Andrew Mentis maintains that although supplementary building products are not necessarily essential to building work, they are essential to good quality building work.

“The sad fact is that, unless specified in the original job specifications and costing by the architect, there is little chance that a builder would use these products,” Lance Quinlan, marketing manager for Andrew Mentis, says. “We find that architects are often unaware of these products, but once they know about them, they are extremely keen to use them.”

Specific building products, made by Andrew Mentis for the building industry on special purpose machines, are used mainly as reinforcing to prevent plaster and walls cracking and for strengthening the corners of a building to prevent damage where the building is most vulnerable. The products include Angle Bead, Riblath, Plaster Stop, Mentlath, Strip Mesh and Brickforce.

Mentis Angle Bead provides a true straight edge for forming an arris in plasterwork which resists chipping or cracking. The expanded metal wings anchor securely in the full depth of plaster on either side of the arris. “This is essential on plastered columns as the corners are particularly susceptible to damage both during and after building operations,” Quinlan says. Mentis Angle Bead is supplied in 3 metre lengths and is manufactured from 0.5 mm thick galvanised steel strip.

Mentex Expanded Riblath is ideal in the plaster base for walls and ceilings, and as a permanent shuttering for concrete. It has mechanical retention properties for fire protection plasters and splays. The straight, heavy longitudinal ribs and bead stiffening give Mentex Riblath a tremendously high strength to mass ratio.

“It is highly flexible for a variety of applications, yet rigid enough for others. Mentis Riblath has for many years been an approved and preferred plaster base and concrete shuttering material for suspended ceilings,” Quinlan says.

Mentis Plaster Stop provides a straight edge and finish for plaster at all openings and abutments. Recommended wherever a plastered wall finishes against tiles, face bricks, skirting, exposed steelwork, and all woodwork, it protects and reinforces the plaster and gives a neat finish.

Mentis Mentlath 213 is used to provide a key for plaster and as a reinforcement to minimise cracking. It is used extensively for a key where gunite is applied, and is the most accepted means of keying plaster or vermiculite to steelwork when fire proofing a steel building. It is galvanised to prevent corrosion.

Mentex Strip Mesh is used along lines of potential weakness such as at the corners of doors and window frames and as a backing for plaster over narrow gaps such as service chases. “It is used as a plaster reinforcing to prevent cracking around airbricks, window frames, vents, door arches, electrical conduits, water pipes, and is extensively used to provide a bond between dissimilar materials at crack prone areas,” Quinlan adds.

Reinforced brickwork is preferable to unreinforced in all types of building because steel reinforcement adds tensile strength to the inherent compressive strength of this traditional construction method. “Mentis Brickforce 210 reinforcement greatly reduces the detrimental effects of vibration and changes of temperature. Moreover, considerable savings may be made in the cost of material and labour, and in space and deadweight,” Quinlan says.

He further adds that for optimal effect, Mentis Brickforce should be used in every third course of bricks and, where the strips are joined at the ends, an overlap of not less than 80 mm should be provided.

“Embedded in the normal thickness of brickwork joint Mentis Brickforce gives brickwork increased resistance to tensional stresses. This is important for buildings erected on reclaimed ground or on other ground in which settlement may occur. However, it is equally suitable as a reinforcement for concrete block work, partition slabs, asphalt guttering and in other work,” Quinlan explains.

Other items in the Mentis building products range are Mentex Corner Mesh, Mentex 99 hailguards (prevent gutters from filling up with dirt and leaves), Mentis scaffold planks, storm water gratings and frames, and trench covers.