Plunkett Tiling has recently completed a swimming pool project at Sunderland’s Farringdon Community Academy, using a Mapei waterproofing and tiling system. The project included the pool surround, showers and changing areas featuring Verona tiles and products from Mapei’s Ceramic and Waterproofing Lines. The leisure centre forms part of a £35 million construction project delivered by BAM UK & Ireland.
Designed by Ryder Architecture, the Farringdon Community Academy project includes a new three-storey main teaching block to the south of the existing site and the new indoor pool complex to the north. The £6 million pool facility will be a shared community hub, for use by the Academy, the local community and other schools in the city. It includes a 20m by 8.5m indoor swimming pool and bright, contemporary showers and changing rooms. It was officially opened by two-time Olympic gold medallist Rebecca Adlington.
During the surface preparation phase of the project, Plunkett Tiling installed floors with a screed containing Mapei Topcem – a special, fast-drying hydraulic binder. Two waterproofers were then applied: Mapelastic Turbo to floors – a quick-drying elastic cementitious waterproofing mortar, incorporating alkali-resistant glass fibre mesh, Mapenet 150; and, to walls, Mapelastic AquaDefense – a one-component rapid-drying liquid membrane which forms an elastic membrane. Mapeband Easy waterproofing elastic joints were also used to add additional protection to internal and external corners.
The tile installation included 200 x 200mm wall tiles and 300 x 300mm floor tiles, supplied by Verona Group. The full tile specification included 650sqm of 200 x 200mm Projectos White Matt (M100), 38sqm of 200 x 200mm Projectos Azul Matt (M1152), 190sqm of 300 x 300mm Eton Grey Structured R11 +40 PTV, 2sqm of 300 x 300mm Eton Anthracite Structured R11 +40 and 210sqm of 300 x 300mm Eton Dark Anthracite Structured.
All designs were fixed using two Mapei cementitious adhesives – Adesilex P9 and Keraquick S1. The installation was completed with two Mapei grouts: Kerapoxy Easy Design – an acid-resistant epoxy formulation that provides mould and bacteria resistance; and Ultracolor Plus grout – a cementitious grout featuring water-repellent DropEffect® and mould-resistant Bioblock® technology. Mapelastic Turbo, Keraquick S1 and Ultracolor Plus have CO2 offset in the entire life cycle.*
For more information, please contact: info@mapei.co.uk or visit www.mapei.co.uk.
*Residual greenhouse gas emissions measured throughout the life cycle of each product using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology, as verified and certified with EPDs, have been offset for the year 2026 through the acquisition of carbon credits in support of forestry protection projects. For more details on emission calculations and offsetting projects, visit mapei.com.
