Prize winning installation takes away design blues

The old adage that you can’t keep all of the people happy all of the time is normally true, but Staffordshire based Alsecco (UK) Ltd is proving otherwise. Its recent project supplying external wall insulation for properties on Margate’s Millmead Estate has proved to be such a success that it has won the 2005 INCA (Insulation & Cladding Association) prize for social housing refurbishment.

Commissioned by Mark Galloway from Thanet District Council, the Alsecco application involved flexible bricks and Silitect on EPS in order to bring the houses in line with Decent Homes Standard requirements and the latest thermal values. Thanet boasts an impressive record in terms of SAP Ratings on its social housing stock, being the third best in the country with a level of 75. The Alsecco product’s ability to achieve these ratings was a consideration for Galloway, who has been specifying Alsecco for more than five years. “Not only does the product range offer great choice, the guarantees and certification mean that we can specify with peace of mind.”

The Millmead Estate project is a particularly interesting one insofar as both the council and the residents wanted an external façade that would combine great performance with kerb appeal. Originally finished in grey concrete, the houses were certainly an example of function over form; Alsecco was able to provide a bright and aesthetically pleasing solution in blue and ivory, giving the environment a real face-lift. “So often we are asked to apply white render onto external wall insulation, but few people realise that the combination of finishes available is as broad as your imagination,” commented Geoff Barber, Regional Technical Manager for Alsecco. “The transformation of Millmead is testimony to Thanet’s visionary approach and is one we are happy to indulge.”

So far Alsecco has supplied facades to four projects in Thanet, from high rise tower blocks, civil buildings and low rise houses and is now working closely together on a fifth. A key factor to this continued success is the strength and depth of Alsecco’s technical support coupled with ease of application. Furthermore, having eradicated the need for expansion joints, insulation and render can be put onto the buildings quickly and easily, meaning that costs and timings can be more readily calculated. “Technical support is a major consideration when specifying projects such as Millmead as we need to have absolute confidence in the products and the accompanying service,” says Galloway. “We know that Alsecco will make regular site visits and, in the case of an unforeseen problem, will quickly propose solutions to overcome it.”