IN_Dec_18_Final_SP

The only independent insulation industry trade magazine
Insulation News
Ensuring Insulation Fits
for Improved Thermal Performance
Buildings are responsible for nearly 50% of the UK’s energy consumption and carbon emissions.
Well-insulated existing and new-build properties will help improve that figure, but only if the insulation
is correctly fitted in the first place. global leaders in PIR manufacture, Recticel Insulation,
provides a guideline to installation practices and techniques in respect of one of the more innovative insulation
products on the market.
A Green Building Council report released earlier this year
revealed 25 million homes need to be refurbished by
2050 in order to meet insulation standards, and achieve
the UK’s pledge to cut carbon emissions by 80%, by
then in line with the 2008 Climate Change Act. Excess
energy used to heat draughty buildings is a major
contributor to the country’s carbon footprint, hence the
need for quality insulation that is fitted to a high
standard. The onus on providing buildings which deliver
in terms of thermal performance will largely fall on
architects, developers and the building industry as a
whole. However, manufacturers can also play their part
by continuing to refine the properties and performance
of ‘fabric first’ materials which are so vital in putting a
thermal seal on the building envelope.
Innovative Solution
Dedicated to raising the standards of insulation
products in the UK, Eurowall + represents Recticel Insulation’s
commitment to PIR innovation to improve a building’s
thermal performance and enhance the comfort and
wellbeing of its occupants. Eurowall + was the first rigid
insulation board to feature a tongue and groove joint on
all four sides. This interlocking feature ensures boards slot
together easily to provide insulation that is solid and airtight
and minimises heat loss caused by thermal bridging,
as well as offering effective protection against elements
such as wind-driven rain.
In the quest for improved energy efficiency, designers can
be left with little option but to increase the thickness of
insulation in a dwelling’s external walls. This additional
insulation can be added internally, externally or within
the cavity, all of which mean that floorplans need to be
enlarged, which for housebuilders can mean smaller
rooms or fewer houses per plot.
Eurowall +, a premium, full-fill cavity insulation board
manufactured from high performance closed cell polyisocyanurate
(PIR) foam, has been developed to allow
designers and housebuilders to maintain traditional build
techniques, without compromise to thermal performance.
It’s resulted in a board that achieves a U-value of 0.18W/
m2K to enable compliance with Part L1A of the Building
Regulations 2013 in England and Part L1A of the Building
Regulations 2014 in Wales.
Installation Made Easy
Installing Eurowall + couldn’t be easier. To help the
installer fit the boards the right way, there is a different
gas-tight foil-faced finish on each side: one is distinctive
grey alkali-resistant facing for placing against the inner
leaf; where wet cement can affect the foil facing. The
other is a low emissivity multi-layer aluminum facing
which enhances the thermal resistance of the cavity.
In terms of reveals, wall ties continue to be installed at
every second course of blockwork, rather than every
course, as is common practice. Two ties are positioned
within 225mm of the reveal. Corner details are formed
by cutting the boards squarely and closely butt-jointing.
A vertical 300mm wide DPC covers the corner and runs
the full length of the junction. Cavity trays are fitted by
either cutting the insulation at an angle and running a
DPC over the top of it, or using a partial-fill board behind
the section where the DPC is due to be fitted.
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