Barratt-David Wilson Homes, St Martin, Looe, Cornwall

Monocouche render by Saint-Gobain Weber, the leading UK formulator and manufacturer of innovative materials for the construction industry, has been specified at St Martin, Looe, Cornwall, a new 99-property development currently under construction by Barratt-David Wilson Homes Exeter.

Specialist applicator Steve Turton Plastering, Plymouth, who has served the counties of Cornwall, Devon and Somerset for over 25 years, is applying weberpral M Monocouche render to the one, two, three and four bedroom private properties. weberpral M is a one-coat, ready mixed, cementitious, through-coloured render manufactured from carefully selected raw materials. The development will be complete by summer 2013.

Saint-Gobain Weber is the first producer of Monocouche renders to be awarded an A+ rating for weberpral M as defined in the BRE Global 2008 Green Guide to Specification after undergoing an environmental assessment by the BBA. These audited materials help specifiers to make selections that will collectively reduce the environmental impact of their buildings while achieving more materials credits. 

The BBA accredited weberpral M is just one of Saint-Gobain Weber’s products that incorporates One-Coat Technology which is being recognised for its contribution to minimising programme works. By decreasing the drying time associated with a traditional two-coat system by as much as 50%, on-site labour and the cost of other equipment is greatly reduced. Products with One-Coat Technology have the advantage of factory controlled production offering consistent quality and performance, are pre-mixed and require only the addition of clean water on site. All One-Coat Technology products can be machine applied reducing application time further, ultimately resulting in less disruption to tenants and homeowners.

Steve Turton, managing director, Turton Plastering, says: “This Monocouche render by Saint-Gobain Weber specified by Barratt-David Wilson Homes Exeter is a good product and the team enjoy using it. Ease and speed of application is essential on large jobs like this. For us one-coat through colour render, together with spray application, cuts our working time dramatically which pleases everyone – cost efficiencies all round. Good, knowledgeable technical support has been provided by Weber which is part of their Best Practice policy and has been invaluable to us.”

Colours provide a stunning, modern visual effect. In addition to these pleasing aesthetics and proven technical attributes, weberpral M render provides an excellent, durable, weather protective finish for the homes at St Martins that have been designed to achieve the Code for Sustainable Homes Level 3 ensuring minimal energy costs for residents. Colours at St Martin, which is situated in an area of natural beauty with panoramic views of the Looe Valley, were selected by local planners from a palette of 24 colours, include Azure Blue, Rose, Mushroom, Stone Grey and Ivory which blend with the picturesque locality. 

Ben Cook, commercial director, Barratt-David Wilson Homes Exeter, comments: “We have been specifying the Saint-Gobain Weber product for some time now and find that the look and feel is consistent with the high requirements of sustaining our 5-star quality housebuilder status as awarded by the NHBC for the benefit of our customers. These renders satisfy the Local Planning Authority’s need for an authentic render solution but deliver the technical requirement of our modern construction methods.”

James Mead, marketing manager, Saint-Gobain Weber, comments: “The achievement of an A+ rating marks an important development both in terms of the Monocouche product range and as part of our sustainability credentials. The assessment undertaken by the BBA was very detailed and has enabled a deeper understanding of our processes, including highlighting areas for further environmental improvement.”