15th March, 2010

PCS Wetroom Solutions features in new RICS initiative

The Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors has asked PCS with their Wetroom Solutions to be part of a new initiative.

Launched in 2009 RICS has introduced EXCHANGED, a new information source for those who have recently purchased a home. The information, available in magazine and on-line format, is designed to assist the consumer with the process of moving into their new home and to inform them of how to add value to what can be the biggest investment they may ever make.

Featured in the Spring 2010 edition is the launch of the new PCS Wetroom Solutions including the new Raised and Level Access Kits. PCS are the only UK manufacturer of complete wetroom systems.

Replacing a traditional bath or shower with a stylish modern wetroom can add considerable value to residential properties and certainly add the 'wow factor'. Click here to download the pdf.

2nd February 2010

PCS Wetroom Solutions selected for Royal Hospital Chelsea

The Royal Chelsea Hospital, home to the Chelsea Pensioners, is undergoing a major refurbishment programme. In March 2009 a new infirmary was opened and work began on refurbishing the first of the 'Long Wards' shortly afterwards.

The hospital was designed by Sir Christopher Wren and accepted its first admissions in 1692. It is home to single ex-servicemen and the average age of the pensioners is 84 years old. With the new investment and facilities the hospital was able to recruit its first female pensioners with two ladies being admitted last year.

As part of the first 'Long Ward' refurbishment, 37 self contained 'berths' have been created on the three floors of one of the historic hospital wings. Each 'berth' will now contain a bedroom, lounge and bathroom. The bathrooms are of a unique design with toilet, washbasin and shower being installed above a bespoke PCS Shower Tray. The entire bathroom becoming the pensioners own wetroom.

Given the historic nature of the property each wetroom had unique overall dimensions and drain positions so as to avoid the supporting floor beams. The 37 trays were all delivered prior to Christmas 2009 with the first pensioners expected to move in during Spring 2010.

25th November, 2009

Lab Tests show the strength of the PCS product

Architects and specifiers frequently ask 'Just how strong are these tilebacker boards?'.

Designers who are used to lining walls with gypsum based plasterboard products often try to push the boundaries of this material by selecting thicker and heavier wall tiles. These products are made up of a brittle gypsum core which is faced with a paper liner. Given the limited strength of the component products it is no wonder that there is a limit to the weight of tiles that can safely be bonded to them. As it's a familiar restriction, when they come to using PCS Thermal Tilebacker Boards they ask the same question.

Recent research carried out by Ceram, an independent testing house based in Staffordshire, concluded that it was far more likely that the tiling adhesive or the structure supporting the tilebacker boards to the wall were more likely to fail than the tilebacker boards.

The shear strength of the board was determined using a method developed at CERAM. This method was developed to represent the maximum load that could be applied to the face of the board when fixed in a vertical position.
The mean shear strength of the board was measured to be 323 kN/m².
In service, the ability of the tilebacker board to support weight will be limited by both the method of board fixing and the strength of the adhesive used.