A hundred years ago, Fürth residents would gather around the Kavierleinsweiher pond on beautiful Sundays. In winter, they would go ice skating, and in summer, they would enjoy a picnic in the countryside. Since 2008, a new residential area has been under construction on this historic site. As was the case in the local recreation area before, fresh greenery sets the tone in the new residential complex by Schultheiss Wohnbau AG. So that residents can take their fill of the view, unusually large balconies, terraces, and roof terraces entice them outdoors. With the easy-care decking boards Compact from NaturinForm, unadulterated natural enjoyment is guaranteed.

When a Fürth resident hears "Kavierlein" (a type of wood), they think of summer days under blue skies. Those who shop here are drawn to nature. Natural products are simply part of that – like the floorboards from NaturinForm. They look and feel like pure wood, but are actually technically weather-resistant. Master roofer Michael Märkl had already come to appreciate this in other construction projects. "These floorboards are unusually durable and dimensionally stable. They hardly warp," says Märkl, laughing: "We are dedicated NaturinForm installers."

Built for well-being

Märkl's client is Schultheiss Wohnbau AG. The long-established Nuremberg-based company is the developer and construction company for two areas on the 37,000 square meter building site. Due to the enormous demand for its first project, Schultheiss acquired another 9,988 square meters of land on the northeastern edge of the site, in the area of a former allotment garden, in 2014. By August 2017, 90 new residential units will be built there, primarily high-quality one- to five-room apartments and several penthouses. At Kavierlein, living is modern, behind clearly cut sand-lime brick facades with contrasting gray and rust-red veranda elements. The residential complex, with its five building blocks, was designed by the Fürth-based architectural firm Loebermann + Bandlow.

Large windows provide plenty of light. The rectangular projections on the facade are particularly charming: they give the house a very special character – and unobtrusively create space for as many large balconies and roof terraces as possible. The outdoor areas are at least 8 square meters in size. Some roof terraces, at 90 square meters, are even the size of an average apartment. For such spacious areas at lofty heights, the quality and durability of the materials used are crucial, as they are much more exposed to the weather than small balconies protected by the house wall. "The NaturinForm wood composite system has the advantage of not cracking like with pure wood. Our customers benefit from this in the long term," says construction manager Michael Gührs.

Schultheiß Wohnbau specializes in high-quality housing, building on a "feel-good basis" according to the needs of its customers. Feeling good also means that new homeowners don't have to laboriously remove moss from their wooden terraces every spring or even repaint them after a few winters.

Natural, safe, easy to care for

This is how the experienced property developer came across NaturinForm. What's special about the wood processor's floorboards: The naturally beautiful wood fibers are combined with a thermoplastic polymer. This additional component makes the natural product significantly more durable, preventing moisture penetration and thus the long-term rotting of the flooring. NaturinForm floorboards are weather-resistant without the need for varnishing or oiling, even in unusually humid or sunny locations. Maintenance requires a brief occasional hose-down. The factory-brushed surface roughens the flooring, making it slip-resistant and barefoot-friendly. This makes them so slip-resistant – even in wet conditions – that they can be used in public areas such as swimming pools, kindergartens, or hotel terraces.

NaturinForm products are almost indistinguishable from conventional wood: At 70 percent, wood is the dominant visual and sensory component. When walking barefoot, you feel real wood underfoot, but you don't have to worry about splinters.

Smooth thing with practical plug-in system

A total of 48 terraces and balconies were covered with Die Kompakte– a total of 1,287 square meters. A two percent gradient ensures optimal drainage: With the help of height-adjusting swivel feet, the floorboards can be easily adjusted to different heights at the beginning and end of the terrace with millimeter precision. Profile strips are placed on the swivel feet, and the floorboards themselves are then laid on top of them. Roofer Märkl used 30-millimeter-high, square aluminum tubes with 3-millimeter-thick walls as the substructure. A practical and stable plug-in system connects the floorboards to each other and to the profiles.

An economical solution

Indestructible and affordable even for large areas: Compact is Märkl's favorite in the NaturinForm range. Compact used here is available in numerous colors. In addition to the three standard colors brown, anthracite, and gray, there are also bright tones from the special colors from the NaturinForm color edition. The surface can be chosen between a classic ribbed side and one with block stripes. With a length of up to 13 meters, a thickness of 21 millimeters, and its reversible surface, the Compact is particularly versatile. It is also particularly popular for renovations when the installation height of a terrace or balcony cannot be too high.

Noble patina

The terraces in the "Am Kavierlein" complex are painted a warm brown—a color that the sun casts a subtle golden glow on. Once installed, the color tones of the NaturinForm planks mature over the first four months. Like wood, they develop a beautiful patina. Initially, a slight yellow tinge appears, followed by silvery and golden reflections. This effect is created by the wood fibers and, unlike pure wood, is kept in check by the lightfast color components of the high-quality plastic. The selected color tone is therefore permanently preserved, enhanced only by patina reflections.

Building environmentally friendly

NaturinForm produces its decking boards in a strictly ecological manner. No trees are felled for them; only wood fibers from certified sawmills are used. The wood is PEFC-certified from ecologically managed forests, not tropical wood. The organic component of the composite material is an environmentally friendly polyethylene, partly from recycled processes. No environmentally harmful chemicals are used in NaturinForm decking boards, and fungicides and pesticides are completely avoided in production. Furthermore, the decking boards are 100% recyclable and can be returned to the factory in Redwitz, Bavaria, for recycling.