With fire-safety paramount post-Grenfell, the specification of non-combustible materials to all external building elements is essential. With the launch of two new product lines for soffit cladding and balustrades, aluminium decking manufacturers AliDeck have made the process of specifying compliant balconies simple.
Aluminium decking manufacturers AliDeck have added two new product lines to their offering; AliRail and AliClad. These fire-safe, aluminium balcony balustrade and soffit cladding systems are welcome additions to AliDeck’s established range of balcony decking products and create a full package for easy balcony specification.
Richard Izzard, AliDeck Managing Director, said,
“We have worked very closely with steel fabricators as we’ve developed and grown our decking line and those conversations have helped us understand how an off-the-shelf whole balcony system would really simplify the process of balcony construction.”
AliRail is a versatile balustrade system for bolt-on or slide-on balconies and offers multiple options for handrails and in-fill panels. Modular and configurable, the balustrades can be specified with aluminium rails and panels or glazing, or a mixture of both. An option for LED lighting in the underside of the handrail has been designed into the profile for a striking night-time aesthetic effect.
Richard continued,
“Balustrades are a major component in balcony construction, needing to provide safe edge protection and a seamless aesthetic integration. Following the Grenfell tragedy fire safety is also a major concern, so with AliRail achieving the Euroclass A fire rating, satisfying load and durability requirements, and possessing elegant visual design all of those concerns are met and exceeded.”
The new AliClad soffit cladding is a similarly solution-driven system. Consisting of three distinct products (Flow, Decor, and Lite) in the AliClad range, this novel approach to balcony cladding solves in turn problems relating to drainage, aesthetics, and cost.
AliClad Flow has been designed to provide a water-management system at the balcony underside. Delivering fast and efficient removal of rainwater and other liquids, AliClad Flow is an ideal solution for safe and controlled balcony drainage.
With just three simple components making up the 100% aluminium AliClad Flow system, soffit drainage is quick and easy to factor-in to balcony design. Effectively a channel drain, the AliClad Flow system is comprised of a flat, interlocking soffit/fascia panel, a starter trim, and an innovative soffit gutter. Water is collected by the soffit panels and evacuated in a controlled way at the front of the balcony.
AliClad Decor is, as the name suggests, a decorative product, with an attractive box profile providing excellent visual impact as it seals the soffit, with drainage managed in the balcony deck above. Finally, AliClad Lite is a simple, cost-effective, free-draining soffit cladding option that neatly conceals the steel framework of the balcony underside.
Richard remarked,
“We believe that AliClad will help change the way that architects and fabricators approach balconies and were delighted to see that aspiration begin to be validated when it was specified into projects within days of launch. By removing the need for bespoke folded steel and providing an entirely off-the-shelf cladding solution, architects can be sure that cost, compliance, and design concerns are satisfied from the moment of specification.”
With the combination of AliDeck, AliRail, and AliClad now providing the ability to specify in a stroke all elements of a balcony excluding the steel framework, balcony design and integration into schemes has become markedly simpler. It also fully resolves questions of compliance, as all components of the three systems have undergone independent fire testing to achieve the EuroClass A Rating required by legislation.
It is this guaranteed compliance that is perhaps the most impactful element of the AliDeck, AliRail, and AliClad proposition. Against a backdrop of turmoil in the leasehold mortgage market due to issues surrounding the External Wall Fire Review/EWS1 scheme, the value of the certainty of the entire balcony specification exceeding legislation requirements cannot be understated.
“We’re very excited about the opportunities our triple offering can deliver to the industry,” concluded Richard. “Our goal is to provide safe, compliant, durable, and practical products that positively impact the workflows and outcomes of the construction sector.”
To find out more about their complete balcony decking, balustrade, and cladding package, please call the AliDeck team on 01622 534 085 or email info(Replace this parenthesis with the @ sign)alideck.co.uk.