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All Project Categories Projects Suspended Ceilings Toilet Refurbishment

Horrendous Fire Damage Restoration in Swindon

Horrendous Fire Damage Restoration in Swindon
The first toilet where the fire broke out.

Client: Keningtons LLP
Value: £11k

It’s not often we are requested to undertake fire damage restoration, and we hope that this is because we take the matter of fire protection very seriously at Cre8tive Interiors. Fire protection is part of the Building Regulations which is something we need to be aware of in every project. We have worked on many projects that involve replacing fire doors (click here to see why we replaced the fire doors in Allied Computer Systems) or installing fire protection to a mezzanine floor (click here if you have a mezzanine floor).

We were contacted by Keningtons LLP after something caught fire in the bin of the ladies’ toilet within one of the offices they manage. Luckily it was put out quickly because it was contained in a small space, but the fire damage caused by such a small fire was frightening. Working with Keningtons LLP and the insurance company we were tasked with restoring the toilets to the original condition.  

Initial Visit

At the first visit we could see immediately that the fire had caused a great deal of damage despite only being a small fire and being extinguished quickly.

The fire started in a small bin in one of the toilets which had completely melted along with half of the toilet seat and the towel dispenser that was above it. The suspended ceiling had given way and collapsed and all of the insulation above was black from the smoke. The walls, floors, doors and even the appliances were coated in a thick layer of soot from the smoke. The fire damage wasn’t as extensive in the second toilet, where the door had obviously been closed, but there was still a lot of soot from the smoke. The smoke damage extended out into the hallways where it had coated the suspended ceiling and walls in layers of soot.

As we went through we took note of all the fire damaged areas that would need replacing.

  • The vinyl flooring was melted in places.
  • The toilet, soil pipe and boxing in was badly damaged.
  • The plastic towel dispenser was destroyed.
  • The walls were coated in a thick layer of soot.
  • The appliances were very badly soiled from the smoke.
  • The plastic grill in the door was melted and the doors and handles were all badly soiled.
  • The suspended ceiling was destroyed and badly soiled in other areas.
  • One light had completely melted, the others were badly soiled and the wiring needed replacing.
  • Both of the skylights were black with soot.
  • The extractor fans were badly damaged and the ducts were full of soot.
  • The insulation above the ceiling was black along with the fire barriers.
  • The walls and suspended ceiling in the hallway were all soiled from smoke.

Fire damage is absolutely devastating and extends much further than you would think. Smoke penetrates very small holes and spreads the soot everywhere which is difficult to get rid of.

View into the fire damaged toilets and storage area.

The first toilet where the fire broke out had the worst fire damage.

The first toilet where the fire broke out.

The suspended ceiling and skylight damaged by the fire.

The appliances in the storage area.

The second toilet was more smoke damaged than fire damaged.

The lighting and electrics had all been damaged by the fire.

The walls and ceiling in the hallway were damaged by the smoke.

The soot from the smoke covered the skylight even in the hallway.

Fire Damage Restoration in Progress

One of the main things we had to consider when restoring the fire damage was how to minimize the spread of soot. The office was on the third floor above a high street so the rubbish had to be transported a considerable distance just to remove it from the premises. We used plenty of floor protection to make a safe route to the closest exit at the front of the building; everything then had to be carried around a side alley to the skip at the rear. The flooring, ceiling, insulation and any badly fire damaged items were removed first using plastic rubble sacks. The toilets were then given a deep clean and a layer of paint first which stopped any more soot being spread.

Temporary site lighting until the electrics were replaced.

The old suspended ceiling was removed.

New electric cables and ducts were installed.

Pipework was repaired and boxing was rebuilt.

Re-decorating in such a cramped space with only site lighting was difficult.

Suspended ceiling with LED lights.

Suspended ceiling replaced in the hallway.

Suspended ceiling replaced in the toilets.

New LED lights installed in the toilets.

PIR occupancy sensors were installed in the toilets.

The carpet in the hallway was replaced.

New toilets and sinks were installed like-for-like.

Anti-slip vinyl flooring was installed throughout the toilets.

New toilets and sinks were installed like-for-like.

Extractor fans were replaced and installed.

Completed Project Photographs

The insurance company specified replacements that were like-for-like because this was a fire damage restoration project. We normally prefer to install modern dual-flush toilets and more efficient hand dryers. The tenants within the building asked us to install LED lights in the toilets and hallway separately for energy efficiency. We were happy to do this as it is much better for the environment and they paid the balance on this.

The toilets look brighter and cleaner than ever before. With all new sanitaryware and LED lighting and being freshly decorated we have not only restored the fire damage, but made the toilets better than before.

Finished view into the toilets.

The second toilet ready for use again.

New sink tap and pipework.

One of the toilets with new tiles.

New bin and door grille installed.

Summary on Fire Damage Restoration

  1. Using floor protection and common sense we can reduce the spread of soot into the office.
  2. We look past the obvious fire damage and figure the true extent of the damage.
  3. We work hard to find like-for-like replacements to match the original fixtures.
  4. When replacing items we can use this as an opportunity to upgrade for energy efficient options.
  5. Proper site lighting and equipment allows us to work in the space straight away and get it clean before the electricians replace the wiring.

Questions on Fire Damage Restoration or Fire Protection

If you are not sure about whether you have adequate fire protection then we will be more than happy to offer honest advice. The safety of your staff is very important to us, please give us a call on 01380 738844.

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All Project Categories Partitioning Projects

New Office Fit Out at Greenways in Chippenham

New Office Fit Out at Greenways in Chippenham
Finished offices

Client: John Guest Limited
Value: £15k

John Guest Ltd planned to open a new office in Chippenham and contacted Cre8tive Interiors to carry out an office fit out service. They needed the space designed, costed and carried out. The potential office was in good condition; it had new carpets, air conditioning and lighting and therefore was a blank canvas for Cre8tive.

The first task was to survey the existing space and understand the requirements for the new office. There was a short list and the shape of the room meant there were some logical positions for things. We also knew the building very well as we have previously fitted a kitchen for Volutio many years ago. We then stripped it out and fitted out some partitions and offices for Deltenna limited. We then stripped this out for them when they left and carried out the dilapidation work for them also in this same office space. There were some problems in locating the supplies but because we knew the building well we completed this easily.

We also knew there were issues with the hot and cold water tanks in the roof so we advised John Guest. An office fit out can include many things. The scope of work for this project included:

  1. Complete office fit out.
  2. CDM work: we were designated Principle Contractor for the work, so carried out Risk Assessments and Method statements for the work.
  3. Drawing and layout work detailing the specifications.
  4. New kitchen
  5. New office partitioning
  6. Construction of Server room with air conditioning
  7. Construction of two offices and a meeting room.
  8. Moving of electrical power boxes, additional electrics and data cabling.
  9. Completion in 3 weeks.

Existing Office Space

We did not have any pictures of the area before we actually started, the ones above are on the first day on the start of work. As you can see there are some cables and pipes for the air conditioning.

Office fit out Construction Photographs.

Although we have been fitting offices for the last 20 years or so, we get so much enjoyment in seeing the transformation from a blank space through to the final completion. The progression is always interesting, seeing the pile of bits laying neatly on the floor, stacked in order for the demountable partitions to seeing the forming the walls to the end result.

Seeing everyone busy and working together and keeping the space tidy, and having a bit of fun on site as well all makes the time go really quickly.

Final Photographs

We used demountable partitioning on this project. By using demountable office partitioning we created some additional office space for the customer and it also gives the flexibility to the customer to alter the walls with very little cost in the future. There are some other advantages listed below;

Summary on Demountable Partitioning?

  1. Using Demountable Partitioning is very tax efficient as they are seen as movable items and so can be treated differently in writing down allowances in the accounts. Please click the link for more information on demountable partitioning.
  2. We can also lease Demountable Partitioning as they are movable, this spreads the costs of having the work done as Demountable Partitions always cost more than customers think.
  3. Leasing of demountable partitioning is very tax efficient and Cre8tive can provide illustrations, please contact us for further information.
  4. Most landlords insist on Demountable Partitions being used for offices as it is much easier to take them out should the tenant renting the space leave for any reason. The benefit is that is saves making a huge amount of mess and destruction that would be need with a conventional stud and plasterboard constructed wall.

Questions on additional offices?

If you are not sure about anything as well as taking about all kinds of partitioning including Demountable we love to talk about projects and sort out problems and issues with space, please give us a call on 01380 738844

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All Project Categories Suspended Ceilings

Shower Area Suspended Ceiling in Sports Centre in Calne

Shower Area Suspended Ceiling in Sports Centre in Calne

Client: St Mary’s Sports Centre
Value: £3k

The suspended ceiling at St Mary’s Sports Centre was part of a larger refurbishment of their swimming pool changing rooms. The type of suspended ceiling installed needs to be a special non-corrosive grid along with moisture resistant tiles to withstand the humid conditions above the shower cubicles.

The Old Suspended Ceiling

The existing ceiling was clearly in a bad state with rust appearing above the showers, and bubbling in the tiles where they had lost their moisture resistance. The old ceiling had a very dated shadow batten around the edge and had been damaged in various places over the years.

Work out what is needed

Sometimes the customer does not see this, but we do actually draw every single project. The purpose of this drawing is twofold, the first is to work out the materials, but the second is for the fitter to see how to work out the center lines of the grid pattern to help him set out all the runners.

The New Suspended Ceiling

The new ceiling had to be a specific non-corrosive grid which is designed for wet areas and will not rust over time. The ceiling tiles are also special moisture resistant tiles which prevents the tiles from absorbing moisture and sagging due to the weight.

There are many different types of suspended ceiling; the type used in many shops and some offices consist of a metal frame with plasterboard underneath. Please read this page if you would like to find out more about ceilings.

The installation at St Mary Sport Centre was part of a bigger project refurbishing the changing rooms and we worked with the client splitting the install into two parts to keep one half operational whilst the other half was being worked on.

Suspended Ceiling Challenges

There are many different types of suspended ceilings and the huge range of tiles from which to choose can be quite confusing. The current trend is to focus on sound performance within the office and this can be dealt with by using a special type of tile.

Suspended ceilings are used for a number of reasons. They are quick to install and mean that all the services required for offices such as pipework for plumbing and air conditioning, as well as power and data, can be hidden out of sight. Access to the services is also much easier than using a traditional plasterboard or MF type ceiling as the ceiling tiles just need to be lifted from the grid.

There are many offices with old fissured tiles, with sagging tiles and a mottled grey look, they make the office look very dated. We prefer to use plain white tiles which give a fresh, clean finish.

Questions about Suspended Ceilings

We have been supplying and fitting suspended ceiling systems as part of our main refurbishment projects for a number of years. We can therefore answer any questions that you might have about suspended ceilings. Please give us a call on 01380 73 88 44.

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All Project Categories Featured

Fire Door Upgrade and Replacement Program

Fire Door Upgrade and Replacement Program
Another pair installed

Client: Advanced Computer Systems
Value: £7.9k

This client occupies a three storey building, each floor has landings and fire doors into those landings on each floor from each flight of stairs. As a result of a fire risk assessment, it was noted that there were too many gaps around the doors to meet current regulations, and the gaps needed to be reduced.

Fire Door Challenge

At first glance, replacing the doors would appear to be a simple job. However, on investigation we found that the glazed screens were produced many years ago, and each doorset was measured to a different size, so it was highly likely that each of the screens on each floor was made on site, individually. Each of the door sets had different problems with them. The current doors relied on a floor spring that was built into the floor which had since failed, and extra door closers were added with not the correct power to swing the doors properly. Each of the door sets also had different gaps, so it would not be possible to completely manufacture the doors with big windows in them, as when fitted each door pair would be needed to be ‘chopped in’ which would make the windows on the door not line up with the windows either side on the glazed screens. We had to take into account the fact that each screen was different.

The solution was not to try and match vision panels in the doors with the glass in the side screen, but to use a completely different vision panel design.

Existing Fire Doors

As you can see from the above photographs the existing doors had vision panels at approximately the same height as the glass panels on either side. Over the years the doors and frames had dropped, and as the doors had to be planned to fit, it would not be possible to line them up again.

Other Challenges

The old floor springs to close the doors had long since expired and the problem with them is that they could not just be replaced as the parts were no longer available. The whole mechanism had to be taken out and we replaced the hole with stainless steel plates.

Finished Fire Doors

All three floors on each of the landings had to have new doors which now comply with the smalls gaps that are required with fire doors. If you would like to discuss any issues with fire doors, we are happy to help. Please call our office on 01380 73 88 44, or email us using our contact form on this website.

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All Project Categories Partitioning

Custom Glass Partitioning in Bradford-on-Avon

Custom Glass Partitioning in Bradford-on-Avon
Finshed.

Client: Anthony Best Dynamics
Value: £3.5k

The requirement from our client was that they needed a glass partition built to protect staff from draughts, and also to maximise light inside the new office space. The challenge with this project was that the partition line did not fit directly under the mezzanine floor line above, and so we had to stand out the partition from the edge, and fill in lots of gaps. From the outside view from the warehouse, you could not see an issue or problem.

We use Demountable Partitioning rather than stud and plasterboard, as the systems allow window and door frames to be made quickly and easily. The partition system is made from aluminium sections which have to be cut on site, forming frames for the glass, door frames, metal stud work and plasterboard. We have a short video on our YouTube channel that demonstrated this; please click this link. In this particular design for Anthony Best Dynamics the lower panels were solid, and the customer wanted us to maximise the glass area so that the internal office had as much natural light as possible.

Existing Layout

The glass partition position had to be fixed at one end against an outside wall which was not an issue; the other end had to fix to an existing partition which had a window already installed. The line of the new glass partition would have taken the wall directly over the window, and so we moved the wall over to avoid this. However, this meant that we could not fix the top to line up with the mezzanine floor, so we built a small false extension to the mezzanine floor.

Construction

Construction took two days to complete. Once the glass partition frames and plasterboard were fitted the solid panels were decorated with a contract grade wall paper from Dixon Turner. The windows were made on site, and so the glass had to be measured and fitted later. However this meant that the room was fully usable in the meantime so the customer could continue moving furniture into place.

Completed Wall

As previously mentioned in this project post, the system was constructed from a product called Demountable Partitioning with which we have many years experience. The flexibility it offers means that the partitioning can be re-used and not discarded if a change is needed in the future.

Why Demountable Partitioning?

  1. Using Demountable Partitioning is very tax efficient as they are classed as movable items and so can be treated differently when accounting. Please click the link for more information on demountable partitioning.
  2. We can also lease Demountable Partitioning as they are movable. This spreads the costs of having the work done as Demountable Partitions can be an initial costly outlay.
  3. Leasing of Demountable Partitioning is very tax efficient and Cre8tive can provide cost illustrations. Please contact us for further information.
  4. Most landlords insist on Demountable Partitions being used for offices as it is much easier to take them out when the tenant vacates. The main benefit is that is saves a huge amount of mess and destruction that would be needed with a conventional stud and plasterboard constructed wall.

Questions on Glass Partition Walls

Please give us a call on 01380 738844 or complete our website contact form if we can help you with any of your projects, or if you have specific questions about Glass Partition Walls.

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All Project Categories Dilapidation work Mezzanine Floors Office Refurbishments Suspended Ceilings

Commercial Dilapidation Work in Swindon

Commercial Dilapidation Work in Swindon
Finished mezzanine

Client: REPL
Value: £25k

We can carry out Dilapidation work for customers when the customer is required to carry out work by a landlord if they are moving premises, please see our post for more description about what it means by clicking this link.

We carried out quite a major change visually to a worn out factory that looked tired and needed sprucing up. The main elements were a new factory floor, decoration, refurbishment of the offices, and to tidy up the existing mezzanine floor. The existing fire protection on the steel work was not adequate and not fitted correctly, so rather than just paint it, we decided to completely strip it off and install a new fire rated suspended ceiling and a new column encasement system. A quick lick of paint would not have satisfied the fire protection requirements so we decide to do this properly and install all of the correct materials.

Existing Warehouse

The customer has been in the existing building for many years and the unit the occupy is part of the original railway buildings in Swindon, so is probably around 100 years old. As you can see from the photos the the building was quite dilapidated, and this is often referred to as dilapidation work.

Old mezzanine floor

Electrics need sorting!

Wider view

Lots of wires need sorting

Some wires not connected!

Poor fire protection

Poor walls

Toilet to be reduced in size

Toilet block to sort

Kitchen to come out

What was most alarming was the existing fire protection had been carried out by people who clearly did not know what they were doing and there were gaps everywhere, there was no way that the mezzanine floor had adequate protection, so even though the customer just wanted a very basic patch and mend, we took the decision to completely replace everything and do the whole job properly.

Although the photographs do not show it, there was quite a bit of work to completely redecorate the offices at the front of the unit. This included stripping out the kitchen, toilets, stairs, repainting the doors, walls, ceilings and skirting boards.

Construction work

The other constraint that we had is the whole job had to be completed in 3 weeks as a new machine was due to arrive in the unit. The reason why the toilet block had to be halved, was that the new machine was 26 meters long and so it would not quite fit.

Toilet door moved back

Poor state of mezzanine

Steel work being exposed

Exteriors walls bad

Plasterboard stripped out

More stripped

Bottom office demolished

New fire line board bulkhead

Starting wall treatment

Toilet halved

Walls nearly done

Walls nearly done

Our van

Completed Photographs.

We were very pleased with the final results as there was such a difference between what was, and what we achieved in the end. The client was also very pleased with the work as we completed it on time and within budget.

New tea point downstairs

New floor

Office decorated

New ceiling

Toilets redecorated

Our van

Internal doors painted

Finished floor

Fire exit door

New equipment just coming in

View from other direction

Finishing things properly

On top of mezzanine

New fire rated ceiling

Dilapidation Work

As you can see from the photographs, the work is general office refurbishment, and covers all of the things that we would carry out for office interiors. If you have any requirements for dilapidation work that is relevant to offices or warehouses then we would be very pleased to hear from you, as we find this type of work very rewarding, and that is not from a monetary view but seeing the difference between old and new.

Please call 01380 73 88 44, or use the contact us form on our website.

Categories
All Project Categories Office Refurbishments

Expansion of Existing Office Space in Trowbridge

Expansion of Existing Office Space in Trowbridge
Another view of the extra space we have created.

Client: The Consortium
Value: £36.5k

Office alterations carried out by Cre8tive are activities that we carry out all the time. The Consortium in Trowbridge needed their offices altering, specialises in supplies for the education and healthcare industry and wanted to extend their existing office by removing the corridor wall.

The changes required involved matching their existing space rather than re-doing the space as a whole. In order to work out costs, we measured the whole space and created some drawings. We then worked out what equipment was needed to take the wall down and how to dispose of the concrete.

We had to take special consideration to ensure that we matched the existing carpets, light fittings and wall paint. A new wall and doorway at each end of the office had to be created to separate the office from the corridor and we needed to install new power and data sockets for the additional desks and the new printer and TV positions. Once drawn and the basic costings were agreed, we then looked into more detail on how to ensure the project didn’t disrupt the busy customer service department, how to minimise the dust from taking down the wall and how to co-ordinate the project to ensure it was completed over three weekends to meet the customers deadline.

Existing layout

The corridor wall ran 45 meters long however only the central section of 35 meters where the customer service department fell needed to be removed.

Construction photographs

Office Alterations – doing the work

The physical work of knocking walls down was going to create a lot of dust at the weekends and keeping the customer service department operational was a high priority so we installed a temporary plastic screen the full length of the office to minimise the dust transferring from the works into the office. we also put dust sheets over each bank of desks first thing on a Saturday morning to ensure the best possible protection.

To take the wall down we needed to remove and replace the central section of ceiling and we also had to remove and replace the carpet as it was a different colour to the office. The wall came down fairly quickly and was disposed of into numerous skips however it did leave a fairly big channel in the floor, we filled this with concrete and levelled the floor to match the office.

Office Alterations Completion Photographs

Once the wall was down and the new walls and doors were in place all the walls were all re-painted and the electrics were mounted into the dado trunking. The carpet was last to be installed to ensure the carpet stayed clean, the light fittings came a little bit later after the 3 weekend deadline as they were made bespoke to this project because the existing light fittings were discontinued in 2007, we then took time to get some specially made.

The internal changes to the overall office has made a significant difference to the feel of the office, for up to 90 people, with sufficient power and data to expand as and when they need to.

Questions on altering offices?

If you are not sure about anything as well as taking about all kinds of partitioning including Demountable Partitioning we love to talk about projects and sort out problems and issues with space, please give us a call on 01380 738844

Categories
All Project Categories Partitioning

Office and Laboratory Extension in Marlborough

Office and Laboratory Extension in Marlborough
Finished wall

Client: J P Kummer
Value: £8.1k

An office extension is a pretty simple thing to do for us to do. Our customer, J P Kummer, specialises in adhesives and wanted to extend their existing laboratory which was constructed from demountable partitioning. (If you want to know what demountable partitioning is please click this link). Unfortunately we could not simply take down the partition as the electrics that was fitted to the partition wall had to be moved.

The existing lighting had to be changed as well as extending a special static sensitive (dissipative) floor. In order to work out costs, we measured the whole space and created some drawings. We then worked out what equipment and benches had to fit, and the limits of where the partition could fit. Once drawn and the basic idea was agreed, we then looked into more detail on the power, floor boxes and lighting.

Drawing and design work.

For smaller projects we do not charge for basic drawing work, in order to work out what needs to be done, we nearly always produce even a basic drawing which allows us to do several things:

  • To discuss with the customer to see if what we are proposing will solve the problem
  • Work out what materials will be needed
  • Work out a labour cost and talking to installers about the work

We then usually submit this with our quote so it is totally clear on what we have allowed for in the project price and there are no surprises. We can carry out more detailed space planning and even 3d visuals, please click this link for more information. In this particular instance it was quite complicated to work out what we could take down and re-use and what we needed new. All of the parts were demountable, so could be reconfigured.

Existing layout

As you can see from the photographs below there was quite a bit of furniture in the way to see what needed to be done. The plan was to extend the laboratory so all of this had to be taken down and stored temporarily in other offices and parts of the building.

The glass front of the laboratory had large windows from table height to the ceiling forming the corridor. This line of wall needed to be extended further into the office space as shown on the drawing.

Office Extension construction photographs.

We cannot just appear on site expecting things to happen and expect to have fitters available and all of the parts needed to make things happen. All of the materials have a delivery time, the specialist flooring was on a 4 week lead time from order, so this gave us time to plan everything out so that when they arrived, all of the partitioning, benches and electrical connections were ready for the floor to be fitted. The floor was a special floor in that it had to have a special membrane fitted underneath which had to be connected to an earth on the electrical work we did. The idea is that an static electricity generated gets dissipated through the floor down to earth.

We also had to arrange convenient time with the customer as they were busy in production in the laboratory, the electrical circuits had to be broken into, and the the existing work area fully functional whilst the new ring main, sockets and floor boxes were installed without affecting the work being done in the laboratory.

The end wall of the old laboratory had to be taken down so all of the electrical supplies had to be disconnected, once re-positioned and the parts re-used, new materials were used to extend the front wall. Once the apertures were built for the windows the glass was measured and fitted. The taking down and rebuilding gave the customer the office extension that they needed. The partitions and electrical work had to be finished before we could fit the floor which needed a bonding wire in the electrical circuit that the dissipative material could be connected to.

Office Extension Completion Photographs.

The customer was very pleased with the work as we did not affect production at all and caused minimal disruption. The office extension meant that they could double their production increasing their level of sales and throughput of work through the area.

We used demountable partitioning on this project and we managed to match the existing configuration and colours. However as you can see by the first image above, there is a slight variation with the colour on the wall covering which was not possible to match completely 100%. We did offer to redecorate all of the remaining existing partitions with the new wall covering but the customer did not want to do this. The original wallpaper had been on the partitions for over 10 years. By using demountable office partitioning we created some additional laboratory space providing an office extension for the customer and we saved the customer quite a bit of cost as we re-used the expensive materials. The walls are fully demountable so can be taken down and rebuilt again if required without throwing them away. There are some other advantages listed below;

Summary on Demountable Partitioning

  1. Using Demountable Partitioning is very tax efficient as they are seen as movable items and so can be treated differently in writing down allowances in the accounts. Please click the link for more information on demountable partitioning.
  2. We can also lease Demountable Partitioning as they are movable, this spreads the costs of having the work done as Demountable Partitions always cost more than customers think.
  3. Leasing of demountable partitioning is very tax efficient and Cre8tive can provide illustrations, please contact us for further information.
  4. Most landlords insist on Demountable Partitions being used for offices as it is much easier to take them out should the tenant renting the space leave for any reason. The benefit is that is saves making a huge amount of mess and destruction that would be need with a conventional stud and plasterboard constructed wall.

Questions on extending offices?

If you are not sure about anything as well as taking about all kinds of partitioning including Demountable we love to talk about projects and sort out problems and issues with space, please give us a call on 01380 738844

Categories
All Project Categories Office Refurbishments Partitioning

New Additional Matching Offices in Swindon

New Additional Matching Offices in Swindon
The partitions need to match what is opposite

Client: REPL
Value: £8.5k

Cre8tive was asked to add some additional offices to an office space we built for the customer 10 years ago. It was important to match what we originally supplied so that the new offices all blended in nicely and we were still able to source all of the components needed.

The first task was to draw what was required and show this to the customer, and a couple of ideas were produced. In the end two offices were built at the far end of the office which opened out the area by reception. Complicating matters was the ceiling is sloped, and we had a wall to take down as well with electrics inside it, all of which was taken down and re-used saving the customer money in the process. One of the main reason why customers use demountable partitioning is for exactly this reason. In this particular situation the glass screens could be re-used and as they are usually the most expensive element it was advantageous to re-use them and save on the build cost.

Existing Partitioning and Offices

The photographs above show the wall to be re-used, we could re-use all of the grey aluminium parts along with the window frames, glass and blinds but had to replace the plasterboard and stud work inside.

The above photo shows the style of the current offices, the doors were of a particular veneer with vision panels positioned at certain positions so the new office doors had to match making the creation of additional offices very easy.

Construction Photographs.

The photographs above show the wall to be re-used, we could re-use all of the grey aluminium parts along with the window frames, glass and blinds but had to replace the plasterboard and stud work inside.

The above photo shows the style of the current offices, the doors were of a particular veneer with vision panels positioned at certain positions so the new office doors had to match making the creation of additional offices very easy.

Summary on Demountable Partitioning?

  1. Using Demountable Partitioning is very tax efficient as they are seen as movable items and so can be treated differently in writing down allowances in the accounts. Please click the link for more information on demountable partitioning.
  2. We can also lease Demountable Partitioning as they are movable, this spreads the costs of having the work done as Demountable Partitions always cost more than customers think.
  3. Leasing of demountable partitioning is very tax efficient and Cre8tive can provide illustrations, please contact us for further information.
  4. Most landlords insist on Demountable Partitions being used for offices as it is much easier to take them out should the tenant renting the space leave for any reason. The benefit is that is saves making a huge amount of mess and destruction that would be need with a conventional stud and plasterboard constructed wall.

Questions on additional offices?

If you are not sure about anything as well as taking about all kinds of partitioning including Demountable we love to talk about projects and sort out problems and issues with space, please give us a call on 01380 738844

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Offices and Fire Rating on a Mezzanine Floor

Offices and Fire Rating on a Mezzanine Floor
Outside of building

Client: H J Knees of Trowbridge
Value: £45k

We are asked to look at making some office alterations to a new office for HJKnees in Whitehorse Business Park. The customer wanted to fit some new offices on a Mezzanine Floor. At first glance we could see straight away that the work would need extra work to make the project comply with Building Regulations as none of the existing mezzanine floor had any fire protection on it at all.

Mezzanine Floors and Building Regulations.

Our first consideration when considering an office project is Building Regulations, does the existing structure comply?, and whatever we do as far as changing things also has to comply. In each case we consider the Regulations and obtain approval before the work starts, during the work we usually have an inspection carried out before the walls all get closed in, and then a post project inspection.

We can then give the client a proper certificate from a Building Regulations Inspector that certifies the design and our work to confirm that all legal requirements have been met.

Please see our articles on Mezzanine floors and what you need to do with Building Regulations on the News section of this website. Unfortunately the customer has never been aware that their existing floor does not comply, and we do come across this quite a lot, so we are always on the back foot before we even start talking about what they want as the whatever work is done, adequate fire protection, escape routes and distances need to be considered to comply with the law.

The additional problem in this situation is that it is a legal requirement to have a 1 hour fire rated separation between offices and warehouse. The construction of a 1 hour wall is not an issue, often it is the height that is the problem as you have to construct the wall to meet the plasterboard and metal stud work manufactures specifications.

The most expensive parts are the doors and windows, so the plan is always to keep these to a minimum.

Initial site Photographs.

Original upstairs rooms not meeting fire regulations

Another view of old offices

Another view of old offices

Another view of old offices

They stored things next to the offices

They stored things next to the offices

Underneath the mezzanine, hardboard used a potential fire hazard!

Toilets needed doing

None of the mezzanine floor steels protected.

Edge of mezzanine not protected.

As you can see from the above photographs, a general builder has built the offices ontop of a steel mezzanine floor with no fire protection using timber windows and non fire rated materials. The offices look ok but does not comply at all. The whole lot needed to be stripped out and started again. All of the mezzanine floor underneath needed a 1 hour fire rated suspended ceiling, along with column encasement protection (1 hour) and some re-organisation of the access routes with toilets, a small office and warehouse access with some basic security.

Construction Photographs

The other constraint that we had is the whole job had to be completed in 3 weeks as a new machine was due to arrive in the unit. The reason why the toilet block had to be halved, was that the new machine was 26 meters long and so it would not quite fit.

Staircase needed to be scaffolded

Main fire wall plastered ready for decoration

First fix electrics underneath mezzanine

Demolition of existing offices

Timber frame exposed to be removed

Timber frame exposed to be removed

Start of dry lining the walls

Boarding of the main fire wall between the offices and warehouse

Building the frame under the angles steels of the building

Suspended ceiling grid is quite quick to go in.

Construction of the new offices started

Outside walls plaster drying out

Ceiling tile just starting to go in.

Fire rated ceiling going in under mezzanine floor

Underneath of stairs

Windows dry lined around and window boards fitted

Offices starting to take shape

LED panels fitted

More office walls going in

Column encasement system fitted to steel uprights

Offices starting to take shape

Offices starting to take shape

Window boards fitted, insulation for ceiling arrived

Completed column encasement and ceiling tiles fitted.

More fire rated walls downstairs

Mezzanine floor edge protection

You can see the back of the light fitting has a 1 hour smoke hood fitted.

Downstairs work nearly finished

Offices nearly done

Offices nearly done

Offices virtually done

Final Result

We do not have any finished photographs as the customer needed to move in straight away. We kept to the dates that we advised the customer and we did have a couple of snag items to deal with which was not a problem once they were in. The project was inspected by Building Control and a passed certificate was issued to the client, as well as the Health and Safety file. The Health and Safety file included all of the as built drawings, certificates and evidence of emergency lighting and fire detection equipment that acts as a reference binder for the client to use in the future.

We chose demountable partition for the main office upstairs due to the speed of construction and the final finish looking much more modern and professional that a traditional stud and plasterboard wall.

Summary on Demountable Partitioning

  1. Using Demountable Partitioning is very tax efficient as they are seen as movable items and so can be treated differently in writing down allowances in the accounts.
  2. We can also lease Demountable Partitioning as they are movable, this spreads the costs of having the work done as Demountable Partitions always cost more than customers think.
  3. Leasing of demountable partitioning is very tax efficient and Cre8tive can provide illustrations, please contact us for further information.
  4. Most landlords insist on Demountable Partitions being used for offices as it is much easier to take them out should the tenant renting the space leave for any reason. The benefit is that is saves making a huge amount of mess and destruction that would be need with a conventional stud and plasterboard constructed wall.

Questions on Demountable Partitioning?

If you are not sure about anything as well as taking about all kinds of partitioning including Demountable we love to talk about projects and sort out problems and issues with space, please give us a call on 01380 738844