06 November 2020

Lockdown brings home a focus on quality

Submitted by: Nina Minne
Lockdown brings home a focus on quality

 Johannesburg, SA (November 6, 2020) – The Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated global trends towards distributed workforces. For most employees post-lockdown, working from home has become the new normal, with fewer people needing to commute to offices – if at all. 

Time spent working at home has ushered in a new focus on our living environments – home upgrades, refurbishment projects and beautification make spending many more hours each day at home much more enjoyable. 

Outdoor living, entertainment areas and summer relaxation facilities are a key component of avoiding cabin fever, and Eva-Last’s Infinity I-Series is providing some inspired décor and DIY ideas for homeowners around the world. 

In the eastern coastal area of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa, a subtropical climate poses massive challenges for anyone looking to spruce up their primary or secondary homes with decking, walkways, pergolas, cladding, screens or railing.  

Timber products are notoriously difficult and expensive to maintain in such an environment, and cannot be guaranteed for many years. They require constant refinishing and servicing. The Infinity I-Series, on the other hand, comes with a market-leading 25-year warranty, including coverage for stain, fade, scratch resistance.  

The Infinity I-Series is an environmentally friendly high-density bamboo-plastic composite (BPC) material that is manufactured using recycled plastics using solar power, and is fully compliant with the Forest Stewardship Council’s regulations for protecting the world’s timber resources. 

Benefits of the material include a range of aesthetic options and grain streaking, ultra-low maintenance, slip, scratch and stain resistance thanks to an advanced protective cap, market-leading weather resistance and easy installation. Various board profiles make the I-Series suitable for a variety of applications. 

Dustin Thomas, CEO of Durban Decks in KwaZulu-Natal, says the lack of any sanding or sealing maintenance for the I-Series is a major draw for customers, while its ease of construction using a clip system and hidden fasteners is an additional win. “This is the easiest composite material we work with. Once the substructure is built, anyone could put it together – it’s that easy.” 

Thomas says his company has used the I-Series all over Durban and as far inland as Hilton, some 100km away. “We’ve used the I-Series at all the well-known housing estates like Zimbali, Zimbithi, Kirtlington Park and Cotswold Downs. The response from our customers has been amazing – we regularly receive pictures from customers enjoying their decks and thanking us. Everyone loves it.” 

While timber decking is much more difficult to guarantee for the long term, Thomas says the situation has been exacerbated by shorter curing times for woods as resources become strained under demand. “Combined with zero maintenance required for composite materials like the Infinity I-Series, aside from the occasional clean, the use of composites has become an obvious choice.” 

Schalk Brits, owner of Ballito Eco-Decking, says he’s used the I-Series for decking, indoor flooring, cladding, railing, screens, staircases, pergolas and more. He’s even used it for cladding in saunas and around jacuzzis. 

“We’ve made gates out of I-Series balustrades. There’s a lot we’re able to do with it and we’ve never had a single comeback with the I-Series – unlike with other products.” 

According to Brits, the I-Series is leading the way in composite materials. “The 25-year warranty in an environment in which decking materials are hammered by the sun and humidity, is brilliant. Almost every year a typical wooden deck will require sanding and painting and will never look as good again as it did when it was installed.

“The whole deck is affected, from the timber itself to the screws, which rust and cause further problems. My I-Series sales pitch is based on the maintenance requirements and warranty. People love that at the coast. We deal with many holiday homes and owners don’t want to spend time and money on maintenance each year. We don’t have one unhappy client and the finished product looks amazing,” he says. 

With further creative uses including pool covers, water features, bridges, sun loungers and plant boxes, the I-Series is making its way into homes and public spaces around the world. There is no place like home, but now home is so much more than it used to be.   

Eva-Last

Eva-Last® is a globally recognised and trusted brand that manufactures and distributes specialised bamboo-plastic composite building products.Together with a wide range of decking, cladding and flooring products, Eva-Last® also offers specialised support systems and expert advice, ensuring each and every build is designed to last. Eva-Last® composite profiles and complimentary systems can be found in over 35 countries globally and have been an imperative part of some of the world’s largest building projects. As the leaders in composite building technology, Eva-Last® ensures product quality and customer satisfaction with industry and class leading warranties.