Client: Mayberry Garden Centre
Type of works: supply of Marley's Cedral Weatherboard fibre-cement cladding.

Cedral Weatherboard from Marley has helped transform an old, derelict garage site in Portslade, East Sussex, into a brand new home and garden centre.

Mayberry Garden Centre, which opened in September and is part of Tates of Sussex, has received positive feedback from their customers to the transformation.

“A huge number of customers have commented on how good the Cedral Weatherboard looks,” said Gary Middleton from Tates. “That is extremely important to us and we are delighted with the feedback as first impressions really count in a retail environment.”

The eco-friendly garden and home centre is clad with Marley’s Light Oak woodstain coloured fibre-cement Cedral Weatherboard. The textured planks are nailed to timber battens in a shiplap configuration, which are anchored to the steel-framed building.

All the materials on the project were specified by Mayberry Garden Centre who based their choice on aesthetic appeal, low maintenance and sustainability. Fibre-cement Cedral Weatherboard met all these requirements and was specified primarily because it has the visual appeal of timber, without the ongoing maintenance issues. Unlike timber, Cedral Weatherboard does not warp or shrink, making it an excellent long-term low-maintenance solution.

Cedral Weatherboard can be worked and fixed just like timber and being a dry-fix system, it means that there is no delay between fixing and finishing like there is with traditional brick or rendered facades.

Mayberry Garden Centre also specified Cedral Weatherboard because it met their demanding sustainability requirements; it can achieve an A+ rating as defined in the Green Guide to specification (based on a generic rating for autoclaved fibre-cement (calcium silicate) cladding (Element ref: 806220701, 806220675, 806220676).

Gary Middleton adds: “We are delighted that Cedral Weatherboard overcame the issue of weathering and maintenance that we have experienced with timber cladding, and the fact it has excellent environmental credentials was an additional benefit. It really has provided us with the solution we were looking for and we plan to use it again when we next carry out any new build or refurbishment work.”

Cedral Weatherboard is available in a range of 22 colours and four woodstains. This is complemented by a range of aluminium trims.