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Mega Balance – the self-levelling pedestal with mega performance

Mega Balance - the self-levelling pedestal with mega performance

Making the best use of your outdoor and public space is set to be a legacy of the pandemic, with a renewed focus on providing customers and employees with attractive all-weather outdoor areas for eating, socialising, taking breaks, holding meetings and even exercising.

The vast majority of these spaces are paved, tiled or decked and supported by a hidden substructure system of pedestals which must be robust enough to withstand the loads placed upon them to ensure the safety of users. This is especially important if designers expect heavy traffic and/or are placing planters, art or heavy furniture on the suspended surface, or the spaces are at height. Designers also need flexibility in their support systems, whether dealing with falls and interruptions in the deck surface or handling different surface finishes such as paving or decking.

Wallbarn is one of the UK’s leading pedestal manufacturers. Safety and performance are their top priority and they’ve invested in developing a portfolio of pedestals suitable for almost any installation, including those requiring Class A1 fire rating.

Mega Balance, mega performance

Its new Mega Balance is a self-levelling heavy-duty pedestal designed for paved, tiled or decked areas subjected to heavy loads – each pedestal can withstand 2 tonnes, making it a safe, secure choice for public spaces. Mega Balance has been designed with a number of key features to make installation quicker and ensure a completely flat finished surface:

Self-levelling headpiece

– automatically accommodates variations in the deck surface. It comprises four separate parts to allow up to a 5% or 2.86° slope correction in all directions.

– can be locked using our specially designed grey nut tool to create a rigid headpiece, allowing differences in installation requirements across a project to be accommodated with the same pedestal system.

– fins on the headpiece allow precise location of paving slabs and even spacing for drainage and roof deck ventilation. This creates a uniform paving line and rainwater can run between and under the slabs or decking so there’s no standing water on the surface to create a health and safety hazard.

Height adjustment

– the telescopic stem accommodates 25mm to 1025mm, allowing Mega Balance to be used throughout projects with wide-ranging height variations.
– Mega Balance can be hand-adjusted by twisting the stem whilst tile/decking joists are in-situ.

– Our ‘yellow key’ system adjusts pedestal height post-installation without the need to lift tiles or paving. If the tiles rock after an installation, rather than lift four separate tiles to access one pedestal, users can insert the Yellow Key into the centre of the Mega Balance headpiece to twist the stem up or down marginally. This is a major labour saving benefit and improves health & safety aspects on site.

Additional features

– Rubber anti-shock pads slot onto the headpiece to give better grip to the slab and help insulate against vibration and noise travelling through the pedestal to the deck beneath.

– Mega Balance is injection moulded from virgin fibre polypropylene to be robust, durable and long-lasting at temperatures ranging from +75°C to -40°C. It will not become brittle in cold weather.

– 200mm diameter base plate ensures effective weight distribution when paving/decking onto surfaces such as waterproofing membranes and insulation.

– Fins running from the stem to the edge of the baseplate guard against point loading down the central column. Weight is effectively distributed and point loading is prevented. The base can be trimmed back for edges and corners without load-bearing being affected.

Mega Balances also offers different headpiece fittings for different jobs:

– A special joist holder fitting to hold timber/composite joists for decking applications

– The Mega Balance Clip Head fits Wallbarn’s special profiled aluminium joist to create a secure connection without the need for mechanical fixings. The runner connectors mean the movement is allowed, preventing stress points and cracking.

– Coming soon is the ‘cross rail’, the improved comprehensive substructure system for decking and tile applications.

Designers and installers can also make use of Wallbarn’s free Mega Pro software design tool, which produces a colour-coded laying pattern detailing the correct height and position for each pedestal. From this Wallbarn can provide a cost estimation and quantity schedule with ordering codes.

With Wallbarn pedestals (self-levelling, adjustable, fixed height, mini height and heavy-duty) users can be assured of precision-fit, stunning finishes supported by superior quality, technically proven and established products specifically designed for exterior use with no mechanical fixings required. All Wallbarn systems are certified by an independent laboratory to ensure they perform to stated weight and temperature tolerances and investment in the product at the specification stage is recouped from on-site time and labour savings.

Conclusion

Mega Balance incorporates an ultra heavy-duty pedestal with a self-levelling or rigid headpiece. It is future-proofed for retrospective adjustments and offers a range of different connection headpieces for different applications. It is truly the future of suspended deck design.

For the full article, please click here.

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Introducing the MegaBalance Cross-Rail System

Self-levelling Heavy Duty

The Mega Balance pads are compatible with our cross-rail system, offering extra stability for paving and decking.

The Mega Balance pads can be used to join two separate rails as shown here.

Our MEGA BALANCE self-levelling pedestals are specially designed for heavy loads and offer a huge height range (up to 1025mm). The self-levelling headpiece is used to accommodate differences in the deck surface below the pedestal.

Height Adjustable In-Situ – The “Yellow Key”

Mega Balance is future-proofed and very user friendly, as minor levelling adjustments (which may be required over time) can be made in-situ without having to lift the slabs.

Often suspended paving areas can have slabs starting to rock or dip, as the structure moves through expansion or traffic and other forces lead to the upper surface becoming unlevel. The “Yellow Key” is the solution.

Instead of having the physically lift the affected slabs, twist the thread on the pedestal, replace the slabs and checking for the correct height; users have the major advantage of using the Yellow Key. By placing the key into the centre of the headpiece users can lift the height of the pedestal marginally to recreate the flat, correct level for the slabs.

This is a much faster process to achieve the correct paving level and crucially has major health & safety advantages. Instead of having to lift heavy paving slabs repeatedly, operatives can ensure perfect upper level of paving without risk to both their own welfare and from dropping a slab onto the surface/subdeck.

Mega Balance offer flexibility, speed and safety to the FM teams and owner alike.

For more information, please click here.

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Rail System for Porcelain Tiles Using Mega Balance Adjustable Pedestals

Rail System for Porcelain Tiles Using Mega Balance Adjustable Pedestals

A modular new build house in Sussex had a large flat roof deck above a swimming pool and fitness room which led out from the bedrooms. The client wanted to construct a roof terrace using porcelain tiles, but there was a serious complication.

The timber-framed modular building could not support the weight of the steel staircase which was required, so a series of steel braces were constructed across the top of the deck surface to straddle the structure and create a self-supporting staircase. This left the roof space with a number of large impediments, making laying a tiled terrace extremely difficult. They opted for the Rail System from Wallbarn to incorporate adjustable height pedestals which click into a series of aluminium rails, with an independent top headpiece to hold the tiles in place.

It was impossible to lay pedestals every 400 x 800mm (the dimensions of the tiles) as they would have hit the steel braces, so Wallbarn designed a scheme where the pedestals would be laid up to the height of the braces but away from them and the rails would span over the braces. The rail is profiled so it clicks into place on the headpiece of the pedestal without mechanical fixings. This means any expansion movement etc. can be accommodated without screws erupting from the system over time.

The height of the pedestals was adjusted by twisting the stems, so the falling roof deck was able to be laid flat. The rail itself can be used as an aid to obtain the correct height level across the deck. Millimetre precise adjustments can be set the optimum surface level to door thresholds and access points. If there were any sections where a pedestal could be placed, the hazard could be spanned by laying the rail across it, so long as the rail is supported at each end any awkward deck objects can be avoided.

Wallbarn recommends a maximum span of 600mm between pedestals and rails. The top head was clicked onto the profiled rail and could be slid along so to match the dimensions of the tiles. The headpieces could thus be exactly underneath the corners of each tile without the tile being cut to fit around the steel braces. So although the pedestals had to be placed around the braces, the porcelain tiles were suspended over the braces completely unaffected.

The lateral stability of the tiled area is improved greatly as the pedestals are connected to each other via the rail which also acts as a balancing tool. The whole system is tied together. No mechanical fixings go through the deck surface, the whole system is free standing. The weight of the tiles holds everything in place.

The tiles were laid quickly and securely. They were held in position in the long term, creating a solid, stable upper surface. This suspension system creates a superior finish. The joints between each tile are smooth and it gives a higher performance deck area. A high quality, sturdy and very attractive porcelain tiled terrace was created quickly with no mess and waste. The client was delighted.

For the full article, please click here.

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Working With Ultra-Low Thresholds

22-30mm Minipad for Paving

When faced with tight height thresholds during the installation, standard adjustable pedestals can prove to be difficult to work with due to the limited space available.

Because of this, working with feedback from our customers who needed an effective solution to restricted space areas which still required minor height alterations to achieve completely flat surfaces, Wallbarn developed the MiniPad.

The Smallest Adjustable Pedestal in the UK

We believe that the 10-20mm universal pedestal the smallest fully adjustable pedestal on the market in the UK allowing for use with ultra-low thresholds.

Allowing installers to achieve millimetre precision with our pedestals, the MiniPad decking and paving pedestal can cope with falls in more than one direction and accommodate large drops and channels.  

Minipad

Have an ultra-low threshold? Try our Minipads range. Our time-saving alternative to fixed height pads and perfect for overlaying and retro-fitting. Available from 10mm to 40mm in just three products:

  • 10-25mm
  • 22-30mm
  • 28-40mm

Product benefits:

  • Achieve precise, split-millimetre accuracy in the height of the pedestal to accommodate tiny changes in the level.
  • Designed for use when working with very tight spaces
  • The thread allows 5mm of change to the level
  • Further 5mm extension plate which is fitted to the bottom of the pedestal
  • 5mm extension plate turns 10-15mm pedestal into a 15-20mm fully adjustable pedestal for use in tight spaces
  • Special handle grips allow installers to adjust the height whilst slab is in situ – saves constantly lifting the slab to change the height

Fully Adjustable

  • Achieve millimetre precision with our pedestals
  • Cope with falls in more than one direction and accommodate large drops and channels
  • Height ranges as follows:
      • Standard Universal range: 35mm up to 365mm
      • Universal Extra: 85mm up to 380mm
      • Minipads: available 10mm up to 40mm
  • Our time-saving alternative to fixed height pads
  • Perfect for overlaying and retro-fitting
  • Achieve precise, split-millimetre accuracy in the height of the pedestal to accommodate tiny changes in the level
CODE HEIGHT DIAMETER OF HEAD DIAMETER OF BASE DISTANCE BETWEEN LUGS LUG HEIGHT WEIGHT TOLERANCE* MAXIMUM LOAD*
SP-MEG-010 10-20mm 150mm 150mm 60mm 15mm 683kg 1,171kg
SP-MEG-022 22-30mm 150mm 150mm 60mm 15mm 683kg 1,171kg
SP-MEG-028 28-37mm 150mm 150mm 60mm 15mm 683kg 1,171kg

Adjustments Made Easy!

In tiny spaces, it can be difficult to make adjustments by hand. This is where the multi-function key called the Easykey can be used.

The curved and shaped profile at one end which can be used as a spanner/wrench type tool. It grips around the series of vertical bars between the head and base and can be used to turn the thread up and down.

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Introducing the Mega-Balance – Our Self-levelling heavy-duty pedestals for paving & decking

Mega Balance rail system

Our MEGA BALANCE self-levelling pedestals are specially designed for heavy loads and offer a huge height range (up to 1025mm). The self-levelling headpiece is used to accommodate differences in the deck surface below the pedestal.

  • Achieve stunning finishes
  • Suspended system
  • Fully adjustable
  • Top key system for in-situ adjustments
  • Superior quality
  • Compatible with cross-rail system for additional support
  • Suitable for paving slabs and timber decking
  • Available in heights from 25mm up to 1025mm

For Paving

  • Self-levelling headpiece incorporates 4 x positioning lugs (fins) laid out in a crucifix formation set towards the edges
  • The headpiece also comprises 4 x separate parts created to allow up to a 5% or 2.86° slope correction in all directions
  • The mechanism at the bottom of the headpiece allows smooth movement and positioning of the paving slab
  • The lugs (fins) separate paving slabs and tiles on the headpiece to allow sufficient drainage between slabs
  • This creates a uniform paving line so the slabs are laid completely straight
  • A rubber anti-shock pad slots onto the headpiece over a series of ridges to give better grip to the slab and help insulate against vibration and noise travelling through the pedestal to the deck beneath

For Decking

  • The lugs (fins) are set out towards the edges of the headpiece giving a 55mm gap between them to house a timber joist
  • Decking boards are then fixed to the timber joist frame no need to cut furrings – simply adjust your pedestal height
  • The auto-correcting head makes installing decking systems much faster than traditional methods

Cross-Rail System

The MegaBalance pads are compatible with our cross-rail system, offering extra stability for paving and decking.

For more information, please visit – https://www.wallbarn.com/pedestals-2/self-levelling-heavy-duty/

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Paving The Way For Lincoln Square Terraces

Paving The Way For Lincoln Square Terraces

Lodha UK’s Lincoln Square in Holborn, London, is a high-end residential development delivered by a world-class team of architects and designers. With design by PLP Architecture, courtyard landscaping by award-winning international practice Gustafson Porter, interiors by Bowler James Brindley and amenity spaces created by in-demand designer Patricia Urquiola, all elements of the scheme are executed to deliver exceptional quality, finish and amenity.

Key to the success of these terraces was a perfectly flat finish to the 50mm thick limestone paving and that’s where Wallbarn’s self-levelling Balance pedestals provided a robust, quick and easy solution that enabled specialist contractors (who described the Balance system as the best on the market) to press ahead confident in the pedestals’ performance and the unrivalled customer service delivered by Wallbarn.

Tilt and level

The Wallbarn Balance system was specified specifically for its self-levelling abilities. The units are designed to tilt at the head in all directions in order to accommodate differences in the deck surface below, for example, laps and joints or imperfections in the concrete slab, while at the same time maintaining a perfectly flat surface.

Positioning lugs fit around the corner of each slab to create uniform spacing and tight, secure positioning. When tiling up to parapets the lugs can be removed to ensure the slab is properly supported at the edge. The pedestals allow drainage between each slab, significantly reducing slip hazards and improving the performance of the roof deck. As the deck falls towards a roof outlet the pedestals can be twisted to increase their height, and the angle of the headpiece adjusts to ensure a flat upper surface.

The cavity below suspended paving is ideal for routing pipes and services without interrupting drainage or spoiling the aesthetic. Each Balance pedestal has an individual weight tolerance of 683kg, so can easily bear the weight of planters and other terrace furniture, and is tested to temperatures of +75°C and -40°C. Installation is quick and easy and, being a fully suspended system, slabs can be lifted, repositioned and removed at any time as required.

Julian Thurbin, Wallbarn Director, said the Balance system provided a fantastic solution for laying superior quality suspended paving systems: “The Lincoln Square project demanded high quality and incredible attention to detail throughout – and this included ensuring paving on the rooftop terraces was completely flat and safe. Our Balance pedestals were perfect for the project and we worked closely with the specialist contractor installing the paving to ensure all technical needs were met and product was on site when required, in some cases on a same-day delivery basis to prevent on-site delays. It was a great project to be involved with and showed just what can be achieved, transforming outdoor spaces into beautiful living areas.”

For more on this project, please click here.

 
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What Are Adjustable Pedestals?

Mega Balance self levelling adjustable pedestal for rail complete build up

Our Adjustables range in height from 10mm up to 380mm and are broken down into three categories:

Key Advantages

  • Suitable for paving slabs and timber decking
  • Superior quality
  • Takes 1 tonne in weight
  • Suspended system
  • Fully adjustable
  • Achieve stunning finishes

Achieve stunning finishes

  • Convert unused rooftops and decks into attractive, hard-wearing, useful areas and increase the footprint of your building
  • Cover and protect unattractive waterproofing membranes
  • Allows ground floor patio areas to be made flush with the house without compromising damp course

Suspended System

  • Raising the paving slabs or decking allows water to drain freely and underneath, so there is no standing water left on the surface. This prevents ponding and associated slip hazards and helps to aerate and ventilate the surface beneath.
  • Unsightly objects such as cables, water pipes and drainage outlets can be hidden underneath paving slabs or decking, improving the aesthetics and optimising the building footprint, bringing increased yield to the developer

Fully Adjustable

  • Achieve millimetre precision with our pedestals
  • Create a flat surface irrespective of imperfections on a slab
  • Cope with falls in more than one direction and accommodate large drops and channels

For more information, please visit – https://www.wallbarn.com/pedestals-2/universal/

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What Are Heavy Duty Adjustable Pedestals For Decking & Paving

Megapad for paving underside view

Megapad adjustable pedestals are the heavy-duty products designed for paving and decking surfaces which will have very heavy loads.

They have a very high weight tolerance, of over 2 tonnes, and can extend up to over 1 metre high. Injection moulded from virgin fibre polypropylene, they are robust and durable in the long term.

They lift the paving or decking off the surface to provide ventilation and free drainage to the roof-deck. They reduce the overall weight of the roof and protect the membrane and insulation layers.

Unsightly objects, such as cables, water pipes and drainage outlets can be concealed underneath the paving slabs or decking, improving the aesthetics and optimising the building footprint, bringing more yield to the developer.

Headpiece

The 150mm diameter headpieces have special fittings for either paving slabs or joists for decking applications. The fittings clip into the centre of the headpiece to give either a four-part lug formation to position the corners of the slabs in a uniform laying pattern; housing for the joist to sit loosely, allowing decking boards to be fitted to it. There are no mechanical fixings, the weight of the surface material keeps everything in place.

Rainwater can run between and under the slabs or decking, so there is no standing water left on the surface. This improves health & safety as it makes the surface area less slippery.

Stem

The telescopic stem allows hand adjustment in height when the slab or decking is in place, leading to labour savings and improving health and safety.

The height range per pedestal is very large, giving maximum flexibility to applicators. The height can also be locked as the threads have locking nuts at the top and bottom to secure into position once achieved. This prevents heights changing over time as threads move.

Baseplate

The base plate is 200mm diameter, which gives effective weight displacement when paving / decking onto surfaces such as waterproofing membranes and insulation. Fins running from stem to edge of the baseplate guards against point loading down the central column. The weight is effectively distributed and point loading prevented.

If designers are placing planters, art, heavy furniture or expecting very heavy traffic on the suspended surface such as public walkways, jetties and restaurant areas; Megapads should always be chosen.

Reversible

At 115mm high and above Megapads are reversible. When paving up to a wall edge, balustrade or around corners, Megapads can be turned upside down to allow the paving slab to butt right up to the edge of the paving area. The headpiece is 150mm in diameter so serves as an ample base when reversed. And the lug head unit simply fits into what was the base plate.

Quality

Megapad is injection moulded from virgin fibre polypropylene without fillers to withstand extremes of temperature and load.

Each pedestal has a weight tolerance of over 2 tonnes per unit and has been tested to temperatures of +75°C and -40°C. Megapads have been installed in Montreal, Quebec and the Arctic Exploration Station.

Ideal for Decking

The specially designed TD headpieces click into the centre of the head of the Megapads to house a timber joist securely. The distance between the lugs is 60mm which will house a 2-inch joist.

They will lift the joist frame of the deck to prevent standing water affecting the timber over time. Decking boards are then fixed to the timber joist frame no need to cut furrings – simply adjust the pedestal height by hand. The higher clearances from the deck mean that drainage outlets and other services can be covered over without risk of direct contact with the timber.

PROPERTIES

  • Recycled content (%): 0
  • Reusable: Yes
  • Availability: 2 days
  • Material: Virgin fibre polypropylene without fillers
  • Reaction to fire: Class C as standard (Class B1 available upon request)
  • Colour: Black
  • Normal working weight load: 1,560kg
  • Maximum weight load: 2,057kg
  • Softening Point: 75°C
  • Cold tolerance: -40°C
  • Baseplate diameter: 2000mm
  • Headpiece diameter: 150mm 
  • Lug thickness:  2mm      
  • Lug height:  18.5 or 10mmmm

HEIGHT RANGE     

  • Megapad – PAVING – 35-50mm
  • Megapad – PAVING – 50-75mm
  • Megapad – PAVING – 75-120mm
  • Megapad – PAVING – 115-220mm
  • Megapad – PAVING – 215-320mm (with 1 Tower)
  • Megapad – PAVING – 315-420mm (with 2 Towers)
  • Megapad – PAVING – 415-520mm (with 3 Towers)
  • Megapad – PAVING – 515-620mm (with 4 Towers)
  • Megapad – PAVING – 615-720mm (with 5 Towers)
  • Megapad – PAVING – 715-820mm (with 6 Towers)
  • Megapad – PAVING – 815-920mm (with 7 Towers)
  • Megapad – PAVING – 915-1020mm (with 8 Towers)

WARRANTY  

Limited warranty (see Terms & Conditions of Supply) based on products being used for purposes stated by Wallbarn up to the amount of the invoice total.                             

  • Warranty: 15 years
  • Life span:  25 years

NBS clauses           J21 85 467 J31 80 370 375 377 J41 90 467 J42 467 Q37 460 Q55 110 395 45-70-45 330 J21 470 J31 375 377 J41 470 Q50 25 Q55 380 45-45-95 315

CAD        https://www.wallbarn.com/pedestals-2/heavy-duty#specification

For more on our Megapad range of heavy duty pedestals, please click here. 

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Lodha Project Demands Perfectly Flat Limestone Terraces

Lodha Project Demands Perfectly Flat Limestone Terraces

Lodha UK’s Lincoln Square in Holborn, London, is a high-end residential development delivered by a world-class team of architects and designers.

Every inch of the 200-plus apartments and 17,000ft2 of private residents’ facilities have been precisely curated to ensure the design and finish are of the highest quality befitting the high net-worth individuals the scheme is aimed at – a four-bed penthouse sells for around £14.5 million.

From a design by PLP Architecture, courtyard landscaping by award-winning international practice Gustafson Porter, interiors by Bowler James Brindley and amenity spaces created by in-demand designer Patricia Urquiola, all elements of the scheme are designed and executed to deliver exceptional quality, finish and amenity.

Located on an island site adjacent to Lincoln’s Inn Fields and the London School of Economics, Lincoln Square has views of St Paul’s Cathedral, the Cheesegrater, Shard, Gherkin and the Royal Courts of Justice. It is these prized skyline views that terraces within the development make the most of, with hi-spec limestone suspended paving areas providing a luxury outdoor living.

Key to the success of these terraces was a perfectly flat finish to the 50mm thick limestone paving – and that’s where Wallbarn’s self-levelling Balance pedestals provided a robust, quick and easy solution that enabled specialist contractors to press ahead confident in the pedestals’ performance and the customer service delivered by Wallbarn.

Tilt and level
The Wallbarn Balance system was specified specifically for its self-levelling abilities. The units are designed to tilt at the head in all directions in order to accommodate differences in the deck surface below, for example, laps and joints or imperfections in the concrete slab, while at the same time maintaining a perfectly flat surface.

Positioning lugs fit around the corner of each slab to create uniform spacing and tight, secure positioning. When tiling up to parapets the lugs can be removed to ensure the slab is properly supported at the edge. The pedestals allow drainage between each slab, significantly reducing slip hazards and improving the performance of the roof deck.

As the deck falls towards a roof outlet the pedestals can be twisted to increase their height, and the angle of the headpiece adjusts to ensure a flat upper surface. The cavity below suspended paving is ideal for routing pipes and services without interrupting drainage or spoiling the aesthetic.

Each Balance pedestal has an individual weight tolerance of 683kg, so can easily bear the weight of planters and other terrace furniture, and is tested to temperatures of +75°C and -40°C. Installation is quick and easy and, being a fully suspended system, slabs can be lifted, repositioned and removed at any time as required.

Julian Thurbin, Wallbarn Director, said the Balance system provided a fantastic solution for laying superior quality suspended paving systems:

“The Lincoln Square project demanded high quality and incredible attention to detail throughout – and this included ensuring paving on the rooftop terraces was completely flat and safe. Our Balance pedestals were perfect for the project and we worked closely with the specialist contractor installing the paving to ensure all technical needs were met and product was on site when required, in some cases on a same-day delivery basis to prevent on-site delays. It was a great project to be involved with and showed just what can be achieved, transforming outdoor spaces into beautiful living areas.”

For the full article, please click here.