We aim to manufacture products of the highest possible standard using the best materials available – and our seating range is no exception. From the slats down to the seat ends, our benches are manufactured from specially selected materials that can stand up to heavy use and maintain a high quality throughout their product life.
- Enviropol™
Enviropol is predominantly produced from post consumer and industrial polythene and is 100% recyclable at the end of its life cycle. There are many benefits of using Enviropol for outdoor seating and we offer the option to select Enviropol slats on many of our seats and benches.
The density, strength and weather-resistance of Enviropol will ensure a long, virtually maintenance-free service life. It is self-coloured (available in either brown or black) and needs no painting or surface treatment.
The material is resistant to chemical attack and impervious to water, frost and most corrosive substances.
[L - R: Brown Enviropol, Black Enviropol, Timberpol Slats for the Lowther™ Seat]
- Timberpol™
Timberpol offers a wood effect appearance, but does not posess any of the usual drawbacks of wood as it will not rot or splinter and is knot-free.
Like Enviropol, it is a sustainable option, made from a minimum of 70% recycled hardwood sawdust (that would otherwise go to waste) and recycled polypropylene.
As with all products containing natural timber, a small amount of natural colour fading will occur initially, but as Timberpol is self coloured, it does not require any additional painting or varnishing.
It is a remarkably versatile, durable and strong material, making it an ideal option for seating.
- Vandalex™
Vandalex is an aluminium alloy that has excellent fire resistance and increased impact (shock) absorption properties. This means that Vandalex slats are less likely to be damaged over time due to various weights being applied.
Vandalex is available in a variety of colours (light wood, dark wood and black) and has an anodised finish which means that it will never need painting, will not rust and is easy to clean.
- Armortec™ Coating
Glasdon seats and benches are designed to withstand all weather. We use a variety of durable materials for the seat ends and framework and where a mild steel or cast aluminium is used, we supplement its performance with an Armortec coating finish.
Find out more about the benefits of cast aluminium over cast iron for seat ends here.
Armortec is a corrosion resistant coating, which is specially formulated to extend the life of Glasdon metal products and components used externally.
To demonstrate the performance of the Armortec coating, a test was undertaken by our Quality Assurance team, pitting mild steel coated in a standard black metal paint against mild steel coated in Armortec. This was done by repeatedly impacting the samples with a hammer in order to chip away at the finish, and then placing them in a salt spray cabinet (an extremely aggressive tool used to simulate years of environmental damage in coastal environments) for six months.
The end results showed that not only had the standard sample been ruined by rust spreading under the paint and the finish flaking away, but the structural stability of the steel was also compromised. The Armortec coated sample, however, showed minimal signs of corrosion at the exposed points, and unlike the standard sample, the rust did not spread.
The Armortec Coating also lasted 5 times longer than the standard metal paint finish used for this test.
For a greater insight into how we test our products and materials, have a look at the product testing video of the Elwood™ Seat below or feel free to browse our YouTube Channel.
If you have any questions on the materials we use, or would like more information on the seats and benches we offer, take a look at our website or contact us today!
Email us gil@glasdon.com | Freephone on +44 1253 600435 | Live chat with us on our website
