Spec Finish

Innovations Ours is a fast-paced industry, matched only by the lightning speed of innovation in its products and ways of designing and installing them. Here are some of the latest developments for our sector. INNOVATE AND COLLABORATE 30 www.thefis.org FOR SUSTAINABLE LONG TERMVALUE Shaw Contract approves IOBACMagTabs™ adhesive-free installation Commercial flooringmanufacturer, ShawContract, partnered with flooring technology experts, IOBACUK, in highlighting the crucial role that adhesive-free flooring installation can play in amove to a circular economy approach for commercial interior projects. Shaw Contract has approved IOBACMagTabs™ as a preferred adhesive-free installation method for their carpet tile collections. MagTabs enable a wide variety of floor coverings to be installed, adhesive free, to metal raised access floors and IOBAC’s magnetically receptive range of underlays and resins. Ian Spreadborough, Co-founder and Director at IOBAC UK Ltd, said: “Adhesive-free installation moves it from single-use to a flexible design element that can be reused and repurposed several times before being recycled. From a design perspective, this also gives flooring a new agility and adaptability for today’s flexible space requirements. It supports sustainability targets, with design flexibility and operational cost benefits added in.” Adhesive-free installation facilitates flooring reuse as it ensures the floor covering and sub-floor are left clean and contamination-free on uplift. www.shawcontract.com Forza Doors launches new fire certificate Forza Doors has launched improved installation and hardware guides for FD30(s) fire door assemblies. Forza Doors has created a solid foundation of evidence to support the use of many items of hardware. For example, they can permit the use of electronic access control hardware frommultiple manufacturers (including mag locks), which are now fully supported by Forza’s primary test data. For the first time, Forza’s FD30 doors will benefit from an array of permitted maintenance repairs. Backed up with primary test evidence, these repairs can increase the lifespan of fire doors. www.forza-doors.com Setting the standard for fire certification and compliance Profab Access, is supporting architects, specifiers and contractors in achieving the highest standards of efficiency with its PRIMA 1000 Fire Rated Series Access Panels. Providing secure and unobtrusive access to ceiling and wall services for residential and commercial projects, the fire rated panels are aesthetically pleasing and easy to install, and ensure compliance with latest building regulations. The access panels are independently bi-directionally tested and fire-rated up to 120 minutes to BS EN 1634-1:2000 for single and double door configurations up to 600mm x 1200mm. Sizes up to 750mm x 1500mm are also available and are fire-rated for up to 90 minutes. The PRIMA 1000 FR Series Access Panels come in standard and bespoke specifications, providing first class performance and functionality, the panels are also smoked sealed with an intumescent and smoke seal gasket. www.profabaccess.com James Latham’s Carbon Calculator James Latham (Lathams), has launched its powerful new specification tool, the Carbon Calculator, to help architects and designers better understand the sustainability of the materials they specify. It helps Latham’s customers to select themost suitable, sustainable option tomeet their project requirements and gives specifiers the assurance that the information they receive relating to a product’s carbon credentials is complete and accurate, from sourcing the rawmaterials to selection and delivery. Built using official, publicly available data and manufacturer product information, the Carbon Calculator collates and aggregates the environmental impact of a chosen material, according to three criteria: carbon footprint, embodied carbon and data confidence (Lathams’ confidence in the strength of the data used to enable the calculation of the first two criteria e.g. provenance and integrity of detail). Once evaluated, the product gets a confidence rating from1-4 (one being the best).The lower the score, the higher the availability and quality of data points reviewed (e.g. published EPDs). Thefinal rating, including carbon data, is then added to quotations, invoices, delivery notes and other key documentation, delivering a tangible, codified proof point.This ensures a robust audit trail for the product, providing valuable information for future carbon reporting and responding to sustainability briefs. It is important to caveat, even the lowest-rated materials still meet stringent supply requirements, such as mandatory sourcing from sustainably managed forests. The Carbon Calculator’s rating is intended to highlight the quality and range of available product information, certification and documentation, informing the specifier if data is based on an estimate or actual performance. www.lathamtimber.co.uk