Frost-laden mornings? No problem with West Fraser’s CaberDek in East Sussex self-build

Embarking on a renovation is challenging at the best of times but, when starting a building project in the depths of winter, there are bound to be bumps in the road! Self-builder, Tim Morris, set about a full renovation of his 1920’s cottage in East Sussex in early January 2021 with the intention of demolishing the existing ground floor annex, which housed a fourth bedroom, and then adding a two-storey rear extension to create much-needed space in his family home with a family bathroom, master bedroom with ensuite, and an extra bedroom. Check out The Refurb Experience on Instagram to follow Tim’s progress.

After battling through the cold months during the demolition and foundation stages, the build soon started to take shape. By April, Tim was ready to cover the joists on the extension to create a first-floor surface to build on. But the British weather wasn’t finished with Tim just yet and he faced the “lowest average minimum temperatures for April in the UK since 1922”, according to the Met Office. Fortunately, Tim sourced West Fraser’s trusted CaberDek flooring with its peelable film from merchant, Parkers Building Suppliers of East Grinstead, and was able to protect the structure from the frost-laden conditions. Tim said,

“We were really pleased with the CaberDek. It was easy to lay and we used the CaberFix tape and CaberFix adhesive to create a fully water-tight floor covering! Even now that we have the roof on and no longer need the protection of the peelable film, I’ve kept it on to keep the boards clean so I have a nice prepared surface to lay the flooring on!”

CaberDek, part of West Fraser’s CaberFloor range, is designed to withstand the elements for up to 42 days between laying the floor and fixing the roof, when installed according to manufacturer’s instructions. Samples of CaberDek, and West Fraser’s other engineered wood-based panel products, can be ordered on the website. Head to the housebuilder page on the website to download a selection of tools including a fully-interactive guide to all West Fraser products and a checklist to make sure you have everything you need for your build.

All West Fraser panel products produced are manufactured in mills that have obtained the coveted environmental ISO 14001 accreditation. Responsibly sourced, the panels are FSC certified and created from locally grown timber, cutting embodied carbon from transportation.

For further information, call 01786 812 921 or visit Uk.westfraser.com