Full Electrical Fit-Out at Minty Arts, Peckham, London

Minty Arts in Peckham is the London private living space and working studio of artist Raquib Shah.  EF Electrical Contractors was recently contracted by London Room Design and Flatt Consulting to provide a full electrical fit-out service to the premises.

The project was an intensive one as we provided domestic electrical installations to Mr Shah’s living area as well as fitting-out the artist’s studio and workspace.

Comprehensive Electrical Fit-Out

Work on the artist’s studio and living space was comprehensive and included the electrics to operate a lift within the building. We supplied, installed, tested, commissioned and demonstrated all the electrics as well as supplying all the completed legal documentation required for the job.

We began work by installing electrics to the ground, first and second floors.  Further work then began on installing a fully automatic fire alarm, anti-surge protection, emergency lighting and all external lighting.   All cables were contained, circuit cables segregated and a small power installation installed.

Additional electrical work included installing:

  • The access control system
  • Over door heaters
  • Heated towel rails
  • Isolation of under counter equipment
  • Neon signage
  • Mechanical equipment
  • A disabled WC alarm system

Extensive Lighting Throughout

Installing the lighting in the Peckham house and studio was a large job.  We provided complete lighting installation throughout the ground, first and second floors as well as external lighting.  All areas were fitted with emergency lighting to illuminate an escape route within the corridors and stairwells to assist in the safe evacuation of the building in an emergency.

To make things easier, we installed a bank of switches to control all the lighting.  We also added switches at all door positions that were two-way switched with the main bank of switches.

Access Control System / Video Entry

EF Electrical Contractors also installed an access control system.  The system allows the user to view the entrance to the building and release the lock on the main door from two handsets; one in the living space and one in the office.

Full Electrical Fit-out for East Finchley Architect Building: Another Success for EF

Architects' Building Electrical Fit Out

Thomas More Way is a progressive architect-designed building in our native East Finchley. We were contracted by globally celebrated architects Paritt Leng Ltd to work on their own new office building situated on Thomas More Way, providing total lighting and power both indoors and outdoors.

The building is divided over three floors. The ground floor was designed to be the new premises for the architects, whilst the first and second floors were reserved for Buckland Estates, a local business specialising in property ownership and development. The building also features an underground car park and the electrics for this were also part of our brief.

Complete Electrical Fit Out

The project involved a complete electrical fit out throughout the whole building. We provided general lighting and power, emergency lighting, small power, electrical supply to the lifts, mains work, power supplies for the building’s air conditioning system and CCTV as well as power to the access control and automatic gates. We also fitted anti-surge devices to protect the building in case of lightning strikes. 

Overcoming Challenges

As ever with a complete fit out, it can be a challenge to co-ordinate all the work so it’s completed on time and on budget. Careful prior planning and communication throughout the whole project allow us to overcome any issues and our experience affords us foresight so that most problems can be avoided altogether. We liaised closely with everyone involved at each stage of the project to ensure total efficiency.

Evergreen at Roe Green Junior School: a Trailblazing Eco Project for EF Electrical

 Roe Green Junior School Collage

In 2010 we were contracted to a trail-blazing job in Roe Green Junior School, Brent.  We have completed many jobs for the education sector in our 38 years of providing electrical services but this job was unique as Evergreen, Roe Green’s learning centre, is a zero carbon building, meaning that the carbon footprint of the building during construction, and in operation, is zero.     

Creating a Zero Carbon Building

As Evergreen is a learning centre attached to their school, the children of Roe Green were involved in the design process.  Their ideas played a big part in determining many of the features that the centre would include and were influential in the final drawings and plans for the building.

The features for the eco building are impressive.  The free standing building has pre-fabricated sustainable solid timber walls, roof panels and floors.  It is powered by solar and wind energy as well as having under floor heating that’s powered by geothermal energy.  Rainwater is collected for flushing the toilets and large roof light windows make the most of the natural daylight.  A display panel also shows all the energy being used and generated and how much water has been collected. 

Evergreen Roe GreenEF Electrical installed the lighting and power, emergency and outdoor lighting and a new fire alarm system, and made the final electrical connections to the solar panels and wind turbine.

 

Lighting up Evergreen    

Evergreen Rose Green Junior SchoolEvergreen is used for all the school and community’s eco activities and it also houses the school library. To create a magical space for the children to explore the library, we installed changeable lighting that is more commonly used in theatres.  The lighting can be switched to suit the story that is being told or the event that’s taking place.  Themes such as space, water and the jungle are used to great effect and are, as you can imagine, much loved by the children.  

We really enjoyed the practicalities of providing electrical services to such a unique and sustainable building and we look forward to utilising our eco skills again in the future.

EF Electrical Updates Period Home in West Hampstead

Hampstead Period Building

EF Electrical has been providing electrical solutions to residential, commercial and industrial clients since 1973 and if all those years of experience have taught us anything it’s that jobs can change and evolve on not just a daily, but sometimes on an hourly, basis.  One such job was a recent contract to update and install new electrics in a large West Hampstead house.

Complete Re-Fit

The property, a large period house, was renovated by building contractor MP Build Ltd, who we have worked with on a number of projects in the past. The renovations to the house were major.  MP Build started by stripping the whole house and creating a new basement level.  The basement was excavated to become a self-contained one bedroom flat with its own separate entrance.  As well as the creation of the basement, a swimming pool, sauna, steam room, cinema room and wine cellar were built and installed.  At the top of the house a full loft conversion was completed.

Canfield Gardens West Hampstead

Input from EF Electrical

Given the major renovations to the property, there was much work for us to do.  This included designing and installing a very high-spec lighting system, a heating system, CCTV and intruder alarm, all of which could be conveniently controlled via the client’s iPhone or iPad.  This specialist work was completed on schedule and with maximum efficiency.

 

Overcoming Challenges to the West Hampstead Contract 

With good planning there is no reason why a job of this size and technical specification shouldn’t run smoothly.  The biggest challenge was running the back-bone of the electrical system; six heavy duty cables that were required to feed the high tech electrical system and the features running off it.  The size of the job and many aspects of it changed a number of times considerably too.  This was challenging, but it was possible to overcome the difficulties, gain new, necessary approvals for the work completed and to keep the job running efficiently.  

Top 10 Electrical Safety Tips

Hi Everyone!

Found this brilliant little article on Electrical Safety Tips from SafetyED and just wanted to share it with all my Blog readers.

Here are some tips to help you maintain proper caution, to help keep you and your family safe around the house, and to avoid electrical fires and accidents:

1 Make it a habit to turn off electric games and appliances when they’re not in use. Before going to bed, make it a routine to check that all electrical devices not in use are properly shut off.

2 Never ever overload sockets. It’s a safe bet to always use just one plug in every socket. Even if you are using the adapter make sure it’s the bar type that also has a fuse. The total output of all plugs in the adapter should be no more than the specified rating.

3 Adding a residual current device is an easy way to cut off power and prevent shocks. Another sensible option is to fix one on the fuse box. Alternately, you can choose a portable one, which are ideal for outdoor jobs such as using the lawnmower or vacuum cleaner.

4 It’s a good idea to periodically keep an eye on the condition of the plugs and sockets. You should pay attention to any burnt or frayed wires on appliances. It’s best to get the services of a professional electrician to fix such problems.

5 Never allow wires or leads to run under carpets where they remain invisible. Besides being a tripping hazard its hard to see the state of the cables or wires.

6 Never ever allow electric wires or cables to trail over kitchen appliances like toasters or stove tops. These are very dangerous and are hazards of the worst kind. Also, never finger the toaster with anything, especially with any metal.

7 Do not stick in nails or try to make holes in the walls of your home. It’s a potential danger since you may not know what’s behind your point of entry. And you should also take care when digging or excavating as you run the risk of cutting live underground wire.

8 Avoid mixing liquids and electricity. They should be kept as far apart as possible. Touch your appliances with dry hands only. Avoid placing water or other liquids on top of electrical appliances. Many of us use the TV top or microwave as a counter but that’s actually very dangerous if liquids spill into open slots and cause a short circuit. And while using a steam kettle, do not fill it up while it’s still plugged on.

9 It’s best to avoid taking major electrical appliances into a bathroom. Always check for the wire coding on appliances like hair dryers, hair straighteners or radios that are often used in bathrooms.

10 Make sure that your children do not walk in wet into the house directly from the rain or your swimming pool. Your home is a place that is full of electrical sources and could pose a threat to their safety. Get them to dry out completely before entering the house.

Mount Stewart Junior School, Kenton

Mount Stewart Junior School required a new classroom and library block to replace the temporary porta cabins they were using. East Finchley Electrical were contracted to undertake the work which took 45 days to complete at the cost of £30k.

The work we carried out for the school was consisted of the following and everything we fitted was with new materials.

  • Building structure made out of ‘red cedar timber’
  • Submain to the building
  • Distribution board
  • Lighting scheme
  • Emergency lighting
  • Light fittings which were a suspended fitting
  • Small power work for a disabled lift supply which was mainly run through a surfaced fixed containment and 3 compartment trunking.
  • Heating wiring
  • Wiring to a heat sourced pump device

THE 100 DAY CHARITY CHALLENGE

Ravenscroft School in Barnet raised a massive £8,711.86 in aid of  Macmillan Cancer Support which celebrates its 100th birthday this year. The school more than doubled its target, donating £3,700 to Macmillan. Excess funds were donated to local charities including Barnet MIND and Barnet Young Carers.

Please click on the following links below to read more on this fantastic achievement!

http://www.ravenscroft.barnet.sch.uk/11/news-articles/article/18/100-day-charity-challenge-24th-january-8th-july-2011

http://www.times-series.co.uk/news/9155698.School_raises_more_than___8_500_for_local_charities/

East Finchley Electrical would like to say a BIG WELL DONE to everyone involved.

NICEIC

The industry’s voluntary body set up to monitor standards and safety for electrical contractors throughout the UK. To ensure that the contractor has the necessary skills and qualifications to meet the professional and technical challenges of the industry.

http://www.niceic.org.uk

Part P Electrical Safety

Part P Electical Safety

Part P is an addition of the building regulations by the government and effects all residential electrical work, which must now be complied to.

http://www.partp.co.uk

GG

GlobalGROUP - ISO 9001 - UKAS Quality Management

Global Group

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