Over a period of more than 25 years in the GRP roofing and
architectural features industry, there have been many advances in
the manufacturing process and use of GRP within the construction
sector. GRP is the abbreviation for 'glass reinforced polyester'.
GRP is a light, durable and astonishingly tough constructional
material which can be moulded and fabricated into all manner of
products.
GRP is a composite of a resilient exothermic resin with an
immensely strong fibrous glass reinforcement. Polyester resin is the
main component and just as concrete may be reinforced with steel
rods polyester resins may be reinforced with glass fibres to form
GRP. The benefits of a very strong and light weight construction
material are particularly relevant when designing and manufacturing
structures and roofing features. creative designers, its unique
physical properties allow it to be easily tooled, moulded and
manufactured to meet almost any specification.
The final finish can
be made to emulate any number of naturally occurring surfaces, such
as timber, tile, stone or lead and because there are few constraints
on size, shape, colour or finish, this can deliver great design and
appearance whilst being cost effective. The colour in the form of a
pigment paste is added to the polyester gel coat before moulding and
therefore the colour is captivated and no further redecoration will
be require.
One example of this is our traditional roof turrets and
clock towers. Initially one side would be hand crafted in timber to
form the pattern from which a GRP mould tool is produced. The mould
is allowed to cure before removing from the pattern. The mould is
then prepared and is coated with a release agent before a coloured
polyester gel coat is applied and allowed to cure before reinforcing
with layers of glass mat impregnated with polyester resin to achieve
the required thickness.
When cured the laminate is extracted from
the mould and the process is then repeated. The components are then
joined together to complete the body of the clock tower.The detail
of any material used in the construction of the patterns will be
mirrored in the mould tool and likewise in the components produced
from the mould. Natural timber used for the original pattern to
ensure the finished product has a beautiful realistic wood grain.
The same principle is followed for the turret roofs. Using lead,
copper, slate or tiles will give the finished product an authentic
traditional appearance of a genuine traditionally constructed roof
but without the high cost and weight of the real materials.
Another benefit of using GRP over traditional materials is that
the moulds can then be cleaned and reused many times over
enabling identical units to be produced and in a very short
space of time. We welcome any enquiries for custom GRP structure
manufacture.
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Lilac Convex Exterior Clock
Dee caffari, the only
women to sail single handed around the world
agaist prevailing tides and winds unveils one of
our exterior clock towers.
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915mm Black Convex Exterior
Clock
915mm Black Convex
Exterior Clock mounted above the entrance to a
school.
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