Flooring
Knightsbridge ‘super flat’ benefits
from Knauf flooring systems
As part of a partial access floor, GIFAfloor panels are designed to span
over pedestals at a maximum of 600mm centres over voids up to 1.2m
high. Frames and panels can be incorporated to provide access to the
void below the floor, so that cabling is easily installed and updated if
necessary. But the panels can also be used to span joisted and battened
floors, where they feel like a solid floor underfoot if acoustic battens are
used.
A multi-million pound apartment at one of London’s most exclusive
developments, One Hyde Park in Knightsbridge, now has improved
acoustics and sophisticated cable management with the installation of
FHB acoustic partial access flooring developed by Knauf, one of the UK’s
leading manufacturers of lightweight building materials and systems.
As part of a £500,000 refurbishment, contractors Management
Construction Technology (MCT) installed the flooring throughout the
630m2 apartment so as to maintain the maximum possible floor-to-ceiling
height, while still being able to run all the services beneath the flooring.
The substrate was uneven yet Knauf’s FHB system flooring was chosen
because it could achieve a level floor, while requiring no drying time, and
was suitable for high quality hardwood, carpet and marble finishes.
In either case the floor panels’ excellent thermal conductivity of 0.44 W/
mK makes them excellent components of any underfloor heating system
and, with no screed to dry, the heating can be installed and commissioned
swiftly so that the floor finishes can be laid within hours.
Knauf GIFAfloor panels avoid all the issues associated with wet screed
and moisture: there are no drying times, no additional moisture and none
of the trip hazards of bulky batten and chipboard systems.
Acoustic performance was crucial to the success of the installation,
and this was achieved by installing circular acoustic pads on top of the
adjustable pedestals that support the FHB25 panels of gypsum fibre
board. In acoustic tests on site these achieved a performance of over 5dB
above Part E requirements, ensuring high acoustic insulation.
These floor systems are also sustainable in terms of its manufacture and
in the construction process. The panels are manufactured using fibres
from wholly recycled paper that are blended with a mix of natural and flue
gas desulphurised gypsum. In construction, the panels score two water
management points in Code for Sustainable Homes, reduce the cement
content of the building and cut the load on tower blocks, so reducing
foundation and steelwork requirements.
In common with the rest of the Knauf GIFAfloor range, FHB25 consists of
gypsum fibre panels that are engineered with a tongue and groove edge
profile to ensure a strong bond when laid, creating a monolithic floor that
is the ideal substrate for natural stone or porcelain finishes. Floor finishes
can be bonded directly onto the panels without any need for de-bonding
layers as they require only priming before the finished coating is applied.
KNAUF
TEL: 01795 424499
WWW.KNAUF.CO.UK
READER ENQUIRY NO: 55
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