What makes Latham’s products different from other products on the market

Are you looking to install the right product in your latest engineering project, but can’t tell the difference between what alternate companies are offering? They may all seem one and the same, but when you’re considering a structural component like expansion joint covers, there’s a huge divergence in the quality, durability and reliability between manufacturers. So how do you know which supplier to choose?

At Latham’s we can’t talk for our competitors, but what we do know is that we’ve solidified our place as Australia’s leading local supplier and manufacturer of architectural stair and flooring products. Here’s just three of the ways that Latham differ from the rest.

What makes Latham different #1: Our history as market leaders

Founded in Sydney in the 1940s, Lathams is a third generation family owned business, with a reputation as market leaders in supplying premium products to the Australian and international construction industries. We’re different because we’ve been here from the start; building our reputation through decades of research and experience, which has helped us gain worldwide recognition for innovation in engineering design.

While competitors have emerged and disappeared again over the years, Latham's has continued to lead the market with our products, including the Neoprene­-X-Pansion Loc Strip Control Joint System, manufacturing dividing strips and self aligning mechanical flexible expansion joint covers. One of the reasons we've been able to achieve our status is the fact that we never compromise on quality; specifying Latham materials means you're guaranteeing a premium product — with no surprises.

What makes Latham different #2: Latham Strips

One of the first products manufactured by W. Latham and Company back in the 1960s was the Neoprene-X-Pansion Loc Strip Control Joint System — designed to accommodate the movement generated through thermal expansion and contraction in flooring.

Also referred as isolation joints and movement joints, these days they're most commonly known amongst the engineering and construction industry as Latham Strips. They're not the only version of control strips available on the Australian market, but there's a reason why our name has become synonymous with the product. To date, no other manufacturer has been able to replicate the process that Latham’s has developed to create the secure bonding of the neoprene insert to the metal side plates our control strips provide. They've tried, but after more than 70 years we're still leading the way.

Another reason our neoprene control strips differ from the products of our competitors is that we pay particular attention to the quality, straightness and uniformity of the specialised Neoprene extrusion. This is critical to allow the product to expand and contract; without it, the integrity of the flooring application is compromised. Unfortunately, many other manufactures skip this step to make construction cheaper — but at Latham’s, cutting costs at the risk of lowering quality standards is never an option.

What makes Lathams different #3: Expansion Joint Covers

We believe we manufacture and supply the most extensive range of mechanical expansion joint covers available in the Australian market today. That's because we've made it our business to research, design and refine the very highest performance expansion joint covers for all conceivable surfaces and joinery materials.

Unlike our competitors, our expansion joint covers come in a more flexible choice of construction material (stainless steel, aluminium, brass and various shallow cover plate inserts), and feature a unique 6-directional system of movement (as opposed to standard 2-directional movement). Through our exclusive tie bar system — which involves wear-resistant nylon spheres at each end of our specially manufactured, spring steel tie bars — continuous, controlled movement can be accommodated in multiple directions.

Our range extends beyond the simple floor applications, with systems designed for floor to wall applications internal walls and ceilings, external walls and roof applications. ensuring all facets of expansion joint cover requirements are accommodated.

It’s clear that our experience and range set us apart from other suppliers in the market today, but we don’t stop there; at Latham’s we’re determined to continually develop our products to stay ahead of the pack. As part of that process, we’ve introduced the online Product Selection Assistant to help navigate our growing range. This takes you, step-by-step, through the process of specifying expansion joints covers, alongside a host of other products we manufacture, for your application.

On the other hand, if you’d like to ask our staff more technical questions about how Latham products are different, contact our local office today.

To find out more about Latham products, please visit www.latham-australia.com. To talk to a Latham product expert, call 1300 LATHAM (528 426) or email sales@latham-australia.com.