Somerset-based M P Plastering has a wealth of experience in the application of sprayed renders and external wall insulation. Training plays an integral part of its strategy to improve the skills of its workforce and has been instrumental in securing work with Cotswold Homes.
Training plays an important role at M P Plastering and managing director Mark Pickthall personally invests in regular training for himself and his expanding team. He said: “All our jobs come with written specifications and guarantees so it is essential that we ensure exemplary standards of craftsmanship if we are to be considered for more work in the future.”
In maintaining these standards Mr Pickthall and members of his 35-strong team have undertaken on-site training provided by Saint-Gobain Weber to install floors using their existing render pumps to apply screed to floors. They have also undertaken training in floor screed application at the Saint-Gobain Technical Academy in Flitwick.
“Expanding the services we can offer has given us the opportunity to tender for both rendering and flooring contracts on some of the bigger projects,” said Mr Pickthall.
A perfect example is the contract M P Plastering has won from Cotswold Homes Limited, a prestigious property developer dedicated to delivering quality new homes in the South West, at their Corsham Rise development in Bath.
Guy Edge, head of construction, Cotswold Homes, said: “We’ve got a great relationship with Mark Pickthall of M P Plastering. He and his team have been involved in some outstanding render applications over the years; while he champions the Weber brand, Cotswold Homes share this opinion.”
The concrete floors in the kitchens and bathrooms required perfect levelling in preparation for a tile covering. Here weberfloor 4716, an acrylic primer for use with Weber’s flooring systems and products, has been brush applied to the concrete substrate.
M P Plastering then followed with a pump-applied application of weberfloor 4150 fine flow at an average thickness of 10mm. This levelling compound, designed for application at thicknesses between 2 to 30mm, is formulated to combine consistent and reliable drying characteristics with strength and durability. It is supplied as a pre-blended dry powder and designed specifically for renovation of existing solid floors in domestic and commercial applications.
Weberfloor 4150 fine flow is suitable for covering with a wide variety of finishes including tiles, carpets, flexible floor coverings and parquet flooring. weberfloor 4150 fine flow has excellent spreading and smoothing characteristics, has low alkalinity and low emissions during drying, is casein-free and manufactured to BSI Quality Assurance Scheme ISO 9001 in the UK.
Weber’s floor screeds have been developed for optimum speed, durability, strength and smoothness, essential for allowing early access by following trades that contribute to project efficiencies and the fastest possible completion times. Here the use of proven, pumpable screeds, that harden rapidly and are self-smoothing, will achieve durable surfaces that are ready for foot traffic in just 2 to 4 hours after application. “In this project the floors were ready for light foot traffic in 4 hours and ready for covering a week later,” commented Mr Pickthall. “My real love is using render as you can see it and admire it for years to come. With floor screed it is hidden by a variety of coverings and completely hidden from sight, that’s the nature of the product.”
