PREVENTION CHEAPER THAN THE CURE?
- Posted by: by Marie
- Date: 10. May 2012 06:54
Sarah Barsby, Marketing Director for Intastop Ltd explains why door and wall protection is a key item to add to your maintenance itinerary.
As austerity takes grip of the country resulting in the inevitable tightening of purse strings, building owners, operators and estate managers are finding balancing funds against maintenance costs extremely challenging. Understanding the duty of care to ensure their building is fit for purpose and its occupants are comfortable in their environment, more managers are now looking at cost effective products that can help prevent damage, provide durability and offer longevity.
From large scale re-fits through to decorative maintenance, the on-going upkeep programme of many buildings poses differing challenges for estate managers. The diverse nature of public buildings together with their intended use can mean a multitude of considerations for the maintenance itinerary. For example clinical buildings such as hospitals, health centres and medical facilities place huge emphasis on cleanliness and the importance of an infection-free atmosphere. In addition educational buildings experience high traffic areas and have a need for protective products, in particular for doors and walls. In general a product that can offer protection whilst at the same time provide aesthetic qualities for the built environment has to be an essential element to any maintenance programme.
Door Protection
Doors and their surrounding surfaces in busy access zones and high traffic areas are subject to extremely high levels of wear and tear, which can rapidly lead to expensive repairs and frequent repetitive maintenance. By preventing the damage from occurring in the first place the cost of door replacement is greatly reduced plus there is no compromise on safety and security – huge factors to consider in public buildings.
Products on the market include post formed fully clad door sets or frame guards. Both provide an aesthetically pleasing and versatile long-term solution to ugly, hazardous and damaged door surrounds.
Frame guards are designed to protect the pull and push side of door frames as well as the vulnerable rear edge of the door. Key to reducing on-going maintenance costs is the quality of the product that bears all the UK fire safety and EN standards. Leading UK manufacturer of door and wall protection, Intastop Ltd, provides its Rigid Frame Guard in a high quality aluminium that incorporates a PVC-u insert secured into the guard. The standard finish of the guard is in satin anodised aluminium (SAA), however aware of the different commercial finishes required to ensure facilities are refurbished to a high standard, Intastop, provides other anodised finishes or colour coating, including wood effect.
Aesthetics aside choosing the right product for the job is important, looking at the door itself and its operational requirements there are different options available. Slimline guards can be used on frames with no door opening restrictions and for architraves up to 50mm. Alternatively standard guards are ideally suited for the push side of the door and protects both the frame and the rear edge of the door when it is in the open position and are primarily suited for architraves up to 100mm.
Wall Protection
Another element that can help estate managers cut maintenance costs is the protection of walls and corners. Traditionally the upkeep of walls has been with the use of paint, a fresh coat instantly covers scratches and indents caused by general wear and tear. Plus it adds to the general ambience providing aesthetically pleasing surroundings. Yet when damage has been irrevocably made the cost of repair is dramatically increased.
Impact protection sheet and corner guards are products that can provide the aesthetic qualities of paint and paint effect yet offers augmented durability. They benefit from being available ‘off the shelf’ or bespoke. They are highly impact resistant, are class ‘O’ fire rated; tested to BS476 parts 6 and 7 and are also available with a wipe clean anti-graffiti and anti-bacterial coating.
Sarah Barsby, marketing director for Intastop Ltd, commented: “Impact protection sheet is certainly one product where a manager can maximise their budget. The level of investment in the product and time to fit far outweighs continuous maintenance costs. As this product like many in our portfolio is ideal for retrofit projects, it easily enables building protection, performance and functionality to be updated without significant investment or interruption to their normal usage.”
Intastop’s twenty year knowledge and expertise in the healthcare and public sectors has enabled the company to develop a bespoke service. Sarah continued: “It is essential that managers are able to choose a product that is perfect for their building, from size and colour even down to shape. The nature of impact protection sheet means that it is safe and durable and can be made to fit any decorative requirements from a small sign or company logo to a wall mural and even animal characters for a children’s area.”
Advancements in technology and products means that even the most demanding of building can look good whilst providing a cost effective low maintenance solution to its owners and managers.
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Case Study: Continuous Geared Hinges
- Posted by: by Joe
- Date: 1. November 2011 12:06
With traditional knuckle hinges weight and stress is concentrated in three locations causing downward weight overload of the bottom hinge and pulling away of the top hinge, damaging the floor and frame components.
With the Intastop continuous geared hinge, weight and stress is dissipated down the entire hinge and evenly "absorbed" throughout the whole door and frame length.
Unlike conventional continuous hinges, the Intastop hinge is a pinless assembly, so there are no pins to wear out.
Intastop continuous geared hinges have been installed at various Healthcare establishments throughout the UK to help address such door problems.
Here are some comments from existing users:
"We have been using Intastop's continuous geared hinges since 2001 and they have solved numerous door problems including split frames, dropped door leaves, door alignment and damage to floor coverings. We are continuing to use them within the hospital to address any of the above door issues.”
Estates Department, Hull Royal Infirmary
"Continuous geared hinges were fitted to a traditional timber double door set, which could prove to be the busiest of all our doors, some four years ago. There is no discernable play nor has there been need for adjustment, the door opening effort is light and is accurate and effective in closing. A very good and reliable product."
David Groarke, Fire Risk Manager, Stepping Hill Hospital
“The Full Mortise Hinge is regularly specified by the Trust as the preferred option for outward opening single swing doors to bedrooms and en-suites, where a robust fitting with minimal ligature risk is required, and where appropriate can be neatly combined with a jamb mounted concealed closer”.
Capital Development Department, Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Trust,St. Luke’s Hospital
"Prior to the fitting of the continuous geared hinge; joiners constantly called to maintain the door. Since fitting the geared hinge in February 2003 we have had no problems at all with this large none standard door at general theatre which is fitted at Torbay Hospital."
John Rogerson, Fire Safety Manager, South Devon Healthcare NHS Trust
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