Siniat has supplied GTEC Weather Defence as the sheathing material for the construction of an £11.5 million school in south Wales. Abercynon Community Primary School, in the Rhondda Valley, became the first of a number of major projects to use the new gypsum-based board, which was a key component of the building’s external envelope.

GTEC Weather Defence is ideal for frame-based construction. Water, weather and mould resistant, it is 30% lighter and safer to install than cement board alternatives. The board can be cut using a ‘score and snap’ technique that is faster and needs no special tools.

The board claims a number of technical benefits. It is dimensionally stable, meaning gaps between boards are tight and reliable, improving airtightness to help increase the overall thermal efficiency of the building.

Additional performance credentials include acoustic insulation and fire resistance. It is fully non-combustible (Euroclass A1) for use in projects such as high rise construction, which have more stringent fire risk demands.