Contech have represented Köster for two years and have had great success in that period. Managing Director Linus Kearns said, "We only have to persuade someone to use Köster products once, then their hooked! The standard of all the products is excellent and perhaps surprisingly they seem to be very competitive as well."

The Köster range is massive but always focused on Restoration/Waterproofing. Their leading systems include:

NB1 and KD System For the internal sealing of basements with damp or actively leaking surfaces, The NB1 has been independently confirmed to resist over 100m head of water pressure in the negative direction, whereas the KD System is instantly acting and can seal very wet surfaces that would wash off most waterproofing systems in seconds.

KD Blitz, Waterstop, and KB-Flex are all "waterplug" type systems for sealing cable entries or stopping in-rushes of water. The Blitz is the fastest acting waterplug on the market. The Waterstop acts slightly slower and is expansive. This makes it better for applications where a certain amount of pre-shaping is required. The KB-Flex is a non-setting hydrophobic mastic for gun application; it has a high SG and again stops water instantly. This product is particularly useful for sealing between plastic pipe penetrations and walls.

Crisin and Mautrol capillary injection systems for installing of horizontal DPCs in existing walls. The Crisin product is particularly advanced in that it can be used even in saturated conditions, is not affected by salts, and does not require alkalinity to activate. This is particularly important for ancient buildings. In Denmark virtually every building along the historic Copenhagen waterfront has been protected successfully with Crisin, following unsuccessful attempts with other systems.

Koster Restoration Plaster is a hydrophobic plaster with a special micro pore structure. It can absorb large amounts of water vapour, but will not allow non-pressurised water to pass through it. This plaster is particularly recommended for rooms with humidity problems.

NB-Elastic is a range of high build cementitious / rubber waterproof membranes which are UV stable, foot traffic resistant and crack bridging. A common application for these products is the sealing of terraces and under old entrance steps that are often prone to leakages.

AMS- Anti-Mould System is a three part, non-toxic mould prevention system that works on a purely physical basis; this was used extensively on the Moscow Underground System that has recently been renovated.

Special Renders Köster supply a wide range of special renders including Acrylic and Silicate top coats, and high performance base coats that can be used over external insulation panels as well as conventional substrates.

Repair Mortars a range of repair mortars with high strength and rapid cure capabilities.

Anti- Salt Treatments A variety of products including Polysil a unique primer, for salt effected surfaces, and Köster Compress technology for drawing salt contamination out of historic buildings.

Injection Products for crack injection where either a flexible or structural repair is required, and KB-Pur-Gel a product that enables a basement to be waterproofed on the outside from the inside!

Special Bitumen Products such as Bitumen mastics, flexible bitumen emulsions, and self adhesive sheet membranes are essential tools in every waterproofing company's armoury.

The above products are by no means an exhaustive list but give a flavour of the breadth and depth of the Köster systems available.

Renobuild Ireland has been using Köster systems for over a year now. With the support of technical staff from Germany and the team from Contech Accessories have built up a good working knowledge of the Köster range. They have received training in Ireland and in Aurich, Germany and will continue with ongoing training for new operatives, and as new products and systems are developed. Renobuild come from a background in the Epoxy Floor Industry (an area where attention to detail and the use of highly skilled staff is essential). Renobuild have been impressed with the Köster ethos of only recommending the correct product for the correct application, as Managing Director Seamus Redmond explains, "Köster have a very wide range of systems available, so nine times out of ten we can put forward a top notch proposal. But if they feel that a certain product wouldn't provide a long term solution, or if there are better suited systems available from another source, they would rather say sorry, on this occasion we recommend you look elsewhere. We would rather decline a project than put forward the wrong solution. It's all about being in the market for the long term."

Renobuild have waterproofed a number of old basements and lift shaft bases as well as structural repair and coatings in Ireland with Köster systems and have recently invested in specialist spray and injection equipment that will handle various Köster products, and enable quicker application times for larger projects. Mr. Peter Kotak, Export Sales Manager of Köster, recently traveled to Ireland to meet Renobuild and confirm their status as a Köster approved applicator. This status has been arrived at only after the following criteria have been assessed: - Product Knowledge, Application Proficiency and Financial Stability. Peter Kotak enjoyed his visit to Ireland, and was extremely pleased with the workmanship, knowledge and infrastructure of Renobuild, " Seamus and the Renobuild team seem to be perfect partners for Köster, They are a specialist contractor with a great desire for knowledge and a lot of practical experience. I am looking forward to making many more trips to Ireland to support what Renobuild and Contech are doing. I am extremely hopeful that in a short time we will succeed in making Köster a market leader in Ireland as they are already in Germany and many other countries worldwide."