As shoppers make a welcome return to the high street, malls and out-of-town centres, the retail sector and construction industry are also assessing opportunities, explains Encasement.

Retail has always been a dynamic environment that not only reflects and meets the needs of buyers, but often drives change in the way consumers interact with products, whether they are high-value luxury purchases or lower cost everyday items.

The purchasing environment is a key aspect of the retail experience and the importance of combining practicality with aesthetics is essential. Decorative column casings and wall linings are key ingredients in this process, as they provide practical solutions for concealing interior and exterior structural steelwork, while adding to a building’s aesthetics.

With around 40 years of experience in the manufacture and supply of column casing and wall lining solutions, Encasement products are installed in a diverse range of retail projects and are used by many well-known brands, including Porsche, ASDA, Kia Motors, Tesco, Next, Oak Furnitureland and Greggs.

Used on both new-build and refurbishment schemes, Encasement’s column casing range includes six individual products, offering a wide choice of materials and finish options for exterior or interior applications.

Circa and Quadra casings are manufactured from pre-formed plywood, while the Forma range is fabricated from metal. Alongside these, Polyma and Gypra casings are moulded, respectively, from glass-reinforced plastic (GRP) and glass-reinforced gypsum (GRG). Completing the range is Metza, a specialised solution designed to provide fire protection for mezzanine floor supporting columns.

Column casings and applications

Where casings are needed for interior use only, Circa and Quadra casings allow circular, square and rectangular profiles to be specified. They also provide a wide range of finish options with the most popular being decorative laminates, as they are resistant to scuffs and scratches, and can be specified in plain colours, wood grain and metallics, as well as textured finishes.

While every Encasement column casing type is suitable for interior use, both the Forma and Polyma ranges are also widely used for exterior retail projects, such as storefronts, canopy supports or as a feature on retail park units, due to their durability and inherent weather resistance.

Available in aluminium or stainless steel, Forma casings can be specified in circular square, rectangular or hexagonal forms, as well as bespoke shapes. A wide choice of finishes is available including PPC options in any RAL colour, as well as brushed, anodised, embossed or textured finishes, such as Rimex.

Strength, durability and colour choice are also features of the Polyma GRP range. As Polyma GRP casings are produced using moulds, this manufacturing process allows a high degree of design flexibility with shape; size and colour options all open to specification to meet bespoke project requirements, as well as standard profile options.

Vecta building linings

Alongside Encasement’s column casings, the Vecta building lining range provides high-quality solutions for interior wall linings, bulkheads, fascias, soffits and reveals with projects already installed for a range of brands, including Tesco, Prêt a Manger, Mini and Greggs.

Depending on the application, the Vecta range can be specified in a choice of materials and finishes. High-level bulkheads, such as 100-metre long solution at Tesco in Yardley, Birmingham, use PPC aluminium, although they can also be manufactured from stainless steel, as well as GRP or GRG, which can help save weight, although consideration should be given to the materials’ suitability for each application.

By offering six different column casing ranges and the Vecta building linings system, specifiers can source a range of specialised products from a single company.