Repairs, refurbishment and water ingress by the sea

Stuart Hicks, from cold liquid-applied waterproofing specialist, Kemper System, discusses how a change of membrane addressed failing waterproofing at a luxury residential development in Saltdean, near Brighton.

The Grand Ocean Hotel in Saltdean, near Brighton, epitomises a bygone era of glamourous seaside elegance. First opened in 1938, the Grade II listed building’s crescent-shaped white façade makes it a classic of Art Deco architectural design.

Once a popular honeymoon destination owned by Billy Butlin it is now the central building from which a development of luxury apartments takes its name. The scheme has seen the refurbishment of the original structure and construction of four new build blocks designed in keeping with the former hotel.

Problems with the integrity of the waterproofing system that was originally specified for the project became apparent even before the scheme was completed, leading to a change of both roofing contractor and, eventually, roofing system.

Integrity Issues

Both the existing hotel building and the new builds have flat roofs and architect, Rolfe Judd, had specified a liquid waterproofing membrane. Unfortunately, the system selected was not robust enough to adhere seamlessly to the roof substrate and the assumption was made that the issue lay with the quality of installation rather than the suitability of the membrane.

A new roofing contractor, Cawston Roofing, was brought in to carry out repairs to the membrane but, as the existing roof build up was still under warranty, Cawston Roofing was required to carry out repairs using the same product.

The majority of the problems with the roofing material were around the upstands. While repairs using the same membrane seemed to address the issue briefly, the same issues recurred following the repairs.

Inverted Refurbishment

Having used Kemper Systems’ Kemperol membranes on a wide variety of construction projects in the past, Cawston Roofing was confident in recommending Kemperol V210, a cold liquid-applied waterproofing membrane.

The originally-specified membrane had been installed beneath the insulation as an inverted roof build up for the new apartment blocks. Cawston Roofing removed the paving slabs and green roof medium along with the insulation and, where possible, this was stored for re-use.

The company then prepared and cleaned the roof surface and, in the areas around the upstands where the failed membrane had not bonded, the team pulled off the damaged membrane.
The existing insulation, slabs and green roof medium were then reinstated to complete the roof.

Hotel Roof

The damage caused by the failed waterproofing membrane on the roof and balconies of the former hotel building was even more significant because the original roof build-up was not inverted.
The balconies were tackled first, with strip out of the entire roof build-up. Here, not only had the originally-specified membrane failed, but the insulation below it had begun to rot too.

Having completed the strip out, Cawston Roofing allowed the concrete substrate to dry on each balcony and the decision was taken to reinstate the build-up for each balcony as an inverted warm roof.

New insulation had to be cut to size and shape and this was done while the Kemperol V210 membrane was being installed so that the balconies could be completed as quickly as possible.

The team then moved onto the 8,500m2 former hotel roof, which comprises five ‘fingers’ with a central core. Water ingress around the roof outlets meant that the recently installed warm roof insulation was already sodden and the roof had to be stripped back to the vapour barrier.

To aid water run-off in the future, Kemper System designed a tapered Kempertherm insulation scheme, introducing a slight pitch to each section of roof. Cawston Roofing pre-primed each piece of board in an on-site workshop during the winter months to aid faster installation once the weather improved.

When weather conditions did improve, the Kempertherm sections were fixed to the substrate and joint sealed before application of the Kemperol V210 membrane began.

Holiday Heritage

Thanks to the replacement of the originally-specified waterproofing system with Kemperol V210, the building not only provides a stylish address on the coast that is warm and dry for residents but also protects a slice of the UK’s holiday making heritage and an iconic listed building.

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Bright young things

Juliet Woodcock looks at the latest innovations in the built environment from around the world.

Tom Robinson, founder of Adaptavate, has been named the Shell LiveWIRE Young Entrepreneur of the Year, winning £30,000 in start-up funding for his invention Breathaboard, a plant-based alternative to plasterboard that locks CO2 into buildings.

A builder originally, Tom’s intention is to create a moisture absorbing board that will facilitate what he describes as “healthier people in healthier homes.” His invention is 75% bio-based and the remainder a mineral-binder – non-cementitious – so at the end of its life, Breathaboard is 100% compostable.

Tom explained to R&R: “We are trying to create a board that is a fundamental shift in the way we make materials that will grow into the materials of the future; but what is really important to me is that we’re trying to address the issue of moisture in buildings – that will be the main selling point.”

Financial backing for R&D is in place; as is funding with Bath University to quantify the performance of the product, while Tom is in the process of gaining accreditations such as the BRE Green Guide Rating, but as he reveals, this is a lengthy process – still being at the design stage for the factory to produce the board. The only results back at this early stage of testing is for thermal conductivity, which is half that of traditional plasterboard at 0.089 W/mK.

Meanwhile in Italy, an Italian construction firm has developed a ‘biodynamic’ mortar that is able to remove pollutants from the air automatically. The mortar, which is made from recycled scraps of marble and left over aggregate, absorbs nitrogen oxide and sulphur pollution and converts it into harmless salts. It uses a titanium catalyst that is activated by ultraviolet light to drive the chemical reaction. The salts then wash off the walls when it rains. It has already been used to create a building in Milan called the Palazzo Italia, which was completed for the World Fair in the city in 2015.

Looking further north, researchers from KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm have developed a transparent wood material that could change the way we construct buildings and solar panels, as well as make glass windows a thing of the past.

The new material is suitable for mass production, the researchers say, and is a low-cost renewable resource. To create the transparent wood, researchers chemically removed lignin from samples of commercial balsa wood. Lignin being a structural polymer in plants and can be found in the cell walls, blocking 80 to 95 percent of light from passing through.

This alone, however, didn’t result in creating a transparent material.

Removing lignin makes the wood white, so researchers added added acrylic to the wood to allow light to pass through.

Cement is still one of the most widely used materials in construction, but also one of the largest contributors to harmful carbon emissions, said to be responsible for around 7 per cent of annual global emissions. Researchers at Bath University, meanwhile, are trying to overcome the problem of cracking in concrete, by developing a self-healing mix; containing bacteria within microcapsules, which will germinate when water enters a crack in the matrix. This will produce limestone, plugging the crack before water and oxygen has a chance to corrode the steel reinforcement.

Kinetic energy is another area of science under the microscope; with Pavegen creating a “transponder” type technology that enables flooring to harness the energy of footsteps. It can be used indoors or outdoors in high traffic areas, and generates electricity from pedestrian footfall using an electromagnetic induction process and flywheel energy storage. The technology is best suited to transport hubs where a large flow of people will pass over it.

Who knows what our bright young things will invent next? However if we can’t halt the slide in education standards – especially for mathematics and science – and bring on a new generation of inventors as well as savvy building professionals, we may find that we not simply dealing with a skills shortage, but a chasm our industry cannot climb out of.

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District Heating at Banbury Park in Walthamstow

Evinox Energy recently worked with Higgins Construction & Circle Housing on a development in the creative heart of Walthamstow. Banbury Park is mixed-use scheme comprising of private and shared ownership homes, with landscaped community spaces, shops, offices, a community centre and public square that will help lead the regeneration of the area.

The site was a former warehouse, industrial works and electronics factory located in Waltham Forest. Evinox engineers completed a full design of the primary network for the district heating and hot water system for a complex of 6 different types of building.

The apartments are connected to the district heat network and each includes an Evinox ModuSat® FS storage HIU to provide heating and hot water. The integrated hot water storage within the ModuSat® enables the central plant to be reduced due to the increased thermal storage facility in each dwelling.

Residents at Banbury Park benefit from the Evinox PaySmart® pre-payment system, which is inbuilt in every ModuSat® Heat interface unit. The Evinox range of ModuSat® heat interface units, is the only solution available that features fully integrated pre-pay ready billing technology.

This system enables residents to be in control of their own energy bills by paying in advance and therefore removing any burden of building up unpaid bills or debt. Residents can purchase their energy online using our Residents Website 24hrs a day, at a local Payzone outlet, by monthly Direct Debit or Standing Order, using our Web App on a smart phone or tablet any time or over the telephone.

Energy Centre

Together with our CHP partners HELEC, a complete pre-fabricated skid plant room solution has been provided to supply the district heat network. This comprises of 1794kW ADI CD boilers, 109kWth CHP unit with 5000 L thermal storage and Matic-Pro combined pressurisation, expansion and deaeration unit.

Evinox Energy specialise in Communal and District heating solutions. Contact us today on 01372 722277 or visit www.evinoxenergy.co.uk for further information.
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Appy Omes

With the advent of BIM and the apps that have been created on the back of it having received extensive attention in recent times, Juliet Woodcock reports on some other apps available to the built environment.

After reading the paper recently, I was intrigued to discover that an app has been launched that predicts birth control/fertility; while you can get an app for deciding what to wear and there are a range of apps for dieting, health and lifestyle. While many people now take these as being a part of their daily lives, I decided to see what is out there for the construction industry, apart from the numerous BIM apps available.

The Dulux Visualizer App is absolutely brilliant: it lets you take a picture of a wall in your home, and then select colours to see how they suit the space. The strapline “Picture it before you paint it” describes this app well, which is intended to be used by professional decorators as well as DIYers – plus it suggests colour schemes to compliment “the look”. This app also offers Dulux Master classes through video demonstrations, as well as the company’s nearest Dulux Tailor Made Colour stockists.

While most of us will be aware that apps have been around for some while to control one’s heating and hot water at home – which also help save energy – Mitsubishi Electrics has taken this technology one step further with its new MELCloud, a new generation of Cloud based control for Mitsubishi Electric Air Conditioning, Ecodan Heating, ventilation and controls. MELCloud provides users with effortless control of their devices whether they are out or are just resting on their sofa at home.

Mitsubishi Electrics has also launched ME Engineer, which it describes as the next generation of service information tailored specifically for mobile users. ME Engineer provides installers and service engineers of Mitsubishi Electric air conditioning, heating, ventilation and control products easy access to the most up to date and detailed service information direct from in-house technical experts at Mitsubishi Electric.

Cosmetic repair specialist for the construction industry, Plastic Surgeon, has developed an app called the Snag Reporter, which enables the user to report any snagging issues or defects from a housing or construction project. This app
 provides the ability to set up a site location, individual plot locations and then the various spaces such as landings, bedrooms, kitchens etc. You can then record the snag/defect by selecting the type of damage, the item damaged and the size of area affected. If required you can also take photos and annotate those images directly from your smart phone.
All this information is then compiled in a user-friendly PDF and sent directly to Plastic Surgeon, who can then quote for the repair work required.

In March of this year, Kingspan Insulation launched an app to calculate U-values, whereby the user can easily vary everything from rafter depth to masonry thickness. This makes it simple to find the right insulation product and thickness for a desired floor, wall or roof U-value. It is suitable for use with the Building Regulations/Standards and covers Kingspan OPTIM-R vacuum insulation, Kingspan TEK Building System and new, lower-lambda, Kingspan Kooltherm K106 and K108 Cavity Board.

All U-values within the application have been pre-calculated by a member of Kingspan Insulation’s Technical Services Department who is approved under the ‘BBA/TIMSA Scheme for Calculation Competency Part 1 – U-value and condensation risk’. Where appropriate, these calculations also take into account fixings and bridging factors.

Metsä Wood, meanwhile, is a well-established supplier of timber and timber-based building systems and solutions for the construction industry. Its Finnframe app has been specifically designed to aid site managers and tradesmen access a quick and easy mobile guide to joist and floor installation when using Finnframe flooring system products, providing static drawings of design details and animated sequences demonstrating the correct installation procedure – thus avoiding error. This information is currently provided in the form of technical drawings on the reverse of detailed site plans. This guidance may not be readily to hand for all contractors, so the app offers immediate on-the-spot information.

Then there are home security apps: forming part of Yale’s Easy Fit range, the SmartPhone Alarm takes home security to the next level. Using the accompanying free app, the alarm can be activated, deactivated, monitored or programmed. Once the alarm has been triggered, an external siren will sound to alert the presence of an intruder, as well as sending an email and push notification (iOS only) to communicate the situation to the property owner.

Seconds after the alarm sounds, the smartphone can receive images captured on the wall-mounted PIR device to show the cause of the trigger.

Amazingly, there is even an app that allows anyone to do a quick, visual check, to ensure the home is electrically safe. The Home Electrical Safety Check app, developed by the Electrical Safety Council, enables the user to set up lists of items that need attention for multiple properties, which can be emailed as lists to your contacts from within the app. The also enables you to find local registered electricians by searching the Electrical Safety Register database.

At a cost of just 54 pence, the Smoke Alarm Messenger sends a SMS or email to a person of your choice when a smoke detector in your property sounds. Its main aim is to inform your loved ones you’re probably at risk so they can help you. This is ideal for the hard of hearing, as a third party can be informed.

Controlfacts from Aico covers all the key information you need for Aico’s RadioLINK Alarm Controller – which allows you to control your Aico Smoke, Heat and Carbon Monoxide (CO) alarms from one convenient location. As Aico says, “One button, no wires, simple.” The app shows the different functions of the Alarm Controller – how to test your alarms, what happens if a smoke alarm sounds and what happens if a Carbon Monoxide (CO) alarm sounds.

In these worrying times – especially for women – I could not finish this article without mentioning personal safety apps, which I had not come across before, and which I must share because it might just keep a reader safe. Tens of thousands of people around the world are now using a free personal-safety mobile app that allows friends to virtually walk you home at night. The Companion app, created by five students from the University of Michigan, enables users to request a friend or family member to keep them company virtually and track their journey home via GPS on an online map.

Although they can do so, the friend or family member does not need to have the Companion app installed, which is available for both Android and iOS. The user can send out several requests to different phone contacts in case people are not available to be a companion or not with their phones at the time.

Those contacted receive an SMS text message with a hyperlink in it that sends them to a web page with an interactive map showing the user walking to their destination. If the user strays off their path, falls, is pushed, starts running or has their headphones yanked out of their phone, the app detects these changes in movements and asks the user if they’re OK.

If the user is fine, they press a button on the app to confirm within 15 seconds. If they do not press the button, or a real emergency is occurring, the Companion app transforms the user’s phone into a personal alarm system that projects loud noises to scare criminals from the scene, and gives you the option to instantly call the police. Here is a link to download Companion: http://companionapp.io

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Storage solution firm wins Queen’s Award

Specialist metal storage manufacturer Trimetals has been recognised in this year’s Queen’s Awards for its impressive export achievements.

Sales of Trimetals’ sheds and storage units for new-build and renovation projects have been growing across the world helping the company win this prestigious Queen’s Award for International Trade.

Popularity of the PVC-clad steel units has been steadily growing among home-builders, architects and facilities managers looking for secure and durable storage solutions.

Unlike wooden or plastic alternatives, Trimetals’ stores are fire-resistant (a certificate is supplied with each product) and they will not warp, become weak and brittle, crack or discolour over time.

The maintenance-free units are guaranteed for 25 years and are available in many sizes to accommodate everything from garden tools and outdoor furniture to lawnmowers and motorbikes. Smaller units are equally as accessible as larger sheds with each featuring a unique and easy to use spring assisted opening action. This allows complete “walk in” access and means heavy or awkward lifting is virtually eliminated as stored items are within easy reach.

Speaking about the accolade, Trimetals Managing Director Garry Smith said: “Our products have been gaining popularity among discerning specifiers in the UK market for some time and it’s clear that security, functionality and reliability are appreciated. It’s great to see that word of these benefits is spreading internationally with our stores now being specified as far afield as Australia and Japan.”

More information on the complete range of Trimetals products can be found at www.trimetals.co.uk.
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Fire safety, smoke control and compliance – charting a path through the regulations

The legislative environment governing the smoke control and fire safety industry is, unsurprisingly, complex, far-reaching and absolutely vital to ensure that these systems not only operate faultlessly when they’re needed, but also provide effective safety protection and allow people to escape.

Even so, you would probably be surprised by the number of construction companies that contact us after they have completed a block of apartments and find that Building Control has rejected the structure due to the omission of a smoke ventilation system, which is required by law for any residential building of 3 storeys and above.

Clearly, there’s no suggestion that designers, specifiers and building companies are brazenly flouting the regulations, but it is apparent that the main issue is ignorance of the complex and essential regulatory framework that governs this sector. But, as is often quoted, “Ignorance is no defence.”

Navigating the maze

Building Regulations Approved Document B, The Machinery Directive and The Construction Product Regulations, via the various parts of the European EN12101 standard, provide a tight and far-reaching regulatory framework. Yet, this is only part of the story.

The Smoke Control Association’s (SCA) ‘Guidance on Smoke Control to common escape routes in apartment buildings’ quickly became the default reference document for many designers, installers and approving authorities throughout the UK, when first published in 2012 and has since been updated with even more key information.

Alongside this, BS 9991:2015, which covers ‘Fire safety in the design, management and use of residential buildings – code of practice’ is also a vital reference when addressing fire safety specification and requirements.

However, if your seeking a signpost to provide an effective route to achieving compliance, then, arguably, the best start point is the BS7346 – Part 8 Code of Practice. Prior to this, no single document existed that provided guidance for the industry from initial design, through installation to maintenance.

The core benefit of BS7346-8 is that by adhering to its guidelines; designers, installers, commissioning engineers and maintenance teams can create, install and operate a fully compliant smoke control system.

Clearly, providing any definitive guidance in the space available is impossible, but as the penalties for non-compliance are punitive and can involve imprisonment, it is always advisable to seek professional specialised input from organisations such as SE Controls, that work with the regulations on a daily basis.

The main things to remember is that you have obligations for safety, design and construction, which cannot be avoided.

For more information please visit www.secontrols.com.

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NVELOPE achieves top class finish for a student accomodation

Thanks to the installation of NVELOPE cladding support systems, a purpose built mixed use development in Liverpool features an attractive external envelope that adds a bold statement to the city centre.

Paramount is a ten storey mixed use development that has been built on the land where the Paramount Theatre was previously located. Following the regeneration of the area, the development comprises top quality student accommodation, a spa and gym, as well as commercial space. The accommodation offers 488 units, with a variety of en-suite student bedrooms and studio study rooms complete with a kitchen. Centrally located, the development provides accommodation to the students of Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool Hope University and the University of Liverpool.

North West Developer, PHD1 Construction’s aim was to regenerate the 3500sq m2plot to meet the needs of the community. The developer wanted the development to include a fresh, contemporary piece of architecture, and to achieve this, required a cladding support system that could achieve a contemporary look with a smooth finish. Bak Cladding Solutions, the sub-contractor on this project ordered NVELOPE’S NV3 systems through Vivalda in Manchester

“The orientation of the building panels presented some challenges for fixing the cladding support systems onto the building’s envelope,” says Alan Trueman, Contract Director at Bak Cladding Solutions. “We were impressed with the flexibility of the NVELOPE NV3 system, and this helped us overcome the challenge. The support system provides concealed fixing, which achieves a seamless effect that complements the appearance of the external envelope.”

Manufactured from aluminium alloys, NVELOPE’s NV3 system is ideally suited for concealed fix or mechanically fixed vertical cladding applications. The system is secured using hangers and undercut stud anchors or screws to provide a concealed fixing. Horizontal NVELOPE channel profiles are fixed to the vertical profiles. Rainscreen panels are secured on to these horizontal profiles using hangers and adjustable hangers.

NVELOPE ‘T’ and ‘L’ profiles are fixed using NVELOPE support brackets through a series of flexible points. Flexible point brackets absorb wind loading and allow for expansion and contraction, whilst fixed point brackets absorb both vertical dead loads. NVELOPE brackets allow for adjustment between the face of the primary support to the outer face of the vertical profile, providing important flexibility in the cladding. When under strain from various weather conditions, including strong winds, the cladding is thus able to expand and contract.

The NVELOPE materials used were manufactured from extruded aluminium alloys conforming to BS EN 573-3 and production BS EN 755.

For further information on NVELOPE Rainscreen Systems, visit www.nvelope.com or call the company direct on +44 (0)1707 333 396.
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Acme clay plain tiles used for pioneering Zero Bills Home

An innovative, affordable zero bills home created by architects Zed Factory, is using Acme clay plain tiles from Marley Eternit to help meet strict sustainability criteria.

The demonstration house launched at the BRE Innovation Park in March 2016. It will be one of the first properties to be assessed under the new Home Quality Mark (HQM), which gives credits for the use of responsibly sourced building materials with the lowest environmental impact.

Zero Bills aims to be the first commercially viable home with no net annual energy bills and enough surplus electricity to power a small electric car. Built with traditional construction materials, Zed Factory has incorporated high levels of energy efficiency and renewable energy into the design. A mansard roof has been created with a clear integrated photovoltaic roof on one side and Marley Eternit’s Acme single camber clay tiles in Red Sandfaced and Red Smooth on the other.

Rehan Khodabuccus, from Zed Factory, explains: “As well as looking at energy efficient products for the home, we also needed to consider the construction materials themselves to make a building with the lowest embodied carbon possible. Responsible sourcing was also very important, not only from an HQM assessment point of view but also because we wanted to maximise the use of materials from the UK to minimise the carbon footprint. We wanted a clay tile to create a traditional aesthetic as a contrast against the solar PV on the other side of the mansard roof. We selected the Marley Eternit tiles based on their responsible sourcing and sustainability credentials.”

The Acme single camber clay plain tiles have a ‘Very Good’ BES 6001 responsible sourcing accreditation, an A+ rating under the BRE Green Guide and low embodied carbon. As well as the demonstration home, the tiles are included in the specification for the first 96 Zero Bills Homes planned to be built on a site owned by the Sir Arthur Ellis Trust at Newport, near Saffron Walden in Essex.

The Zero Bills Home is a pre-designed, engineered and costed housing system with a wide range of custom build design options. The concept is aimed at low to medium density developments with a range of house types available from a kit of parts, delivered to site in containers for easy assembly.

Daniel Weait, specification manager at Marley Eternit, adds: “We are delighted to be providing tiles for such a pioneering zero bills development, which could not only help to meet carbon reduction targets but also tackle the need to increase the output of quality homes in the UK. The homes offer a sustainable and cost effective alternative that still uses traditional construction materials and local labour and minimises cost. This blend between traditional materials and renewable technologies creates homes that could quickly and affordably be replicated across the country, yet can be sympathetic to local vernacular.

“Responsible sourcing is becoming an increasingly important part of specification and we are proud that using our products helps architects and housebuilders to get credits under the environmental section of the Home Quality Mark. As one of the first homes to be assessed under the new HQM scheme, we hope to see the Zero Bills Home being offered at developments across the country.”

Marley Eternit’s range of clay plain tiles is now available in 24 different colours to help match local vernacular and meet planning requirements. For further details and samples, go to www.marleyeternit.co.uk/clay.

For more information about the Zero Bills Home, visit www.zerobillshome.com.

For further information on our range of products and services just ask ME at www.marleyeternit.co.uk or call ME on 01283 722588. You can also follow ME on Twitter @MarleyEternit. If it matters to you it matters to us, that’s why with ME it’s all about you.
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New standard paves the way for Alkali-activated cements in the construction industry

Lucideon, the international materials technology company, has been developing and applying their proprietary MIDAR technology based on alkali-activated cements for several years. Though technically authenticated to meet the requirements for many applications, the lack of acceptance by building standards has proved to be a major hurdle when planning a route to the European market. BSI has recently published a new standard, ‘Construction Materials – Alkali-Activated Cementitious Material and Concrete – Specification’, which will remove this obstacle.

The new standard defines raw material and product performance specifications; this gives manufacturers of construction materials the opportunity to develop products based on alkali-activated cement technologies, safe in the knowledge that they comply with a European standard of approval. The standard refers to, and benchmarks against a number of well used cement standards, thus ensuring consumer confidence in the new technology.

Rebecca Law, Development Scientist, Lucideon, said “This new standard is an exciting opportunity for not only the construction sector but many other industries who can explore alternative raw materials in their products without fear of market rejection.”

“With the help of our materials experts, manufacturers can develop products using alkali-activated cement technology. This could potentially improve the performance and reduce the raw material costs and carbon footprints of products. At Lucideon, we not only have the experience to develop a new formulation to meet client application requirements, but also the backing of our state-of-the-art laboratories to ensure that new products meet the EU standard.”

Lucideon develops materials technologies to meet the needs of a wide range of industries, including construction, healthcare and nuclear. MIDAR technology has the potential to be used in a variety of application areas, such as flooring, roof tiles and cladding. The MIDAR production process is not energy intensive and utilizes readily available, cost effective materials which make it a promising prospect for the construction sector.

For more information about Lucideon’s MIDAR technology, contact Kambiz Kalantari, Operations Manager, Materials, on +44 (0)1782 764343 or kambiz.kalantari@lucideon.com. Alternatively, visit www.lucideon.com/midar-products.
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Cembrit BBA certified slates provide natural finish to new housing development

Jutland, smooth and Zeeland, textured BBA certified fibre cement slates from Cembrit, have demonstrated their versatility, design and performance features on a stylish, nature-inspired housing development in the seaside town of Weymouth.

Pemberly consists of 176 houses, townhouses, apartments and bungalows, varying from one bedroom to four bedrooms in size. While the development is centrally located and within walking distance to shops, schools, amenities, a community centre, library and local transport, it still offers a tranquil living space.

Poole-based building contractor, F.H.Cummings worked with roofing specialist, Weatherbury Roofing on this project. Having installed Cembrit slates in the past, the roofer specified Jutland and Zeeland fibre cement slates for the new build properties. Finding a roofing material that would blend in with the natural surroundings, accommodate the varying roof pitches and meet the high specification requirements was a challenge for the contractor.

“We have experience of working with a number of different roofing materials, and this allowed us to make an informed decision that fibre cement slates would be the best option for this project”comments Simon Coleman, Contracts Manager of Weatherbury Roofing. “Cembrit fibre cement slates are lightweight and pre-holed, two features that were beneficial to us. This, combined with the fact that these slates don’t require any grading or sorting, meant that we were able to speed up the installation process. The fact that Cembrit’s slates come in a variety of surface textures allows us to choose a slate for each design.”

Cembrit holds five BBA (British Board of Agrément) Certificates for its fibre cement slate range, ensuring that whichever system is chosen, roofers and architects can be confident in the specified product. To achieve this status, Cembrit fibre cement slates completed a comprehensive testing process and successfully met all the requirements set out by the BBA.

Jutland and Zeeland slates are manufactured to the highest European standards using Portland cement together with a formulation of superior blended synthetic and cellulose fibres. Cembrit fibre cement slates are finished with a high quality, semi-matt acrylic coloured coating to the face and edges and a tinted, high performance binder to the back face. The slates are manufactured in accordance with a quality assurance system to ISO 9001 and to the requirements of BS EN 492:2012 product specification for fibre cement slates and their fittings.

Cembrit A/A+- rated fibre cement slates can contribute to achieving an environmentally outstanding building. The five variations (Jutland, Zeeland, Westerland, Moorland and Diamond) allow designers to achieve the highest ratings for roof specifications and are currently the only fibre cement slate certificated.

For more information, and to download the fibre cement slate guide, visit www.cembrit.co.uk. Follow us on Twitter at @CembritUK and Facebook at Cembrit UK.
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