Marley Eternit fibre cement Cedral Weatherboard has helped to revive a historic former-mill site on the banks of the Grand Union Canal in Hemel Hempstead.The stylish one to two bedroom apartments and penthouses at Nash Mills Wharf promise to provide the perfect blend of town and country living, with Cedral Weatherboard proving to be the ideal choice to help developers Linden Homes and Crest Nicholson achieve this vision.
The developers were drawn to Cedral Weatherboard as its subtly textured surface, which echoes the aesthetic characteristics of timber, complements the historic canal site whilst creating a contemporary aesthetic that appeals to potential homeowners.
Cedral Weatherboard retains the traditional appeal of timber, yet provides residents with the peace of mind that, being made from fibre cement, it won’t warp or shrink. That means it offers a durable, low maintenance solution with an installed life expectancy of at least 50 years.
Blue Grey, Atlas Brown and White Cedral Weatherboard were chosen for Nash Mills and used to clad feature walls and casement windows throughout The Peninsula, the latest phase of the Nash Mills development which features high specification apartments and penthouses. Cedral Weatherboard is offered in a palette of 23 colours and four woodstain finishes.
Linden Homes liked the fact that this gave them a wide selection of colours to choose from, helping them to avoid large expanses of uniform, bland-looking facades. It was an additional benefit that Cedral Weatherboard requires no painting once it has been installed.
Jeremy Alden, Technical Director at Linden Homes, said: “We chose Cedral Weatherboard because it is renowned for its quality and has the high-end aesthetic that we required to ensure that the development sits comfortably within the beautiful canal-side setting. It helped us bring life back into the original site of the old mill.”
Jeremy went on to explain: “Fibre cement Cedral Weatherboard from Marley Eternit was the ideal choice because, unlike timber cladding, it is low maintenance and weathers incredibly well. We were also impressed with the range of colours as this allowed our planners a huge amount of flexibility.”
The Cedral Weatherboard was fixed in a ‘ship lap’ configuration to selected exterior walls of the properties at Nash Mills Wharf. Cedral Weatherboard can be cut, nailed or screwed just like timber, providing an easy to install, practical facade solution.
Cedral Weatherboard contributed to the sustainability of the development because it can achieve an A+ rating in the BRE (Building Research Establishment) Green Guide to Specification based on generic rating: Cedral Weatherboard – autoclaved fibre cement (calcium silicate) cladding – (Element Ref: 806220701, 806220675, 806220676). This development achieved a level 3 in the Code for Sustainable Homes.