Southend rainscreen cladding

As well as the fire protection projects for which the company is well-known, Sharpfibre is approved and licensed to install rainscreen cladding systems. At Beaumont Court & Richmond House in Southend on Sea, Sharpfibre provided and installed nearly 11,000m2 of fire-rated rainscreen cladding.

Beaumont Court and Richmond House on Victoria Avenue in Southend on Sea comprises 280 apartments, a gym and commercial in a large development close to the town’s main railway station. Sharpfibre was brought in at an early stage to work with architect SKARCHITECTS for the conversion of a run down former office building into a high end residential development. The striking rainscreen cladding was, from the outset, an important part of the building’s finished design style.

Rainscreen cladding plays a number of important functions of the building: the cavity created by the cladding serves to not only prevent rain from coming into contact with the structural wall, but also improves thermal insulation, reducing energy losses. Lower temperature fluctuations also serve to minimise movement to the load-bearing structure. For this reason, the materials used in the construction of rainscreen cladding are tested rigorously to ensure appropriate behaviour under fire conditions, and contractors fixing rainscreen cladding must comply to the highest standards. As active members of the Association of Specialist Fire Protection (ASFP) and FIRAS-accredited contractor, Sharpfibre’s’ expertise, built up over decades, makes it well placed to install high profile rainscreen cladding projects like Beaumont Court & Richmond House.

Working closely with the architect and main contractor Randall Watts, Sharpfibre designed a rainscreen cladding system based on over 10,960m2 Structural Framing System (SFS), and the Nvelope Aluminium Helping Hand support framework. This was clad with Marley Extex Equitone Tectiva Calico Cement Fibre Panels, and RockPanel FS-Xtra Mineral Rust Panels to create the building’s prominent multi-coloured façade.

Sharpfibre, an award-winning fire protection contractor based in Essex, servicing projects across the UK and beyond is an approved installer of the leading cladding manufacturers in Europe, including Marley Eternit, TRESPA and Nvelope to offer customers the perfect solution for any build specification. Since its establishment in 1987, Sharpfibre has built up the expertise and experience to deliver complete passive fire protection packages, completed to the highest standards of quality and safety, within budget and on programme time.Here are the five most common mistakes we, as fire protection specialists, encounter when we are out on site. Sometimes it is caused right at the beginning of the process with incorrect specification, often it happens at the installation stage, and sometimes the problems arise because of inadequate or non-existent inspection protocols.