Interiors

March 27, 2022

Hunter Douglas Blinds in India

When designing commercial spaces, one of the most important aspects is to know how to control and use sunlight. Incorporating functional and modern blinds from Hunter Douglas in India is a great away to go about it.

Installing blinds has some clear advantages over curtains like controlling heat and light, maintaining privacy, and reducing unwanted noises. There are also various types of blinds like flame retardant, anti-bacterial, solar protective, etc.

Given that the internet is flooded with local brands that offer blinds for commercial spaces, it becomes quite a task to pick the best suited one. But you can take the load off your shoulder by choosing Hunter Douglas as your blinds and shades provider in India. Here’s why:

Reasons to Love Hunter Douglas Blinds

This Dutch multinational corporation has been in the blinds and shades business for a long time. In India too, they have a manufacturing and distribution setup, which ensures reasonable prices and easy access to their services.

Here’s why you must choose them.

Light Control and Privacy

Perfect lighting is essential for any commercial space. But with the natural light, people also want the ability to darken the space. Fortunately, Hunter Douglas blinds can offer both things simultaneously.

After installing these shades and blinds, you can easily control the amount of light entering your space. Depending on your need and mood, you can close or open the blinds. Also, this way, your privacy won’t be interrupted. You can also opt for blackout blinds from Hunter Douglas. The shades can also be automated.

Upgrade the Place with Hunter Douglas blinds

With Hunter Douglas on your side, you get the freedom to control the blinds and shades with one tap. Their PowerView motorization option gives you a choice to control the blinds and shades wirelessly either by mobile app or through handheld remote.

And the fact that it’s compatible with Apple’s Siri, Google Assistant, and Amazon’s Alexa makes it even more functional and better.

Hunter Douglas is Energy Efficient

If you believe in saving energy and want to do your bit, installing smart blinds and shades would be an ideal decision. Hunter Douglas is one of the few companies that are determined to stay eco-friendly.

And they have been successfully doing it by offering honeycomb shades design. This product has incorporated pockets that can keep your commercial space cooler in summer and warmer during winters.

Besides the honeycomb design, the other products of this company also have solar heat control and assist with insulation. Your space’s cooling and heating energy won’t be lost if you install them.

Better Fabrics

Choosing Hunter Douglas will not disappoint you because it uses the finest fabrics to manufacture its products. They offer a choice of thousands of fabrics in different colors. That means you can easily find the right color that blends with your commercial space.

Besides being in different colors, these blinds and shades come with innovative technology. They offer complete privacy and protection from UV lights, which helps you create a better working experience.

Hunter Douglas Warranty

Hunter Douglas is known to offer a warranty on its blinds in India. So, if you are not satisfied with the purchase, you can take advantage. Items covered under warranty include defects in materials, failure to operate, workmanship defects, fabric delamination, and more.

Safety

The last reason Hunter Douglas is so popular in India is that it has made safety its top priority. All the products are designed after considering multiple safety aspects. They even offer UV protection so that you can work comfortably in your office.

Know More

You can know more about Hunter Douglas blinds in India from here. If you are planning an interiors or renovation project, Newton can offer turnkey execution of your project, including installation of blinds. Do contact us.

February 3, 2022

Vinyl Flooring Applications

Vinyl flooring provides a lot of easy installation options with choice of colours and designs.

Several layers of materials are pressed together to create vinyl flooring. Vinyl flooring can be quickly installed in a variety of colours as a quick fix solution when the flooring of an area needs to be replaced or installed quickly. With 2 main options for vinyl flooring being rolled sheets and tile format. Vinyl rolls and Luxury Vinyl Tiles (LVT). The fundamental difference between them is in the manufacturing technique.

LVT Flooring

LVT flooring designs can provide a look similar to vinyl or hardwood and ceramic tiles, and have found applications in all areas where one would find these. They can be flexible tiles or in rigid tile formats. The rigid tiles are modular and can be installed quickly without too much disruption to the furniture and other fixtures in the room. In fact LVT flooring can deal with small imperfections such as bumps and cracks better than vinyl rolls.Â

Vinyl Flooring

Vinyl rolls are fibreglass-cushion-backed. There is a large variety of colours,patterns and designs available. Options are available that are 100% phthalate-free and with low VOC emissions. These make them good options for homeowners, schools and hospitals. As these are large sheets there are fewer seams between them. These seams are joined using cold welding once the sheets have settled. This makes it an unbroken surface also making it waterproof.

Surface Preparation

There are some requirements for the surface preparation, if it is a renovation and there already exists a flooring then the flooring may need to be removed or may need treatment. If it is a ceramic tiles/ concrete flooring – the surface may need to be smoothed with a levelling compound, if it is already properly levelled then vinyl can be installed directly onto it. . However for any pre-existing flooring such as laminate/ Carpet/Vinyl flooring they should be removed before any work. Further for raw floors, in the case of a new construction then the surface needs to be reviewed properly for bumps and cracks, as these can impact the finish of the flooring. In case there are bumps/cracks the surface may need self levelling to else the bumps can become visible on the surface of the installed vinyl.

Durability of Vinyl Flooring

Vinyl floors are durable and a good surface for a variety of applications. However, this durability is dependent on the choice of brands, the installation process and the base surfaceÂ preparation.

There is a preference for homogenous vinyl as small damaged surfaces can be repaired easily. Care should be taken so that there is no moisture in the substrate at the time of installation as that may lead to bubbling later. Vinyl in itself is a waterproof material and if installed properly can also be used in kitchens and bathrooms.Â

In general vinyl flooring is for interior flooring or with flooring with limited exposure to the sun. In areas with a lot of exposure to the UV rays from the sun there can be fading. Depending on the quality of materials used, and the installation, vinyl flooring can last 5 to 25 years.

With ecological awareness brands have become more responsible and sensitive in their manufacturing, the impact throughout the production chain and in terms of chemicals, VOCs etc.Â Vinyl flooring can be very flexible in installation, with acoustic properties, thermal properties, comfortable and quiet underfoot. As it is resistant to damage and moisture, easy to clean and maintain making it a good choice for low maintenance and high traffic areas.

Vinyl Flooring Brands in India

There are many brands of vinyl flooring available in India, most of them are imported. Some of the better brands of vinyl flooring are Armstrong, Tarkett, Forbo and Polyflor. LVT from Interface is also popular for offices. There are Indian brands like Responsive or Wonder Floor that provide value offerings.

For the installation and selection of the right flooring for your application, it is important to have an installation team that understands the brand and the product. We work with a variety of different brands using technicians trained by them for the installation. There is a lot more to do with selection of the final flooring and understanding what works best to meet your client needs. We would be happy to discuss your project and give proper guidance on the best way forward, do contact us.

February 1, 2022

Space Planning Essentials for Office and Retail Fitouts

When you enter an office or retail space where the fitouts have been done with proper space planning, you notice it. On the other hand, a poorly designed office feels odd – you would not feel comfortable working in it and neither do the employees. An office that looks good, has used very good materials in the fitout process but does not have proper space planning done would be such a waste of an opportunity.

So what is Space Planning

When you have a bare shell space to fitout a new office in, or are looking at renovating an existing office space, the first step is space planning. In commercial and retail fitouts, it is space planning that defines the usage of every square foot of the floor area. Architects and interior designers first create the layout floor plans of an office space and retail space. They use space planning as a technique to decide what area or facility needs how much space. Space planning often involves the following:

Meeting employees and potential users of the space being planned to understand their requirements
Planning seating the number of users who would be using the space
Deciding how many meeting rooms, collaboration spaces, interactive common areas, or if it is a retail outlet, things like shelves and display areas are needed.
The requirement of washrooms, pantries etc need to be planned.
Common areas such as staircases, elevator spaces, corridors and movement space need to be planned
Planning not just current requirements but also to consider future requirements if any
Documenting all the ideas, requirements and restrictions of the office or retail space.
Creating a floor plan that incorporates all of the above within the defined shell space.

Some of the common objectives of space planning are to:

Ensure that each square foot of the space is best utilised
Make best use of available natural lighting when planning spaces
Plan the flow of movement in the office space
Make the utilities easily accessible
Consider the impact of noise and acoustics in the space
Ensure that space planning delivers a highlight functional office or retail space
Satisfy employees and make them comfortable
Ensure that spaces planned will fit into budgets available for the fitout

There are several benefits of space planning. When a fitout is being done of an office or retail space, it is expected that it will last several years and will be highly functional, so that the investments being done are recovered. Space planning adds to those expectations and offers the following benefits:

Improve customer/client experience

Whenever a customer or a client enters a retail or office space, they should be impressed not just by the look and feel of the space, but also by the intuitiveness of the design and its functionality. A strategically planned space will enhance a visitors experience and in the long run, result in business growth.

Increase productivity and efficiency

A well designed and planned space will ensure that employees are happy – they become comfortable in the space leading to lower attrition rates and higher productivity. Space planning also ensures that there is efficiency in the operation of the space – in consumption of energy, water and other resources as well as in the time consumed to access various facilities in the building.

Provide space for growth

Space planning ensures that if the office needs to grow or if the retail space needs some more storage space as an example, there is ample space for growth. Planning ensures that these requirements are thought off before the fitouts are done and provisions are left such that in the event of a growth, minor modifications can be made and the additional space requirements are incorporated within the space. This will reduce investments in newer spaces.

Optimise investments in the fitout

A well planned space is designed in such a way that the investment in the office space is optimised. Investments can be planned and adjustments made at the planning stage to ensure that the fitout is finished well within a budget. Investment can be saved and overall cost reduced in several ways at the planning stage.

Enhance the life of the office / retail space

A well planned space will last long and will not require renovation or major modifications for a long time. This will ensure that the investment done is recovered back. Not only will the office feel functional and good for all for a longer time, the spaces can accommodate growth and future requirements too.

Considering all the benefits, it makes a lot of economical and functional sense to plan spaces before execution of fitouts for office or retail spaces. Newton has been through several such planning exercises and brings to the table over 25 years of experience in interiors and construction. Do contact us for more information.

January 14, 2022

Construction and Interiors: Project execution challenges

After any construction and interiors project is tendered out, the real challenge of executing the project begins. The challenge is usually taken on by a general contractor like Newton^® but it concerns all the parties involved in the project – the client, architects, suppliers and sub-contractors. If a civil construction project is executed smoothly, it saves time, money and resources. If the interiors are done properly, the finish is high and the costs are kept in control. If both the civil construction and interior project execution is executed without major challenges, all the involved parties stand to benefit.

The idea behind listing the major challenges faced in construction and interior project is to increase awareness about the issues and to find ways for all involved to resolve issues even before they pop up. These are some of the key challenges:

Planning and Funding challenges of construction & interiors project

A good general contracting firm will know the importance of planning and will dedicate resources focused only on planning ahead. Using tools such as Gantt charts and project management software, each stage and requirement of the project will be timed and planned. Executing projects without a plan, budget and timeline is the cause of most of the challenges faced in execution of civil and interior projects.

Projects often face funding issues during their execution. While clients would like to see progress on site before releasing funds, general contractors need to balance their investments between multiple projects. Agreement on milestone or time-linked payments between the general contractors and clients before the start of the project can reduce these challenges.

Delay in initiation of construction & interior projects

A good start leads to a good end, that’s our belief. If there is a delay or a slow start to a construction or interiors project, the overall timeline of the project is very likely to get extended, which leads to cost escalation and all other challenges. Therefore, the planning of the project needs to be completed quickly after finalization of the BoQ’s and tenders. The first few days or weeks of the project are crucial, it’s like building up an escape velocity. If the project execution team gets a boost at this stage, there is all likelihood that the rest of the pieces will fall into place. Quick decisions, fast supply of materials and a large team of worker to begin the project can overcome any lag the construction or interiors project might face.

GFC drawings and Shop Drawings

It is unwise to even begin construction projects without all the good-for-construction (GFC) drawings being in place. Many projects are delayed during the execution stage due to lack of drawings or mismatch between various drawings. It is also not possible for the planning team to plan ahead without the drawings, so the project starts lagging behind. Shop drawings are often prepared by factories, specialist vendors or sub-contractors. Their approvals and integration with other civil drawings can take time and delay projects.

Changes in scope of work / material selection

One key challenge faced in execution of civil and interior projects is change in the scope of work or preselected material during the execution of the project. Sometimes this is unavoidable due to site conditions or non-availability of a specific item. In other case, there are request from the client or architects to incorporate changes. Any general contracting firm should always try to accommodate such requests but if they are going to cause a delay or any other challenge in the execution of the project, it needs to be highlighted.

Availability of items on time

Delays in sourcing or items can other lead to complications in project execution. In civil construction, the available of specific concrete mixes, MS steel of specific sizes and sometimes, large equipment is not readily available. In interiors, if specific hardware or furniture needs to be imported, that is often a major cause of delay. To avoid such challenges, correct planning and ordering well ahead of time is the key.

Nature, Seasons and Festivals

Rains are often the cause of delays and they can’t be predicted. While the delay due to rains is usually short term, seasons such as monsoons are slow period for civil construction. In winters, if the temperature is low, working late at night is often difficult. Festivals such as Holi, Diwali, Eid etc. can be reasons for labor not being available in large numbers. All these challenges are known factors and should be incorporated into planning stage, so that a correct timeline of the civil construction, interiors or renovation project is planned.

Unpredictable events

If all the above challenges are overcome, there are still some unpredictable events that can cause challenges in the execution of projects. In the recent past, demonetization, implementation of GST and lockdowns due to COVID 19 have caused many challenges in the execution of civil and interior projects. The current shortage of shipping containers, causing long lead times in delivery of imported items besides cost escalation, is an example of an unpredictable event that can challenge a well planned and executed project.

At Newton^®, we have been executing project for over 25 years, and have faced and overcome many of these challenges. We believe that with the right team and supporting clients, it is possible to navigate project execution in a planned and professional way. Most of our projects have been executed on time and within the planned budget.

Do contact us for all your civil construction, interiors and renovation needs.

January 13, 2022

EPDM Flooring for sports and play areas

EPDM flooring is a type of artificial flooring that adds colour, patterns and softness to any play or sports area. EPDM flooring, often called as synthetic rubber flooring, makes a play area safer for children to fall on and adds a certain amount of springiness to sports tracks such as jogging or running tracks.

EPDM Granules

newton-epdm-all-colors — *Newton EPDM Granule Colors*

EPDM stands for Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer and comes in the form of colourful granules that are 1 to 3 mm in size. When mixed with a PU (Polyurethane) Binder, they stick together to form a hard surface with a texture and a certain springiness. There are many colours of granules that are readily available and specific colours can be formulated too.

As of date, we have 16 colours in ready stock, the 15 shown in the image and white. While these colours look dull in the form of granules, when the liquid PU binder is mixed with the granules, the colours shine out and become darker too. Our stock of EPDM has >22% virgin polymers, this is important as it gives a longer life to the EPDM surface. While some vendors offer recycled EPDM, we ensure that only virgin EPDM, manufactured with polymer imported from USA/Europe is used in our projects.

These are the specifications of the EPDM used in our projects:

The Base Layer for EPDM Flooring

The surface on which EPDM flooring needs to be should be a hard level floor, like a Plain Cement Concrete (PCC) floor. The top of the floor should be neatly finished with cement mortar, so that a smooth surface is formed on which adhesive will stick. Having a gradient in the floor or drainage pipes under the floor, such that water can drain off instead of being stagnant is crucial. Both the EPDM and the base layers are porous and will allow water to permeate through.

EPDM granules are expensive, so a base layer of recycled rubber buffing or SBR (Styrene-Butadiene-Rubber) is usually created on the flooring. The thickness of this layer varies from 10mm to 130mm, depending on the fall height of the equipment being installed. The choice between rubber buffing and SBR also depends on the softness required – rubber buffing is much softer and will add a lot more bounce to the floor than SBR. It is also possible to mix rubber buffing with SBR to create the right base layer – we recommend a mix of 80% SBR with 20% buffing to create just the right base layer for children’s play areas. The base layer is mixed with 15% PU binder and pasted onto the cleaned surface, and usually dries between 8 to 12 hours.

The Top Layer of EPDM

Once the base layer is dry, the EPDM granules, mixed with up to 25% PU binder are pasted onto the base layer. Dust is blown off the base layer before the top layer work begins. The colours of the EPDM granules are positioned in such a way that they form patterns as per the sites design. It is also possible to form borders with different colours or have a perfect joint between two colours. Some designs require a mix of two or more colours of EPDM granules to create unique colours.

While most specifications are of a top layer of 6mm EPDM, we highly recommend at least 10mm EPDM top layer whereas 15mm is the preferred choice internationally. Increasing the thickness of the top layer increases the cost of the installation but also improves the quality and longevity of the flooring significantly.

Polyurethane (PU) Binders

A key component of both the base layer and the top EPDM layer is the PU binder. The binder is essentially an adhesive and is available from various companies. Some of the reputed ones are BASF, Dow and Huntsman. PU Binders are available in 50KG and 200KG drums. While it is easier to handle 50KG drums, there is less wastage in 200KG drums.

Finished EPDM Flooring

If the EPDM flooring is designed well and correctly installed by a skilled team, it can easily last for 10 years. Newton^® offers a 1 year warranty on all its installations. While it is natural for the colours of the top layer to change a bit due to UV light, other problems such as the joints opening up or the layers detaching from the surface are all covered in the warranty. The finished surface looks beautiful and inviting for play, have a look at these pictures below.

For all your EPDM flooring needs, contact us.