A two-storey seaside family home in Somerton Park was built from the ground up in just two weeks, thanks to the efficiency of new building material, MaxiWall.
MaxiWall is a unique, Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (AAC) brand that is wholly owned and exclusively distributed nationwide in Australia by Big River Group. “The speed of the project completion proved just how easy MaxiWall is to handle and quick to build with,” said John Eckert, Design Director of Rivergum Homes – the building company who managed the project. “The entire exterior was completed in a fraction of the time compared to rendered brick or block, and these speedy construction times not only lead to a very happy customer, but also tangible decreased site costs.”
Installing one panel of MaxiWall is equivalent to installing about 75 bricks, that creates a huge saving for builders and homeowners on site in relation to cost – labour costs are reduced and so too is material wastage on site. “It’s very affordable and can be installed on site using the same carpenters that are installing your wall frames and your roof so it can all be done at the same time,” Eckert said.
“The Somerton Park project was a two-storey home. So, it was done in two stages,” explained Ray Ferretti, National Product Manager at Big River Group. “The first stage was to install the lower MaxiWall on the boundary wall. The second stage was to complete the lower external walls.” The applications of MaxiWall include low-rise external and party wall applications, as well as high-rise external and internal wall systems.
“MaxiWall is soft enough to cut easily, but it’s reinforced and strong enough to be a long-term durable skin on a building,” continued Eckert. Beyond the build, MaxiWall provided unique properties as a building material that made it an ideal choice for the Adelaide suburb.
“In South Australia, where we have quite cool winters and warm summers, MaxiWall can provide that thermal barrier and save on the actual running costs of the house given that it is a very airtight product. The little air bubbles that form in the panels act as great insulators against temperature changes.”
“MaxiWall also has excellent soundproofing qualities, as either an external wall or as an internal wall thanks to these same air bubbles,” continued Ferretti. “Whether it be noise from outside or transfer of noise from one room to another, it’s effectively cancelling a lot of that noise out and it’s far better than some of the other building products that are on the market.”
“Another reason MaxiWall was used in this project because it gave a blank canvas in terms of a monolithic external appearance which suited the client’s aesthetic,” added Eckert.
Its contemporary rendered finish offers a more stylish and sustainable alternative to traditional brick and concrete, while still providing that solid feel of traditional bricks. MaxiWall can be finished in a multitude of different rendered finishes, ensuring any design choice can be accommodated.
Source: Big River Group