HAVING NURTURED a desire to construct his own dream home for the past 20 years, self-builder and project manager, Harjit Padda, is now nearing the stage of achieving a fully weatherproof envelope.

Harjit took the prudent step of installing West Fraser’s CaberDek across the upper floor level, knowing the board product can resist exposure to the elements until the roof is tiled while also shrugging off plaster or paint spills as the fit-out progresses.

Harjit acquired the Berkshire site some four years ago and opted to replace the existing bungalow with a high-performance two-storey, four-bedroom dwelling incorporating a variety of modern building solutions. These included a Norwegian-manufactured Insulated Concrete Formwork, or ICF, system for the walls, supporting engineered timber beams at first storey height. Harjit laid 22mm CaberDek P5 panels across the timber beams to create a strong, resilient platform for work to proceed.

CaberDek

Harjit comments: “As well as doing some of the work on the house myself, I am also doing a site management and safety training scheme. Things are very busy but progressing well.  I’ve always been a tech fan and wanted to stay at the forefront with building technology, so I chose the Jackon Thermomur ICF system rather than a conventional brick and block house.

“I’m making it ‘fabric-first’ and very airtight, close to Passive House standards. I was keen to incorporate technologies to make the work quicker as well as better quality, hence the metal web joists and CaberDek for the upper floor. The CaberDek works really well with the ICF.  I knew there was likely to be a three-to-four-week period when it would be open to the weather and the CaberDek P5, with its peelable film, coped easily.

“We’ve installed the tongue and groove panels using the manufacturer’s adhesive and screws and it makes a very stable deck. So far, we are on budget and close to programme. The passion is keeping me going and we hope to be in sooner rather than later.”

Available in either 18mm or 22 mm thickness panels, CaberDek is produced from moisture resisting P5 particleboard which has the top face covered with the very tough and slip resistant film which helps ensure the installed floor can remain exposed to the weather for up to 42 days. The 50+ square metres of CaberDek was supplied through Travis Perkins, one of West Fraser’s national network of distributors.

As is always the case, West Fraser’s experienced technical team is available to provide assistance with product specification, while downloadable data sheets are available here.

For further information, call 01786 812 921 or visit the West Fraser website.

To follow the progress of Harjit’s self-build, check out his Instagram page.

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