Following the pandemic, pergolas have been in high demand in independent homes to accommodate intimate family gatherings. Photo credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto
With an eye on convenient assembly, long-lasting and low-maintenance products, the composite high-technology processed material offers a variety of finishes and obvious advantages of weatherproof and termite-resistant solutions. Many of these products in vogue today actually entered the market several decades ago, but are now allowing for increased customization as well as sustainable solutions.
quick floors
The growing acceptance of composites can be attributed to their convenience: natural materials, wide range of finishes, improved resistance to outdoor conditions and additional features offered by standardized formats allowing easier system applications. Brands such as Everwood offer wood-plastic composite (WPC) products primarily for outdoor use, many of which come in extruded sections.
While the pandemic and the lockdown created a new yearning for travel and outings, the appreciation for family time has also increased. People rediscovered their loved ones, and that meant enjoying time with family in inspiring places. At Floor Sketch, a brand launched by Rajesh M in 2019, he suddenly noticed a revived interest in pergolas and gazebos. Floor Sketch’s pergolas are made of WPC, a material that can tolerate weathering and withstand harsh climates. WPC has the advantage of looking like wood, but it is waterproof and maintenance-free, with a warranty on the material’s life and expectancy. Floor Sketch offers customization up to 16 feet. Rajesh says, “We have 14 pergola designs that customers might not be aware of. They can be planted in terraces and gardens depending on your requirement.
Studio on the floor sketch. , photo credit: special arrangement
Stone Polymer Composite (SPC), a limestone-based material for interlocking floors, both termite-proof and water-proof, hit the headlines just before the pandemic and has fast become a trend. For a German client who was in an urgent hurry to replace her floor tiles in an apartment in Chennai, Floor Sketch installed SPC flooring overnight. Floor Sketch has green certification for flooring, roofing, interior and exterior products.
Aluminum Composite Panels (ACP) have been around for more than 50 years, but the demand has increased in India with the rapid growth of the IT industry. Several global brands such as Alucobond, Alubond, Alpolic and Aludecor span the world market. A leading ACP manufacturer, South Zonal Head, Eurobond, Siddharth A. Now, ACP is finding wider use, says Shah, catering to architects who strive to deliver iconic buildings to their clients.
Cladding done by Eurobond. , photo credit: special arrangement
Shah sits at his desk with a Pantone card and RAL color chart. “Clients today want their buildings to stand out. We can find a perfect color match – whether it’s the shade of your buttons or your phone! While innovation in ACP began with the need for long life, low maintenance, UV resistance, high requirements of fire regulations and waterproof materials for exterior curtain walls, composite is now popular for providing good looking fascia cladding for buildings – The ‘skin’ of architecture. For example, Eurobond offers 380 designs and colours. As if this is not enough, they can also customize for brands, as long as they get a minimum order of 15,000 sq.ft. They have introduced 32 new shades this year in a range of matte, sand, clay and marble.
Eurobond’s composite panels are made by sandwiching a revolutionary material called LDPE (low density polyethylene) core or FR (fire resistant) between roll form sheets of magnesium aluminum alloy. With renewed interest in sustainability post-pandemic, they have begun supplying 100% recyclable ACP sandwiched with an aluminum honeycomb structure, which is great for lightness, strength and stiffness. In addition, Shah says there is a trend of residential customers wanting false ceilings made of ACP, which are traditionally preferred for commercial buildings.
make it without wood
While sustainability practitioners still scorn the idea of composites that mimic natural materials like wood and stone, Reliance’s Railwood uses patented German technology to manufacture NFPC (Natural Fiber Polymer Composite) boards that are waterproof. , has low maintenance, termite-proof and recyclable properties. The material can also be thermoformed.
thermoformed furniture
In Chennai, Indowood’s story is to try and find a sustainable way with a ‘Zero Wood’ board. When senior BL Bengani, who founded Uniply, was forced out of the industry in 2015, Bengani was determined to find sustainable and eco-friendly alternatives. Director Varun Bengani elaborates: “We wanted a change and that’s where the idea of using composite material came from. We decided to use agricultural husk to tackle the felling of trees and deforestation.” Many people are discouraged from adding agricultural husks to their products because it is highly abrasive and damages machine parts. Benganis challenged standard WPC products that use a resin:wood ratio of 100:0 – 20. In 2019, after two years of research, they began manufacturing their product, Indowood NFC (Natural Fiber Composite), which uses over 110 kg of agricultural husk for every 100 kg of resin. This high fiber content gives high strength and durability.
Spiral Staircase from Indowood | photo credit: special arrangement
A sustainable, eco-friendly and GreenPro certified product, Indowood can replace plywood and MDF in many applications. Indoor NFC boards are currently available in two densities: 700 and 800 kg/cbm. The cost of a typical 18 mm thick board is comparable to the best quality plywood. Apart from wardrobe, kitchen, furniture applications, it can also be used in exterior aspects. The major advantage is that Indowood is completely termite-proof and waterproof, resistant to corrosion, decay, mold and fungal attacks. You can push the boundaries to create customized products as long as the guidelines set by the manufacturers are followed. The boards have also been used by architects to create non-standard curved elements through thermoforming for furniture, stairs, and more. “Boards have endless possibilities for both exteriors and interiors and you can make any kind of furniture you want,” says Varun Bengani.
The author is a brand strategist with a background in design from SAIC and NID.