Insulate Magazine - Essential Insulation Inside - March 2018 Issue 16

More documents

Recommendations

Info

www.insulatenetwork.com Exclusive Insulate Column Stranger Uses of Insulation Paul Forrester Technical Editor, Insulate Magazine Insulation should be a reliable sector of construction in which to work - most products are made for specific applications, certified to demonstrate their suitability in those applications, and sold via a distribution network designed to see them reach building sites. But what happens when people get other ideas? by Paul Forrester Although the construction industry’s resistance to change is frequently cited as a bad thing, it does offer one or two perks. Repeating and refining a limited number of methods or processes, for example, quickly builds a vast database of knowledge about what works and what doesn’t. The journey of manufacturing, testing and approving products makes sure they’re used appropriately and safely, and will do what the manufacturer claims when used as part of those proven building methods. For anybody offering technical support in the use of insulation products, that predictability is a foundation for confident, accurate advice. New tricks There will always be projects where unusual site conditions are encountered, or where a unique detail needs treating in a different way. In such situations, the architect or specifier might be aware of it and tackle the issue head on. Other times, the manufacturer’s technical helpdesk might spot a potential stumbling block and pass the query back for further thought. A certain amount of common sense can be applied to questions about ‘non-standard’ uses, but sometimes requests for the unusual go beyond the comfort zone of manufacturers’ expertise. Every once in a while, somebody throws a curveball. The next section of the article relies heavily on a background in rigid foam insulation, but sales and technical staff working for manufacturers of other insulation types undoubtedly get their fair share of strange requests for advice too. Question Time Of course, not long after the article’s publication, the A short quiz for you: which of the following are real applications in which people wanted to use rigid insulation boards? • Lining the hull of an aluminium catamaran. • Refurbishing an oast house. • A hog roast cooking pit. • A chamber storing, and keeping warm, large pots of honey. • In the floor of a chimpanzee enclosure. • For a new building at an owl sanctuary. Strength of Feeling It is, as you have probably guessed, a trick question. They’re all real, and a couple of them are not as detached from common practice as they might sound (the owl sanctuary, meanwhile, is both real and simply a fun reference for any Alan Partridge fans). Where the chimpanzee enclosure was concerned, a floor is a floor regardless of what species of great ape walks on it. 18 18 www.insulatenetwork.com
A certain amount of common sense can be applied to questions about ‘non-standard’ uses, but sometimes requests for the unusual go beyond the comfort zone of manufacturers’ expertise. www.insulatenetwork.com 19 19
Page 1 and 2: Free Magazine The only independent
Page 3 and 4: www.insulatenetwork.com Contents We
Page 5 and 6: @INSULATENETWORK WWW.INSULATENETWOR
Page 7 and 8: 7
Page 9 and 10: The only independent insulation ind
Page 11 and 12: The complete insulation system for
Page 13 and 14: www.insulatenetwork.com Insulate Co
Page 15 and 16: www.insulatenetwork.com Insulate Ne
Page 17: The only independent insulation ind
Page 21 and 22: @INSULATENETWORK WWW.INSULATENETWOR
Page 23 and 24: 23 23 Product Features Summary •
Page 25 and 26: www.insulatenetwork.com Insulate Co
Page 27 and 28: Sustainable buildings are not just
Page 31 and 32: www.insulatenetwork.com Imaginative

Insulate Magazine - Essential Insulation Inside - March 2018 Issue 16

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?