Understanding the importance of supporting merchants with effective support at the point of sale, the latest product innovation from former builder Ken Johnson of KEAH Products is said to save time on site whilst improving safety and reducing wastage.
A retired builder-turned-inventor and his daughter have launched what is described as “a revolutionary new construction product which will improve safety, reduce wastage and significantly reduce project completion times”.
Following a successful career in construction running his own business in Yorkshire, Ken Johnson has used his knowledge and understanding of the challenges within the sector to devise what he bills as “the world’s first” Roof Batten Joint. Made from lightweight and robust polypropylene, the product reduces the need for the sawing and nailing of roof laths when constructing a pitched roof.
Using a simple push-fit technique, the product has been tested and certified to support in excess of 30 stone (199kg) by the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre with Boeing, in Sheffield. And thanks to its innovative design, durability and strength, Ken says it helps roofs to be lathed in a quarter of the time it would usually take with traditional methods.
He said: “The process for constructing a pitched roof has barely changed in decades and it continues to have cost implications for the industry — both in time and materials. The continuing pressure to build more houses needs to be met but not at the cost of safety, which is where the Roof Batten Joint comes in.
“When we trialled the product with roofers, we were consistently told that it was taking just a quarter of the standard time to do the job. This has a knock-on effect to other contractors and could potentially reduce overall build times on large projects.”
This is the second invention for Ken after the successful launch of another time-saving tool for the construction industry — the Plastic Pipe Chamfer. It was this initial invention that introduced the father-daughter team to dealing with the merchant market; an experience which led them to creating a wide range of supporting material for the Roof Batten Joint. This includes an eye-catching point of sale which features a mock roof set up, marketing literature for customers to take away and a technical animation to explain how the product works.
As the company’s General Manager Emma Johnson explained, as a small business launching a completely new product into the construction market they realised that positioning the Roof Batten Joint was key. She said: “We have developed the materials needed to sit alongside the big players in builders’ merchants, and to support merchant branches in stocking and selling what we believe to be a genuinely game-changing product for the construction industry.”
KEAH Products has been operating for three years from its Sheepscar base in Leeds. Its Plastic Pipe Chamfer tooling accessory attaches to any power drill, and creates a chamfered edge on plastic piping to ensure a tight seal when pipes are connected. The company’s products are stocked by a number of well-known merchants and wholesalers.
