News

Over 1.5 million Kgs of Cast Stone in 34 days!

29th April 2012

This is the impressive amount of Cast Stone produced by the Company in the last 34 days of production.   Amber Precast is bucking the double dip recession with production of cast stone products accross a wide market spectrum.  In recent times, many new customers have been added providing the Company with the biggest growth spurt in its history.  Commenting on this, Managing Director Mark Johnson says, “This situation is very gratifying when we consider the recent difficulties and concerns expressed regarding the UK Construction Industry.  We put this step change upturn down to providing high quality products at great value for money.”

Amber Precast manufactures both Dry Cast and Wet Cast Stone in its purpose built facility in Somercotes, Derbyshire.  All Dry Cast production is vapour cured for extra strength and durability and Wet Cast products are often manufactured with structural capabilityin mind, giving our customers the widest possible choice when specifying and using Cast Stone.  All Amber Precast products are designed and manufactured to exceed ever UK Cast Stone quality standard and measure and this is backed up with customer service from a team of poeple dedicated to providing the best for our customers.

If you would like to arrange an exploratory meeting to discuss how the Cast Stone people of Amber Precast can help you with your build, whether it be commercial or private, please call us on 01773 540707.

Striking New London Offices

2nd April 2012

These new offices, just completed in East Finchley, London,  feature Cast Stone by Amber Precast.   An imaginitive combination of Wet Cast and Dry Cast stone has been employed by innovative London based architects, Parritt Leng.  Designed and built by the architects themselves Wet Cast Stone from Amber Precast was used for the window accents, boundary wall copings and pier caps.

Dry Cast Stone has been used for some of the more decorative elements of this fine 21st Century design statement.  Where repeated decoration was needed the architect chose to maximise mould utilisation and enjoy the benefits of the resulting cost savings.

The complimentary use of the two product types has ensured that the colours blend well together, whilst ensuring that the stonework for building was brought in on budget.

If you have a project that requires the best quality Cast Stone, be it Dry Cast or Wet Cast, please contact us.  All our products are designed to exceed all current UK Cast Stone quality Standards and conform as a minimum to BS1217:2008

Amber Precast Dry Cast Stone to BS1217:2008

12th March 2012

Amber Precast’s Semi Dry Cast Stone exceeds all UK Cast Stone quality measures hands down.  The compressive strengths that are regularly achieved are without doubt at the leading edge of technical excellence.  With water absorption figures also well below accepted minimum standards, our stone will out perform the competition in every aspect.  Couple those two facts with outstanding levels of customer service, and you will appreciate why the Company is growing so fast.    

What does this mean for you, our customers?  It means that your order will be handled by people who care about what they do.   Your Dry Cast stone will be manufactured to exacting standards which means that it will be durable, cost effective and have a surface finish that emulates natural stone at a fraction of the cost.  Unlike most of the competition, the Dry Cast Stone manufactured by Amber Precast especially for your project, will be vapour cured.  This means it will be stronger, faster than some cheaper alternatives.  Vapour curing also enhances resistance to efflorescence both in early stages of curing and after installation.

No matter whether your project is commercial, domestic, renovation or replication, for us cast stone is personal.  If you need Cast Stone without compromise, why not contact The Cast Stone People on 01773 540707

Amber Wet Cast

16th September 2011

In a summer of high activity Amber Precast’s Wet Cast products have been used on a variety of diverse projects. These range from a Care Home in Jersey CI to a forthcoming project within the Athlete’s Village for the London 2012 Olympics.

The standard wet cast stone made at our purpose built facility has been recognised as an industry leading product, which exceeds all the United Kingdom Cast Stone quality criteria.

The unique mix design allows raw materials to be poured in to craftsman made moulds and finished without the use of any vibrating tools. This leads to a more sustainable product that doesn’t rely on any mechanical aids other than mixing, and also means our manufacturing staff are not subjected to harsh conditions that have been known to cause health hazzards. In laboratory tests, the distribution of the aggregates within the mix has been shown to be uniform with a corresponding excellent set of compressive strength results.

These strength results prove that Amber Precast’s Wet Cast is a great investment for your build. If you would like more information, please get in touch on 01773 540707 and ask for the technical department.

 

Latest Test Results

24th May 2011

The Amber Precast brand is fast becoming synonymous with excellence in the Cast Stone industry.  Recent independent test results provide irrefutable evidence that the compressive strengths of both Amber Precast’s Wet Cast and Dry Cast products smash all UK quality measures and the water absorption figures for Dry Cast are better than anything the company has ever seen, beating all minimum criteria with ease.   The degree of control was noted as “excellent” between all test cubes submitted for independent assessment.  This means that each cube’s individual result was very similar giving dependable consistency.

All products are tested in accordance with BS1217:2008 with the latest results showing the average compressive strength for Dry Cast being over 60N/mm2 and Wet Cast, a huge 90 N/mm2.   The highest measures in the relevant UK standards suggest minimums of 35N/mm2 and 45N/mm2 respectively, so we can see that the use of Amber Precast’s standard products will give you peace of mind that you are using Cast Stone that beats all UK Cast Stone quality measures.  Copy certificates are available on request.

Superior Wet Cast

8th April 2011

Work has started on the manufacture of Wet Cast Stone units for a brand new care home in Jersey C.I.   Wet Cast Stone products by Amber Precast have been selected as the material of choice for a new classically designed building being constructed to the highest specification.  The Wet Cast Stone  units weighing upwards of 500kgs shown in the picture to the left have been produced in the company’s purpose built manufactory in Somercotes, Derbyshire.   With health and safety at the forefront, cast in lifting sockets have been provided and a unique turning method devised which allows these massive stones to be handled safely by only two men.

The moulds used in the creation of the stones are constructed from multi-ply timbers to withstand the considerable heat generated by each stone as it cures in the mould for the first 24 hours of its life.  Each mould is then checked and maintained between each “pour” of the Wet Cast stone to ensure optimum performance and quality of finished product.

As the project progresses more moulds will be made to create bespoke stones for many areas of the build.  Working alongside main contractor, island based AC Mauger Ltd., and Architect, Adam Architecture of Winchester Amber Precast are delighted to be involved with such a prestigious project.

If you are designing or using Wet Cast or Semi Dry Cast stone for any project, whether it be domestic or commercial, why not call the Cast Stone People on 01773 540707 for an exploratory discussion.

Amber Precast Semi Dry Cast Stone

6th March 2011

Amber Precats’s Semi Dry Cast Stone was selected as the best material for the newly built £2.34 million centralised Mortuary facility located at East Cemetery, Bournemouth.  Bespoke and standard pieces from Amber Precast combine to give a feeling of solidity and permanence to this 21st century design.  Installed by Amber Precast Installations Ltd., the arch stones for the entrance feature prominently and make a bold statement in the overall design.

If you would like more information about how our products and services can enhance your project, please give us a call on 01773 540707

Getting back to normal…..16/12/10

9th December 2010

With the worst of the early December snow completely gone, Amber Precast is now back to normal.   Manufacturing is keeping pace with demand and even the heaviest snow didn’t cause too many problems.

Regular deliveries are now back to normal.

With delivery periods currently running at around 4 weeks for standard products and 6 weeks for bespoke products in both dry cast and wet cast stone, please ensure you order now for delivery early in the new year.

Snow over 600mm deep

2nd December 2010

6/12/10   Heavy snow and freezing temperatures hit Derbyshire with a vengeance last week.   Amber Precast have done better than some and have cleared a great deal of snow from the yard enabling deliveries to recommence.   Strenuous efforts have been made and continue to be made by Amber Precast Staff to get things moving again and with no more significant amount of snow due this week, things can only get better.

Manufacturing is continuing as efficiently as possible and normal service is almost with us.  In the meantime, we hope that conditions are not too serious for our customers and we would ask you to continue to visit our website and look at the news pages for updates or give us a call on 01773 540707. 

Amber Precast at BEST 2010

26th October 2010

Amber Precast have had a great response for their products at the recent BEST Show.  New enquiries and orders have already started to come in as a result of visitor interest.  Amongst the products on show were Dry Cast columns, and finials, Wet Cast copings and special polished finished Wet Cast which is being used increasingly to produce signage and create a soft sheen for interior projects.  If you would like to know more, why not give us a call on 01773 540707 where you will find all the help you need to make the right choice for your cast stone project