The Air Seal gasket can be applied to any Bathgate Flooring Steel Encapsulated or Edge Banded Panel to use the floor void or plenum for air transport. Our dimensionally accurate panels ensure a tight fit with the Closed Cell Neoprene gasket, sealing the void and preventing leaks.

The BSRIA Guide B65/2016 recommends a minimum standard of 1.0 litre/sec.m² at 50Pa, which we can exceed with proper specification and expert installation.

To discuss this solution for your next project, please call us to arrange an appointment.

Determining the height of a raised access void involves several considerations, including allowing sufficient space for services, minimising ceiling height reduction, and ensuring a level final finish.

Standard pedestal heights range from 35mm to 1525mm, with special circumstances allowing for even greater heights. The type of access required to the void is also important—whether it’s sufficient to reach in and work on cables/pipes or if the maintenance team needs to enter the void to access mechanics.

Examples of raised height voids include:

• Offices: Generally 100mm – 250mm
• Data Rooms: Typically 250mm – 900mm

To determine the appropriate height for your project, consult our National Specification Manager. As an expert in the field, they can provide a specification tailored to your needs, ensuring you receive accurate and comparable quotations.

The weight a raised floor can support depends on its specification and the anticipated load. Both PSA and BSEN systems provide load-bearing criteria for different panel types, which guide the specifier in their choice. Load-bearing information is listed on the data sheets for each product, helping to determine the weight your raised floor can support.

• BSEN Range: Lists ultimate load starting at >4.0kN and increasing to >12kN.
• PSA Range: Lists capacity using a point load starting at 3.0kN and increasing to >4.5kN. Also lists capacity using Load Over starting at 4.5kN (on some products) and Uniform Distributed Load starting at 8.0kN/m² and increasing to 12kN/m².

Different panel grades range from the simplest bare panel to the steel encapsulated range, varying in thickness and capacity to cover a wide range of anticipated loads.

Our National Specification Manager can help create a specification for your project, ensuring it is planned with the anticipated end use in mind. They will consider the expected load and future-proof your building, providing detailed information on what weight your raised floor can support.

BSEN (British Standards European Norms) and PSA (Publicly Available Specification for Alarm Systems) systems relate to standards for security and alarm systems, but they differ in purpose, scope, and application:

1. BSEN Systems:
   • What it is: BSEN refers to British Standards that align with European Norms, ensuring uniformity across European countries. These standards are legally recognised in the UK and Europe.
   • Scope: BSEN standards are broad, covering various industries, including security systems (e.g., BS EN 50131 for intruder alarm systems).
   • Focus: They emphasise quality, reliability, and interoperability, ensuring systems meet rigorous, internationally recognised benchmarks.
   • Application: BSEN standards are mandatory in certain regulated industries and projects to ensure compliance with European directives.
2. PSA Systems:
   • What it is: PSA systems refer to guidelines or specifications for alarm and security systems, developed as alternatives to full standards.
   • Scope: PSA documents often address emerging technologies or practices not yet fully standardised.
   • Focus: They provide flexible, industry-recognised guidelines for implementation but may not carry the same legal weight as BSEN standards.
   • Application: Commonly used for niche or innovative solutions where formal BSEN standards don’t yet exist or aren’t required.

During the installation and contract management process, you may hear references to the T42 test. This test checks the stability of the pedestal fixing.

Randomly, 0.5% of the pedestals on each raised access floor are tested. The test should be conducted 48 hours after the fixing is applied. A pedestal fails if it becomes detached from the substrate.

A 3kg canvas or leather bag is swung at a 90-degree arc on a 1-metre radius to strike the pedestal head. If a pedestal fails, it should be mechanically re-fixed and re-tested.

The results of these T42 tests, including the pass rate, are provided to the client as evidence of testing, proving the stability of the raised access floor sub-structure.

If you would like to know more about this test or other methods of testing and proving your raised access floor, please don’t hesitate to contact our friendly and helpful team. There is absolutely no obligation.

Yes, bespoke raised access panels are available from Bathgate Flooring. These panels can be customised not only in terms of flooring finish but also in size to fit your existing pedestal structure.

This is particularly useful when renovating a flooring system installed by a manufacturer no longer in operation, such as Cavco, System Floors, Propaflor, Atlas Access Floors, Torlock, Redman Modular Floors, Guardian, Gridlock, BT Panel, Hewetsons, Durabella, Thorsman, Ceramics, and Harwood. Many of these systems used panels of different sizes from the current standard 600 x 600 mm. If you can’t match the panel size, renovation costs can increase as it may require replacing the entire system.

At Bathgate Flooring, we can manufacture bespoke raised access panels to match these sizes, providing significant cost savings. By utilising the existing pedestal layout, your project can be completed more quickly, with less disruption and in a more cost-effective manner. This saves money on materials, labour, and minimises disruption, getting your office back to work in the shortest time frame.

Yes, bespoke raised access flooring finishes can be an essential solution. There are a wide range of finishes available, including vinyl, stone, wood, and ceramics. For special projects, having exactly what is best applied is important, especially for flooring expected to last decades.

By dealing directly with the manufacturer, you can have the specification, manufacture, installation, and certification all under one contract, ensuring the greatest potential for bespoke finishes.

Whether you need a specific vinyl, stone, ceramic, or wood finish, Bathgate Flooring can help. We will listen to your brief and provide a sample of the exact finish you are looking for, allowing you to check for colour, finish, and quality. Once you are satisfied with the sample, we can schedule the complete manufacture of your order.

For bespoke raised access flooring finishes, speak to our team for more information on the available options.

Raised access flooring offers numerous benefits in today’s environment:

• Flexibility: Modern architecture values flexibility, and raised access flooring supports this by allowing easy reconfiguration of spaces, including desks and internal walls. This adaptability is crucial for landlords and tenants who need to accommodate changes in clients, staffing levels, and business practices.
• Easy Access: The void beneath the raised floor provides easy access to services, making re-planning and maintenance simpler and less disruptive. This reduces the need for extensive equipment and lowers maintenance costs.
• Cost-Effective Maintenance: The access void helps contain low-level leaks and water damage, allowing for easy management of plumbing issues without causing damage to ceilings or floors. This approach is more economical and efficient.

Overall, raised access flooring enhances the functionality and adaptability of modern spaces, making it a valuable addition to any environment.

Raised access flooring is versatile and can be used in various settings:

• Offices: Economical bare panels can be covered with carpet or carpet tiles, reducing costs in areas with minimal access needs.
• Data Centres: Ideal for managing access and creating proper ventilation systems. Panels can be finished with anti-static material for improved performance.
• Control Rooms and Switch Rooms: Common in factories and utility facilities, providing a safe environment for control switchgear and electrical/mechanical services.
• Retail: Allows large retail areas to reconfigure display spaces with minimal disruption, adapting to seasonal or promotional changes.
• Hotel & Leisure: Offers hidden communications wiring and easy re-purposing of space, enhancing maintenance efficiency.
• Residential: Increasingly used in homes to meet digital requirements and accommodate building conversions with hidden wiring and pipework.

Raised access flooring is beneficial wherever accessibility is needed.