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Back in April, we received a call that was not exactly a typical enquiry. It was from a TV producer working on Alan Titchmarsh’s ‘Love You Garden’ programme, about a project they were filming in Plymouth. Once we heard about the nature of the project – and the recipient’s inspirational story, when we were excited to be able to help and were delighted to design, supply and install a Jakob green wall (also known as a living wall) for the garden. Our Jakob green wall system was used...

As pollution and flooding is becoming an ever-increasing problem in towns and cities, gardens and plants are needed now more than ever. To help address these issues, the RHS launched a ‘Greening Grey Britain’ initiative, aimed at inspiring people in urban areas to grow plants. So, when the RHS asked us to get involved in the programme at the 2017 RHS Chelsea Flower Show, we immediately answered with a resounding ‘yes’! At the show, the RHS built the Greening Grey Britain garden and i...

The beauty and elegance of stainless steel is very well recognised, but it’s versatility is perhaps less well understood. In fact, there are a number of different materials that share the core qualities of stainless steel, but vary slightly in terms of their strength, malleability and corrosion/ staining resistance to staining, allowing specifiers to select the precise material composition to meet their specific needs. These are the five main alternatives: Austenitic The ‘300 series’, ...

Stainless steel is a beautiful material. OK we may be biased, but its elegant, modern appearance is one of the reasons why it has been specified in some of the world’s most prestigious architectural projects. But, as with all things of beauty, its lasting appearance can’t always be taken for granted and a little regular maintenance can go a long way to ensuring a long, attractive life. To some degree, all grades and finishes of stainless steel may in some conditions be prone to staining ...

Stainless steel wire rope balustrading offers an elegant, modern alternative to traditional materials, providing the perfect combination of style and functionality. Cable railing is perfect for bringing new life to an existing deck structure, or and when creating a new deck. Whether the project is for a makeover or a new build, wire railing balustrades offer a wide range of options and benefits. Maximising Views Breath-taking views deserve to be seen and enjoyed, but traditional balustrades ...

One of the misconceptions that we sometimes come across is that stainless steel is corrosion-resistant. We all know it to be a high quality, durable material, often used in the harshest of environments, but occasionally it may be subject to ‘tea-staining’ (or surface rust). Whether this happens depends on a number of factors, including: the grade of stainless steel specified - by the way, all our Jakob materials are made from the highest grade (316) - often called marine grade the en...

Despite the typically inauspicious start to the British summer, we recently undertook a tour of some of the UK's favourite tourist spots. We thought we'd share our experiences - and provide some suggestions for visits. And as you may expect, these projects all have something in common. As well of course as being tourist attractions, they all prominently feature our Jakob products and systems. So what better way to while away some leisure time than checking out the quality of some of our favou...

Often when new green walls are being designed, we are asked: “how long will it take to grow and mature?” and the answer depends on a range of factors including the specific conditions of the particular site and the species of plant being grown. Along with the site conditions and species of plant being grown, there a number of other variables that will affect the growth rate of green walls. These variables include irrigation, soil condition, plant condition and maintenance to name a fe...

With memories of the 2012 Olympics still very much alive, the 2013 Construction News Awards recognised the immense amount of work that went in to the Olympic Park, with main contractor BAM Nuttall receiving the prestigious 'Best Project of the Year Award' for projects over £50 million. The Award covered the infrastructure work at the East-London site and included the structures, roads and bridges; landscaping and public areas; Olympic screening areas and enabling works. Construction News...

From time to time we’re asked about the issue of the corrosion of stainless steel fasteners, with many people under the impression that they won’t ever rust. Occasionally though they do and in our experience this is almost always down to the fact that the tools used to install the fasteners have poor quality tips and have transferred minute iron filings onto the screws. Once a bit of salt (and other contaminants from the environment) have done their bit, then rust (Iron Oxide) can form i...

Ecobuild 2013 provided a great platform for us to showcase our range of Jakob systems, and we were thrilled to be invited, once again, to contribute to a stunning green wall feature in the Ecobuild Arena, which was the centrepiece in the main hall. The feature was a showcase for the benefits of green walls, and through a combination of Jakob stainless steel wire ropes and Webnet, we were able to simply demonstrates the cost, performance and aesthetic benefits that our green wall system delive...

Green Walls (often called living walls) have been a feature of buildings for many centuries and while the traditional ‘ivy-covered’ façades of Victorian homes have now been replaced by modern, purpose-built systems, they deliver a wide range of benefits to buildings of all type, shape and size: Improved aesthetics Well designed and maintained Green Walls significantly enhance a building’s appearance - whether it’s to add a new aesthetic dimension, disguise a car park, refresh a tire...

Webnet, a flexible net structure made of stainless steel rope and metal sleeves, allows architects to design wide- or fine-meshed net structures to meet the varying needs of different projects. Webnet is a hugely flexible material with a wide range of uses. It is suitable for protecting, securing or dividing buildings or building zones - for example on bridges, roofs and in sports facilities; it can also serve as a fence, or as balustrades infill in staircases; or it may be used as a training...

Completed in 2006, the 'Simone de Beauvoir' footbridge across the river Seine is one of the most striking new structures in Paris and in 2007 was awarded the coveted 'European Steel Design Award'. Jakob supplied the stainless steel nets for the balustrade infill on the bridge, delivering an attractive, cost-effective and safe solution. Designed by architect Dietmar Feichtinger, the new €21m bridge, situated in the Eastern part of the city, is the 37th bridge to cross the Seine, connecting t...

For many years, façade greening was primarily seen as an aesthetic tool. However, whilst green walls still undoubtedly meet that requirement, modern systems deliver a great deal more. Over recent years, as part of a broadly based academic research project in Berlin, scientists have been able to demonstrate that professionally designed green walls also deliver considerable ecological and economic benefits. Large-area greening has been shown to significantly and measurably contribute to passiv...