Firth’s Manorstone - to the manor born
Janine and Derek Grul lived in England for a number of years so when they were looking to build a new home on their lifestyle block in Bombay, South Auckland to enjoy into their retirement, they wanted to recreate the elegance, presence and solid look of an English manor home.
“We knew what we wanted from the start,” explains Janine. “We loved the architecture and the grandeur of the big English homes. We also wanted to build something that would stand the test of time.”
Janine had trained as a draftsperson and had made a model of the house for the architect to be sure the house would be exactly what they wanted. The ‘spec’ included the use of a large block veneer for the exterior of the house to create the solid look they were after.
After spotting a house with a large creamy coloured, rumbled edge block, Janine and Derek knocked on the door to ask the owners where the block came from. “The house was only about three or four years old but it had new owners and they didn't know what the make of the block was,” says Janine. “Derek thought we should try Google Earth and luckily we could see the house under construction and the pallets of Firth blocks waiting to be laid!”
Through Ruven Duinkerke from CTM Architectural Ltd, they made contact with Christy Thompson from Firth and went to view Firth’s range of Designer Masonry veneers at the PlaceMakers display at Pukekohe. “We loved Firth’s Manorstone in Tranquillity right away and Christy was great with samples and advice.”
Firth technical support were asked to assist with the detailing of final specifications by providing recommended control joint locations to comply with the requirements of the NZ Building Code.
NB: Control joints provide a mechanism to accommodate any potential movement within the wall element.
“We are really happy with the final result,” adds Janine. “Actually there is nothing we would want to change on the house. Firth were great with the technical support and info and were very easy to deal with. We are very pleased with our English manor equivalent home.”
For more on Firth’s Designer Masonry Veneer range click here or contact us at info@firth.co.nz or 0800 347 841.
Construction of a two storey dwelling: Although the NZ Building code limits normal veneer construction to 4.0m in height Firth Manorstone, and other veneer options, may be used in accordance with E2/AS1 up to a height of 6.0m but require specific design incorporating a galvanized steel shelf angle at a maximum height of 4.0m above foundation height. A PS1 Producer Statement, confirming the design, is required for building consent. A standard design and Producer Statement is available from Firth’s website click here for a copy.
