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View Neaco products with our 360-degree panorama

Neaco recently launched our new Media Suite featuring a building fly-through video which takes in a wide range of  products from our acclaimed portfolio, including projecting balconies, Juliet balconies, solar shading louvres, balustrade, structural glass, aluminium grille flooring, bathroom grab rails, shower seats, half-height shower doors and true-level-access shower grilles. It provides a tantalising taste of the variety of contemporary architectural applications which Neaco manufacture and supply. If you’d like to linger a little longer than this flying visit, we’ve produced a  360-degree panorama of the building’s atrium space (below) which includes our Spectrum Duplex balustrade to the mezzanine floor and our Clearline structural glass with Techdek grille flooring to the stairwell. It gives you a chance to look around and take in the view in your own time. The virtual camera is located on the stairwell and you can click and drag up, down, left or right to change your viewing angle. We hope you enjoy the view – please get in touch if you’d like to know more about any of the products on show.

LED lighting adds atmospheric touch to balustrade

Architects and interior designers can add an atmospheric touch to their scheme with Neaco’s contemporary balustrade featuring integral LED lighting.

The LED under-lighting can be specified as part of a multitude of modular design options including a comprehensive choice of infills, from toughened glass and rails to mesh, tension wire and perforated panels. Aluminium balustrade is available in a wide variety of solid and metallic finishes and the Spectrum range also includes free-standing structural glass, glass-panelled Juliet balconies and glass-panelled walk-on balconies.

Neaco’s National Sales Manager, Peter Melia, said: “The LED under-lighting is another impressive example of the superior architectural aesthetic which characterises our Spectrum balustrade range. The company boasts a rich pedigree in design innovation. We’ve introduced some exceptionally popular product developments in recent years, including Timberline,  a wood-effect aluminium balustrade system with a powder coated finish which reproduces the intricate detailing of natural oak grain, and Neatdek 188 aluminium decking with concealed drainage gaps below the surface to provide an unrivalled combination of privacy, low maintenance and safety underfoot.”

 

Mobility focus: advice on level-access showers

The term ‘level-access shower’ is often used in the context of adaptive bathing, but in our opinion it’s often misused too. Its rather elastic definition is open to interpretation. These interpretations are often misleading and, as a result, many people end up with a shower facility which is unsuitable for their mobility needs. At Neaco, we have a clear, two-part definition for what we would describe as true level-access:

1) completely unobstructed level-access

2) a gradient-free showering area

 

The first half of that definition seems obvious, but it’s important to point out that many so-called level-access showers don’t provide completely level-access. In other words, the bottom surface of the tray may be flush to the floor level, but it’s partitioned from the rest of the bathroom by a small outer ridge or lip which prevents the spread of water. It’s also frequently claimed that a small ramped surround provides level-access, but this requires a sloped surface which contradicts the second half of our definition about a gradient-free area. The same rule applies to wet-room showers – whilst no slopes are required to provide access, the showering area itself requires a slope to drain the water and prevent pooling.

So why do these distinctions matter? They’re especially important for wheelchair users – having to ascend a cumbersome ramp, overcome a ridge or mind a slope are three extra tasks which bring unnecessary complications to a bathing routine. With true level-access facilities, they’re taken out of the equation.

Neaco have been pioneers and advocates of true level-access for decades. Our Neatdek 3 shower grille system is the only product on the market that meets the two key criteria for true level-access: the grille is laid completely gradient-free and a drainage catchment tray is installed below the floor to allow the grille to sit completely flush to the floor level. The grille’s T-bar profile has a 74% foot contact area but  its excellent drainage capability can accommodate high-output power showers, which negates the need for a surrounding lip to prevent the spread of water. This creates a completely smooth and even transition between the showering area and the rest of the bathroom floor.

level access showers

 

Neatdek 3’s gradient-free quality can also be a significant advantage in terms of safety and hygiene. In wet-floor showers the water can spread across the whole of the bathroom, creating increased risk of slipping and an unclean floor. In contrast, Neatdek 3 keeps the water within the designated showering area, often with assistance from our Aluseal half-height shower doors. The normal sources of blockages (such as flannels) are safely prevented from obstructing the waste outlet by the grille structure. Manufactured from lightweight aluminium and divided into half sections with a T-bar depth reduced to 19mm, the grilles are light and easy to lift, remove and replace for cleaning. We can offer a textured coating option to increase grip.

 

Neatdek 3 also offers these superb features and benefits:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As an integral part of the bathroom floor and a smooth continuation of its surface area, Neatdek 3 is physically and visually unobtrusive, so the system brings subtle aesthetic virtues to add to its many practical qualities. If you’re looking for a facility to be enjoyed and admired by bathroom users of all ages and mobility levels, we believe that Neatdek 3 will offer you a unique combination of attributes. We would certainly advise that, if you’re in the process of researching “level-access” showers, it would be instructive to assess them in the context of the true level-access yardstick which Neatdek 3 represents. If you’d like to discuss your bathroom deisgn needs in more detail, please contact our friendly team of advisors.

Seafaring really floats Jolly Roger’s boat!

Welcome to Part Two of Out of Hours, our new feature which throws a spotlight on the hobbies, diversions and passions of our staff in their spare time – revealing different sides, hidden depths and alter-egos which may surprise many of our customers.

roger-buxtonAfter taking an adrenaline ride on the steep slopes of downhill racing with Dan Verity in Part One, we embark for life on the ocean waves to see what floats the boat of  our Installations Manager, Roger Buxton. A seafarer of considerable experience, Roger has been sailing for over 35 years and for the last three years he has been Vice Commodore at Scarborough Yacht Club.  Jolly Roger is no pirate – as Vice Commodore he is responsible for all the club’s sailing and on-water activities and he is expected to become Commodore in March next year. His current yacht, Valkyrie (pictured below) is the seventh boat that Roger has owned.

We don’t want to go overboard with our praise, but Roger’s sailing CV is pretty impressive. He has done over 30 North Sea crossings, including one trip in a boat which, at just 17 feet, was the smallest on record to complete the return journey, raising £3,500 for charity in the process. Roger has taken part in five Round the Island races (circumnavigating Isle of Wight) as well as the Round Britain and Ireland race which – as the title suggests – circumnavigates the British Isles, covering a distance of almost 3000 miles.  Scarborough Yacht Club also have an annual race across the North Sea, from Scarborough to Ijmuiden, following the entrance to North Sea Canal up to Amsterdam. In summer they race most weekends around the bay at Scarborough and in winter they race every two weeks.

Roger has certainly notched up some nautical mileage, but it’s not all been plain sailing, as he explains: “With my last boat, Shameless, I was washed overboard on a race back from Whitby in 2011, when the wind got up to force nine.  I ended up in the water for over half an hour. I was eventually rescued by lifeboat, and subsequently air lifted to hospital with hyperthermia, but most weekends are more relaxing than that!”
“Sailing is a fantastic sport. It’s man against the elements and enables me to properly relax without thoughts of balustrade and structural glass popping into my head! Sailing is also a very pleasant way of travelling from one pub to another. Scarborough Yacht Club is always keen to welcome new members, so if anyone is interested in joining they can come along and visit us at the clubhouse, situated in the lighthouse buildings at Scarborough.”

Further information about Scarborough Yacht Club is available at www.syc.org.uk

 

sailing

 

Why aluminium grilles are the way forward

 

A range of metals and materials can be used for mesh flooring, decking, grating, balconies and industrial flooring. However, there are a number of compelling reasons why aluminium grilles are the most suitable choice for these types of architectural applications. Many of them represent clear advantages over one of aluminium’s main rivals, GRP (glass reinforced plastics).

Greater durability and lower maintenance

One of aluminium’s great strengths is its durability – a vital attribute in industrial environments. Unlike many other metals, it’s corrosive-free (with time it will generate a protective oxide film coating giving excellent resistance to corrosion) so you don’t need to be concerned about deterioration through rust. For decking and balcony flooring it’s a far more durable solution than timber, which is prone to rotting and fluctuations in temperature which cause it to expand and contract, thereby damaging its fabric. Aluminium is an inert metal. It’s non-toxic, non-combustible and completely impermeable. These many qualities add up to a virtually maintenance-free installation for all types of mesh flooring.

Bespoke manufacturing/sizing

neatdekUnlike GRP, aluminium is ideally suited to precision engineering which means that bespoke sizes, profiles and features can be manufactured to incorporate special performance requirements such as anti-slip surfaces. Mesh flooring designs can be developed to maximise drainage capability with a combination of open and closed construction – for example, Neaco’s Neatdek system has a T-bar grille profile (left) which has a 74% contact area yet disperses water quickly and efficiently. In balcony applications, this avoids the need for drainpipes and soffits, saving on cost whilst enabling a more minimalist aesthetic.

Higher strength

Aluminium is stronger than materials such as GRP and requires less steelwork to support it – again contributing to a more minimalist aesthetic. Aluminium is 1/3 of the weight of steel but has excellent load-bearing capability. Its structural efficiency can be further enhanced by applying clever design and the aforementioned precision engineering: Neaco’s systems feature a patented swage-locked construction which passes the swage bar through the load bar without cutting into the top or bottom edge, thus providing a mash flooring panel of great rigidity and strength.

Superior colour retention

Aluminium retains its colour extremely well, unlike GRP which is prone to bleaching with prolonged exposure to sunlight. You can install aluminium grilles in exposed locations in the knowledge that in years to come they won’t undergo a gradual transformation in appearance which is at odds with the rest of your building. Aluminium’s aesthetically pleasing properties can be further enhanced with powder coating.

Avoidance of moss

One of aluminium’s clearest advantages over materials such as timber and GRP is the absence of moss and lichen. Wood is prone to the spread of spores and so is GRP as it contains elements of timber. As well as being unsightly, this can be dangerous as moss and lichen create an extremely slippery surface.

Environmentally friendly

Aluminium’s combination of attributes makes it one of the most eco-friendly metals. It’s 100% recyclable, with no downgrading of its properties, and very little energy is required for re-melting. Aluminium has a high residual value, so it provides better environmental performance across the lifecycle of a building. Being 1/3 the weight of steel means it’s easy to handle, thereby saving on manpower. If you choose aluminium (or other metal) flooring, make sure that its construction requires no welding or hot works for assembly, thereby reducing noise, mess and energy consumption on site. Neaco’s systems are designed to provide this with a fast, efficient ‘dry’ installation which also reduces time spent on site.

 

 

Take a flying visit through a Neaco building!

If you’re not familiar with Neaco’s products and need a quick introduction, our new fly-through video is the perfect place to start. It takes in a wide range of  products from our acclaimed portfolio, including projecting balconies, Juliet balconies, solar shading louvres, balustrade, structural glass, aluminium grille flooring, bathroom grab rails, shower seats, half-height shower doors and true-level-access shower grilles. Hopefully this video gives you a taste of the visual appeal and sheer variety of contemporary architectural applications which are precision engineered at our factory in North Yorkshire. We’ll soon be launchinga new Media Suite featuring a range of videos, so please come back soon for more updates!