|
- With the introduction of Echo's new manufacturing plant in Muldersdrift, several benefits which have advantages not previously possible
 with suspended hollow core floor slabs resulted.
- The new smooth soffits slabs no longer have grooves at 300mm widths. Joints only occur on the underside at 900mm centres. This makes finishing the soffits a much easier and simpler matter by just applying an undercoat and textured paint, or Tyrolean and painting over.
- A completely smooth soffit, with a greatly reduced risk of hairline cracking under the joints has been successfully tested and is now possible. This eliminates the visible joint and eliminates the expense of false ceilings. To achieve this the joint is filled with flexible mastic filler, available from “ProMaster Products” or “Polycell Products”. Once dry, sand to a smooth finish, apply bonding liquid to the slab ceiling, Rhinolite plaster the soffit smooth and paint
 .
- The mastic, which creates a permanent, malleable, crack free filler, remains flexible so that cracks caused by thermal and other movement in the slabs do not readily transfer through to the plastered soffit, leaving a lasting smooth look.
- Echo do however specify a minimum mesh ref 100 to be placed into the 30MPa screed or topping for any plastered finish.
- A further advantage is that the hollow cores through the new slab are all the same large size. This allows for the placing of downlights simply and quickly because the slab can be cored vertically through, wherever required – fitting in the downlights and permitting transformers to fit into the hollow core of the slab. Added to this, the fact that the actual sizes of downlight fittings and globes are much smaller than in the past, makes it even simpler.
|
