The reclaim yard had been shut down and by coincidence, the owner was an old school friend of Barry’s who was looking to sell it. Barry proceeded to buy the site, for which an application for a barn type development had already been made and granted.
The development, Trenders Barn, consists of four timber frame luxury detached properties, each with a unique design.
Along with the need for a high-quality finish for such a premium build, environmental performance was also a key deciding factor for the choice of all materials.
Hardie® Plank fibre cement cladding , with cedar texture in
midnight black was specified for the facades to stay in-keeping with local Essex design styles.
Having worked with the product before, Barry was confident that it was the perfect material to use. ‘In terms of benefits’ he explains, ‘you can install it in wet weather, and it has a good fire rating which is really important to our customers.
It also saves time; if you are using timber you need to paint it both sides, and often with two coats, whereas Hardie® Plank weatherboard comes pre-finished. We
considered PVC too but it just didn’t look anything like as good as
fibre cement.
In terms of installation time, Barry comments ‘the cladding only took about 8 working days per house to put up, which is pretty efficient. It only needs a simple nail on fix too.
When asked if he would recommend HardiePlank® cladding, Barry is emphatic in his response: ‘We regularly recommend Hardie® Plank cladding to others. Hardie® Plank cladding looks the real McCoy. This, along with its low maintenance, is why we use it.’
Buda also used another James Hardie product,
Hardie® Backer tile backer board, for the interiors of the new build homes. Hardie® Backer cement board was used to ensure a quality, water resistant finish for all wet rooms on the scheme.
Buda Development’s attention to detail ensured a fast turnaround on the development’s sales. Within weeks of the new homes being put on the market, all properties were sold.