Communal Courtyard at Care Facility, Kent

Background
In the Ashford District of Kent in South-East England sits the village and civil parish of Charing. In 2013, Architects RDA Associates started designs for the construction of a new extra care residential facility situated off the A20 in Charing. This scheme would provide accommodation designed specifically for the ‘over 55’ demographic.

The whole site, constructed by one of the largest housing associations in the UK; Orbit Homes, is set back from Maidstone Road has its own access creating safe entrances and parking for the residents and visitors. The scheme has also been organised so that the properties are situated around landscaped public outdoor spaces giving the homes a nice outlook.
Job Brief/Planning
Peter Hickles, Managing Director at TP Surfacing and Coatings based in Chelmsford, Essex was contacted to provide pricing to carry out the installation of resin bound paving to an area of the scheme.

This particular section of the scheme comprises 46 one-bedroom apartments, built over two-storeys alongside 5 separate bungalows all overlooking a large communal paving area.

A design was created using 2 different paving colours in bespoke shades of a silver blue and lighter grey.  The aluminum edging defining the straight and curved lines separated the colours beautifully leaving a crisp, clean pattern.  This is a popular technique as visually it gives the design a bold line and by using edging to divide the colours, installation is not delayed.  MDF stencils can also be used to create patterns, shapes, letters or numbers as part of a project in a jigsaw type formation, however when doing this each colour would need to cure before installing the next one up to it.

The base, which was an open graded macadam could be overlaid in resin bound paving to create a stable, durable and permeable build up.  SureSet resin bound paving can be laid over the top of many new and existing surfaces providing they are stable and free from cracks and undulations.  Resin bound paving is an aesthetically pleasing top layer which prevents surface water build up and puddling as the water can drain straight through to the sub-straight.
Process/Execution
Before the resin bound paving can be installed, almost 200 linear metres of aluminum edging was formed and stuck down to create the design perimeters.  The area is then marked out in batches for the two colours of paving.

TP Surfacing and Coatings are a SureSet Approved Installer and for this particular installation used our ProResin product.  ProResin is our specially formulated resin blend used on all our installations, which can be purchased on its own for use with independently sourced aggregates, alternatively they can be bought from our recommended supplier.  In this instance TP Surfacing and Coatings used their own aggregates with our ProResin.

525m² of SureSet ProResin resin bound gravel was laid overall in two differing bespoke colour blends (160m² Silver Blue and 365m² Grey).  This combination compliments the surrounding materials of terracotta brick, cream coloured shuttering, grey accents and the greenery to the edges giving a modern touch overall.

Mixed in a forced action paddle mixer, the aggregates and ProResin were fully combined and transferred to the laying area.  After being levelled out, they were hand floated to a smooth and compact finish by a skilled Installation Team.

ProResin is a crystal clear, UV stable product which will not yellow over time, ensuring the coloured design still looks vibrant for years to come.  When combined with dried aggregates using our recommendations and instructions, a smooth resin bound paving finish with no loose stone is produced, making the communal courtyard suitable for pedestrians and wheelchairs.

One of the main benefits for using ProResin from SureSet is the separate catalyst.  Our 3-part resin system consists of Component I and Component P which get fully mixed together, the separate catalyst is then added in specific measurements given in our Catalyst Guidance Table depending on the weather and ground temperature on site.  By having this separate, full control can be had by the installer and therefore working time can be monitored.

The low maintenance surface can now be enjoyed by the residents giving them a fantastic area to walk, talk and sit.

SureSet can make bespoke blends by mixing any of the aggregate range together in a variety of percentages.  If you would like to discuss the creation of your own colour, specific to your project then please contact our Technical Team at technical@sureset.co.uk.

Please note that Trade and DIY products are not covered by our standard 21 year guarantee.

The benefits of using the SureSet ProResin system:

• UV stable
• Separate catalyst – fully controllable
• Formulated in-house
• Can be used in temperatures above 0⁰C (conditions apply)
• Durable
• Flexible
• High quality
• 3-part chemically curing
• ISO 9001 audited Quality Management System

ProResin can be purchased in two different Kit sizes, 7KG and 7.5KG on our online shop (UK delivery only).  If you wish to discuss this product further, please contact us at trade@sureset.co.uk.

For orders to be delivered outside the UK, please contact us directly for delivery prices and information.