Sustainability Achieved With Marley Eternit Fibre Cement Slates

Over 1300 square metres of Marley Eternit’s Thrutone fibre cement slates were used on the Hamiltons retirement apartments in Canvey, Essex to maximise the overall sustainability of the project.

Marley Eternit’s fibre cement slates were chosen by the developer as a more sustainable alternative to natural slate. Fibre cement slates are manufactured to the stringent requirements of BS EN 492 and great care is taken to select raw materials which are responsibly sourced and have minimal impact on the environment.

Thrutone is part of Marley Eternit’s large range of fibre cement slates which all have the authentic handmade appearance of natural slate whilst being easier and quicker to lay, making them an ideal choice.

The developer specified fibre cement slates as part of his efforts to build the apartments in line with standards set down by Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) which encourages the construction of well designed, sustainable homes through efficient and affordable methods.

The Hamiltons is the first of two joint ventures between Marley Eternit and John Taylor, the second planned is a 52 acre regeneration project near Swansea which will use similar sustainable construction methods and products.

John Taylor comments:
“There were a number of factors influencing my choice of roof slates, with sustainability being my main priority, but I also needed to consider costs and ease of application.

“Marley Eternit’s Thrutone fibre cement slates allowed me to create innovative and sustainable apartments whilst at the same time keeping them affordable. I am looking forward to working with Marley Eternit again in the near future.”

Rebecca Farren, marketing executive at Marley Eternit, added: “We are really pleased that John Taylor has used Marley Eternit fibre cement slates to help achieve a truly sustainable and modern development.

“Marley Eternit made the decision to remove natural slate from its range some time ago to ensure that all of our roofing materials have the lowest environmental impact. An A+ rating from the Building Research Establishment’s ‘Green Guide to Specification’ can be achieved using our fibre cement slates - making them an ideal option for a sustainable project such as the Hamiltons apartments.