Caribbean flair combined with teknos Translucent coatings

Dougall Flooring Ltd. in Kingston (Jamaica) builds windows and doors for dream villas along the Caribbean coast. For more than ten years, the company has placed its trust in coating systems from Teknos.

"Many affluent people build their dream homes in the Caribbean, many of which have window installations overlooking the sea", explains Alex Dougall, Managing Partner of Dougall Flooring Ltd. based in Kingston, Jamaica. 

The family company started off in 1984 manufacturing parquet tiles but now roughly three quarters of its revenue comes from the manufacture of wooden windows and doors. Most of the products are destined for exquisite residential projects in Jamaica and the neighboring Caribbean states.

All windows are made to measure

"We do not offer windows in a standard size", explains Alex Dougall. "In most cases, we manufacture them in line with the individual specifications of architects and building contractors. Customers usually request larger windows and door installations with multiple sliding or folding elements. In many of the building projects, no two windows are the same."

Business is going well. The proportion of revenue from windows in relation to the overall company turnover has increased steadily over the last few years and Dougall is currently investing in a new machining center constructed by a German manufacturer, which is scheduled to start production in Kingston during the course of the year.

Jatoba wood with Teknos coating

In the Caribbean climate, UV exposure and humidity create challenging environmental conditions for wooden elements which is why Dougall usually uses Brazilian jatoba wood. And for more than ten years, the company has relied on Teknos systems to provide the coating. "After only a few discussions, we were already very impressed by the technical know-how and service of Teknos and our confidence in the company is as high today as it was ten years ago", explains Alex Dougall.

Dougall usually uses a three-layer system for the coating: primer using AQUAPRIMER 2900-02 or ANTISTAIN AQUA 2901-00/2901-52, intermediate coat using AQUAFILLER 6500-01 and topcoat using AQUATOP 2600-22. Opaque and translucent coatings are evenly balanced but distribution of the coatings can fluctuate depending on the project. Traditional white is the most popular opaque color in the Caribbean, while translucent usually have brown tones ranging from light honey brown to russet. Dougall mixes the tones independently according to each specific job.

Projects

Dougall Flooring's reference list includes a host of residential buildings with impressive architecture, such as a beach villa on the Cayman Islands for which Dougall manufactured all the window installations with interior shutters in brown translucent Jatoba wood.

A building construction project in the settlement of White House on the west coast of Jamaica is a typical example. Ten large window installations each with five or six folding door elements adorn the sea side of the residential building alone. Dougall manufactured the doors and windows from jatoba wood coated with a translucent three-layer system from Teknos.

Dougall has also supplied window installations with a Teknos coating for a picturesque residential complex on the Cayman Islands. The residence was designed by architect Sandy Urquhart in a Tuscan style and includes 18 residential units that blend into the Caribbean environment in perfect harmony - Dougall Flooring's experience with high-quality wood elements was perfect for the project.

www.dougalljamaica.com