Cement board cladding installation in Woodford, East London
April 9, 2025 8:24 am
Installation Gallery
The importance of fire-resistant cladding
The devastating fire in Grenfell Tower in 2017, which claimed over 70 lives, has led to a nationwide scramble to identify buildings at risk and the importance of fire-resistant cladding. Summit is proud to have been part of this recent project to enhance the appearance and safety of a block of flats in East London.
The building, in a leafy part of Woodford Green, was built before the Grenfell disaster, but like so many properties throughout the country, the owners and leaseholders were unsure whether the installed cladding – and what lay behind it – was fully fireproof.
Advantages of cement board cladding
Summit has long experience in fitting fibre cement board cladding in many different colours and designs, which meet all safety requirements, so we were delighted to be part of this major task.
The owners of the block of flats started by calling in a team of specialist surveyors. They discovered there was no fire block between the flats. Furthermore, a number of cavities were found behind the existing asbestos panels, a material which in itself is a potential danger.
A specialist team removed the asbestos panels and Envirograf fire barriers were installed fire breaks between the flats. These fire barriers are made of what’s known as “intumescent” material that swells when exposed to heat, sealing any gaps.
Fire-proof insulation fitted
Summit Cladding then set about replacing all the earlier panels with James Hardie cement board cladding, which is a fire-regulated product. As an added precaution and as a bonus for thermal efficiency, we also fitted non-combustible insulation behind the cladding.
In addition to the areas above and below the windows of the flats, we also revamped the main entrance to the block with matching new cladding. The result is a fresh bright new look that boasts the triple advantages of a totally maintenance-free product with energy efficiency and fire safety.
Categorised in: James Hardie Cladding
This post was written by Summit Cladding
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