Pine Lodge, Chester

Pine Lodge, located on Liverpool Road close to the centre of Chester is an exclusive seven home development surrounded by mature trees yet close to all the amenities and culture Chester city centre has to offer. Pine Lodge is the name of the neo-Tudor cottage which stands at the entrance to the site. Archway Homes are painstakingly restoring the cottage, dating from 1882, back to its former glory for use as a prestigious four-bedroom private residence.

H+H Celcon Foundation Blocks (325mm x 215mm) in Standard Grade and 3.6N strength were used to construct the foundations for the six new homes. H+H Celcon Standard Grade Blocks (325mm x 215mm) in 300mm thickness and 3.6N strength were used from DPC level up to roof height in each of the new homes. Senior Site Manager Barry Parkyn enjoyed working with the products. He said: “The H+H Celcon Foundation Blocks were really easy to use, lightweight and well-packed.”

“We get our materials supplied via our merchant so we have never had any issues with H+H. I am really happy using H+H Celcon Blocks and look forward to using them again in future projects.”

Requiring only a single leaf of blocks, a solid aircrete block can be laid onto a strip of poured concrete to match the thickness of the wall. This method also requires no mortar at the perpendicular joints; instead they can be butted against each other.

Aircrete’s natural low density means the typical H+H Celcon Block weighs just a third of the weight of an equivalent dense aggregate block. Their low weight also means they are easy to lay and cut to size on site, making them easy to use whilst also delivering significant cost-savings for contractors.

Calfordseaden, an independent construction and property consultancy firm, conducted a Foundation Cost Comparison Study which found that constructing foundations using aircrete blocks can reduce total build costs by almost 25%. This is achieved through aircrete’s naturally quicker build speed which leads to reduced labour costs and the solid construction means that fewer materials are needed.