Beech Road, Bedfont

A first-time self-builder from Twickenham used his time on furlough to build a two-bedroom home in his back garden with weberwall brick.

Around 11,000 self-build homes are built each year, and Sudheer Talluri is one of less than 10% who actually build the house themselves, without the help of experienced builders.

Sudheer had already bought his 1950s former council house and had been living in the property for seven years before he applied for planning permission to build another home in the garden. Despite initial difficulties getting planning consent, he finally got the go-ahead in 2020.

After being furloughed from his job as a telecoms engineer in June 2020, Sudheer decided to use this as an opportunity to kickstart the project.

“I knew I wanted to build an environmentally-friendly home, so I went to the National Self Build and Renovation Centre in Swindon for inspiration,” explains Sudheer. “Having looked at all the options, I decided to use an Insulated Concrete Formwork (ICF) system. It offers great thermal benefits and can be finished using a brick slip system on the outside which helped me to meet the design requirements outlined in the planning permission.”

Sourcing products that could be easily supplied while the country was in lockdown was a challenge in itself. Sudheer needed an external finish that would be in keeping with the existing property on the plot. He contacted Saint-Gobain Weber after learning about how weberwall brick - a brick cladding system which is supplied on mesh sheets - would not only address the planning requirements, but would also help to make the application of the final finish quick and easy.

The ICF provided a solid base for weberwall brick, allowing direct application to the substrate using the rapid drying weberwall brick external adhesive, which Sudheer applied by pump to speed-up the installation further.

Sudheer’s engineering background, determination, and help from friends, family and neighbours helped him to get the new house built in less than a year. 

Sudheer and his family have moved into the new house enabling them to rent out their own home. They are so pleased with the final result that they plan to extend into the loft space and add a further single-story extension at the back of the new house in early 2022.