Super lux finishing, fully specified

What does super lux mean?

Super lux is a mid-to-good level: materials of known, consistent quality, workmanship tighter than lux, and some visible detail such as gypsum ceilings and concealed lighting in the reception, without the natural stone and hidden systems that mark ultra super lux.

Because the label is not standardised between companies, the specification below describes what a decent super lux is usually understood to mean, not an official definition. Compare any offer you receive against it, and ask for every item to be written out.

And the point that matters most: super lux built carefully looks and lasts better than ultra super lux built carelessly. Workmanship — flatness, joints, corners and wall preparation — is as much a part of the level as the material.

The specification, room by room

This is what most people expect from a good super lux unit, space by space:

Throughout the unit: cable sizes worked out from the loads, a distribution board with a breaker per circuit and proper earthing, good aluminium or UPVC window sections, and MDF or timber doors with decent locks and hinges.

Where it is worth stepping up

You do not have to choose one level for the whole unit. These few items lift the feel of a finish more than any others:

• Bathrooms: concealed mixers, a concealed cistern and glass for the shower. Changing them after tiling means breaking tiles, so decide before work begins.
• The reception floor: the largest surface you see. Larger porcelain or marble in the reception alone changes how the whole flat feels.
• Lighting: a simple lighting plan — general, concealed and accent — does more for a finish than a change of material.
• AC: if there is any chance of concealed AC later, prepare for it now in the ceilings, wiring and drainage.
• Windows on noisy streets: double glazing and well-sealed frames make more difference to sleep than any decoration.

When super lux is enough

Super lux is enough when the workmanship is careful and the specification is written down. It is the sensible choice in many cases:

• A flat for long-term rental: durable materials that are easy to find if part of them needs replacing.
• Children’s rooms, guest rooms and the guest bathroom: spaces that do not need luxury materials to work well.
• A unit you plan to renovate again before long: there is no point investing heavily in what you will change.
• A fixed budget: a complete, well-made super lux beats an ultra that is missing half its items.

If you want luxury in every item, the ultra super lux specification has its own page, and the difference between the two is set out item by item on the finishing levels page.

How to check the work really is super lux

1. The written specification

   Every material with its type, size and grade in the quotation, not just ‘first-grade porcelain’. Write down what each item includes too: skirting, thresholds, adhesives and waterproofing.

2. Samples and batch numbers

   A signed sample of every visible material, and what arrives on site checked against it. Look at the boxes: tiles should come from one production batch so the shade does not change from room to room.

3. Inspect before closing up

   Photograph the electrical and plumbing first fix before plaster and tiling, ask for a pressure test on the water pipes, and a water test on the bathroom waterproofing before it is covered.

4. Handover

   Shine a light along the walls to find waves, tap the tiles, check the joints run straight, and operate every socket, mixer, door and window before you sign.

What decides the cost

The cost of super lux is not set by the name but by decisions and quantities specific to your unit:

• Area and layout: the number of rooms and corridors changes the quantities of walls, ceilings and wiring, not just the floor area.
• The state you receive: starting on red brick is different from starting semi-finished, or from an old flat that needs stripping out.
• Bathrooms and kitchen: how many, how large, and the specification chosen for each.
• Floors: the material and size in each space, and whether marble goes into the reception.
• AC and windows: split-unit provision or readiness for concealed AC, and the window sections and glazing.

That is why we do not publish a price per metre. We visit, measure and give you a written, itemised quotation that you can compare with any other offer, item against item.

Itmam and super lux

For us, super lux is a written specification, not a word in a quotation. We visit and measure the unit, then give you a written, itemised quotation before work starts, and you can step up the level in one item and keep it in another.

On a finishing contract you pay each supplier directly and the tax invoice is in your name; our fee for supervision and execution is agreed in writing before we begin. Kitchens, wardrobes, doors, vanities and stone tops are made in our own workshops.

We work in Alexandria, on the North Coast and in New Cairo, and elsewhere in Egypt when the job suits us. Every photo on this site is from our own sites.