Facing out across the Bristol Channel, the Beach House
at Brean, near Weston-Super-Mare, is both striking and robust – and now
features a roof guaranteed by BMI Redland for 15 years against the storms and
aggressive marine conditions it faces.
Self-builder Phil Scott chose Cambrian Slate from BMI
Redland, partly because of the recommendations from BMI’s Technical Department
and partly because of his own knowledge – he’s experienced in
construction as his family business includes caravan sites and pubs, for which
he does his own building and maintenance.
“We’d done a similar job on a big pub further down the
coast and used Cambrian on that and it had worked well. It didn’t clatter, it
isn’t heavy, and the wind can’t rip it off. Plus, we get a 15-year guarantee if
we install to BMI Redland’s recommendations,” he says.
The ability to withstand the wind is crucial because
of the house’s unusual design – Phil describes it as ‘four houses in one’ – as
makes the most of the extensive views from its elevated coastal plot with the
lounge, dining and kitchen areas all located at first-floor level.
An open roof aspect allows full-height glazing facing
the sea, creating a feeling of space in the rooms. The extensive balcony for
the lounge and dining areas has an over-sailing roof, supported on a steel
frame, set at an angle that not only echoes the roofline of the property next
door to the south, but also stops neighbours overlooking the property.
The net result of this is that there are effectively
four roofs, all of them mono-pitched – which are notoriously susceptible to
wind-damage – at only 17.5o to reflect neighbouring ridge
heights.
Architectural consultant Nigel Tottle wanted a natural
grey/black finish that would complement the palette of colours being used for
the soffits, guttering and fascias; while Phil wanted a low, preferably
non-existent, programme of maintenance. The low pitch excluded natural slate
while Cambrian Slate, the lightweight alternative with three points of fixing,
was an obvious alternative.
“The roofs have nice sharp edges and a cleanness of
line that adds to the visual appeal and plays a large role in creating the
overall effect,” says Nigel.
Phil recruited a very skilled team for this project
through his previous property work, including TD Roofing and Dean Leadwork from
Taunton in Devon – a specialist in lead who normally works on church
restorations.
Dean’s expertise was crucial because the cuts to the
slate edges made them too long for the cloak verges used on the other sections
of roof, so Nigel and BMI’s Technical Department collaborated to produce the
carefully detailed roof edge for the angled balcony roof.
As a result, the roof has a 15-year guarantee that
covers weather tightness, durability and design liability – because the tiles
are installed with recommended fixings under the BMI Redland SpecMaster
service. This is a free-of-charge roof specification service that covers
slates, tiles, fittings, accessories, fixings, ventilation, underlay and
battens – all in an NBS-based format to integrate seamlessly into the
building specification.
BMI Redland Cambrian Slate is designed with a unique
three-point fixing, making them secure on even the most exposed sites.
Manufactured to be lightweight with a thin leading edge and surface patterning
taken from impressions of real natural slates, and proven on pitches as low as
15°, Cambrian Slates are suitable for a wide range of projects.
Three colours are available: Heather, Langdale Green
and Slate Grey – with Slate Grey also being available in a pre-weathered
finish.
