Passion for facades

Some still date from the era we know only in black and white, while others are adorned by today's clean lines. "No matter how different facades look, they all have their own charm," believes Roel Tromp, owner of LJ Solutions. "Especially when they are in good condition. With our smart facade solutions, we ensure that both old and new facades can show their best side!"

LJ Solutions includes the brand names LJ Innovate and LJ Cladding. Whereas LJ Innovate specializes in preventing thermal bridges in exterior wall insulation and ventilating cavity wall constructions with facade stucco, LJ Cladding focuses on high-quality and durable facade cladding. "In both new construction and renovation projects, we actively look with the architect, developer and client to arrive at the best facade solution for each project," says Tromp. "In doing so, we pay attention not only to our own product, but to the complete construction. From rear construction to fire class and detailing, and with ample attention to sustainability, the environment, appearance and price. Because only then can a high-quality and durable facade be guaranteed. We share our construction knowledge throughout the entire duration of the project, while ultimately only charging for our product."

Natural look, no maintenance

"Approximately 95% of our projects involve sustainability projects," Tromp emphasizes. "Clients still value the most natural look possible, but at the same time attention is growing to such things as Total Cost of Ownership, maintenance-free and circularity. How was a product produced? Does the product have PEFC (Chain of Custody) certification? And what happens at the end of the building or product life? What percentage of the product can be recycled? Based on this information, architects and end users often make different and more conscious product choices. For example, we are seeing rapidly growing interest in our Neolife^® cladding, which combines the natural look of wood with maximum maintenance freedom."

Neolife^®: sustainable choice

"There are numerous wood composites available in the market, which are usually made from sawdust combined with 30-50% plastic," Trump points out. "The environmental impact of this plastic is high. Also, plastic has a high coefficient of expansion, making it a technically challenging product. Moreover, because most of the products are produced in Asia, you have to deal with many transport kilometers (and a high CO₂-emissions). Neolife^® offers a sustainable alternative for this. The cladding - based on patented VESTA^®-material - is made from wood fibers sourced from European forests. The wood fibers are bonded using a wood-based substance. Mineral salts and pigments are also added." Depending on the cladding selected, Neolife contains^® approximately 80% natural wood fibers, 12% minerals and 8% clean PVC. "This ingenious combination produces a completely stable, durable ánd strong product, which is excellent for WELL and BREEAM projects. Because the mineral salt does not leach out, we can guarantee fire class B for a long time. In addition, VESTA^® excellent shock and earthquake resistance. The product can be recycled multiple times without losing strength."

Neolife^® comes in panels 30 cm wide, which interlock with a tongue and groove joint. Depending on the type of product, the panels can be screwed or blind mounted with mounting clips. The cladding is colored throughout with mineral pigments with high UV resistance. "Based on sunlight and weather conditions, the original tint of the pigment stabilizes over time. So the color ends up being slightly lighter than during assembly. The final color is guaranteed 100%."

Scanroc^®: efficient facade system

Another interesting product in the context of sustainability and environmental friendliness is Scanroc^®, which excels in design, earthquake resistance and fire safety. "The lightweight ceramic and cementitious cladding easily achieves fire class A1 and offers a high-quality alternative to standard masonry," Tromp said. "In addition, Scanroc^® to be mounted directly on the HSB wall. Anno 2021, more and more semi-permanent buildings are being constructed. Building elements are also increasingly being prepared in the factory, on which Scanroc^® perfect fit. Because the cementitious and ceramic strips are as hard as regular masonry, optimum stability is ensured."

The ventilated facade system consists of a metal frame, insulation material and stone strips and is 100% circular and demountable, he says. "As a result, the system scores very well in the Environmental Performance of Buildings (MPG) calculations. Waste is not an issue. In addition, thermal bridges are efficiently eliminated. The 100 mm wide insulation material also makes it possible to reduce noise levels > 2 times."

The Scanroc^® stone strips are available in various sizes and can be easily installed from a lifting scaffold or with an aerial platform. From bottom to top, the system is automatically anchored, which LJ Cladding also complies with the new requirements of the Building Code.