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28th January 2021

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BAL plays crucial role in plush new leisure centre development

BAL, UK market leader in full tiling solutions, has played a crucial role in the development of a new 12,500sq.m, £36m leisure centre in the heart of Huddersfield, West Yorkshire.

BAL tile adhesives, grouts, sealants and preparation products were all specified for the project which featured more than 10,000sq.m of tiling in the main changing rooms, upstairs changing rooms, pool surround, leisure pool and main swimming pools.

BAL worked extensively with project architect AHR, main contractor BAM, tiling contractor The Tiling Company and tile supplier Ceramique Internationale from design to completion, including specification support from BAL's Technical Advisory Service (TAS) and on-site support from BAL's expert 'product support technicians.'

David Longbottom, specification manager at Ceramique Internationale, says: "We called upon BAL at the very beginning of the project for its technical advice and full NBS specification for the tiling, and we would like to thank the team for their hard work on this prestigious project.

"BAL is a tried and trusted manufacturer, always providing quality tiling products, with back-up support and technical advice from design to build."

BAL products used at Huddersfield Leisure Centre included numerous preparation products such as BAL Quickset Cement, BAL Quickset Render, BAL Prime APD and BAL Bond SBR (acrylic primer for walls and floors, bonding agent for walls and floors respectively).

A number of different tile adhesives were utilised throughout the project including BAL Single Part Flexible (flexible adhesive), BALSupercover Rapid Flexible (fast-setting, high yield tile adhesive), BAL Rapidset Flexible (fast-setting flexible adhesive) and BAL Max Flex Fibre (flexible, fibre-reinforced adhesive).

The stunning tiling work was completed with grouts including BAL Microflex White, BAL Superflex White, BAL Superflex Wide Joint in Grey, White and Limestone, BAL Grout White and BAL Easypoxy White. Movement joints and edges were sealed with BAL Micromax Smoke (flexible, anti-microbial silicone sealant).

Recently opened, Huddersfield Leisure Centre features a range of top sporting and leisure facilities, including a 25m competition pool, 20m training pool with moveable floor and a family leisure pool with interactive water features, water flume and sidewinder. What's more, visitors can enjoy squash courts, a 15m climbing wall, bouldering wall, 12 court sports hall, large gym, cycle studio and combat room. The centre also features changing facilities, offices, meeting rooms and a large cafe.

The new centre was designed to meet the client's brief for a multi-purpose sporting and leisure facility for the local community which compliments the existing street pattern and contributes to the regeneration of the town and surrounding region.

BAL products used:
* Adhesives: BAL Single Part Flexible, BAL Supercover Rapid Flex, BAL Max-Flex Fibre, BAL Rapidset Flexible
* Grout: BAL Microflex, BAL Grout, BAL Superflex, BAL Superflex Wide Joint, BAL Easypoxy
* Other: BAL Quickset Cement, BAL Quickset Render, BAL Bond SBR, BAL APD Primer, BAL Micromax sealant

Tiles:
* General circulation space: 450 x 450 mm unglazed grey porcelain tiles by Casalgrande Padana, Italy
* Main Changing Rooms: Walls by Vogue, Italy, 10 matt glazed colours supplied in modular sizes 200 x 200, 200 x 100, 100 x 100 and 50 x 50mm. Floors by Casalgrande Padana, Italy, 2000sq.m grey speckled porcelain profiled 200 x 200 with contrasting dark grey sit on cove
* Upstairs Changing Rooms : Walls by Casalgrande Padana, Italy, 1000sq.m in white unglazed porcelain 600 x 300mm with coordinating decors. Floors by Casalgrande Padana, Italy, 300sq.m in bush-hammered unglazed light brown porcelain 300 x3 00mm
* Pool Surround: 900sq.m by Casalgrande Padana, Italy, Cream textured glazed porcelain 250 x 250mm
* Leisure Pool: Floor by Gail, Germany, 300sq.m in white extruded anti-slip 250 x 125mm. Walls by Vidrepur, 200sq.m in special bespoke blends in 25 x 25mm glass mosaic
* Main Swimming Pools: Tanks and edge details by Gail, Germany, 1000sq.m+ in 250 x 125mm in white and blue extruded, extruded finger grip tile with blue safety edge with special bespoke corner pieces

For more information on BAL products, Technical Advisory Service and training courses
T: 01782 591105
E: [email protected]
W: www.bal-adhesives.com

14th August 2015