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ASH Drywall News

ASH Drywall Receive Glowing Feedback from Thakeham Homes

: Posted by ASH Drywall; on 14 October 2020

The Ash Drywall team working with Thakeham Homes at their development in Portslade, West Sussex has received excellent feedback from Thakeham's management team.

Garry Gill (Project Director - Thakeham Group) commented:

"The quality and supervision of works has been excellent, your team is very easy to work with, and plan works well in advance keeping your operatives well briefed along the way. The making good within the plots is very minor and both Tom and Steve are a pleasure to work with.

It is no surprise to see Ash Drywall at the top of the September Subcontractor leader board. Please pass my thanks on to the whole team."

Congratulations to Steve Jones, Tom Cain, and all of the Ash Drywall team working on this site.

Keep up the good work everyone!

ASH Cup 2020

: Posted by ASH Drywall; on 29 September 2020

Cranescape Paul Seager (left) receiving the 2020 Ash Cup from Sean Ash.The Ash Cup is an internal golf tournament held annually by Ash Drywall.

Prizes are awarded for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place as well as nearest to the pin, longest drive and the much dreaded "wooden spoon" for last place.

Despite all the complications of Covid-19, we were pleased to host the 2020 Ash Cup at Dale Hill Golf Club, Ticehurst on Friday 25 September. Congratulations to Paul Seager for his 2nd win of the illustrious trophy and thanks to everyone who took part. Hope you all had a good day out.

The final results were:

1st - Paul Seager
2nd - Steve Jones
3rd - Joe Wallace
Longest Drive - Steve Copper / Mark Payne
Nearest to Pin - Joe Wallace
Wooden Spoon - Sam Greenaway

First-Class Finish with Knauf from ASH Drywall

: Posted by ASH Drywall; on 22 April 2020

Knauf Drywall Airless 001 The speed of the Airless products and the minimal clean-up made a welcome contribution to the efficiency of the site.ASH Drywall are great advocates for the new Knauf Airless System so it was with some excitement that we became involved as a sub-contractor to Wates Construction that has just specified Knauf Airless for a fast, high-quality finish throughout Stag House, a new £7m housing development in Putney.

Knauf Airless Finish is a highly efficient spray-applied alternative to traditional plaster for finishing walls and ceilings. Its crushed marble formula makes it easier to level and sand, and the product comes ready-mixed in bags. There is no need to bring water on to the site and application of the product prior to sanding is dust-free, giving a much cleaner and safer environment.

The product was specified primarily for its speed and ease of use, but for us here at ASH Drywall it was a first with this new system, so the training provided by Knauf was an essential part of the service.

ASH Drywall sent a team to the Knauf Learning Zone, the training centre in Sittingbourne, to make sure they were completely comfortable with the system before starting the project and Knauf also followed up with a site visit to answer any last-minute questions.

Tom Hooper-Smith, Project Manager for Wates Construction, was particularly impressed with the safety of the product in use;

"Knauf Airless Ready-mixed Finish produces little dust during application as little or no sanding is required, meaning that the environment is safer and more comfortable for site workers.

The cherry on top has to be that there’s no waste from the product - any unused excess can be scraped back into the hopper, so it is both ecological and economical. It’s a win-win, I really do think it’s the way forward."

The subcontractors are equally enthusiastic. Contracts Manager for ASH Drywall John Abnett commented that:

“The team were a bit unsure initially - but they’re all converts now and they think it’s brilliant. We’ll be happy to tender with this product in the future."

Stag House is located on the former site of Stag House Community Youth Centre in Putney, South West London. The four-storey development is providing 21 new homes including 10 for those with physical and learning disabilities, including accommodation for an on-site support officer. With handover due in May 2020, the speed of the Airless products and the minimal clean-up required made a welcome contribution to the efficiency of the site.

Project Data Value: £2m Architect: Mae-LLP Architects Contractor: Wates Construction Ltd Sub-contractor: ASH Drywall Products used: Knauf Airless Ready-mixed Finish.

Ash Drywall supervisor wins successive Health & Safety awards

: Posted by ASH Drywall; on 16 December 2019

Congratulations to Ash Drywall supervisor, Adam Payne, who’s been awarded Wates Construction’s “STOPGO” safety award for the second month running.

These awards recognise Adam’s dedication to safe working practices, as demonstrated throughout our sub-contract works at the Stag Housing Development, Putney.

Congratulations Adam and keep up the great work!

Ash Drywall sign-up to the Gangmasters & Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA) Construction Protocol

: Posted by ASH Drywall; on 07 November 2019

As part of our ongoing policy to combat Modern Slavery, Ash Drywall have signed-up to the GLAA Construction Protocol

This joint agreement, between the UK government and some of the biggest names in UK construction, is aimed at eradicating slavery and labour exploitation in the building industry.

By becoming a signatory, ASH Drywall have commited to:

Work in partnership to protect vulnerable workers
Agree to share information, where possible, to help stop or prevent the exploitation of workers
Work together to manage information sensitively and confidentially
Commit to raising awareness within the supply chain
Maintain momentum through this protocol by communicating regularly

You can read all about this initiative and view supportive videos by following this link:

https://www.gla.gov.uk/i-am-a/i-use-workers/construction-protocol/

ASH Drywall trials Knauf spray-applied plaster system

: Posted by ASH Drywall; on 06 November 2019

Ash Drywall are currently trialling the Knauf Airless Finish (spray-applied plaster) system on a high-rise residential development for Wates Construction.

At Ash Drywall, we constantly strive for continuous improvement in working practices. Being open to new methods of working (particularly the utilisation of innovative technologies) is a key part of our strategy and wider business culture. Pursuing this objective, we're currently trialling the Knauf Airless Finish ("KAF") system on a high-rise residential development for Wates Construction.

Utilising a piston pump machine, KAF is applied directly onto smooth surfaces up to four times faster than conventional plastering. Drying times are also faster, allowing follow-on trades to commence work within two days. KAF provides the following key advantages:

Eliminates Silica Dust - Knauf's plaster formula is entirely free from silica components, ensuring that the risk of silica-dust inhalation is eliminated during sanding-down.
Consistent Finish - The KAF system provides a more uniform surface finish, offering potential savings with subsequent decoration.
Quicker application with less man power - Speeding up the wider construction programme, but not at the expense of quality.

The complete system comprises Knauf Plasterboard, Knauf Fill & Finish, Knauf Joint Filler and KAF spray plaster. The pre-mixed nature of Knauf's plaster range eliminates the requirement for an onsite water supply, ideal for large-scale, tower block construction.

Knauf’s formula has just the required amount of liquid within the mix to enable an easy application. In contrast, traditional plastering methods employ a greater amount of liquid which has the effect of creating longer drying times, extending the build programme. This is further prolonged during the colder winter months.

While traditional plaster dries pink, KAF dries white, creating the ideal background for decorators to begin working on the surfaces. The application from the spray machines also allows for ceilings to be plastered from ground level, eliminating the need for steps or scaffolding (another clear safety benefit) and saving time.

Product waste is almost non-existent with levels of less than 1% when using a spray machine. Excess product can be skimmed from surfaces and recycled back into the machine’s hopper for re-use.

Distinguished Gentleman Ride

: Posted by ASH Drywall; on 30 September 2019

Dean riding his Bonneville ASH Drywall's Dean Ash supported Prostate Cancer and Men's Mental Health for the Movember Foundation by taking part in the West Sussex Distinguished Gentleman Ride for the second year running.

Riding a triumph T120 Spirit of 59 Bonneville, Dean has placed in the top 100 fundraisers (out of more than 130,000 riders worldwide) for two consecutive years.

You can read all about the 2019 event and perhaps make a donation by clicking here.