The hup! Base: Transforming the Way We Build Bases
In construction, the base stage often causes the most disruption and uncertainty. From difficult ground conditions and buried obstructions to unforeseen costs, waste removal, and the sheer mess, traditional foundation methods are notoriously unpredictable – particularly on smaller sites. Ultraframe Marketing Director, Alex Hewitt, explains why bases are such a common pain point, and how the newly developed hup! Base system provides an efficient, modern solution.
“Conventional base construction still revolves around digging deep trenches, filling them with concrete, and removing vast amounts of soil,” Alex explained. “Not only does this cause mud and disruption, but it also makes life harder when machinery can’t access the site. Homeowners are then left with the added cost of repairing and landscaping their garden once the project is complete.”
As house extensions have become more sophisticated, these problems have only increased. A growing number of projects must now comply with Building Regulations, and fewer fall into the category of exempt conservatories. This often means deeper foundations, sometimes over a metre, pushing costs higher and creating additional health and safety challenges.
To overcome these long-standing challenges, Ultraframe has launched the hup! Base – a faster, cleaner, and more predictable system created in direct response to installer feedback. Instead of relying on full-depth concrete foundations, the hup! Base uses ground screws or concrete pads. This streamlined approach is not only quicker and tidier but also better for the environment. This is because, unlike concrete, which is difficult to recycle, ground screws can be removed, reused, or repurposed, offering homeowners and installers a genuinely sustainable option.
hup! Base benefits:
- Cost certainty – predictable pricing regardless of ground conditions, and highly competitive compared to piling or deep foundations.
- Minimal equipment – no diggers are skips are rarely needed or eliminated.
- Reduced excavation – only a shallow layer of topsoil (70–150mm) is removed.
- Less reliance on concrete – avoiding delays from drying times and bad weather.
- Clean and simple – far less mess and disruption, and no specialist bricklayers required.
- Flexible options – compatible with both ground screws and concrete pads.
- Fully compliant – achieves a U-Value of 0.18 W/m²K and carries pre-approval from Stroma and MFA for smoother regulatory approval.
- Fixed pricing – for builds under 30m², guaranteed costs are available through Ultraframe’s partner, Great British Ground Screw (GBGS).
To deliver the system, Ultraframe has partnered with GBGS, the UK’s largest ground screw supplier with over a decade of experience in both commercial and residential projects. Offering national coverage, GBGS provides galvanised screws with a 25-year guarantee, accredited to the Construction Line Gold Standard.
Alex added: “Our partnership with GBGS gives installers complete confidence. One site visit is all that’s required for survey and installation, and with fixed prices for projects under 30m², both installers and homeowners know exactly what to expect.”
Perhaps the most significant benefit is speed. With efficient scheduling, ground screws can be installed in the morning, with the hup! Base completed by early afternoon, and walls in place by the end of the day – dramatically reducing disruption to the homeowner.
By applying ground screw technology, previously used for structures like garden rooms, to full home extensions, the hup! Base represents a real step forward for the sector. For both homeowners and installers, it offers a base solution that is quicker, cleaner, more sustainable, and far more predictable than traditional methods.
Concluding, Alex said: “We know that once installers experience the benefits of the hup! Base, they see the real value in the product, so we’re giving an extra incentive to try it in the form of an exclusive introductory offer. With immediate effect, all hup! Base components – including the skirt, base and lintels – will be available with a 20% discount. The promotion runs until the end of 2025 and is automatically applied within Udesign, ensuring installers can see the savings clearly in their price breakdowns.”
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