If you are planning to build an earthquake resistant house then Valley Plus Pvt Ltd could construct one for you. The authorised distributor of construction material from Shera brand, Valley Plus builds earthquake resistant houses as per the need and demand of customers. A Thailand-based brand — Shera offers fibre cement boards, sidings, panels, roof tiles and various wood substitution products require to build a complete Shera Home. Lightweight, eco-friendly, aesthetic looks and less time consuming to construct are the salient features of Shera Homes.

“We have introduced the latest construction technology appropriate for safer buildings,” said Saroj Joshi, Director at Valley Plus, adding, “Of late the demand for lightweight structures has slightly increased but it is yet to be accepted widely.” According to him, the cost of Shera Homes starts at Rs 1,800 per sq ft up to Rs 2,500 per sq ft depending upon structure and quality.

“As long as the structure and foundation is strong, one can go for multi-storey using Shera products,” said Joshi, adding, “To build the structure, steel frames are installed vertically and Shera boards are fixed using screws.” He said that it takes merely 20 to 30 days to complete the whole structure. The company provides 50-year warranty on Shera Homes.

Citing that the market is flooded with many prefab and cement board products, he said, “Customers are price sensitive rather than quality conscious due to which the demand for our products is not so overwhelming.” He shared, “However, quality conscious customers opt for our products for better construction and durability,” adding that their products are merely four to five per cent more expensive than other market players.

“We have recently introduced a new wall system — ‘Shera infillwall’ as an alternative to traditional masonry walls,” said Joshi, adding that it is a better choice for customers who do not want hollow walls owing to security reasons. According to him, Shera infillwall is of international standard, durable, and being lightweight, it is safe and can be installed faster.

Stating that they have been selling Shera products for partitioning and false ceiling with fibre cement boards since the last  six years, he said, “We have not received any complaint about damages in last year’s earthquake.” According to him, fiber cement products offer necessary strength, stability and versatility in applications. “We have Shera roof tiles which are asbestos free making them eco-friendly and a lesser health hazard,” he said, adding that they offer best aesthetic value for both classical and contemporary housing style.

Shera products claim to be fireproof, termite-proof and moisture-proof and are best for flooring, siding, partitioning, ceiling and cladding. The fibre cement boards are available in 3.5 mm to 25 mm of thickness. According to the company, Shera board is certified by Green Label of Singapore.

source:the himalayan time, 28 may 2016
photo: sanu maharjan, THT