Construction Solutions

Water loss remains one of the most overlooked sustainability challenges in Europe. As the region sharpens its focus on water efficiency and climate resilience, renovating and properly waterproofing infrastructure has become a key opportunity for impactful action.

A well-installed patio or paved path can completely transform the appearance and usability of a garden. To help maintain the appearance and stability of paving, it is important that the joints between the blocks are properly filled. A paving jointing compound is a type of patio grout that is brushed into the gaps between paving slabs, blocks or stones to lock them firmly in place and reduce the likelihood of weeds growing through the joints. Paving jointing compounds, like Sika FastFix® All Weather, are ready-to-use in outdoor paving applications. It is suitable for DIY users and can be applied to patios, paths and other paving areas to support a neat, finished appearance.

In warehouses and logistics buildings the concrete slab and flooring are critical to the effective functioning of the operations. However, it is often the perception that the concrete floor is one of the most straight forward elements of the project, and many times the overall attention paid to design and construction detail is less than proportional to its ultimate importance in the efficient operation of the facility. The expectation is that these large area floors must be constructed with lowest possible cost and provide problem free service year after year.

A well-crafted color palette can do wonders for a healthcare facility. The use of color and graphic images can align to the existing logo and symbolic color of the facility to achieve an overall visual aesthetic, while it can also elicit emotions and unique perceptions of space. It has an ability to calm or excite, can make a room appear smaller or more grandiose, or even trigger subconscious reactions. Color is the most vital, impactful and expressive design element in a designer’s toolbox.

Dry shake aggregate floor hardeners are commonly applied to the surface of freshly placed concrete to improve wear resistance and occasionally to color a concrete surface. They decrease typical plain concrete negative properties like dusting and liquid absorption by improving the abrasion resistance and reducing surface permeability.

The task of wood floor adhesives is to firmly bond the organic wood floor elements to the generally inorganic screed. The adhesive must hold the wood in place, connect it to the underlying screed and transfer stress originating from the natural expansion and contraction of the wood to the generally rigid screed. The undesired but natural movement of the wood can become visible in cupping, joint formation, or in extreme situations failure of the adhesive or screed.

Concrete repairs can be conducted with different systems and methods. In the European Standard EN 1504 Part 9, Principle 3 defines the application of repair mortars by machine as well as by hand. In this article you will learn about the advantages of machine application for both dry and wet spray processes. We also give an overview of how to select the right method and equipment for each type of application together with the corresponding Sika materials.

Selecting the correct products for tiling installation is essential, but to achieve long-lasting performance the next critical step is proper application. Each stage of the process from surface preparation to waterproofing and tile fixing must be carried out correctly to ensure a durable, reliable finish in demanding bathroom, shower and wet room environments.

A prerequisite for a sustainable and beautiful wood floor is a strong and dry screed. Therefore this screed has to be carefully accessed. The first source of information is the architect, engineer, or main contractor who will have all of the information about the build-up and nature of the floor. The second source is the screed contractor who can provide the screed details and if appropriate, any subfloor heating protocols. If, as so often in renovation projects most of this information is not available, there are a few simple methods that can be used to evaluate the screed.

The facade is the face of buildings. In contemporary architecture, the facade is of special interest expressed by large dimensions, unconventional shapes and high material diversity. Especially with these unique shapes and connections, joint design is demanding and prone to mistakes. For integral joint specification, following some rough guidelines will result in a long-lasting and tight building envelope.