Museum of Islamic Art in Doha ... one of the company’s projects.
Liquid Plastics aims boost regional sales
01 April 2007
Liquid Plastics, a UK-based manufacturer of quality seamless protection systems for roofs, walls and anti-microbial coatings for hygienic environments, has plans to boost sales of its technologically-advanced coatings in the Middle East.
Towards this end, it has recently appointed Gaby Shaar as its new regional manager in the Middle East.
“The company’s products have proven extremely popular across the globe, and it is planning to build on this success in Qatar, UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia,” says a spokesman for the company.
Among its numerous systems is the Decadex wall coating, which will be celebrating its sapphire anniversary since it was first manufactured at the company's headquarters, 45 years ago.
“Decadex has been used all over the world in this time and has been prominent for more than 30 years in the Middle East," says the spokesman. "The product is a water-based coating that is applied primarily to exterior wall facades but it can also be used as a liquid-applied roof coating.”
Elaborating on the product, he says: “Decadex offers many advantages as an exterior wall coating, as it provides excellent protection against the effects of carbonation in reinforced concrete and is engineered to ensure that the coating retains a bright, clean, attractive appearance throughout its design life. The product also contains an active fungistatic system, which prevents the growth of mould, fungus and algae on its surface, and will not embrittle with age or exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light.”
Decadex has been used on a variety of projects throughout the Gulf, including the Hilton Hotel in Abu Dhabi and Planet Hollywood in Dubai.
“Decadex proved its abilities at the Hilton Hotel in Abu Dhabi, where in 1978, 18,000 sq m of wall facades were treated. In 1995, some 17 years later, the walls were still bright and weatherproof. So when work was completed on a new 156-bedroom extension, Decadex was again specified by the building’s owners, for use over all exterior walls because of their confidence in the product’s effectiveness,” he points out. “Occupying a prestigious coastal location, the hotel is frequently exposed to attack by the chlorides present in salt spray, which increases the likelihood of corrosion in the steel reinforcement within the concrete structure of the building. Also with temperatures that regularly exceed 40 deg C, the building structure can expand and the walls coated in a lesser product will be at risk from cracking and flaking.”
Decadex was supplied along with Monolastex Smooth – another of the company's wall coatings – for the 360-cover, two-storey Planet Hollywood restaurant in Dubai in order to create the swirl effect required by the architect for the exterior of the huge globe.
“Not only was this decorative finish made possible by using the two products, the coatings are also able to withstand the harsh conditions experienced in Dubai, such as extreme heat and strong sunlight without cracking, flaking or exhibiting other signs of degradation like loss of brightness in colour,” says the spokesman.
Liquid Plastics has completed many other prestigious projects in the Gulf over the past 30 years, proving that it has the right products to combat the accelerated weathering and early signs of degradation of buildings and architecture caused by the region’s harsh climatic conditions.
Another key system in the Liquid Plastics’ product range is for the protection of roofs, using high-performance polyurethane membranes as the waterproofing layer, which are completely cold applied and cure to provide a seamless, watertight finish. They are highly durable, elastomeric, UV stable and can be guaranteed to last for up to 25 years.
Liquid Plastics undertook its first prestigious roofing projects in the region in the 1970s when its products were specified to overcoat a series of GRP (glassfibre reinforced plastic) domes at Sharjah International Airport. The system used at the time came with a 10-year expected lifespan.
“However, the coating remained in an excellent condition for 20 years, far exceeding its anticipated durability,” says the spokesman. “In 1999, with the airport confident of the performance of Liquid Plastics' products, an agreement was made between Liquid Plastics and the airport authorities to have the domes reapplied with the same product.”
More recently, the company have just completed the roof at the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha, where its inverted roof system was used. The company’s system differs from traditional ones due to its totally seamless Decothane root-resistant waterproofing layer. The system is insulated with an inverted roof board and completed with pavers or ballast that will withstand foot traffic.
In a bid to increase awareness of its products, Liquid Plastics is also participating in a number of exhibitions in the region. It has just participated at the Roof Middle East in Sharjah, UAE, and is set to make an appearance at Project Qatar this month (April 2 to 5) in Doha, Qatar.
At Project Qatar, Liquid Plastics will conduct a product demonstration during which Liquid Plastics’ technical field services manager Terry Wain will highlight the advantages of the company’s built-up roofing system.
