PROJECT SPECIFICATION DETAILS

The Challenge

Ingenuity House is a huge 12,000 sqm structure adjacent to Birmingham’s International Airport and Train Station. This brand new, state of the art building consists of a series of office spaces spread over four floors.

Westcotes Flooring was the flooring contractor employed for construction. Part of the remit was to provide stair nosings for 144 steps in the building. Due to the large amount of staff and visitors that would be using Ingenuity House, the stair nosings would need to be very hard-wearing. They would also need to minimise the risk of slips, trips and falls. The stair nosings would need to have an LRV difference of at least 30 from the surrounding floorcovering, to clearly mark the edge of each step.

The Solution

Westcotes Flooring contacted Quantum Flooring Solutions and requested the free Quantum Specialist Measuring Service (QSMS). Within 48 hours a surveyor from Quantum had visited Ingenuity House and measured the steps electronically. This information was sent to Quantum, specifying the exact sizes of the stair nosings that would be needed for the job. It was also electronically sent to Westcotes Flooring and Carpet & Flooring Birmingham (C&F), a local supplier of Quantum’s products.

The surveyor suggested that Quantum’s HF1 stair nosing profile with polar grey tread would be ideal for the purpose. This heavy duty profile with light coloured tread would provide more than 30 LRV difference from the dark grey carpets planned for the staircases. Like all of Quantum’s Stair Nosings the HF1 profile is slip-resistant, and the thick gauge would fit seamlessly with the carpeting, minimising the risk of trips or falls.

As C&F had the precise measurements, its employees were able to cut the stair nosings to size with the absolute minimum of waste. This meant that the total waste of stock, including offcuts, was a tiny 0.29% of the stock used. As the Z-Range is already Quantum’s most competitively priced range of stair nosings, these factors combined to create great value in this part of the project.

The Outcome

Westcotes Flooring fitted all 144 of Quantum’s Stair Nosings in Ingenuity House. The accurate measurements from the unique QSMS measuring service ensured that C&F had cut the HF1 profiles to the perfect size for each step. The electronic measurement also numbered each step from top to bottom, meaning that the stair nosings could be fitted quickly and easily. The polar grey treads mark the edge of each step clearly, and the flat fronted profiles match the angles on the front of the steps. The stair nosings help to prevent slips, trips and falls, and meet all Building Regulations guidelines.

Quantum Flooring Solution’s free and accurate QSMS measuring service kept waste and cost to a minimum for the installation of the HF1 profiles. This was an ideal outcome for Westcotes Flooring and Ingenuity House, both in terms of value and efficiency.