Tor Coatings News

Award-Winning Roof Coatings From Tor

Thu, 01 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT

		A roof refurbishment project completed with a protective coating system from Tor Coatings, has won a highly contested industry award. Specialist contractor Capital Roofing Co. Ltd picked up the award at The Roofing Awards Annual Congress held on May 14th by the National Federation of Roofing Contractors (NFRC). The annual awards ceremony celebrates the outstanding achievements of businesses within the industry, recognising all that is best across the entire roofing spectrum. Capital Roofing – who are members of the NFRC - won the Liquid Applied Waterproofing category for refurbishment works carried out to the roof of the Birds Eye Frozen Foods plant in Lowestoft. The client had tasked Capital with finding a practical, long-term solution to a problem roof, which was leaking in a number of areas. Being in close proximity to the East Anglia coastline, the roof was exposed to sea air and the elements. The original surface was largely comprised of felt and asphalt. There were many challenges to contend with including roof-mounted plant, pipes, protrusions and large air-cooling units; which are essential to the running of the facility below. Repairing the roof with conventional materials such as felt or asphalt was not an option. It would be impossible to effectively waterproof around the plant and protrusions and also pose a fire hazard due to the hot works that would be required. Hot works would also necessitate the temporary closure of the building during installation. Capital decided upon the Elastaseal cold liquid applied roof coating system which can be applied over an existing roof membrane using brushes and rollers and, when cured, forms a seamless, breathable, waterproof barrier. The safe, cold, liquid nature of the product meant the business could operate with the minimum amount of disruption during the installation. The Elastaseal system will protect the Birds Eye roof from the elements for the next 25 years, meaning it won’t need further maintenance until at least 2035! A clean down and another simple application of the coating at that time will deliver a further 10 years protection. The system is guaranteed by Tor Coatings and has been approved by the British Board of Agrément (BBA). Capital Roofing were presented with the award by ITV newsreader, Mary Nightingale. Capital Roofing’s Chris Shulver said “We are delighted to have won this award as the project was one of the most challenging we have undertaken with the Elastaseal system. Our highly experienced staff worked with Tor Coatings’ John Morton and the client to successfully overcome the obstacles and deliver a very high standard of installation”. Capital Roofing is a member of the Tor Partners scheme – a quality assurance programme operated by Tor Coatings which ensures its products are applied correctly by trainer applicators. To see some of the projects Capital Roofing has completed using products from Tor Coatings visit http://www.tor-coatings.com/capital/ For information on the entire Tor Coatings range visit http://www.tor-coatings.com or telephone 0191 410 6611, email: enquiries@tor-coatings.com

A Lesson in Roof Refurbishment

Mon, 10 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT

London South Bank University (LSBU) was established in 1892 and is home to over 23,000 students making this one of the oldest and largest universities in central London.

The University is currently refurbishing the campus to allow it to continue to provide the best student facilities possible. This includes the refurbishment of a number of weather damaged roofs.

Over time the existing flat asphalt roofs were cracked, crazed and blistered by seasonal weather. The poor condition of the roofs resulted in leaks that caused disruption to the University operations. The existing roofs had a failed silver solar reflective coating that was badly degraded. Refurbishing with asphalt was not a desirable option and the University required a long-term solution to the problems it was experiencing.

Tor Coatings, a leading specialist in roof refurbishment, conducted a survey of the existing roofs. All surfaces were inspected to assess the soundness of existing substrates and coatings. This was to verify compatibility with any proposed waterproofing coating system. After a detailed inspection Elastaseal™ 15 was recommended as the best solution. This system provides a 15 year 100% waterproof membrane.

One of many benefits of using Elastaseal™ is that the system is cold liquid-applied. This allows Installation to be carried out, without the risk of fire due to the cold nature of the product. More conventional roofing substrates such as asphalt require the use of hot works, posing a potential fire risk. As Elastaseal™ is a cold liquid product there are no associated fire risks.

The Elastaseal™ system works by seamlessly encapsulating the roof, creating a new membrane that is not only completely waterproof but also allows the roof beneath to ‘breathe’ due to its vapour permeability. This ensures the roof remains leak-free for up to 25 years depending on the level of specification (BBA approved system is available).

The Elastaseal™ 15 year system was applied to the roofs by T.R.C Service Group Ltd, a member of the Tor Partners scheme. This scheme assures the client that Elastaseal™ is applied by a trained professional contractor correctly, safely and efficiently in manner compliant with the manufacturers specification.

Gateshead tenants get the blues

Fri, 26 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Tenants at two Gateshead multi-storey blocks were happy to have ‘the blues’ this winter thanks to The Gateshead Housing Company and Tor Coatings Ltd.

The housing company gave residents at Redheugh and Eslington Courts, Teams, a choice of colours for the exterior of their blocks.

And the new colour, called ‘Redheugh and Eslington blue’ is being painted onto the multi-storeys as part of a £100,000 improvement program.

The housing company worked with local paint manufacturer Tor Coatings to create the new shade of blue chosen by the tenants.

Alan Sandey, Tenant Liaison Manager at the housing company, said: “This improvement work will give the local area a new lease of life as these two blocks are clearly visible as people enter Gateshead from Newcastle .”

The Gateshead Housing Company’s Chief Executive, Bill Fullen, said: “We have already changed housing in Gateshead forever by making improvements to thousands of homes.”

Torprufe™ EMF is a single pack, breathable elastomeric water based coating system, designed for high performance decoration and waterproofing of exterior masonry such as cement, concrete and cementitious renders.

The system’s high elasticity and high solids content permits effective bridging of hairline cracks and imparts excellent breathability without flaking or cracking. Torprufe™ EMF has a high level of resistance to biological attack and early resistance to rain, which provides an excellent barrier to water penetration.

Top Photo: Eslington Court tenant Robert Buckley, The Gateshead Housing Company’s Alan Sandey, and Chris Little of Tor Coatings show off a sample of the new ‘Redheugh and Eslington blue’ Torprufe™ EMF masonry paint.

Bottom Photo: A completed section of the Redheugh Court detailing Torprufe™ EMF masonry paint.

Hotel receives 5 star treatment

Mon, 11 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Opened in 1973, the circular Sheraton Park Tower stands elegantly amidst the historic streets that define one of London’s most stylish and beloved districts.

Located in the heart of London’s fashionable Knightsbridge stands this luxurious hotel – a stone’s throw away from graceful Hyde Park, Harrods, Harvey Nichols and the chic dining haunts of the city’s most stylish set.

The circular tower ensures each of the 280 guest rooms including 22 suites benefits from sweeping outward views of London’s iconic skyline. The penthouse suites–one-of-a-kind in Knightsbridge–offer 360 degrees of contemporary luxury.

The existing felt and asphalt roof had degraded due to excessive weathering which caused cracking and rivelling resulting in the problem of water ingress.

Tor Coatings was approached by Full Metal Jacket Ltd to provide a comprehensive site survey. The client needed to solve the problem quickly, effectively and without disruption to guests or administration. The client also required that the roof be fully waterproofed and supported by a guarantee.

After a thorough inspection and photographic survey by Tor Coatings, the Elastaseal™ 20 year system was specified.

Elastaseal™ provides long-term resistance to ponded water and is especially suitable for flat roofs and gutters. This completely reinforced, permanent elastomeric seamless system encapsulates the roof to provide a completely joint-free and 100% waterproof membrane.

The Elastaseal™ system is a cold-liquid applied coating that eliminates fire hazards and the inconvenience caused by using alternative hot applied systems that require the building to be vacated. By using Elastaseal™ it meant there was no disruption to ongoing operational activities of the hotel.

The system was professionally applied by Full Metal Jacket Ltd, who are a trained Tor Partner. This partnership allowed Tor to provide the client with a 20 year Latent Defects guarantee covering both the product and its application.

Tor Invests £2m In Aerosol Facility

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

		County Durham-based specialist paints manufacturer, Tor Coatings has invested £2m in a state-of-the-art aerosol manufacturing facility, securing over 150 jobs in the worst economic climate the UK has experienced for 60 years. The investment allows the firm to manufacture - and market - a new range of aerosol spray paints under their parent company's name, Rust-Oleum; the market-leading consumer spray paint brand in the US. Tor’s objectives were to produce a superior paint, deliver genuine innovation, better packaging and, crucially, to manufacture the paint in Great Britain – something no other supplier of mainstream, decorative consumer spray paints to the UK DIY sector presently does. Tor recognised that one of the major issues surrounding the UK spray paint supply chain is the fact that the main players import their products from territories including the US and Germany. The new aerosol facility (pictured) is a one-stop-shop which allows Tor to make, fill and label spray paints at a rate of 5,000 units an hour. The rapid turnaround ensures stock-outs are not an issue. The Birtley site is now capable of producing an impressive 10 million spray paints annually. The Rust-Oleum paints are aimed at DIY enthusiasts with an interest in home improvement and come in a range of colours and finishes, including Metallic and Textured. The flagship of the range is Universal – the world’s first all-surface spray paint. A very quick-drying paint that can be applied to any surface without the need for a primer. Tor launched the Rust-Oleum range in March 2009 and has already achieved national distribution with over 400 stockists on board. For further information please visit www.rustoleumspraypaint.com

Great Universal!

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

(Photo – Universal Racing Green used on hardwood garden furniture set)

Rust-Oleum’s unique and ingenious Universal spray paint range is proving to be a big hit with Tor Coatings’ retail customer base and end users.

The new brand – which was launched in March 2009 – already looks set to emulate the success it has enjoyed in the US, where is has been on sale since 2008; this month saw the 400th UK store take in the range.

Universal is a first in the UK spray paint market and the most significant category innovation in over a decade. It is the world’s first all surface spray paint and uses an advanced paint formula, which provides the ultimate in flexibility when painting diverse substrates.

An added innovation allows the paint to be sprayed at any angle - even upside down - courtesy of a patented trigger / grip mechanism – which also makes the can more comfortable to hold.

Universal works equally well on interior and exterior surfaces and delivers unsurpassed performance on plastic, metal, wood, concrete, fibreglass, aluminium, vinyl and laminate - without priming!

The Universal range is supported by a comprehensive marketing campaign covering online and print advertising, PR, direct mail and a new website - www.imaginespraycreate.com.

Universal is part of the Rust-Oleum range of decorative aerosol spray paints, manufactured and marketed in the UK by Tor Coatings.

For more information please contact us.