike existing flushing systems where flushing water does not cover the entire toilet bowl – the AquaBlade integral Microslot technology gives optimum water flow from the top of the bowl on every flush and covers every inch of the ceramic, keeping the toilet bowl clean.

It is also surprisingly quiet because all the flows are streamlined with the bowl surfaces which reduces turbulence and maximises flushing efficiency.

AquaBlade technology may set new standards in both toilet design and optimum flush performance – the smooth, gently curved surface with no overhanging rim also means it is much more hygienic and as easy to clean than any other toilet currently available.

In traditional modern toilets, approximately 20% of the bowl remains unwashed after flushing, with the back “dirty zone” of the WC in particular typically not washed properly. However, AquaBlade washes 100% of surfaces beneath the slot, and cleans every part including the back of the WC, ensuring you can enjoy a pristine bathroom. The unique design, with no over-hanging rim, sees all surfaces exposed making it easier to clean.

Providing the ultimate combination of style and performance, the strategic location of the Microslot channels higher up the bowl not only ensures best flushing performance ever, it is also designed with aesthetics in mind – and uniquely with AquaBlade when the toilet seat is down, the often unsightly “rim” of the toilet becomes invisible, ensuring a better looking WC.

When compared with the leading rimless toilets, the smooth design also greatly reduces splashing during the flushing process; therefore less bacteria cross-contamination occurs as fewer bacteria particles are released into the air upon flushing of an AquaBlade WC.

Francesca Cheli, group product director at Ideal Standard International BVBA, said:

“At Ideal Standard we combine our expertise as global bathroom market leaders to bring an innovative approach to challenges; and bringing meaningful, insight-driven innovation to a toilet is by definition a challenge in itself.

“We refuse to accept that a high-performing flush system can’t look beautiful and our brand new AquaBlade flushing technology not only offers best class performance, but outstanding aesthetics – and that’s what we love as it embodies everything we stand for. AquaBlade is truly revolutionary invention, a milestone in the history of toilets and a game-changing innovation that moves our industry forward.”

The Ideal Standard AquaBlade flushing technology will be available across close-coupled, wall-hung or back-to-wall WCs. It will be launched across several of Ideal Standard’s bathroom collections, but the first range to be equipped will be Tonic II, Ideal Standard’s new luxury showroom range that launches in summer 2015.

www.ideal-standard.co.uk

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