Savoir-faire technique

It’s amazing the way things pan out. And this is particularly true for the inspiring story of Beal. This company was born of an observation in the field, and relevant insight. In the early 1970s, Jean-Bernard Thiry, a designer by training, started his career in the construction sector. Gradually, he became aware of the challenge of damp and the problems of building restoration. In 1974, with his wife Véronique Wahlen, also a designer, he set out to find answers. Beal started out as a wholesaler of specialty products for construction and waterproofing. "We began by importing Italian lime for the restoration of old buildings and selling them to contractors," begins Véronique Wahlen.

In 1980, Beal moved into manufacturing and developed its own range of sixty or so products. "We wanted to come up with a solution for the various types of damp, and specific problems in the construction trade. These products come into play at various stages, from the construction to the restoration of the facades, and for the interior finishes. These products included specialised waterproofing mortars, the Mortex® range. Some, like Mortex® Waterproof were purely functional at the outset and mainly used for cellar casing, damp proofing, or the creation of swimming pools covered by a liner or tiles."

Dream pools and trendy designs

"As we were still designers at heart, we decided to add colour to the mortars," resumes Véronique Wahlen. About ten years ago, the company developed and launched Mortex® Color, a variation on the waterproof mortar technology with a smooth and colourful finish. This mortar made waves as soon as it hit the market and became the fashionable material for swimming pools created in colours matching the ambiance of the garden. It provides a decorative finish mixed with a high level of technicality: water-tightness, strength and flexibility. The applications of this colourful coating are varied: showers, steam rooms, walls, ceilings, floors, kerbs, patios, countertops...

"We put together a chart available in 64 colours, but Mortex® can be delivered in an infinity of bespoke shades." Beal even allowed customers to customise their project by using pigments not included in the colour chart to create a unique hue. Its simple and rough appearance gives it a trendy look, which fitted in well with the fashion for lofts and polished and smoothed concrete. This product has come to the attention of famous designers and architects, including Philippe Starck, who has used it more than once for trendy interior design projects.

It is also found in hotel projects in Antwerp, Kortrijk and Namur, several projects by Lionel Jadot, the National Geographic Store in Madrid, etc.

The Vintage trend

With Vintage coming back into fashion, the Beal designers cottoned onto this return to the 1960s. At the time, floors in terrazzo were all the rage. This mixture of concrete and marble aggregates, originally used in Italy’s Veneto region, was used to cover floors of houses. This is one of the oldest techniques used in Italy. Popular in the 1920s and at the end of the Second World War and into the 1960s, the process creates a mineral atmosphere. "Today, with the trend for lofts, terrazzo fits perfectly into the transformation of industrial space into living areas, the construction of minimalist spaces where the floor is in itself a work of art. It is possible to integrate other aggregates such as marble into this new generation of coatings: broken mirror, sanded glass, large stones, glitter ... This technique can give a unique look to floors, walls and furniture and get to the heart of the material.” Launched in late 2011, Bealstone®, a mineral coating intended for floors, walls and furniture, inside and outside, is a contemporary alternative to terrazzo style concrete.

Tailored training

Because a quality product is nothing without a rigorous application, the Namur company organises training for professionals. Most of these courses are organised at the company’s Fernelmont site. Participants include professionals who come from all over Belgium, but not only Belgium. It is not uncommon to meet specialists who cross the border to find out more about these innovative products.

For professionals who so wish, the company also offers coaching on site. This practical course allows specialists to apply the products with the knowledge that they are working effectively from the first use. It is the ideal solution to directly train the staff of a contractor. "It is the architect, the decorator and the applicator who give added value to our products. Some diversify their skills. Our training centre plays an important role in this development. Twice a week, we receive business customers and on Saturday we offer training to novices."

In Vietnam and Japan

Based in Fernelmont since 1997, Beal develops its natural catchment area in Wallonia and Brussels. It also distributes its products in the North of the country. But it goes much further. Fifteen years ago, helped by AWEX, Beal gained a foreign foothold by attending fairs and exhibitions abroad. For several years now, it has been exporting to many countries of the European Union (France, Spain, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Italy, United Kingdom and Austria) but also to Switzerland, the countries of Northern Africa, Vietnam and Japan. Contacts are currently being nurtured in the United States and in Eastern Europe. As Véronique Wahlen explains: "When you are a family business and you offer products 'Made in Belgium', people trust you. Our products have notably been used in the Tokyo subway and to transform metal containers that are used as emergency shelters in Africa.”