Acheson & Glover - Industrial Development - Bridgewater, Nether Stowey
Date: 05 Dec 2007
Design and Build Contractor, Merlin Timber Frame Ltd has used Novabrik, the mortarless, brick cladding system for an affordable, eco-friendly housing development in Somerset.
The development, built for Falcon Rural Housing - the housing association for Sedgemoor District Council, provides seven, 2/3 bedroom homes for local residents of the pretty village of Nether Stowey near Bridgewater.
The choice of Novabrik for the external cladding was partly down the rural location of the development. A traditional appearance was essential to blend in with surrounding properties; however Novabrik provided other important benefits, according to Merlin Contracts Director Duncan Attwell.
"Novabrik is an entirely dry-built cladding system so we didn't need to bring any wet trades on site, keeping the site clean & tidy and gave us much better use of our labour resources. As well as this, we were able to carry on fixing even through wet weather conditions that would have stopped bricklaying dead"
Merlin appointed sub-contractors, South Wales Building Services to install the Novabrik. Their M.D. Ray Brookes commented. "It's a very straightforward product to use - the manufacturer - Acheson & Glover, provided training and we were able to complete the cladding of all seven houses in just eleven days".
Built with UK-sourced materials but to comply with a Canadian Government certified Super E standards of energy efficiency, the construction methods used in the Novabrik clad houses have achieved exceptional levels of insulation and low running cost.
To comply with the Super E classification, Merlin Timber Frame built the houses as airtight units with an integrated Heat Recovery Ventilation system. This, combined with solar hot water systems and high levels of insulation result in exceptionally low running costs - as little as £100 for heating, per home per year.
Novabrik is a BBA Certified and NHBC approved cladding system that comprises brick sized interlocking tiles which lock together to form a weather-proof, ventilated outer skin for timber framed, steel-framed or concrete panel structures. It is also suitable for use with conventional block-work walls or ICF [Insulated Concrete Formwork] systems.
The interlocking construction works as a cladding system with units overlapping, preventing water from penetrating the wall.
Originally developed in collaboration with Canada's National Research Council, Novabrik is manufactured under licence for the UK and Irish markets by building materials specialists, Acheson & Glover Group.
The main benefits of the Novabrik System are speed of installation and the fact that no wet trades are needed, meaning that installation can continue in virtually all weather conditions. Novabrik is suitable for new-build as well as refurbishment projects. Savings in installation times of up to 50% have been experienced, resulting in earlier occupancy and overall reductions in contract duration.
Novabrik, dry-build cladding system
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