Unique Plumbing, an independent plumbing wholesaler has doubled its floor space. Hampshire Mezzanine Floors of Southampton were asked to design a mezzanine floor to allow new offices, welfare facilities and a storage area to be located above the existing ground floor footprint of the building.
HMF carried out surveys of the building and provided AutoCAD designs showing a full cover mezzanine floor abutting an existing wooden joist raised storage area.
HMF then sought Building Regulations approval for the design which required a general access steel staircase as well as 2 additional utility access staircases to comply with means of escape.
HMF also sought and obtained planning permission for new windows to be fitted in the external fabric of the building to afford the Unique Plumbing team offices to be flooded with natural daylight and allow natural ventilation to be achieved.
The mezzanine floor was designed to be fitted above the existing customers racking without the need for all the racking and stock to be moved thereby minimising disruption to Unique Plumbing.
HMF then fitted 1 hour fire resisting column casings, fascia and suspended ceiling below the mezzanine floor to comply with Building Regulations. A cavity barrier was also sited half way along the mezzanine due to the overall length of the mezzanine to protect the service void.
Hampshire Mezzanine then installed partitioning and drylining systems on the first floor to form offices and welfare facilities.
The partitioning was built up to the roof to ensure the office was insulated from a sound and insulation perspective and HMF then installed suspended ceilings to the first floor areas.
Next came the tape and jointing and decoration by HMF to provide the finishing touches.
The complete installation has not only doubled Unique Plumbing’s space within the building but is also an aesthetically pleasing office work space for the Unique Plumbing team.
