ALTRO BRINGS MALVERN FIRE STATION UP TO SPEED
A wide range of Altro flooring and wall cladding has been used in the newly re-constructed Malvern Fire Station, helping to create a facility that can withstand the demands of modern fire-fighting, and an aesthetically-pleasing working environment.
The fire station needed to be upgraded on all counts, as Alan Jones, Capital Projects Manager at Hereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue Service, explained. “The building failed to meet operational needs, necessitating redesign and investment. It had also reached the end of its economic life with many failing elements; these included wall and floor finishes throughout.
“We had no hesitation in selecting Altro for the flooring and walling for the project. I have specified Altro before on a number of similar construction projects and they have proven ideal in terms of quality, service and product appearance.
“We wanted a resin floor for the appliance bay, so we worked closely with Altro and the resin flooring contractor, Flo-Dek, to help select the right product for this important scheme.
“We chose AltroCrete PU Fast-TrackTM resin flooring. The appliance bay is a busy testing area that gets a great deal of wear and tear, so the floor needed to be tough, safe underfoot in both wet and dry conditions and very durable. We have used AltroCrete PU before in other fire stations and it has proven very successful for this environment. It has the added benefit of providing a floor which is aesthetically pleasing.”
AltroCrete PU Fast-Track is a 5-9mm textured floor made for heavy duty areas of potential spillage and increased temperature range. It has excellent resistance to impact and abrasion and to a wide range of chemicals. With a high level of slip resistance, it is ideal for food and drink production areas and heavy industrial applications. The ‘Fast Track’ option has the added benefit of a rapid overnight cure.
For the new station’s kitchen, showers and locker rooms, Alan Jones and his team selected Altro Whiterock WhiteTM wall cladding. “This is a superb product because it’s practical and very low maintenance,” said Alan.
Altro Whiterock White is impact resistant, grout-free and easy to clean. It is made from a high-quality, food-safe PVCu polymer that can handle temperatures up to 60°C, and meets all current EU Directives on health and hygiene.
Alan Jones continued: “For the floors in the showers, we chose Altro AquariusTM safety flooring because we wanted a surface that was hard-wearing, safe underfoot in all conditions, comfortable, attractive and easy to clean. It’s a very modern-looking product with some great colours.”
Altro Aquarius was developed for lasting performance in wet and dry, with shoes or barefoot. Like all Altro safety flooring, it offers sustained slip resistance for the lifetime of the product, keeping your risk of a slip to just 1 in a million. It’s a 2mm safety floor that has been extensively tested on a variety of shoe types to ensure top performance in a host of environments – bathrooms, changing areas, shower areas, spas and more. It’s also easy to clean, with Altro Easyclean Maxis PUR technology.
For the new fire station’s communal areas, stairs and corridors, Alan Jones specified Altro WalkwayTM 20. “This is a great safety flooring — tough, long-lasting and with a good colour range to choose from,” he said. “We selected ‘Midnight’ to complement the colour scheme of the new station.”
Altro Walkway 20 is a hugely popular hard-wearing, 2mm safety flooring, providing lifelong slip and abrasion resistance. Additional benefits include chemical and indentation resistance, which adds to its excellent durability and PUR cleanability.
Dave Cope, Director of Flo-Dek (UK) Ltd, oversaw the installation of the AltroCrete PU resin flooring in the stations’ new appliance bay. “To minimise downtime, the Fire and Rescue
Service wanted the resin floor to be installed over the existing quarry tiles,” he said. “But we did some tests on site and decided they needed to be removed and offered guidance on falls and drainage systems.
“Once the existing tiled floor and subscreed had been removed, we planed the floor to create a suitable surface profile and provide a mechanical key. We then installed a stainless steel slot drainage channel.
“The next stage was to install AltroPol, a polymer underlayment screed, laid to falls, at 80mm thick in the 300m2 area. We needed to ensure that the falls on the AltroPol prevented water from migrating into other adjacent areas.
“After the AltroPol had cured we laid a 9mm layer of AltroCrete resin. We subsequently used AltroCove PU to form coving around all the walls and columns in the appliance bay.
“The installation went very well,” added Dave. “Using AltroCrete PU Fast-Track means a much-reduced installation time, without any compromise on quality.”
The safety flooring at the new station was installed by Alto Flooring. Director Russell Simon said: “We have 20 years experience of laying Altro flooring. It’s a very popular brand, and with good reason.
“The installation of the Altro flooring was a phased project over the course of three months, with two or three fitters on site. We had to work closely with other installers and of course the main contractor, Spectus, and everyone co-operated very well. Altro flooring is very easy to work with and the end result looks impressive.”
MG Duff installed the Altro Whiterock at Malvern Fire Station. “As an Altro Whiterock Premier Installer we are committed to Altro Whiterock and specialise in putting it into a wide range of applications, such as schools and kitchens,” said Estimator Barry Stevens.
“Altro Whiterock is undoubtedly the best of its kind. The combination of reliability and guaranteed quality and support makes it unique and highly cost effective.
“Our relationship with both Spectus and Altro is excellent. We worked closely together on this project and it was very straightforward. We were on site for four days overall between March and September, with one operative installing a total of 100m2 of Altro Whiterock.”
Managing Director of Spectus Construction, Andy Griffiths, commented: “Alan Jones and Altro specified this project very well – selecting products that would be practical and hardwearing, as well as those that would complement the design and colour scheme of the new building.
“The installation of flooring and wall cladding was carried out very professionally by companies we know and trust to deliver a superb finish. The appliance bay in striking red resin looks especially impressive. Overall it’s a great-looking job.
Andy Griffiths continued: “We are delighted that Spectus Construction won the ‘large renovation project’ and ‘commercial project’ in the Midlands categories at the Master Builder of the Year Awards for its work on the fire station. We have gone through to the national finals.”
Alan Jones added: “We are very happy with our new station. I would have no hesitation in recommending AltroCrete PU for similar applications and we are already specifying it on three more projects.”