Nearly 40,000 construction companies have defaulted on repaying their Covid-19 bounce back loans of up to £50,000 each.

That’s 15% of the 260,912 government-guaranteed loans issued to construction companies.

In total, the bounce back loans given to construction companies amounted to £7.68billion.

The figures come from data obtained under a Freedom of Information enquiry by Construction News.

Another 679 building companies have defaulted on the higher-value (up to £5million a time) Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILs) – that’s 4% of all such loans to construction companies. And construction received 17% of all CBILs.

Construction News reports DRS Bond Management director Chris Davies as saying: “Banks were notoriously negative toward construction companies before the Covid-loan schemes and the only reason they were lent to during the Covid-loan period was the government guarantees.”

I have been writing about the ceramic tile sector for more than 40 years now and I can say with some certainty that 2022 was a year unlike any other.

In common with other mature industrial sectors, the past four decades have seen the global ceramic tile sector impacted by geopolitical forces and traumatic world events, such as the 2008 global financial crisis; 9-11; and the Gulf War. But this year several powerful negative forces have been at play simultaneously – and they have impacted on everyone in the global ceramic tile community.

As well as the Coronavirus pandemic, the UK has been additionally challenged by Brexit and the soaring energy prices resulting from the war in Ukraine.

These three challenges have had a particularly acute impact on the ceramic tile market. Take Brexit, for instance. The UK only has one remaining volume tile manufacturer, Johnson Tiles, so the vast bulk of this £950million+ market relies on imported tiles. Spain and Italy have been traditionally two of the major supplier nations and they now face expensive delays and painful paperwork to keep contracts supplied and warehouses stocked.

Looking forward, emerging producer nations, such as Brazil, China and India could offer alternative sources, but only when the UK signs a raft of yet-to-emerge international trade deals. And importing tiles from far away has many downsides, particularly given the escalating cost of marine fuel. With a container ship consuming 60,000+ gallons of marine fuel per day, this is no small consideration, and has led to a huge rise in freight transport costs.

In July 2020 the average price of shipping a 40ft container from China to the UK was around £1,500.  Today that figure is nearer £11,000, a staggering 630% increase. And the problem does not end there, because higher diesel prices mean the cost of getting tiles from port to warehouse to customer have all risen significantly.

The war in Ukraine had a particular impact on the tile sector. Just as bakers suddenly woke up to the fact that Ukraine was a major source of wheat, the tile industry discovered that Ukraine was a key exporter of clay, which is the core ingredient of any tile.

The development of porcelain tiles means that the clay extracted near the main European ceramic hubs – Castellon in Spain and Sassuolo in Italy – is no longer fit for purpose. Prior to the outbreak of hostilities, Ukrainian clays accounted for 25% of all the raw materials used by the Italian ceramic industry. While alternative supplies are available – from the UK, Turkey, and across Eastern Europe – it is not easy to suddenly source and ship thousands of tons of clay to your factory.

And when these alternative sources of clay did arrive, manufacturers found that subtle differences in chemical composition meant tiles made from them displayed subtle colour differences when fired. To maintain design consistency, manufacturers had to reformulate thousands of products, with particular emphasis on new engobe compositions to decorate and texture the tiles.

After these technical difficulties were overcome, the spiralling gas prices – still the primary fuel in tile production – and other inflationary pressures compounded the need for price hikes.

At the start of the year the situation was so acute that Confindustria Ceramica, the Italian tile manufacturers’ association, took the unprecedented step of sending out press bulletins to explain the situation in the hope of calming the market’s fears.

In mid-March, when gas prices reached a record level of €3.50 per cubic metre, 30 factories in Italy  (out of around 220) stopped production and furlough agreements were put in place for 4,000 workers. There were also significant shut downs in Spain. And the decision to shut down is never taken lightly because of the potential damage caused to kilns when they cool down.

Looking forward, Spanish and Italian companies are seeking to diversify their gas and material supply chains, both by extending the number of European suppliers they buy from and by seeking new sources from outside Europe.

There are hopes that hydrogen-fuelled kilns will offer a more sustainable manufacturing path eventually, although that will only become viable when the price of hydrogen falls, as it inevitably will with economies of scale and innovations as production increases.

You might think these pressures on the market would have caused a slow down in mergers, acquisitions, and capital investment, but all three have continued apace. And there is no doubt that we will see more companies pursuing a policy of growth through acquisition.

The largest player in the world ceramic tile market is the US-based Mohawk Group. It has built a powerful portfolio of tile brands over the past decade, including American Olean, Daltile, Decortiles, Eliane, Kerama, Marazzi, Emilceramica, and Ragno. In June 2022 it significantly expanded its tile presence with the acquisition of Vitromex, the leading tile manufacturer in Mexico. Next in line looks like being Elizabeth, one of the largest tile manufacturers in Brazil. The purchase is expected to be completed in 2023.

In the UK, Victoria PLC has been steadily amassing a powerful portfolio of tile brands, with Ascot, Casabella Ceramiche, Casainfinita, Ceramiche Capri, Ceramica Colli de Sassuolo, Dom Ceramiche, Keradom, and Vallelunga & Co in Italy, and Ibero Porcelanico, Keraben, Metropol, and Saloni in Spain. In 2022, Victoria made a significant move into the North American market with the acquisition of Cali, the San Diego-based flooring distributor with various B2C and B2B platforms.

In Italy, Graziano Verdi continues to drive the growth of the Italcer Group. Its high-end tile brands include La Fabbrica Ceramiche, Elios Ceramica, Ceramica Rondine, Cedir, and Equipe Cerámicas. The latest brand to be added to the portfolio is Ceramica Fondovalle, a €50million Sassuolo-based manufacturer with particular expertise in large slabs. With this acquisition, Italcer is anticipated to reach a consolidated turnover of €370million in 2022, with an EBITA of €80million.

Consolidation has also been taking place among distributors. In the UK, Topps Tiles has acquired 60% of the issued share capital of Pro Tiler Ltd, an online supplier of tiling products to the trade. Topps has an option to purchase the remaining 40% that is exercisable from March 2024.

The commercial arm of Topps Tiles – Parkside and Strata Tiles – aligned to become sister brands. These two tile specification companies are looking to become market leaders in the UK’s commercial tile market by 2025.

In tools, Husqvarna Group's Construction Division, a world leader in diamond tools for the stone industry, has acquired Heger, another specialist in professional diamond tools.

The attractiveness of the tile sector was underlined when CTD Tiles, the UK’s largest tile distributor, announced its acquisition by private equity group Aurelius Investments. Previously under the ownership of Saint-Gobain, the sale comes at a time of growth for the company and included all brands in The CTD Group.

Aurelius will work with CTD’s experienced management team to leverage its leading B2B market position by expanding its e-commerce offering and to continue the company’s operational development. Aurelius also sees opportunities for opening new trade counters and additional branches in key locations across the UK.

2022 also saw the launch of a new brand in the UK tile sector: the Gölz group, based in Germany. With 75 years’ experience in high quality machinery and diamond accessories, Gölz has had a presence in the UK since 1987, providing expert technical and sales support for a range of professional machinery and diamond tools for the construction industry. Now, with the addition of the new 110V table saws, Gölz can also supply tile and stone customers with saws that can be used onsite as well as in the factory.

There were two significant accolades for the UK’s ceramic tile sector during the year. In January, Brian Newell, Chair and Founder of the TTA Technical Committee, was made an MBE in the New Year’s Honours. Brian, the CEO and Founder of Shackerley Holdings, was a founding member of The Tile Association and in his long career has helped to deliver the TTA’s key aspirations of improving standards and driving quality through the UK tiling sector.

He joined the BSI Committee B539 in the 1980s and went on to develop and draft the first British Wall & Floor Tile Installation Standards (BS 5385 Parts 1-5) and the first tiling Workmanship on Site Standards (BS 8000).

In another impressive accolade, Instarmac Group received the Queen’s Award for Enterprise for International Trade 2022.   

Environmental enthusiasm

2022 will also hopefully be remembered as the year when the ceramic tile sector really put its green foot forward. For some time now companies like Kerakoll have driven the environmental agenda, while others seemed happy to talk the talk, but not walk the walk. This year, particularly at Cersaie, a major European tile exhibition, it felt as though green wash had been replaced by clear sustainability initiatives backed up by research and investment. Giovanni Savorani, Chairman of Confindustria Ceramica, stated: “The Italian ceramic industry’s commitment to sustainability was the common thread running through the entire show.”

Green initiatives seen across the ceramic sector included Grespania installing photovoltaic panels on the roof of its plant in Moncófar, Castellón. This 907kWp array is capable of generating 1.3GWh of clean energy a year – or 30% of the total energy requirement for its factory.

Instarmac Group has invested more than £400,000 on state-of-the-art solar panels at its factory in Tamworth, Staffordshire. Perfect Sense Energy installed 1,656 solar panels across a 3,771m2. The 768kW solar panels will generate 680,000kW of clean green energy for Instarmac.

Mosa has achieved Cradle to Cradle Certified Gold for its ceramic floor and wall tiles. With 99% of its products already certified at the Silver level, it wanted to go all the way by moving up to Gold according to version 3.1 of the Cradle to Cradle Certified Product Standard.

Taking another slant on sustainability, on the natural stone side of the industry Stone Federation announced its Responsible Sourcing Pledge. This is an opportunity for Stone Federation members, architects, designers, engineers, and major contractors to demonstrate commitment to the sustainable sourcing of natural stone. It follows the 2012 publication of the Stone Federation Sustainability Statement and, four years later, The Ethical Stone Register. More than 20 of the UK stone industry’s leading names immediately signed the Responsible Sourcing Pledge.

On a smaller scale, Parkside and Strata’s Clerkenwell Sustainability & Design Studio was home to a programme of activities during Clerkenwell Design Week, including The Next Generation, showcasing student sustainability concepts. Parkside’s James Journet observed: “Clerkenwell Design Week is a great chance to really get stuck into conversations and explore how we can collaborate as an industry to become more sustainable in our actions.”

Exhibition upheaval

There was no Cevisama this year. Spain’s international ceramics and bathroom equipment trade fair in Valencia was initially moved from February to June, due to the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic. As the crisis rolled on, and faced with growing manufacturer scepticism, the organisers had little chance but to pull the plug. The show is scheduled to be back in its usual February slot in 2023, but with exhibitor numbers still below the event’s peak, many in the industry are expressing doubts about its long term future.

Cersaie in Italy, meanwhile, marked a welcome return to something like business as usual, as more than 90,000 visitors flocked to Bologna in September, roughly twice the number that braved last year’s Covid-constrained event.

It was great to see visitors from Australia and New Zealand back assessing trends and making deals, alongside good numbers from the USA, Canada, and Europe. Unsurprisingly, there were few Chinese visitors among the 44,215 international attendees, but that was only to be expected given the pandemic restrictions that were still in place there.

Revestir, Latin America’s foremost surfaces show, celebrated it’s 20th anniversary in March, covering all seven pavilions of the Transamerica Expo Center in Sao Paulo, Brazil. It was the last time the event will be held at this venue, as it moves to São Paulo Expo at Rodovia dos Imigrantes in 2023.

The 2022 event was unique because, in response to the global Coronavirus pandemic, it had a hybrid format, part digital and part face-to-face. The digital version allowed visitors to save admired products and brands and check out launches from the in-person event. The platform also hosted FIAC (International Forum of Architecture, Design & Construction), with presentations from the likes of Dutch designer Maarten Baas and American architect Charles Renfro.

Coverings, the US-based exhibition, goes from strength to strength. In 2021 it was held in Las Vegas, but returns to its spiritual home, Orlando, in 2023.

As the American market has grown, and Kentucky expands as a tile manufacturing hub, this show looks set to join Cersaie as a key date in the tile calendar. The April date is ideally spaced five months from the Bologna showcase, allowing the Spring and Autumn collection concept to return. Orlando is blessed with a plentiful supply of hotels, but the strong Dollar and the rising cost of air fares may yet deter a greater number of overseas visitors from attending the next event.

It is not my intention to discuss tile design trends here, but it is worth mentioning three sub-sectors of the market that all moved ahead in 2022: façades; worktops; exterior paving.

The first two sectors exploit porcelain’s technical qualities, as well as its aesthetic properties. Sales of mechanically-fixed ventilated façades have been growing in the UK for many years now, driven by pioneers like Shackerley Holdings and Domus Façades. Now, with big brands like Apavisa, Marazzi, Caesar, Porcelanosa, and Grespania banging the drum, it is surely time for tiled façades to take off. In the wake of Grenfell, fire-safe cladding solutions are at an all-time premium, and porcelain has a strong specification story to tell.

The rise of porcelain worktops has been driven by the widespread adoption of continuous pressing technology and digital decoration. These make it possible to create incredibly detailed 1800mm by 3600mm porcelain panels or varying thickness. With the beginning of through-body decoration and elegant book-matched designs, the market has exploded. But while there are now many factories in Italy, Spain, and beyond capable of producing these slabs, the market is being held back by a lack of trained and skilled fabricators and installers.

To achieve the best results requires significant investment in people, equipment, substrates, and construction chemicals. It also relies on specialist distribution and advanced material handling. Little wonder then that both porcelain façades and worktops will be key areas of interest at Hard Surfaces in June next year when it returns to ExCeL in London to co-locate with the Natural Stone Show.

Both façades and worktops can greatly benefit from enhanced communication and technical training, and this will be clearly demonstrated both on the exhibition floor and in the seminar programme at this important ExCel-based event.

The stand-out tile sector in 2022, however, was 20mm thick external porcelain.

It took some time for manufacturers and distributors to wake up to the full potential of the external tile market in the UK but now they have it is developing fast.

As well as the traditional manufacturer-to-distributor-to-retailer route to market, 20mm outdoor pavers can now be found via online specialists and in garden centres, builders merchants, and many other retail locations. They are being installed by landscape contractors, local authorities, and property maintenance companies as well as by traditional tilers and competent DIYers.

The ability to dry lay, adhesive fix, or pedestal mount these 20mm tiles makes them unusually versatile.  They are particularly popular with in the hospitality sector because of the vogue for al fresco dining and drinking, but they are equally suitable for use outside commercial or retail premises, on patios and balconies, for footpaths and driveways, or creating seamless inside-out architecture almost anywhere.

Outdoor paving options cover everything from small format bricks and mix and match sandstone paving through to large format slabs and porcelain tiles are a good solution for larger spaces, with sizes varying from supersized 1000mm by 1000mm modules, through XXL 600mm by 1200mm rectangles, to 200mm by 1200mm and 300mm by 1200mm planks. Uniform in thickness, they can be combined to create a personalised look or used to visually separate different outdoor zones.

Most stockists include a range of muted tones such as beige, light grey and charcoal, alongside bolder options such as light woodgrains and encaustic-inspired cement patterns. But the market in 2022 has also seen Victorian-inspired patterns with strong repeating lines and fleur-de-lys motifs and geometric designs with symmetrical, abstract patterns. There is a wide choice of natural effects available including stone-, marble-, concrete-, wood- and slate-effects.

And the commercial benefits are significant. One long-established tile distributor told me that 2022 was the year when sales of 20mm exterior tiles overtook traditional wall and floor tiles in both volume and value. And one of the leading tile agents confirmed that exterior grade tiles now account for more than half of his sales.

The UK tile market is in surprisingly rude health as we head for 2023. Apart from the three sectors outlined above, we have the potential of 3mm mesh-backed sheets, such as Laminam, to factor in.  These can be used for everything from civil engineering applications (such as tunnel lining) to furniture facings or bespoke murals.

And we should be aware of a significant trend at Cersaie – application diversity. This is less about product design than marketing direction, with tiles are being promoted for bedrooms, not only walls and floors but also bedheads and even ceramic bed frames, tiled hallways and corridors, fireplaces, and outdoor kitchens. External tiling had also moved from 2D to 3D forms – planters, water features, and raised seating.

These new application areas should inspire tile retailers and distributors and the architect and design community.

Despite the challenging global backdrop, 2023 holds real promise for the UK’s tiling sector.

The post-Brexit move from CE marking to UKCA marking that was to to have taken place from the start of next year has been put back to June 2025 because nobody is ready for the change.

UKCA stands for UK conformity assessed. CE stands for the French Conformitè Europëenne.

Even CE marking has never been particularly popular in the stone industry, in spite of it being a legal requirement for products such as paving, flooring and cladding. Many companies have simply ignored it, although it should be included on all products that should conform to European standards and can be specified to those standards. 

Many of the standards were adopted as British Standards available from the British Standards Institution (BSI) in the UK.

Selling British products in Europe will still require them to be CE marked, adding to the already increased red tape faced by businesses as a result of Brexit.

To use the UKCA mark, businesses must ensure they are using a UK approved body for testing and certification for all products supplied to the British market that are covered by a designated standard or conform to a UK technical assessment issued for that product.

If you want to try to make sense of the proposed changes you can start on the gov.uk webite here.

In Northern Ireland, and for goods supplied to Britain from Northern Ireland, there are separate requirements to avoid creating a border between Northern Ireland and the Republic. For more about that, click here.

Adrian Attwood, Executive Director of DBR, a specialist conservation company dealing with the cleaning and repair of historic fabric and the regeneration of historic buildings, explains why it is worth talking to a specialist about preparing historic buildings for climate change.

The conversation around climate change is continually heating-up (pun intended!). Across construction there’s now a concerted effort to drive down emissions and prove the sector is taking Net Zero targets seriously.

However, it’s not just about reversing climate change in the long term. It’s about adapting our existing stock in the here and now. Nowhere is this more important than in our heritage buildings and landmarks, none of which were built with much (or any) idea that we would eventually be faced with an environmental crisis.

Particularly, architects in bygone eras would not have had the knowledge or methods for reinforcing buildings against the erratic weather patterns or fluctuating temperatures we’re currently experiencing.

One significant issue which needs to be addressed is the increased risk of flooding.

A recent report from The Met Office indicated that the UK has become noticeably wetter over the past 50 years, particularly in the period from 2011 to 2020, when there was a 9% rise in rainfall. The report also suggested that these levels could increase in line with the heightened likelihood of extreme meteorological events.

As we experienced this year, climate change has brought on other meteorological events in the form of extreme heat waves. Hot weather can be detrimental to historic properties – both for the physical fabric of the spaces and for the visitors.

To combat this, we have recommended to our conservation team and other heritage professionals to consider the implementation of heat reflecting systems – blinds or shutters, awnings over window and doorframes (so long as it does not detract from the original façade) – and upgraded building insulation.

These simple solutions can reduce heat gain as well as heat loss within a historic property. Insulation in roofs is a particularly quick and inexpensive solution for energy efficiency.

Many historic buildings are vulnerable to flooding and, of course, were not originally built to withstand massive deluges. Depending on the scale of the issue, damage can range from the minimal to the extensive, but in each case the remediation and restoration is costly.

In the worst-case scenario, irreparable damage or structural collapse can occur, requiring complete rebuild and potential loss of interior finishes and works of art.

So it’s far more prudent and cost-effective in the long-term to work with specialist contractors to reinforce the structural integrity of our heritage stock and provide optimal defence against the elements.

We in the conservation construction profession now have the methods and the tools to com-bat these changing circumstances and mitigate the potential effects. Many of these implementations are far less complex, and therefore easier to address, than one might think.

While there are many different ways flooding can occur, whether it’s river, coastal or ground-water, the approaches for mitigating flood damage are much the same in each instance. These approaches can be encompassed in two schools of thought: flood-resistance and flood-resilience.

Flood-resistance looks at ways to reduce the amount of water actually entering a property during a flood, and flood-resilience seeks to reduce the amount of damage caused when water does enter a property.

At DBR, much of the work we undertake is a combination of the two, with the aim of futureproofing the structure of the building.

A common task for us is improving main water drainage, enhancing existing systems to handle higher occurrences of rainfall. This includes the repair of, and incorporation of, strategically positioned lead sumps, as well as work to increase their capacity, complemented by repaired, replaced and extra internal rainwater pipes along with overflows and blockage warning systems.

One avenue of flood mitigation DBR was involved in was in raising the railing base on the riverside of the Thames.

This strengthened the embankment to accommodate rising river levels and the increased likelihood of erosion, which could lead to subsistence and structural damage. It also protected the embankment from the impact of the Thames Clippers, which regularly pass the site, creating surges that can wash over the riverside masonry, causing significant damage.

Importantly, the works undertaken need to be conducted with the utmost sensitivity to any building’s fabric, to prevent any unnecessary damage that could arise from heavy-handed or careless installation.

Our recent adaptive work at the Old Royal Naval College, Greenwich, where the famous Painted Hall is sited, offers a perfect example of this careful, considered approach. The work involved designing and building-in optimal flood defence with an eye on maintaining the integrity and appearance of historic fabric.

But flooding is just the tip of an iceberg of climatic issues that historic assets need to be pre-pared for.

Many in the conservation construction sector will remember when a massive chunk of stone fell from the Palace of Westminster’s Victoria Tower in 2018, subsequently attributable to in-creased temperature fluctuations that loosened the iron cramps holding the stone in place. It prompted a regular survey of the landmark’s stonework to spot the early signs of climate-caused damage and address them immediately.

This is all before you look at the requirements to bring these structures up to modern building standards, which comes with its own challenges.

For example, the fabric of these structures needs to breathe, so hermetic sealing is a challenge. Also, preventing energy loss is now an essential consideration, needing to be ad-dressed on a case-by-case basis, although there are a number of neat solutions. For example, on the Liberty’s conservation undertaking, we used solar reflecting glass to reduce solar gains, keeping the building cool and protecting interior timber panelling from the effects of overheating.

All encompassing, these challenges are wide-ranging with no simple answers. However, there can be no question that, if we want to maintain our heritage buildings and historic land-marks, we need futureproofing against climate change to be a central component of future renovation and restoration projects.

Ultimately, generations to come will thank us for making the investment now to conserve our rich and diverse architectural tapestry – something which I believe we all want our descendants to enjoy in full.

Stone cleaning is not the controversial subject it once was but it still requires the right equipment and the right skills.

Like a lot of aspects of stone care and conservation, stone cleaning is better understood now than it was in the past and the products available for carrying out the work are better than they have ever been.

Detail lost by aggressive grit blasting and façades discoloured by the use of inappropriate chemicals are (hopefully) consigned to the past. Research has shown that stone cleaning is not the enemy of stone it was once thought to be, especially sandstone.

However, cleaning stone still needs to be carried out by trained and skilled operatives to achieve the required results, but that is understood by the companies that specialise in stone cleaning.

Stone is, of course, used in many different applications, from worktops, floors, bathrooms and feature walls in domestic and commercial interiors to historical façades and memorials and monuments.

There tends to be different companies specialising in the different areas with their own specialist machines and chemicals, such as machines that use abrasives for cleaning and polishing floors and environmentally friendly chemicals for cleaning headstones without killing the surrounding grass and flowers.

The most visible form of stone cleaning that has the biggest impact on an area is when a façade is cleaned, often in association with stone repairs being carried out, further enhancing the impact.

The two companies that have had the biggest impact on façade cleaning are Restorative Techniques and Stonehealth. Both offer superheated water cleaning systems (ThermaTech from Restorative Techniques and Doff from Stonehealth) and gentle abrasive cleaning equipment (Torc from Stonehealth and VorTech from Restorative Techniques). They also sell various other specialist cleaning products such as latex for removing carbon deposits, poultices for drawing out stains, and various chemicals for specific cleaning applications and for protecting stone (for example against graffiti) to make it easier to clean in future.

Both these companies offer training on the use of their equipment, maintain registers of those companies that have been trained in their use for the benefit of those looking for specialists to carry out the work, and act as consultants, analysing contaminants and deposits on stonework (including paint) and advising on the best way to remove them.

Both companies also sell their products abroad and Stonehealth has recently been in Canada training lecturers at a College in Ontario how to use the Doff and Torc machines they have bought, so the lecturers can pass on the knowledge to students. MD James Diamond says he would like to use the weakness of the pound against the dollar as leverage into the USA market as well.

Restorative Techniques has lately opened a modern new laboratory at its headquarters near Bristol. It says an understanding of chemistry is fundamental to a scientific approach to the conservation and restoration of built heritage assets. The new laboratory will guide the selection of appropriate surface treatments and the formulation of remedial chemical products for specific conservation issues, from sulphation to graffiti.

Chemical analysis is also used to establish the original formulae used in antique paint and to colour-match it with new paint. For example, when the iron bridge that gives Ironbridge in Telford its name was renovated, samples of paint from deep beneath more recent layers were analysed in order to repaint the bridge to its original colour scheme.

Restorative Techniques says chemistry has guided its product research and development for many years and is fundamental to the formulation of its growing line of proprietary chemical products.

Nevertheless, the physical cleaning equipment is still a major part of the company’s repertoire, such as the ThermaTech system used by Stonewest for cleaning 1 Derby Gate in Westminster, London, pictured on the previous page.

It is a Grade II* listed ornate stone building forming part of the same Northern Estate of the Houses of Parliament where it is proposed the House of Commons should sit while the Palace of Westminster is being renovated (and Restorative Techniques’ products, including ThermaTechs, have been widely used for the ongoing maintenance of the Palace of Westminster).

At 1 Derby Gate, a grandiose Italianate palazzo built of Portland limestone in 1864-66 as a gentlemen’s club and now, in conjunction with the adjacent former 45 and 46 Parliament Street, used by the House of Commons as a satellite library service, Stonewest was contracted to clean and repair the stonework. Stonewest worked alongside principal designer BDP, principal contractor Wates Construction and quantity surveyor WSP & Gleeds.

The Heritage Statement in the planning application for permission to carry out work on Richmond House and neighbouring properties in Parliament Street and Whitehall to temporarily accommodate Members of Parliament when work begins on the major refurbishment of the Palace of Westminster identifies 1 Derby Gate as of ‘the highest significance’.

Stonewest was tasked with the extensive cleaning and repair of the intricate stonework of the building, which included chimneys and carved embellishments (a lion’s head at high level, beneath the coping and console brackets along the cornice).

ThermaTech’s super-heated water provided the delicate touch the cleaning required. Impressively, the Stonewest team was also able to salvage enough stone from the North East chimney that had to be dismantled and rebuilt for all the indents to the façades and the majority of other chimney repairs.

Before work started, Stonewest was engaged to advise on and carry out cleaning exemplars to establish appropriate specifications to achieve the light touch level of cleaning desired. Stonewest was then engaged to carry out the cleaning and repairs.

The cleaning was not all on the exteriors. Stonewest also cleaned and repaired a granite staircase and walls dating from the 1860s.

When it comes to interiors there is no shortage of chemicals to clean, enhance and seal natural and engineered stone surfaces, including porcelains, which are continuing to take market share in both interiors and exteriors.

And there are more chemicals for cleaning and protecting exterior stone these days, like those from Dry-Treat used to clean the stone sculptures pictured below. Dry-Treat products are sold under the name of Stain-Proof and it was Stain-Proof’s SMC Peroxide Cleaner, previously known as Dry Treat Stone & Masonry Cleaner, that was used to clean these sculptures.

Stain-Proof and are sold in the UK by Advanced Stone & Masonry Supplies (ASM). SMC Peroxide Cleaner is for cleaning stubborn organic stains and deeply embedded dirt in porous stone and masonry using a deep, penetrating, foaming lifting action.

It is mildly alkaline with a pH of 7.5, so can be safely used on any stone, quickly lifting dirt and algae from stonework. And once cleaned, the stone can be sealed with Stain-Proof Premium Impregnating Sealer, which is invisible and breathable, for long lasting protection.

Another range comes from Ecoprotec, to which the latest addition is Black Spot & Algae Remover.

The new acid-free, ready-to-use treatment safely removes stubborn stains and slippery residue, restoring the performance and aesthetic of natural stone, concrete, brick and porcelain. 

The treatment is ideal for deep cleaning new and existing paths, patios, terraces and driveways in residential and commercial settings.

Made in the UK, Black Spot & Algae Remover targets organic residues, including black spot, white spot, lichen, moss, algae and other stains caused by damp leaf matter. Treatment in the autumn, in particular, breaks down microspores and hyphae before they can colonise the surface. 

The product is applied neat to swept surfaces with a plastic watering can or a light pressure garden spray. It fizzes, but not because it is dissolving stone. The formula breaks down residue in 2-4 hours and its bleaching action removes stains. Surfaces should then be hosed down with clean water. 

Ecoprotec Black Spot & Algae Remover can be used on dry and slightly damp surfaces and should be applied when there is the expectation of a few hours of fair weather. 

Following treatment, natural stone surfaces can be protected with Ecoprotec Patio Sealer, while the Ecoprotec Pre Grout Protection barrier treatment is recommended for matt porcelain pavers. Both protect the surface without altering its appearance. They prevent moisture and organic particles from being absorbed into the surface, reducing staining and the spread of algae, mould and black spot. 

Developed for the contract and landscape sectors, the Ecoprotec range includes surface treatments for all types of tile and stone. The new Ecoprotec website (www.ecoprotec.co.uk) presents the exterior range as a separate category from interior treatments and includes a library of supporting technical material.

Mapei UltraCare – a complete protection & maintenance solution

A good protection and maintenance regime ensures a stone surface retains its natural aesthetic and performance characteristics. To simplify each step and ensure every type of material and finish is correctly maintained, Mapei has developed its UltraCare range of cleaners and protectors.

Formulated in the Mapei Research Laboratories and designed for both professionals and end-users, the range provides a solution from installation to the protection and maintenance of surfaces in private, commercial and industrial settings.

Mapei’s UltraCare cleaners are tailored to individual characteristics of surfaces, whether they are acid sensitive, acid resistant, polished or unpolished. Each formulation provides a safe and easy-to-use solution for diverse sites, whether new installations or renovations.  

For acid-resistant surfaces such as granite and quartz, Mapei UltraCare Acid Cleaner and UltraCare Keranet are ideal for a builders clean and stain removal. Both safely remove fixing residue (including cementitious grout), organic dirt, salt, limescale and efflorescence. 

The ‘buffered’ formulations do not emit fumes, so they are safe for the applicator and the environment and will not cause damage to stainless steel or aluminium profiles.

The range also includes Mapei UltraCare Keranet Easy, a ready-to-use spray that can be used as soon as grout becomes opaque, which saves a lot of waiting.

To deep clean unpolished natural stone before is it sealed, there is UltraCare HD Cleaner, an alkaline formulation that breaks down organic dirt. It can be used to restore a stone floor’s slip resistance as well as its aesthetic.  Outdoors, it also tackles the removal of moss and algae and is effective as a remover for water-based and metalized waxes.

Once a stone surface has been sealed it should be cleaned with a pH-neutral product like diluted Mapei UltraCare Multicleaner. The dilution can be adjusted for a builders clean to remove dirt and grout residue from an installation and for periodic deep cleaning of polished natural stone, although it should be rinsed off afterwards.

For ongoing cleaning, ready-to-use UltraCare Multicleaner Spray is ideal for treated surfaces, especially natural stone in showers and wet areas, vanity units and worktops. It is safe to use on acid-resistant stone that has been treated with a protector.

Mapei’s range of UltraCare protectors completes the company’s maintenance range, meeting specific requirements, from colour enhancing and providing water and oil-repellent protection to the protection of tiles before grouting. The treatments are supplied ready to use and can be applied directly on to dry or slightly damp materials.

Water-based treatments in the UltraCare range include: Intensifier W high penetration colour enhancer and protector; Stain Protector W impregnator with a natural finish for unpolished surfaces; Stain Protector W Plus impregnator suitable for all finishes of natural stone, as well as terrazzo, agglomerates, brick, terracotta and polished porcelain; Grout Release, for use on porous material prior to fixing to protect against grout ingress and staining and on textured porcelain, where it acts as a sacrificial surface protector that promotes quick and easy removal of grout and installation residues; Grout Protector impregnator for use with cementitious grouts; Fuga Fresca Grout Refresh to rejuvenate the colour of cementitious grout joints in floors and walls.

UltraCare also includes two sol-vent-based treatments: Intensifier S high penetration colour enhancer and protector; Stain Protector S impregnator, providing protection and anti-stain properties with a natural finish.

Athena the cleaner

Athena Stonecare has established a business specialising in cleaning stonework like the marble floor pictured below, which was given a full restoration and polish by the company.

The clients were renovating the property and the marble floors throughout had seen better days. They asked Athena Stonecare if there was anything that could be done to return them to their original splendour.

At the initial site survey, Athena noted that there was significant lippage across the floor where the tiles had not been laid flat.

To re-polish a scratched or etched floor, diamond segments must be used to grind the surface. If tile edges are uneven the diamond segments will bounce over the lips and will be ineffective, so the floor was ground flat first, the clients having decided the investment in a full restoration was well worth it.

The grinding and resurfacing was carried out before new skirting boards were installed. This is always Athena’s preference when grinding floors as it enables the best finish possible to reach the edges and corners.

Using the Hypergrinder Titan and Levighetor the marble floor tiles were ground flush with the grout line. Seven stages of diamond abrasives (metal bonds, copper bonds and resin bonds) were used. When the rooms had been decorated the team returned to polish the floor using Klindex KP92 before rinsing and sealing with Fila MP90.

The main contractor contacted Athena afterwards to say: “Cannot get over how good the floor looks! Amazing job.”

Working magic on mosaics with Green Man Cleaning

An project by cleaning specialist Green Man Cleaning provided an opportunity to protect and enhance a magnificent mosaic floor in Frome Town Hall, in Somerset.

A building for the community, Frome Town Hall was constructed in 1892 in an Italian Renaissance style using local stone quarried in the Butts, along with Box Ground Bath Stone. Today, it retains many of its original features, including a mosaic floor that covers 80m2 in the entrance lobby.

Following an initial survey, Green Man Cleaning commenced works to remove a build-up of organic residue from the tile surfaces and matrix of low-lying grout lines. The floor was swept with a scissor mop and then cleaned with a Numatic rotary machine. This lifted and emulsified residue, which was then extracted and removed with a Numatic wet vac machine.

Green Man Cleaning used pressurised pump sprayers and jets, recovering water with the wet vac. This ensured removal of residue from the lower grout level, which can harbour dirt and grime. If sticky deposits are left they can attract dirt and create rapid re-soiling. The floor was left to dry overnight.

To enhance and protect the floor, Green Man Cleaning used LTP’s Ecoprotec Colour Enhancing Stone Sealer. A water-based impregnating treatment, the sealer enhances the natural finish, strongly repels water, oil and grease, and helps protect tiles against staining. 

Being a non-film forming impregnator, it allows the surface to breathe, which is particularly important in historic settings with no damp proof course. Moisture from the subfloor passes through to the surface. Trapping it beneath would cause a variety of moisture-related issues. 

Ecoprotec Colour Enhancing Stone Sealer is suitable for all types of natural and engineered stone. On textured surfaces, it is applied with either a roller or paint brush. The surface is left to dry for an hour, after which any visible residue is removed. Immediately after application the tiles look glossy, but once they have dried they return to their natural aesthetic. The colour enhancer brightens the colour tone without increasing reflectivety.

Jon Gardner, Director at Green Man Cleaning, said: “It was a privilege to be able to bring life and warmth back to this fabulous floor. Our methods and Ecoprotec’s sealer restored the mosaics to their best potential condition and provided essential protection. Achieving this with an environmentally friendly, non-toxic treatment protected the health & safety of our team, of the people that work and visit the town hall and the building’s fabric itself.”

With Stone Federation’s 2020 Natural Stone Awards presentation ceremony having to be an online event because of the Covid pandemic lockdowns, there was a heightened sense of anticipation about this year’s Awards presentation ceremony as it returned to London’s Leonardo Royal Tower Bridge Hotel on Friday (2 December), again attracting a capacity audience of 360.

You can see all the projects honoured in the Awards Souvenir Brochure that you can view and download at the bottom of this page.

Guest presenter of the Awards this time was architect and television presenter Charlie Luxton, pictured below at the Awards ceremony.

Charlie is a champion of the environment and communicates his enthusiasm for sustainable architecture and eco-friendly design on his television appearances, which began after he had achieved a first-class honours degree in Architecture at Oxford Brookes University and an MA at the Royal College of Art in London. His first television appearance saw him present Modern British Architects for Channel 5.

He has gone on to present Britain’s Hidden Heritage (BBC 1), Restored to Glory and Rebuilding The Past (BBC 2), Homes and Property (ITV), Supercommuters and World’s Weirdest Homes (Channel 4) and Build A New Life In The Country (Channel 5), although he also runs a 12-person architectural practice, which he said is harder than the TV appearances because “building is hard”.

Sometimes, said Charlie at the Awards ceremony, building seemed hard enough on its own without adding to its complexity by worrying about the environment, but Charlie said if we do not worry about the environment we are in danger of destroying our planetary life support systems – and, he said, life does frequently seem to cause its own demise.

“We are very poor at seeing the value of the big things,” he said. He told those at the Awards ceremony that buildings are at the heart of the climate challenge and “you lot are at the front of the spear on this one; your actions really count”.

He said Architects Journal had called for an honest discussion about the carbon footprints of materials we use in construction. Stone clearly had to be part of that discussion and Charlie spoke about how its use could reduce the embodied carbon content of construction, citing various studies and Amin Taha’s development at 15 Clerkenwell Close (you can read more about that and low carbon stone here).

“The most sustainable building is one that already exists,” said Charlie as he called on the government to remove the VAT penalty of renovation. Although the construction industry does recycle, he said it was often more accurately described as downcycling, with materials losing value in subsequent applications because they tended to be crushed or burnt.

From an architect’s point of view, he said it was important to design buildings with a view to how they would come apart at the end of their lives, so materials can be re-used in their existing forms without having to go through energy intensive transformations. He took the example of domestic glass recycling, asking why glass is crushed, heated and reformed when the jars and bottles could simply be re-used.

The looming recession was not going to make it easier to tackle climate change. “It’s going to be tough,” said Charlie, although a massive revolution was taking place in how buildings are designed and constructed. Everyone had to understand the role they can play in that revolution. “Crucially, we need to act,” he said.

Charlie shared the stage with Stone Awards stalwart sports presenter Jim Rosenthal. Usually the unseen Alan Dedicoat shares the presentation announcements with him, but (as Jim said) Alan had failed a late fitness test and the behind the scenes voice describing the winning projects this year was that of Steve Madden, another of the BBC ‘voices’.

Jim Rosenthal is, of course, a seasoned presenter and did an excellent job of hosting the 2020 Natural Stone Awards online. In fact, Stone Federation took some of what it had learned from going online last time forward to the latest presentation. But nothing beats a live event and the industry was glad to play host to its clients, customers and colleagues at the presentation lunch, which is always a highlight of the stone industry calendar.

The Awards provide an opportunity for the professionals involved with the natural stone sector to join in the celebration of exemplary projects and the teams behind them.

You can see all the people and projects that won the Awards, or were Highly Commended or Commended, in the latest issue of Natural Stone Specialist magazine, in the centre of which are the winning projects in the Awards souvenir brochure. They are also available to download here and below.

The judges this year were: John Burton, Paul Gibson, Graham Lee, Ulrike Knox, Ingval Maxwell, Dr Vanessa Brady, Clara Willett, Adam White and Zac Tudor. The technical advisors were: Sean Collins, David Richardson and Dr Tim Yates.

An overall winner of the projects featured in this year’s Natural Stone Awards will be chosen in a ‘people’s choice’ vote that will take place between now and the Natural Stone Show, which returns to ExCeL London 6-8 June 2023. The winner will be announced during the exhibition.

The 2022 Natural Stone Awards enjoyed the support and sponsorship of a number of well-respected trade bodies and industry firms including Hardscape, Historic England, Marshalls, Sandberg, SBID, Schluter-Systems, Welsh Slate, Natural Stone Specialist magazine and the Natural Stone Show.

A message from Jane Buxey, Chief Executive of Stone Federation

The Natural Stone Awards are an excellent opportunity to celebrate the very best that the natural stone industry has to offer, and this year is no exception.

The Judges were impressed to see that the industry appears as strong as ever despite the adversity it has gone through. The project entries came from all parts of the UK and showcased excellent uses of natural stone across the different sectors of the industry.

The Awards Judges, a mix of renowned architects and stone industry professionals, were joined this year by four guest Judges, all experts within their respective fields who helped create an even stronger panel.

The Judges were pleased to see that, in most entries, alongside an innovative design approach and creative use of the material was a good demonstration of the fundamentals of best practice. They also noted the increased awareness of inclusivity and accessibility in designs.

However, there were, unfortunately, still projects where correct stone selection and basic design principles had not been followed, resulting in potentially impressive projects missing the mark.

The number of projects featuring a mixture of traditional stonemasonry and CNC machinery is a good example of the intelligent approach taken by the sector in embracing innovation while maintaining the skills that form the bedrock of this industry.

As specifiers become increasingly aware that a ‘business as usual’ approach to the carbon impacts of construction is no longer an option, there is a fresh drive to consider and reduce the whole-life carbon impact of a building, either through retrofitting or using a lower carbon material such as natural stone.

It has been encouraging to see the number of projects utilising the UK’s indigenous stones, which sits alongside the ongoing efforts by bodies such as Historic England to see our historic, smaller quarries given the support required to extract these historically significant materials for use in modern day restoration.

I would like to congratulate all those involved with successful projects for their part in the creation of these truly stunning natural stone projects.

Jane Buxey, Chief Executive,
Stone Federation Great Britain.