The "Friends" fitness and health studio in Markt Eckental, Middle Franconia, offers fitness and health training for particularly demanding clients. As one of the few studios in Germany, "Friends" is certified for its health services and received the Senior Citizens' Seal of Approval in 2012, with a rating of "very good" for its care of "best agers." After almost ten years of successful operations, the operators were able to acquire a large building last year that previously housed a supermarket. A top-class fitness studio was created there on over 1,000 square meters. As a final step, the outdoor area adjacent to the newly created sauna complex was expanded to include a 60 square meter terrace. For the flooring, the owners chose "DIE BELIEBTE massiv" from the Franconian manufacturer NATURinFORM. The wood composite plank has the general building approval (AbZ) from the German Institute for Building Technology in Berlin (DIBt) and can therefore be installed without restrictions as a load-bearing floor outdoors – even in public buildings.

The studio operators' decision to use this material was a logical one. "Since we'd already had excellent experiences with this flooring on our terrace, the choice was easy," recalls Heike Nunner-Roth, a trained office communications specialist. At "Friends," she is responsible for both studio management and targeted training planning. "The wood composite material has proven itself there, and we're extremely happy with it. The floor requires absolutely no maintenance, looks great, and creates a homely feel. In summer, it doesn't heat up nearly as much as ceramic tiles, and it's significantly more durable than wood. Most importantly, it doesn't splinter," she says, describing her positive experience with the flooring from NATUR in FORM. "So we quickly decided to have this flooring installed on our new terrace adjacent to the sauna area," says the fitness trainer, who runs the studio together with her husband and son.

Structural peculiarity required a steel construction

The existing building situation presented a unique challenge during the construction of the terrace: the new outdoor area was to be built on a steel structure at the ramp, where trucks previously drove up every morning to unload goods for the supermarket. It would have been possible to fill this area with soil, but because important cables are located there, the airy construction was preferred. The team from "Stahl in Form" in Baiersdorf first built the scaffolding that supports the terrace. The hardwood squared timbers that serve as the substructure for the decking boards were then screwed onto the steel beams. The "BELIEBTE massiv" boards were then attached to the wooden substructure with screws. To the great advantage of the installer, the decking has the general building approval (AbZ) from the German Institute for Building Technology in Berlin (DIBt) and can therefore be installed without restriction as a load-bearing floor outdoors, even in public buildings. This specifies the minimum support width of the end and intermediate supports, as well as the minimum number of screws per support, which must be adhered to. The installation instructions included with the NATUR in FORM product package describe the installation in detail. However, the load-bearing wooden substructure is not subject to the general building approval.

Plank with building authority approval reduces time and costs for processors

Founded in 2008 by Daniel Schmidt, the young company "Stahl in Form" has grown steadily. Today, the trained master metalworker employs what he calls a "creative bunch" of 14 qualified employees, two of whom are in training. With motivated manpower and first-class equipment, Schmidt makes "dreams made of metal" come true. The company's product range includes carports, balconies, stairs, railings, canopies, fences, and gates. For eight years now, the team has been working with NATUR in FORM materials when it comes to constructing balconies, stairs, and terraces. "If you consistently adhere to the manufacturer's clearly presented installation instructions, installation is very quick and easy," says Daniel Schmidt. While he occasionally receives complaints from customers after installing wooden flooring - "the material splinters or cracks" - he has never had to make any improvements to wood composite materials. He appreciates the robust and weather-resistant surface, as it guarantees security in the event of complaints. "And the customer has it easy, too, because they don't need to oil or sand, or even replace the flooring after ten years," says Schmidt. What has also made Schmidt's work with elevated balconies, terraces, and outdoor staircases much easier for some time now is the fact that "Belieben-massiv" (popular solid wood) is a floorboard with building authority approval. This allows him to install load-bearing flooring outdoors without having to take additional measures, which previously generally involved increased time and additional costs for him and his customers.

Architects, processors and builders “on the safe side”

The specialist in wood composite systems received the general building approval (AbZ) for "Die beliebte-massiv." The German Institute for Building Technology (DIBt) in Berlin thus granted approval for the first time to a decking made of a wood composite material – commonly referred to as WPC – without requiring a composite flooring. This means it can be installed without restrictions as a load-bearing floor outdoors, even in public buildings. "For our customers, this means a great deal of planning security and expands the areas of application to balconies, roof terraces, loggias, stairs, and stair landings without the need for additional fall-through protection measures," says Naturinform Managing Director Horst Walther, commenting on this assessment by the DIBt. This assessment relates to the applicability of the subject of approval with regard to the building regulations and is valid in all German states. "Die populäre-massiv" is now considered a regulated construction product within the meaning of the state building regulations. A separate approval for private or public areas is therefore no longer necessary. Unlike ground-level terraces, balconies and terraces over 60 centimeters are generally considered "raised" in state building regulations and must therefore be planned and constructed as load-bearing structures. Only building products with building authority approval may be used here, or time-consuming and costly individual approvals must be obtained. "Die populäre-massiv" is laid as a multi-span beam (at least a two-span beam) and installed in such a way that it is visible and replaceable at any time. Installation must be carried out in accordance with the specifications in the approval. The boards must be screwed to the wooden substructure. The minimum support width and the minimum number of screws must also be observed according to DIBt specifications. With this decking board – as a regulated and approved building product – architects, developers, and installers are on the safe side when implementing projects with load-bearing structures outdoors on schedule.

The “classic” on terraces and balconies

Since its market launch, "Die populäre-massiv" (The Popular Solid) has proven itself extremely successful on terraces and balconies. The solid decking boards, measuring 25 millimeters high and 138 millimeters wide (system width approximately 146 mm), are available with a finely or coarsely grooved surface; both brushed surfaces have received the high slip resistance rating R12 and R13 from TÜV Rheinland. Customers can choose between brown, gray, and anthracite. Lengths are available in addition to the standard four and six meters, as well as customized lengths. Like all products from the Bavarian manufacturer, the material consists of an innovative, robust wood composite made from a 70:30 ratio of wood fibers from domestic, PEFC-certified woods and an environmentally friendly, single-variety polymer. No additional trees are felled for this purpose, as the wood fibers are a byproduct of the wood processing industry. This makes this material an extremely environmentally and climate-friendly product that is also 100 percent recyclable. After use, the planks are taken back by the company and returned to the manufacturing process. Naturinform specializes in intelligent solutions for outdoor flooring and profiles. This "made in Germany" material is produced exclusively at the plant in Redwitz an der Rodach in Upper Franconia: a material that combines the visual properties of traditional construction timber with the durability of a technical polymer. In a test conducted by TÜV Rheinland, the planks achieved the highest slip resistance level R13 according to DIN 51130 and Class C according to DIN 51097. During production, the wood fibers are combined with the thermoplastic polymer in such a way that it wraps around each individual fiber like a protective coating. Because the polymer itself is completely water-repellent, water can no longer penetrate the finished plank – while retaining the visual and thermal properties of wood.