Premax was introduced 25 years ago

Composite stone sills: robust, durable and circular

Some 25 years ago, a change in the Building Code led to the launch of Premax, Holonite's sill made of composite stone. Anno 2023, the revolutionary product has become a popular solution for a wide range of customers. Not only thanks to its good insulating properties and high wear resistance, but also because of the highly sustainable and even circular nature of the invention. With this, the company based on the island of Tholen firmly emphasizes its sky-high environmental ambitions. 

The adjustment made in 1997 within the Building Code meant that the step to enter a home could be no higher than two inches. 

"Specifically, this meant that lower sills had to largely disappear into the ground from now on," sales manager Patrick Zevenbergen says on behalf of the manufacturer of high-quality facade and finishing elements made of composite stone. "That fact made lower sills made of wood very vulnerable. Simply because there was a good chance that they would rot within a few years under the influence of moisture. With Premax, our composite stone sill, we were the first to respond to that matter and developments at the time." 

Advantages

Now, a quarter of a century later, that appears to have been a good move. In fact, Premax has evolved into a sill solution that appeals to numerous processors. For example, it is stronger than natural stone and, through Holonite's molding technology, can be processed extraordinarily efficiently to create the ultimate in customization. In addition, the insulation value of the waterproof, low-maintenance and frost- and alkali-resistant composite stone is higher than that of natural stone. "The secret to that is a special binder that prevents cold bridges," explains Zevenbergen. "As a result, energy does not leak unnecessarily from inside to outside through the lower sill." 

Another advantage has everything to do with color and texture. Whereas anthracite has traditionally been in high demand, Holonite now gives its customers a choice of twenty different shades and textures. In this way, every sill can be provided with the desired look and feel. 

Already 100% circular

Through another asset, the company is emphatically taking the lead in the world in which we work and live. "We operate a return system where we collect, break and grind old sub-sills made from Premax," Zevenbergen said. "Then we use the raw material to make new Premax sills. In this way we offer the market a fully recyclable and even circular solution. As a result, we are already meeting the government's goal of 100 percent circularity by 2050." 

Zevenbergen's account should be music to the ears of the company's customers. "We have always been way ahead of the times in several respects with the anniversary Premax," Zevenbergen believes. "Consequently, many swear by this lower sill. But good can always be better. That is why we want to offer at least one circular variant in all our sill programs within a year. The focus remains on innovating and investing in making and keeping our delivery program future-proof."