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Work is well underway on the first major housing project in Ireland to feature Novabrik – the mortarless brick cladding system designed to enable faster, more cost effective construction compared to traditional brick.
The development of more than 50 townhouses, semis and detached homes is being built by Jameson Building Services (JBS) on a site at Newmills Road, Dungannon, Co Tyrone. Since work started last August, two blocks of six town houses and two detached homes have been finished. The construction schedule is set to continue apace with the erection of one timber frame kit – supplied by Scotframe Timber Engineering – every two weeks over the next six months. Completion of the scheme is scheduled for next year.
Originally developed in collaboration with Canada’s National Research Council, Novabrik is manufactured under licence for the UK and Irish markets by County Tyrone-based Acheson & Glover.
JBS say their first experience of the product has been extremely positive with joiners installing it at least 50 per cent faster than traditional brick.
Project manger Charles Lappin says he chose to use the product following a demonstration by Acheson & Glover because it represents a highly promising new technology that reduces dependency on wet trades.
“We’ve been delighted with our first experience of Novabrik and already we’re planning to use it in a number of potential new developments we have in the pipeline.
“It’s ideal for timber frame projects as it is much faster and more efficient than traditional brick. There is also much less wastage and it really looks the part not least because you don’t have a problem with unsightly leaching which often occurs with more traditional products. It is ideally suited to the Irish climate as it can be installed regardless of frost or freezing conditions and in wet weather. And if the rain gets too heavy, because Novabrik is installed by joiners, you can simply redeploy them to work inside.
“As first time users of a product new to the marketplace we were also delighted with the after sales service offered by Acheson & Glover. The on and off-site training and on-site supervision provided by the company was very reassuring for everyone involved. We knew we were not simply left to our own devices and that if there were any issues, someone was always there to give advice on the spot.
“Our fitters have really enjoyed using Novabrik. That’s mostly because unlike brick there is no limit to how many courses you can put up in a day. The men were delighted that within a few hours they could really see the results of their effort – in some cases, a gable wall, for example.
“From a business perspective getting the houses up faster mean you can get them on the market sooner. That really makes a positive impact on your cash flow,” adds Charles.
