A housebuilder undertaking high specification developments in the Stockport and Tameside areas of Greater Manchester has incorporated Marmox Thermoblocks into its designs, to target improved energy performance and all-round higher build quality for its customers.
Romiley based D. Woodman Developments’ latest project is creating a total of nine dwellings at School Brow in Stockport where the former Cow & Calf pub is being converted to form three new homes, while a further four semi-detached dwellings and two detached homes are being built on the land adjoining what is a ‘Non-designated Heritage Asset.’The development has been designed by locally based Architectural Solutions with Northern Building Surveyors being responsible for all the Building Control matters.
Founder and Managing Director, Doug Woodman, comments: “This is an interesting site where we are converting the old pub into two new houses and adding a third within an extension to the original structure which the council was very keen to conserve. Then there are two pairs of semis plus a detached house and a detached bungalow. As a regional developer, we have always strived for high build quality and we have a strong sense of conscience about delivering excellent energy performance.Working with our SAP assessor, we were keen to adopt Thermoblocks as part of a highly insulated, fabric first design, along with renewable technologies including heat pumps.
As well this site we used Marmox Thermoblocks on our last scheme, which was eight houses at Gee Cross in Hyde and we will be looking at them again for our next development which is likely to feature a SIPs system for the external envelope.”
The new houses are being raised on conventional strip foundations using Eco Prime concreteand blockwork footings which then carry beam and block floors, along with the 100mm x 600mm x 65mm Thermoblocks, 100mm thick Celcon Solar aerated blocks then form the inner leaf to the insulated cavity exterior walls.
The 385 Marmox Thermoblocks, along with Marmox 360 Multipurpose adhesive for sealing the stepped joints, have all been supplied by St. Gobain in Huddersfield.
With a proven track record going back more than a decade, Thermoblocks are available in widths of 100, 140 and 215mm and feature a unique design where two rows of high strength epoxy concrete mini-columns are encapsulated in sections of XPS (Extruded Polystyrene).They are attached at either end to the top and bottom layers of glass-fibre reinforced polymer concrete to achieve a good bond with the rest of the structure. Thermoblocks also regularly get used at upper floor levels, beneath parapet walls and even as part of swimming pool surrounds.
