Fibo waterproof panels now specified across all Accomplish Group residential care developments
A wall finish that creates a homely design style, is easy to clean, hygienic and impact resistant was the requirement for bathrooms and kitchens at adult residential care setting The Haven, in Pembrokeshire - owned by the Accomplish Group. Providing an alternative to traditional tiling, waterproof wall panels from Fibo have been installed and it’s for these reasons that the company is the Group’s preferred supplier across its supported living developments..
The Haven provides specialist support for adults with mental health needs, acquired brain injuries, learning disabilities and physical health needs. As part of the Group’s on-going property upgrade programme, this particular adult social care setting has been completely remodelled and refurbished including two independent new build units.
As well as at The Haven, Fibo panels have been used for refurbishments at the Group’s 4 Harvey Road site in Bournemouth and at Boston House in Oldham; with Fibo the only brand of waterproof panels the Group now specifies.
There are several reasons Fibo is specified, as Marc Vickery, Head of Estates explains:
“Fibo isn’t the cheapest waterproof panel product on the market but the quality of the aesthetics are far superior compared with other options. Visually, it looks like the real deal and creates that high quality finish we’re aiming to achieve.
“For each development, our goal is to create a homely environment, taking an individually considered approach to each room. The Fibo range offers a great selection of styles and colours, which provides real flexibility when it comes to the interior design side of things. We always try and use a selection of different Fibo panels throughout. This means we get a more individual look, which naturally creates a more homely environment.”
For The Haven, a 14-bed residential home, tile-effect panels have been used in all of the bathroom areas. Various Fibo decors are featured including London, which provides a grey, high gloss finish, and Marina Grey Oak with its fresh white grout-look style, as well as Anthracite and Athen White.
The Haven’s bathroom facilities vary from a main bathroom area, that incorporates a specialised bath track and hoist, to en-suite bathrooms and wetrooms, which include features like level access showering, disabled bathing as well as living aids such as grab rails and shower seats that fix to the Fibo wall panels.
High standards of cleanliness are key in this type of adult social care setting to ensure residents live with dignity. Accomplish Group Head of Estates, Marc Vickery, expands on why Fibo products are particularly suited to this environment: “The Fibo panels we specify provide an especially hygienic finish. With no grout to clean, the Fibo wall panels offer a smooth, wipeable surface, which makes cleaning much easier and quicker.”
He also adds: “Another reason Fibo panels are specified is that they are impact resistant. In these settings, situations can be unpredictable and things can become damaged by specialised equipment such as bespoke wheelchairs. Fibo panels are solid - unlike some that are hollow - so from a performance perspective the Fibo panels offer durability and longevity.” Fibo panels are manufactured from a decorative, high-pressure laminate surface, bonded to a specially developed high quality 9mm seven-layer WBP Plywood core with a balancer laminate on the reverse.
This high-quality finish has also been applied in The Haven’s kitchen areas with Fibo kitchen splashbacks installed throughout. The panels are 600mm wide and are offered in both 580mm heights for above the worktop, and 900mm heights for above the electric hob.
From an installation perspective, the Group uses a network of contractors to install the waterproof panels. Marc Vickery concludes: “In the three years we have been specifying Fibo we have had no failings from contractor install or product failure.”