Products from the Crown Trade and Sandtex Trade ranges have been used in a comprehensive interior and exterior redecoration programme for 12 three and four storey blocks for Derby Homes, following a successful refurbishment programme last year.
The exteriors of the properties in Berwick Avenue, Derby, were painted using Sandtex Trade Flexigloss X-tra and Classic Stone Gloss. The surfaces had suffered from graffiti and needed a facelift. The render had also suffered through the growth of algae and moss.
The Sandtex Trade range comprises products developed to repair, prepare and decorate exteriors to provide long lasting protection. Sandtex Trade Classic Stone Gloss was applied to the render, adding a layer of protection in addition to decoration, as the product is self-cleansing and prevents regrowth. Classic Stone Gloss also enables any future graffiti to be more easily removed from its surface.
Internally, Crown Trade Timonox Acrylic Eggshell, a flame retardant coating, was applied to all the communal areas, including corridors and staircases, to provide extra time in case of an evacuation due to fire. Colour schemes were submitted by the Crown Trade Specification Consultant to be selected by the residents.
The Crown Trade Timonox range is one of the few to meet new European fire test standards, in addition to the current UK fire test requirements. Fully tested and accredited by Warringtonfire, formerly Warrington Fire Research Centre, the systems have a 30-year history of protecting surfaces and arresting the spread of flame.
Timonox systems previously applied within Derby Homes’ properties were put to the test last year, helping to slow the spread of flame when a fire broke out on the top floor of a high rise tower block in the city.
The fire started in one of the flats in Rivermead House, an 11-storey tower block. Crown Trade Timonox flame retardant systems had been applied to all the communal areas in the building, as part of Derby Homes’ cyclical maintenance programme.
The heat inside the flat was such that it was in need of a total refurbishment, including a new bathroom, kitchen, windows, plumbing and heating system. The flat immediately next door to the source of the fire was also damaged. The painted communal areas immediately outside the two flats showed little sign of damage, despite plastic information signs curling in the heat.
Derby Homes is an Arm’s Length Management Organisation (ALMO) created by Derby City Council to manage, maintain and improve its 14,500 council properties across the city.