Wallbarn also offers a pedestal design and planning service, with experts on hand to assist with projects.
About pedestals An easy way to spot hard landscaped areas supported by pedestals is to look for slim gaps just millimeters wide between pavers or decking strips. These gaps are formed when the slabs or decking are clicked into place on special lugs attached to pedestal headpieces. The lugs firmly hold the floor elements in position and the gaps facilitate drainage.
A huge benefit of using pedestals is quick installation, being lighter than bedding into mortar, the ability to cope with complex shapes / pitches and ease of maintenance – flooring elements such as slabs and decking can easily be removed for inspection or repair and services can be run in the void beneath. In short they are a quick and cost-effective way to transform unused and unattractive areas into good-looking, usable spaces.
There are a wide variety of plastic and metal pedestals on the market, from entry level fixed-height solutions to self-levelling, adjustable, heavyweight and fire-rated Class A solutions. All provide a‘ floating floor’ with uniform, spirit-level flat surfaces and separate paving / decking from the base structure, improving
drainage, protecting the surface beneath and avoiding the need for sand and cement.
System selection Correct pedestal specification depends upon project needs, complexity and paving weight. Consider if the site has differing levels, height thresholds or lightwells / roof windows / penetrations. For example, a roof deck may have blemishes or ridges where felt overlaps, or the thickness of paving slabs may differ slightly across a project. Both situations are perfect for self-levelling pedestals, which can also be used to create fall across a flat roof or space. Adjustable pedestals with a self-levelling headpiece would, for example, neatly complete a ground floor area required to be flush with the doorway threshold of a house or building without compromising the DPC.
Paved or decked public areas can be subject to high pedestrian traffic so it is really important to install a pedestal system that can withstand the required weight / heat tolerances / elements long-term without failing. Check that the system you use offers independent testing( ie for weight tolerance), has demonstrable quality control / manufacturing provenance and proof of installed performance.
For Wallbarn pedestals are our core product and a sector we have more
DECKING
than 40 years of experience in. We are a market leader in the UK and have supplied projects around the globe, from the Canadian Arctic Circle to Australia, Dubai to Hong Kong, USA to Zanzibar, South Africa to Iceland. We know that failures can happen when an inferior product is installed. Not only is it expensive to replace, it poses public risk. A good example is a city centre project we were asked to inspect following the partial collapse of raised paving; a member of the public had been injured. On site we discovered that the architect’ s specification for pedestals carrying independent laboratory certification had been disregarded in favour of a cheaper alternative that became brittle in cold temperatures, shattering. The contractor was held liable for the claim, which included a personal injury claim. While not common, this demonstrates the inherent dangers of using product without clear evidence of independent product testing and certification or a track record of performance.
Confidence in your supplier is key, and Wallbarn has the products, the know-how and the customer support to help its customers get installations right first time. www. wallbarn. com
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