Adapting hospital care to children of all ages
This article explores the challenges of balancing the functional aspects of care with creating an environment that is psychologically & emotionally supportive for young patients.
Elevating Education: Design Trends
Our 'Elevating Education' series continues with a look at how flexible, hybrid learning and biophilic design impact education in today's world.
How Weather Louvres Work
In this blog post, we will delve into the workings of weather louvres, focusing specifically on their ability to defend against rain.
Life @ CS – Dorothea Donnelly [Technical Intern, UK]
Discover Dorothea's experience as a Technical Intern at Construction Specialties UK whilst she studied architecture at London Southbank University.
5 Ways We Can Help Elevate the Student Environment
Keeping students on track is a full-time job - and it's our job to help energise the educational environment with inspired solutions.
EcoVadis Certification: Interview with Maud Avenel, QHSE Project Manager
As part of the EcoVadis certification process, Maud, our QHSE Project Manager, shares her experience, her commitment and the challenges she faced along the way. She provides a valuable insight into what she has learned from the experience, offering useful advice to those seeking certification with EcoVadis
Modern Methods of Construction and the drive for more efficient ways of building.
We were challenged by Tata Steel to develop a louvre system that would suit their Fast Fit, clip in façade cladding system, creating a flush finish with the adjacent cladding, and enabling natural and mechanical ventilation for the building.
CS is proud to be certified to the standards of the International Organisation for Standardisation
For more than 75 years, the Construction Specialties has been committed to providing the best possible products and services for its customers worldwide. To ensure that our subsidiaries and products meet the very highest standards
Vertical Louvres – Rain defence from a different angle
Discover how vertical louvre models often out perform horizontal louvres and can sometimes reduce the amount of louvre required on the project.
Construction Specialties becomes food donation point for Aylesbury Foodbank
To help support our local community, from Monday 31st October to Wednesday 7th December, Construction Specialties will become a Food Donation Point for Aylesbury Foodbank.
Understanding Aerodynamic Coefficient
Learn what Louvre Aerodynamic Coefficient is, how it's measured and how to use it to specify the correct Louvre for your application.
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.
Good to Give: A Volunteering Day at Tiggywinkles Wildlife Hospital [UK]
As part of our Good to Give initiative, a group of CS employees spent a day volunteering at Tiggywinkles Wildlife Hospital & Visitor Centre in Haddenham, Buckinghamshire.
Good to Give: Care Home Garden Room Refurbishment [UK]
CS donated products and expertise to help brighten a local care home's Garden Room, giving residents a more welcoming, homely space to enjoy.
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.
Good to Give: A Volunteering Day at Fremantle Court [UK]
As part of our Good to Give initiative, CS colleagues took a day out of the office to help a local care home by refurbishing their garden furniture.
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
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.
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.
