PRESS RELEASES

TDP, the leading supplier of professional building and landscape products, is pleased to announce the company's award of ISO9001:2000 for quality management.

Known for its supply of products such as Plantex weed control, TDP115 geotextile, Mortar Fleece, TDP roofing fabrics and a range of other time and labour saving products, TDP sees the achievement as a reward for its continuous attention to detail and dedication to customer support.

"Sustained pro-active customer service and support has been out strategy for over 15 years" states Rob Barlow TDP Ltd's Managing Director. "This has culminated in TDP gaining the prestigious award of ISO9001:2000. The award was granted with no non-conformances - believed to be a distinction in its own right" continues Rob. TDP also cites its planned continuous improvement strategy and adherence to methods and processes as testimony to its excellent quality management.

Another part of TDP's quality ethos is to provide the end-user with useful information on its products and where it can be purchased. As well as detailed installation on packaging, further technical information can be found on TDP's website.

TDP hopes to build on its success by extending the range of products and to continue its excellent track record of support and service.

TDP Ltd announces that a 6000sq ft extension to its administration and production premises in Wirksworth, Derbyshire has been completed. "The extension together with the freehold purchase of existing warehouse and the installation of a 'state of the art' production facility, has in the last four months amounted to a total investment of £¾ million" states Rob Barlow, TDP's Managing Director.

Celebrating its fifteenth year of trading Europe-wide and currently employing 15 staff, TDP Limited has seen significant growth in the building and landscaping markets. Known as the UK supplier of DuPont Plantex, the brand leading landscape and weed control fabric, TDP has established itself as a premier distributor of professional products to builders' merchants. Rob explains - "We have capitalised on the growth with the provision of innovative products such as mortar fleece - our patented all-year-round mortar and brickwork fleece and by applying our continuous improvement strategy in service and supply. We have already gained national certification for our roofing membrane products which will shortly be followed by a submission for the highly acclaimed ISO 9001 quality accreditation. The extra space and new production line will allow us to produce hi-tech fabrics for a variety of uses in building and construction throughout Europe."

"The new building replaces a previous one which was in need of renovation and deemed not suitable for the current and future needs of the company" adds John Maycock a Director of the East Midlands based company Pure Construction (Midlands) Ltd. "We were awarded the design and build project with a very tight deadline to complete by February 18th. 2005 and we made it with a few days to spare." declared John.

TDP Mortar Fleece, a brand new product for protecting newly-laid brickwork against frost, heavy rain and strong sunlight, is the first solution to be specifically designed for this common problem on site and looks set to offer substantial savings for the building industry.

Preventing damage to mortar, overnight in particular, has always been a priority on building sites but until now an effective solution has not been readily available and builders have had to improvise with materials lying around the site.

Simple yet highly effective, TDP Mortar Fleece acts as a barrier against inclement weather whilst allowing optimum curing conditions for the mortar. This patented innovation, designed to eliminate the risk of damaged brickwork and reduce both downtime on site as well as the cost of replacement materials, has also been given the backing of CERAM Building Technology, the leading building and materials technology specialists based in Stoke-on-Trent.

In a series of tests at CERAM, results have shown that TDP Mortar Fleece provides a significant protection against frost particularly in the critical first three hours of curing. The rate of evaporative losses, again critical in determining the strength of the mortar mix during the curing period, has shown a reduction of between 56% (moving air) and 65% (static air) when Mortar Fleece is used. In addition, TDP Mortar Fleece provides protection from heavy rain, reducing the saturation levels of unprotected brickwork by up to 93%, thus keeping brickwork dry and avoiding associated lime leaching.

Dr Andrew Smith, materials group manager at CERAM stated "The tests have shown very positively that TDP Mortar Fleece does protect mortar in inclement weather conditions; the product has certainly exceeded our expectations."

The product is the brainchild of TDP, a leading supplier of landscaping fabrics and geotextiles to the construction industry, which identified the need for a cost-effective solution to this age-old problem.

Rob Barlow, managing director of TDP explained "Current practice is often to use temporary materials lying around the site such as plastic sheeting or bags to protect the mortar from frost or heavy rain but these makeshift measures not only look unsightly they are also failing to stem the rising cost of damaged brickwork. TDP Mortar Fleece has been designed specifically to solve this problem."

The product has been developed over the last two years with trials taking place at a number of sites in the UK. Lightweight, with reinforced edges for tethering, the fabric provides a stabilised climate for optimum mortar curing conditions but has a central waterproof section, which prevents the ingress of water. Available in two easy-to-handle roll sizes - 1.5 x 30m and 1.5 x 100m - TDP Mortar Fleece is strong enough to withstand wear and tear on site. The launch of TDP Mortar Fleece coincides with the onset of colder weather conditions and it is available from builders' merchants nationwide.

TDP is extending its roofing range with the launch of two new breathable membranes developed to provide the toughest protection against weather damage.

The TDP Breather 120 and 155 membranes can be used on ventilated pitched roofs, cold or warm, as a high performance vapour control and weather inhibitor. Fully waterproof, both the 120 and 155 breathable membranes prevent the ingress of wind-driven snow and rain whilst simultaneously allowing water vapour to escape. Suitable for the most challenging of environments, the breathable membranes have been engineered to withstand a 4m head of water.

Resistant to tearing, either by nailing or snagging, the new membranes are very light, durable and environmentally-friendly and are easy to handle and install on site.

TDP 120 is a general purpose membrane suitable for a wide range of applications and is available in two roll sizes: 1 x 20m and 1.5 x 30m. TDP 155 is available in a 1.5 x 30m roll size and is a heavy duty membrane which is ideal for areas where weather conditions can be harsh such as Scotland and the northern counties and is suitable for use with sarking boards.

To complement the launch of the TDP 120 and 155 roof membranes, TDP now also offers a tough yet flexible eaves guard to prevent infestation by birds, insects and other pests.

The launch is also being backed by an extensive stockist support package. Merchants can benefit from practical and sturdy display boxes, point-of-sale material, product leaflets and technical support.