In 2018, the Building (Amendment) Regulations 2018 came into force. This banned the use of combustible materials in the external walls of high-rise residential buildings. The move was in response to the Grenfell Tower tragedy and the Government has since promised higher safety standards. External walls encompass not only the outer walls but also the windows and even balcony decking. Unfortunately, this doesn’t leave developers or architects with many design options for decking materials and cladding. Two of the most popular products on the market which achieve a non-combustible rating are aluminium and SHERA.

So, what’s the best option?

While aluminium can be used for traditional decking, you’re more likely to find it on the balcony of a high-rise. There are many reasons why a developer may choose aluminium for their projects to meet building regulations. While it’s said to be waterproof, that doesn’t stop it from making quite a racket when it rains. As the great British weather means rain is more frequent, consider choosing this material carefully if only for the peace of your residents.

Also, aluminium is just a very noisy material by nature. This means it can be quite disruptive even from being walked over. In a highly populated residential building, this could add to high noise levels and complaints from residents.

After the temperatures have reached new heights this summer, you also need to think about metal getting extremely hot. So, this doesn’t make it ideal for standing on, for pets to stand on or to leave furniture on. It’s likely that residents of your latest development won’t be able to enjoy a hot, summery day from their balconies.

SHERA decking is another option for the flooring of balconies and cladding on high-rise buildings. This stylish alternative to traditional decking materials meets the latest building regulations and fire safety advice for the UK balcony market. It is Euroclass A2 fire-rated and has gone through vigorous testing for that classification.

Aluminium is at risk of oxidisation and rust over time. Buildings near coastal towns and cities and even near tidal rivers like the Thames see accelerated deterioration because of this. So, for many contractors building in these areas, SHERA is the go-to choice. That’s because Shera will not oxidise on contact with water due to its water-resistant properties.

Made of fibre cement, SHERA has the natural appearance of a composite or timber board and is available in a range of different colours. Whether you prefer a Modern Grey, Brown Wenge, Tropical Oak, or anything in between, there’s plenty to choose from. This makes up for the lack of style choices available if you choose aluminium decking.

SHERA is also incredibly easy to install and can be attached with a Clip Lock System. That means there’s no need for drilling or screwing while still achieving a neat and seamless finish. If you’re building a medium to high-rise residential building with lots of balconies, this will be a big time-saver.

In choosing SHERA over aluminium, you’re also making the more economical choice. Aluminium is known for its high price point whereas SHERA is more affordable. Plus, with its rot, frost and heat resistant qualities and expected service life of over 50 years — it’s a worthwhile investment. The fibre cement decking board has also been measured for its stability and was found to experience no warping. The decking is also incredibly low maintenance. An annual clean and regular sweep is all it needs to be kept in top condition.

SHERA can also be used to create fire-safe cladding on the external walls of high rises or large buildings. The cladding has all the same fire-resistant qualities as the decking making it stable and easy to maintain.

Whether you’d like your cladding to overlap or be flush against the wall, the choice doesn’t end there. This highly workable material is often the top choice for developers because of its numerous profiles and finishes. Offered in the same variety of colours as the decking boards, you have full say over the colour scheme. Tying in your exterior cladding with your balconies will no doubt make everything look seamless. Plus, as well as looking great, it meets all the same industry-standard building regulations.

Easy to install and durable, SHERA gives developers and architects the ability to create stunning, safe places to live.

Traditional timber and composite decking boards become dangerously slippery when wet or icy and as the result of the build-up of algae and leaves. We have pinpointed the last Saturday in January as the day when ordinary decking is potentially at its most treacherous.

January is the wettest month of the year, with ice more likely as average temperatures drop towards the end of the month. Mean monthly evaporation is at its lowest, causing decking to stay wet for longer. Algae is also most likely to be prevalent during the winter and after a wet spell, while fallen leaves are decomposing and becoming slippery.
Short daylight hours add to the risk and, with people more likely to venture into their gardens at the weekend, this increases the likelihood of accidents.

Gripsure Managing Director Mike Nicholson said: “Despite its many benefits, traditional decking has one major disadvantage: it becomes dangerously slippery when it’s wet. And that’s a big problem, particularly here in the UK where it can make a garden a no-go area for much of the year.

“It’s fair to say that at Gripsure we’re obsessed with the slipperiness of decking. We understand the combination of factors that can make decking dangerous because it’s what we’ve been tackling for more than a decade. We’re not only committed to increasing safety, we also want people to make the most of their outdoor spaces throughout the seasons.

“Our team of decking experts has assessed all the risk factors and the combination of wet, cold weather, damp conditions and rotting leaves and algae creates a perfect storm. We believe Saturday 29 January is the day in 2022 when decking will reach peak slipperiness, putting people at risk of accidents.

“While we created Slippery Decking Day as a light-hearted event, it does have a serious message and we want to highlight the dangers. We hope Slippery Decking Day will make people think about changes they can make to safely enjoy their gardens all year round.”

The slip ratings of surfaces, including decking, are measured using the Pendulum Test Value (PTV), with a rating of more than 36 being regarded as ‘low slip’. Crafted from sustainable timber and aggregate inserts, all Gripsure decking achieves a minimum value of PTV 85, which is classed as ‘very low slip’, and exceeds the British Standard for slip resistance.

Gripsure has experienced a surge in demand from homeowners during the pandemic. We are also proud to have provided our non-slip decking to high-profile customers, including Kew Gardens, the Eden Project, Center Parcs and the University of Cambridge.

#SlipperyDeckingDay2022

Following a recent advice note on balconies on residential buildings from the Ministry of Housing we have seen an increase in queries and enquiries from housing associations, developers, architects and contractors seeking clarification on what fire rating their deck boards need to achieve to meet the current building regulations. In this blog we will explore what prompted the recent advice note, the changes made to the building regulations last year following the Hackett review and what fire rated products Gripsure offer.

A major fire at a six-floor residential building occurred last month in Barking. Fortunately, there was no loss of life. Initial investigations have found that the balconies were poorly designed with no flame retardant treatment used on the softwood timber, the use of multiple small section timbers for decorative purposes around the balconies which inadvertently interlinked the floor levels and neighbouring balconies together and no measure was put in place to control air movement such as the use of soffits. In the opinion of the Timber Trade Federation (TTF) and the Wood Protection Association (WPA), putting all these factors together created an unnecessary fire risk. Their response to the incident can be found on the following here.

BS EN 13501-1 is the European standard for reaction to fire performance of construction products. Independent testing to classify the products against the construction product classification within BS EN 13501-1 include the single flame source test (BS EN 11925-2) and the single burning item (SBI) test (EN 1382). If products pass these two tests, they are then tested further against the non-combustibility test (EN ISO 1182) and gross heat of combustion test (EN ISO 1716).

After testing, products are classified into seven different classifications which include A1 and A2 (Non-combustible and Very Limited combustibility) which are the highest classes. The classifications then run from Euroclass B to Euroclass F for combustible materials with there being great differences between each classification. Timber without any fire retardant added will achieve a minimum of a Euroclass D but can be enhanced with fire retardant treatment or by choosing certain species to achieve Euroclass B or C.

In addition to the A1 to F classifications there are also two additional classifications for classes A2 to D which look at two other fire safety critical factors. These classifications look at smoke production rated from S1 to S3 and the development of burning droplets and/or particles from D0 to D2.

It is also worth noting, that as the majority of composite deck boards are imported into the UK, these products sometimes market themselves as being Class A fire rated against the American ASTM standard which is also used in other areas of the world outside of Europe. Do make sure that if considering these products that their fire ratings comply with BS EN 13501-1 which is the European standard. This standard is much more stringent than the American ASTM Standard so the ratings cannot be compared like for like. For example, we tested our cumaru deck boards (a tropical hardwood) which achieved a class A rating against the ASTM standard but only achieved a Euroclass C rating against the European standard.

Following the Grenfell Tower tragedy, the government commissioned the Hackett review. The report was an independent review of the building regulations and fire safety and set out over 50 recommendations. The full report or summary can be found here. The report found there was ignorance, indifference, lack of clarity on roles and responsibilities and inadequate regulatory oversight and enforcement tools.

On the back of the report, an impact assessment was presented to parliament in November 2018 reviewing two options – a do-nothing option where the existing building regulations would remain (products with any fire classification could be used on balconies regardless of building height) or a second option which proposed the ban of all but non-combustible products (A minimum of a Euroclass A2-S1, D0 rating) on residential buildings over 18 metres to allow people enough time in high rise buildings to escape in the event of a fire. The government voted to approve the proposed ban and an amendment to the regulations came into force on the 21st of December 2018 which can be found on this link – most recent amendment to the building regulations.

The amendment only effects high-rise buildings over 18 metres and at present only aluminium decking systems can meet the A2 classification. For buildings under 18 metres the former regulations can still be applied where deck boards without a fire rating can be used. Even so, we are seeing all parties within our industry increasingly request a minimum of a Euroclass B to ensure even these type of projects have a fire rated product (the highest a timber or composite product can achieve).

Deck boards used on balconies on high-rise residential projects didn’t previously require any form of fire rating as it was argued that a balcony was an external fixing to the building. Fires however, can be started on balconies, most commonly because of arson, not disposing of cigarettes properly and the use of barbeques.

Poorly designed balconies can have uncontrolled airflow which will fuel flames in the event of a fire with oxygen, timber/composite products with a low fire rating (Euroclass D or below) and decorative small section timbers used for balustrading and cladding of vertical uprights which interlink balconies together can create an unnecessary fire risk.

Gripsure is an authorised distributor of SHERA decking, a long-lasting and low maintenance fibre cement deck board achieving A2-S1,D0 and A1fl ratings against BS EN13501-1. This non-combustible product meets the latest building regulations and fire safety advice, therefore, making it an ideal choice for balconies, terraces and rooftops on medium to high rise residential schemes. In addition to this, SHERA also benefits from being: easy to install, highly durable, attractive with a natural timber appearance, frost resistant, water resistant, heat resistant, stable with no warping, resistant to rotting and incredibly long-lasting, with an expected service life of 50+ years.

For applications which have a requirement for a deck board with a Euroclass B fire rating against BS EN 13501 we would recommend our Bamboo range which meets this rating without the need for external fire treatment. Combined with the highest fire rating a timber or composite product can achieve, the range also boasts class one durability against BS EN 350-2 with an expected service life of over 35 years. The boards have virtually no dimensional movement and are supplied with side grooves so a secret fix deck clip system can be used and a T&G system on the end of the boards creates seamless lengths.

Moso bamboo also has the best environmental credentials on the market. Moso Bamboo is the fastest growing plant in the world and can be harvested in just 4-5 years. In well managed forests around 20% of the poles are harvested each year from the mother plant which makes way for younger shoots to flourish. When compared to traditional timbers a much greater yield can be achieved in the same area of forest over a set period which also means more carbon is stored and taken out of the atmosphere. The product does not contain polyurethane (a plastic) which is prevalent in composite deck boards. Although the polyurethane may come from recycled sources, the plastic will last for hundreds of years after the useful service life of the deck board. The whole life cycle of a product needs to be considered with research at design stage becoming increasingly common.

Gripsure’s range of softwood timbers can be externally fire treated by a ISO9001 accredited specialist fire treatment company to improve the fire rating of the product from Euroclass D to either Euroclass B or C. The timbers which can be upgraded include our redwood, thermowood Ash and Accoya deck boards. As hardwoods are so dense, they cannot be externally fire treated as the treatment will not penetrate the timber. We have independently tested our Cumaru deck boards and this product achieved a Euroclass C rating.

A striking new path has opened at Cambridge University garden. The Rising Path brings a new perspective to the gardens Victorian-era Systematic Beds revitalising their relevance for researchers, teachers and visitors. The path structure has been designed by Chadwick Dryer Clarke Studio to inspire and intrigue visitors, leading them along a gently sloping pathway that spirals through the maturing conifer collection of the New Pinetum. The path ends at a three-metre high viewpoint of the Systematic Beds, which were first laid out in 1845 to demonstrate the science of plant classification.

The majority of the structure is built from Accoya^® wood including over 1,300 linear metres of non-slip decking supplied by Gripsure. Along the pathway sections of custom non-slip decking display graphic interpretations, highlighting significant evolutionary innovations of plants, telling the story of plant taxonomy.

Below the pathway is an interpretation hub with engaging displays drawn from the Garden’s archives to encourage visitors to explore the Systematic Beds further telling the story of plant diversity.

The rising path opens to the public on the 22nd of September 2018.