Products/Services
External Wall Insulation
Lightweight Steel Frame Construction
High Performance Rainscreen Cladding
Specialist Rendering Systems
Dry Lining
External Wall Insulation
External Wall Insulation (EWI) is a construction technique which has been used in Continental Europe and the Americas for in excess of 60 years. It was originally introduced into the UK market more than 30 years ago and we therefore have examples in the UK of the successful use of EWI stretching as far back as 1975. At that time it was promoted principally as a product for the refurbishment of Sub-standard Local Authority housing stock.
For this type of scheme, EWI provides many benefits; its principal function is to reduce the heat loss through the walls of solid masonry and system built units thereby reducing bills and meeting ever more stringent Government energy conservation targets. It can also, however, solve a variety of associated problems.
The application of the insulation to the exterior face of the properties often cures long standing condensation, mould and damp ingress issues thereby reducing maintenance costs and generally making the property a much more comfortable place for people to live. Furthermore the aesthetics of a property can be vastly improved by the imaginative use of the wide range of finishes available.
The combined effect of these benefits has often meant that such schemes have been responsible for the betterment of the general environment leading to improvement in community spirit and increased civic pride.
All of these benefits can be achieved without having to decant families from the properties offering real financial and human benefits.
It soon became obvious that EWI technology could be applied across the whole spectrum of construction and thousands of buildings in the commercial, health, eductaion, public and private sectors in low, medium and high rise categories have now benefited.
Outside of the UK EWI has long been used in the construction of new buildings in all sectors. Although it is a far more recent development here, the use of EWI technology in new buildings has seen phenomenal growth in the last 5-10 years.
Building Regulations have steadily increased energy conservation standards making many more traditional construction methods unviable. Architects have sought to increase the variety and visual impact of façades within the usual constraints on time and cash required by Clients.
In this environment EWI has emerged as one of the principal solutions to modern façade construction.
It can be applied to virtually any background providing flexibility of application and appearance, low maintenance and longevity and dovetailing perfectly with fast track building solutions.
External Wall Insulation offers a variety of different insulants in thicknesses to suit most circumstances together with appropriate fixing systems. An ever expanding range of finishings is also available from dry-dash through modern acrylic and silicone based renders to scratch plasters, tiles, and brick and stone simulation.
George Howe Ltd. is one of the longest established applicators of External Wall Insulation in the UK working alongside the market leading system designers to provide satisfaction and security for our Clients.
For further information contact us via the details on the contacts page.
Lightweight Steel Frame Construction
Lightweight steel frame building systems are used to construct infill and continuous walling, low rise stand alone buildings and separating walls. The benefits of this method of construction are:-
• Complete design flexibility.
• Fast-track construction (the frames can also be panellised off-site where appropriate).
• Significant reductions in dead loadings over more traditional methods.
• Dry construction means less moisture in the structure – reduced shrinkage and movement.
Together with selection of the appropriate cladding systems Lightweight Steel Frame can provide the required thermal, acoustic and fire performance levels whilst reducing build periods and ultimately project costs.
George Howe Ltd. work alongside our experienced partners in the sector to provide the complete design and construction service all backed up by Professional Indemnity insurance to give our Clients the confidence they need.
For further information contact us via the details on the contacts page.
High Performance Rainscreen Cladding
Rainscreen cladding systems have been developed to service the ever changing face of architectural and building demands for more flexible and economic solutions which maintain aesthetic quality and technical performance.
A rainscreen system will consist of a decorative outer panel fixed to a variable sub-frame, a ventilated cavity and an inner leaf.
The principle of rainscreen cladding is to allow the ingress of air at the base of the system and the egress of air at the top of the system. The majority of water is simply deflected off the face of the façade but a continuous vertical ventilated cavity allows any water which penetrates the panel joints to be removed by the 'stack effect' and by running down the rear face of the panels or the inner face of the cavity and out at the base of the system.
Rainscreen systems differ from sealed façades in that they utilise the effects of air movement within the cavity. A rainscreen system is pressure equalized; the joints are open or slightly baffled allowing pressure equalization in driving rain conditions to be instantaneous. Pressure inside the cavity is equal to pressure outside the cavity leaving no impetus for moisture to be driven into the structure.
Rainscreen systems can be designed to take account of the necessary thermal, sound and fire performance characteristics of the wall and the versatility of the various sub-frames, thus providing flexibility in fitting the system alongside adjacent solutions. The systems are suitable for use in new-build, refurbishment and restoration projects.
A wide range of cladding materials are available including tiles, decorative laminates, glass, metal panels, ceramics, timber, stone and other natural products in varying sizes offering tremendous opportunity for architectural impact.
George Howe Limited offers a full service from conceptual design through to completed installation of a variety of systems.
For further information contact us via the details on the contacts page.
Specialist Rendering Systems
A wide range of high quality render products are now available in the UK market.
Factory based quality control and the supply to sites of ready mixed and pre-batched material has removed much of the potential for human error in the rendering process, an area which has traditionally been a source of failures on a much too regular basis.
This, coupled with the formulation of polymer enhanced cement, acrylic and silicone based renders means that modern materials are technically vastly superior to the more traditional cementitious solutions and offer improvements in the following areas: -
• Flexibility - ability to withstand some structural movement and resistance to cracking.
• Speed of application.
• Self-cleaning properties.
• Wide variety of available finishes.
The quality and variety of the ancillary products developed for use with these renders has also seen major improvements with the introduction of modern materials in the areas of render carriers, beads, trims, sealants and mastic.
Specifiers can be confident that a quality product is available for all applications and George Howe Ltd. are able to offer assistance in choosing the right materials for each situation as well as providing a reliable application service.
For further information contact us via the details on the contacts page.
Internal Drylining
Where appropriate we are able to offer a comprehensive service incorporating full through the wall façade construction together with the design and installation of internal wall linings and partitions. This will include compliance with robust detailing, pre-start design testing or full site testing of installation as appropriate and can be of particular interest in relieving the strain of co-ordination of multiple subcontractor design packages to achieve compliance with current Part L Building Regulations.
George Howe Ltd. also offer a full dry-lining service to developers and contractors in the North East of England only.
For further information contact us via the details on the contacts page.
 |