Contracting
Graham Goldthorpe provides a comprehensive range of specialist natural stone services to the construction industry
We work in both the commercial and private residential sectors. We think we are different to most other companies in our sector in that we do what we say we will do, in the required timescale and within the costs agreed.
We are passionate about using natural stone to its best advantage and realising its full potential, so early involvement with the client, architect and contractor is essential to allow us to effectively explore the range of stones available for each application, whether its walling and traditionally designed masonry, slate cladding or a special internal stone staircase or floor.
We care about our reputation and when a job is complete like to think we will be the first choice for your next project.
As a result, most of our work is repeat business, on a negotiated basis, working with clients who want to put their trust in us to successfully guide them through the stone design, costs control, production and installation processes.
We meticulously plan and control all stone operations to ensure all contributors are aware of the project’s requirements, and we communicate everything to everyone. This engenders confidence that all stone matters are being identified and effectively dealt with by a team of experienced professionals who care about your project as much as you do. Attention to detail is of paramount importance to us in all we do.
Graham Goldthorpe offers a comprehensive stone design and scheduling service. Stone design is the key to success on any project. The once manual task undertaken on a drawing board with the usual drafting equipment has long been replaced with sophisticated drawing and detailing techniques harnessing the very latest AutoCAD technology to produce key-marked working drawings and stone cutting sheets, tailor-made to suit the requirements of the project in hand and the stone supplier’s specific production processes.
The world is definitely your oyster when choosing stone for your project, whether it’s one of the excellent UK favourites, such as Yorkstone, Portland, Derbyshire sandstone, Bath stone or Westmorland slate, or something sourced farther afield, such as French or Portuguese limestone, granite, or an exotic veined marble. The choices of stone and finish are wide and varied, and we can draw on 40 years of experience to help source the best stones available for your project, at a price to suit the budget.
We have people with a wide range of senior level experience in quarrying and stone manufacture, which enables us to assess manufacturers’ production facilities, capabilities and quality of stone and workmanship standards. We only use stone suppliers who have a proven track-record of providing high quality products, and those who can achieve exceptional levels of customer service. Whilst this can sometimes limit what can be offered, ultimately it is stone supplier who dictates the construction programme and progress, so we cannot afford to engage those who say one thing and then do another by failing to supply within agreed timescales.
All stone supplied to our projects carries the required CE marking certification and we ensure it complies with current British and EN standards, verified by approved, independent testing laboratories.
Simply put, the essence of successful contract management is to sort out all the problems at the very earliest time, in the office, not on site.
The contract programme is broken down into pre-start and post start activities, often with more emphasis on the former to ensure that sufficient amounts of stone are produced and available for delivery before fixing commences on site. For each project, stone is scheduled and manufactured in fixing order, with each area of construction included on specific pallets. The key-marked masonry drawings and cutting sheets form the basis of the final measurement of work on site and are used for assessing monthly valuations, in conjunction with the main contractor’s surveyor and PQS.
Our team includes Chartered Construction Managers, with years of experience in working on all types of stone projects, which ensures professional, effective and efficient handling of the job in hand.
To achieve high-quality workmanship and show stone off to its best advantage, it is essential that the fixing is undertaken by skilled and experiences masons.
We are fortunate to have a team of stonemasons who possess a wide range of skills in fixing stone of all types – sandstone, limestone, slate, granite and marble – in many applications, both internally and externally, in traditional or modern designs. Bespoke stonework of any kind needs to be carefully handled and is fixed to the background structure using proprietary stainless-steel restraint and support fixings (frame-cramps, dowels, dog-cramps, angle brackets, and the like). And when specifying 5mm wide mortar joints it is vital that the stone is bedded and pointed correctly after fixing, with careful cleaning off as the work progresses.
