Industry Knowledge, Expertise & Advice

Build greener

Although construction can be considered a polluting sector, there are ways to make buildings "greener". In this blog, we look at certifications such as Cradle to Cradle and focus on Acrovyn® solutions that support and integrate into responsible projects.

CS Artist Spotlight: Laura Bender – How do you inspire healing with artwork?

Learn how Portland artist Laura Bender of SitePainters gathers her ideas to provide beautiful works of art that inspire healing.

8 Reasons to Choose Acrovyn

Our Acrovyn® brand is synonymous with building interior wall protection, here are 8 reasons to choose Acrovyn for your building.

Design Considerations for Wall Protection in Healthcare Buildings

This article outlines the design considerations for wall protection in healthcare, including HBN 00-04, BS 8300-2:2018 and Approved Document M requirements.

Designing Inclusive Environments for the Visually Impaired

This article looks at one of the key interior design considerations for the visually impaired, colour contrast. Examining how the visually impaired move about a building, and discussing the legislative requirements for colour contrast and light reflectance, we showcase example colour options & offer recommendations.

Specifying Handrails for Greater Accessibility

Focusing on the specification of handrails, this article looks at the design considerations to permit accessibility for those with physical mobility issues, and how they can help compliance with BS 8300, Approved Document M, the Equality Act and HBN 00-04.

How Passive Fire Protection Limits the Spread of Smoke and Fire in Buildings: The Basics

Passive fire protection (PFP) attempts to contain fires or slow the spread. Passive Fire Protection takes many forms, from fire-resistant walls, floors, and doors to expansion joint fire barriers, sprinklers and fire alarms. Discover the legislation behind the use of these products and their benefits.

[Video] Dust Explosion at Farm in South Indiana, August 2017

A cloud of grain dust created by a collapsing grain store exploded, this type of explosion is a serious hazard in many manufacturing industries, learn more.

Why Carpet Tiles Won’t Cut it at The Entrance to Your Building

We often see standard carpet tiles, like those in offices, used at the entrance of a building instead of an entrance mat. Discover why that's a problem.

Expressing Building Movement

Building movement is often a complex, and scary consideration when designing a building. Get it wrong and it could be very costly!

5 Louvre Parts You May See on Technical Drawings

To help demystify some louvre elements we thought we would explain some of the common parts you will see on a louvre drawing and what they do.

5 Reasons Permanent Entrance Matting Beats a Throw-Down Mat

Discover why permanent entrance matting is a better, more effective solution to dirt and moisture being tracked into a building.

How To Manage the Risk of Combustible Dust & Deflagration

Discover how you can mitigate the risk of combustible dust and deflagration in your facility through good building design and pressure relief systems.

4 Fire Door Checks to Prevent the Spread of Smoke

With smoke being such a dangerous part of any fire we wanted to focus on 4 fire door checks to make sure your fire door can prevent the spread of smoke.

How to Calculate Louvre Pressure Drop

Discover how to calculate louvre pressure drop and why it's an important factor to consider at the design or specification stage.

4 Tips for a Stylish Impact Protection Scheme

There are lots of things you can do with impact protection to make it a feature, rather than an eyesore. Discover our 4 tips to stylish impact protection.

4 Free Movement Joints Resources to Help You Specify

No two projects are exactly the same, so if you are struggling to find the right product for your movement joints, or don’t know where to start, we can help

5 Considerations When Designing for Dementia Care

Designing for dementia care is an increasingly prominent topic, with research from the Alzheimer’s Society(i) indicating that by 2015 more than 850,000 people in the UK will be living with the condition.

Hospital Fire Door Inspection and Maintenance

A Hospital Fire Door is a critical safety feature of a healthcare building, protecting exit routes to allow enough time for the elderly and infirm to escape

The Role of Laboratory Wall Coatings in Containment Procedures

The cleanliness of a laboratory doesn’t just come down to how clean the lab equipment, machinery or items in the room are, but how clean the lab itself is and how easy it is to clean.

5 Common Issues with Existing Expansion Joint Covers

In this blog post we've outlined 5 of the most common issues we find with existing, already installed expansion joint covers, and point out what the potential cause was.

Estimating & Ordering CS Acrovyn Doors®

To process your pricing enquiries and orders as smoothly as possible, we will require a door schedule including the following information as applicable:

Intro to Louvre Performance Testing

We take you through a brief introduction to louvre performance testing, the results and what they mean.

How to Specify Architectural Louvres

Discover how to specify louvres correctly for your building, why free area isn't the best method and how taking into account the building's surroundings is beneficial.

How Much Entrance Matting Do I Need For My Building?

We explain how much entrance matting you need to be compliant, and how much entrance matting industry experts actually recommend - there is a difference.

How To Compare Architectural Louvre Models

Comparing architectural louvre models can be tricky we highlight the key criteria to look at and what the performance data you're given actually means.

3 Examples of Waterproof Expansion Joint Systems

Discover 3 examples of waterproof expansion joint covers from the CS Allway® range and how they're different.

The Evolution of Architectural Louvre Blades

Architectural louvre blades have undergone quite the transformation since their invention discover how they've changed for the better and what these changes mean.

5 Considerations When Selecting a Performance Coating

Selecting a performance coating suitable for your application is tricky, to help you we've outlined 5 key considerations and the reasons why they're important.

Aluminium Entrance Matting & Security Systems in Retail

Discover how Construction Specialties and Intrepid Security solved incompatibility issues between aluminium entrance matting and retail security systems at a London retail store.

Designing with Glass: How to Protect Glass from Impact Damage

Glass is becoming an increasingly prominent design feature in new and refurbished buildings, we show you how to protect that glass from impact damage.

6 Surprising Facts That’ll Make You Fall In Love With Entrance Matting

Entrance matting is an often overlooked building component, discover 6 surprising facts that will make you appreciate its importance in your building.

5 Wall Protection Rails That Will Save Your Budget

Impact damage is a costly and common problem for any building owner or operator, knowing which types of wall protection to use where can help save your budget.

Triple Bank Architectural Louvre Performance at Double Bank Dimensions

Discover how CS has managed to achieve triple bank architectural louvre performance in a more compact, spatially efficient package than ever before.

WARNING: Economy Architectural Louvres Aren’t As Cheap As You Think

Exploring the hidden costs behind economy architectural louvres, drawing on CS' 60 years of experience in performance louvres we show you what can go wrong.

WARNING: You Are Losing Money by Not Using Retail Wall Protection

Discover how custom retail wall protection can not only protect your store, hotel or restaurant, but also help create a great experience for your customers.

Containing the Contamination – Is Your Containment Coating Tough Enough?

Discover how containment coatings can reduce the risk of cross contamination in laboratories. With regular, intense cleaning regimes, a tough performance coating is essential.

5 Crucial Fire Door Regulations You Need To Know About

Fire Safety is critical in any building, we run through 5 crucial fire door regulations you need to know about and how they affect you.

3 Ways to Protect Interior Wall Corners

Discover 3 ways to protect interior wall corners in any type of building. Without protection corners can become seriously damaged compromising safety.

A Brief Intro to Architectural Louvres

We discuss what architectural louvres are, why they are used on buildings and the different types available.

5 Questions to Ask Before You Buy a Performance Louvre System

Buying a performance louvre for your project is complicated, so you need to make sure you ask the right questions at the time of purchase, here are 5 we recommend.

5 Steps to Expansion Joint Specification Perfection

Expansion joint cover specification isn't easy, we break the process down into 5 easy steps to ensure you choose the right joint cover for your project.

5 Tips for Extending the Lifecycle of Your Entrance Matting

Entrance matting is a key part of health and safety in a building or workplace, discover our 5 tips to ensuring your entrance mat keeps on performing.

4 Essentials to Maintaining Schools, Colleges & Universities

Schools, Colleges and Universities can be tough environments to maintain and keep looking nice. We recommend 4 essential products to help reduce your maintenance spend.

Designing for Healthcare, it’s not just about the functionality

We outline the importance of good interior design and a clear wayfinding/communication strategy within healthcare facilities.

How Third Party Certification Can Help Your Fire Prevention Strategy

Discover the benefits of third party fire door testing and how it can help the fire prevention strategy in your building.

4 Important Items to Consider When Selecting an Expansion Joint Cover

There are several key criteria you must consider, for expansion joint cover specification. Discover the four that are the most important to remember.

BM TRADA Q-Marked Acrovyn Doors

CS can now supply BM TRADA Q-Marked Acrovyn Doors. Our BM Trada Certified Fire Doors include an FD30 and FD60 model, available in a range of configurations

How to Combine Indoor and Outdoor Entrance Matting

BS 7953 recommends that entrance matting be a minimum of 2.1 metres but that's not always possible, so combining indoor & outdoor entrance matting is essential.

#Didyouknow – Solving Block-out Issues with CS Expansion Joint Covers

Learn how some Expansion Joint Cover products from Construction Specialties can help solve problems with inconsistent expansion joint block-outs.

How to Choose an Expansion Joint Cover Manufacturer

Choosing an expansion joint cover manufacturer that can help you specify the correct expansion joint cover for your project is essential, we show you what to look for.

Hygienic Coatings – Assisting in Infection Control

Discover how hygienic coatings can assist in infection control, and why early consideration of the cleaning regimes that are going to be used is so important.

The Benefits of Artwork in the Healthcare Environment

Discover how carefully selected artwork, introduced into the healthcare environment can benefit patient recovery time and reduce hospital maintenance costs.