Construction and Engineering Awards 2021 BUILD 15 and test the shower pan liner. The 3” inner flange and 3” x 2” outer flange which securely firms to timber or concrete form the last part of the triple seal connection. The company does not call it the Wondercap-All-In-One Shower Drain for nothing! All these pieces together remove the chance of blockages caused by excess construction waste and materials entering the drain. Uniquely, Wondercap was the first plumbing solution company in the industry to use polypropylene to manufacture its products, with its incredible non-stick and non-strain qualities. Traditional shower drains in the United States are made from PVC and ABS materials. These types of materials usually discolour over time whilst collecting mildew and mould. Furthermore, Wondercap wanted its shower drain to have two separate parts. The top part of the shower drain works independently from the lower shower drain. It allows the water to drain into the shower outlet. The top part of the shower drain is made from polypropylene, which prevents scum, debris, stains, mildew, and mould from building up on the sides of the drain. The company also added an anti-bacterial additive that protects its customer’s families from germs, bacteria, mould, and mildew during the life of the product. By putting together all the above materials and components, Wondercap believes that it has created the world’s best hygienic shower drain. The product has also been designed and engineered to make installing the following waterproofing materials and building methods so much easier. Firstly, the installation of a pre-slope has never been easier. A pre-slope is a term used for building a grate into the base of the shower’s floor during construction. Pre-slopes are usually made with wash sand and a cement mixture that is screeded onto the base of the shower floor to grade to the shower drain. A pre- slope is required so that the shower pan liner can be installed on top of the pre-slope and will drain to the drain outlet. Secondly, the installation of a shower pan liner has never been easier. A shower pan liner is a waterproof liner that prevents shower water from damaging the surrounding outside areas of the shower stall. Shower pan liners are engineered with traditionally PVC scheduled 40 PVC grade material. Traditional shower drains that are currently used are not designed for the new types of waterproofing materials. For example, a waterproof membrane liner should be installed with its own purpose-built shower drain outlet. The shower drain outlet should be designed to connect with paintable membrane products such as waterproofing membranes, plastic pan liners, bedding, tiling, and more. The Wondercap shower drain is the only engineered, designed, and approved drain that will connect with any kind of shower pan liner and waterproofing method. The growing success of the Wondercap has earned the company awards and accolades, such as DesignBuild Australia’s Silver Award for Best Environmental and Best New Product, in addition to its most recent awards in BUILD’s Construction and Engineering Awards 2020 and 2021. This popularity has enabled Wondercap to become an international success. Its products can now be found in many residential towers, business towers, and hospitals throughout Australia, New Zealand, the United States, and the Emirates. The Wondercap continues to revolutionise the way the Australian and United States construction industries deal with waterproofing, wet areas, and leaks. The company looks forward to continuing to improve the building standards of Australia and the United States to deliver the highest quality products and services to its customers to help deliver a visibly and hygienically clean floor and shower system. Les said, “I can remember meeting with the people from Lowes Hardware in Charlotte, North Carolina. They were very friendly and accommodating and helped our company tremendously to get started in the United States. With our association with Lowes Hardware, we have increased our market presence by being available in stores in over a third of the United States. We endured many challenges throughout the years. However, the results were rewarding enough to keep following our dreams.” Wondercap believes in its products, its customers, its installers, its tilers, its building contractors, and everyone and everything that makes its product what it is so much so that it justified all the start-up costs. The company has a never-give-up approach to business and is continuing to find new ways to communicate to its client base and their customers, while its staff also have a great never-give-up attitude to their work and have provided a great platform to get going. Les and his team are very proud of how far they have come since 2017. Wondercap is now selling in over 44 states and has seen an increase in sales each year. Additionally, its product/s are sold in some of the best-known hardware stores in America: The Home Depot, Lowes, Ace Hardware, and Amazon. Looking towards the future, the company would love to see its USA Wondercap product keep taking off and to increase its number of stockists while continuing to grow throughout all 50 states. Its products are currently only in hardware stores, so it is hoping to be picked up by plumbing supply stores, tiling stores, and more. If you can dream it, you can do it, right? Company: Wondercap USA Inc. Contact: Les Howson Email:
[email protected] Website: www.wondercap.com