Refurb Projects May 2018

INSULATION
Encapsulating innovation with kingspan Optim-R E
With the ever-increasing
pressure to create more
future-proofed, energy
efficient properties, the
demand for high-performance
insulation solutions that are thin yet
robust enough to stand up to the
construction process has never been
greater. To solve this problem,
Kingspan has developed the
Kingspan OPTIM-R E Roofing
System, featuring its innovative
encapsulated vacuum insulated
panel.
The market launch of Kingspan
OPTIM-R in 2012 marked the advent
for next generation insulation.
However, Kingspan OPTIM-R E takes
this innovation one step further by
completely encapsulating a vacuum
insulated panel (VIP) in a high
performance PIR insulation board. This
layer protects the gas-tight membrane
of the VIP during installation.
The OPTIM-R E Roofing System
comprises both OPTIM-R E panels
and OPTIM-R Flex infill strips and is
suitable for applications on flat
roofs, terraces and balconies.
Kingspan’s specialist supporting
installation design service provides
detailed layouts and instruction with
every installation to guarantee the
ratio of OPTIM-R E panels to OPTIM-
R flex infill strips is maximized for
each project. The OPTIM-R E panels
Actis welcomes London Mayor’s offsite
homes ‘developers’ toolkit’ project
London mayor Sadiq Khan’s
decision to fund a ‘developers’
toolkit’ to simplify the
construction of offsite homes
has been welcomed by pan European
insulation specialist Actis.
The project, towards which the
mayor’s office will contribute
£50,000, will see the production of a
set of tools and guidance to speed
up delivery of homes which are
mainly constructed within a factory
environment (described by the
London Mayor’s office as ‘precision
manufactured homes’).
The project, due for completion
in the autumn, is being led by Mark
Farmer, author of the government
commissioned Farmer Review of the
Construction Labour Model, which
calls on the sector to ‘modernise or
die’ and recommends the large-scale
use of off-site construction.
He says construction should be
more like a car factory production
line, with every section deliverable to
a pre-determined quality standard.
The project, which follows a
recent London Assembly
recommendation to help solve the
London housing crisis through
building more offsite homes, is
aimed at meeting the capital’s target
of building 65,000 homes a year over
arrive on site as part of a system,
manufactured to the building’s
dimensions, and do not require any
extra cutting or moulding, making
them ideal for tight timescales.
For more information, please
contact:
Tel: +44 (0) 1544 387 384
Fax: +44 (0) 1544 387 484
Email:
info@kingspaninsulation.co.uk
www.kingspaninsulation.co.uk/optim-r
ScandiaHus and Timber Frame Design and Build are among a number of manufacturers using the Actis Hybrid system to
insulate its offsite homes.
the next decade.
Actis, whose Hybrid insulation,
vapour control layer and breather
membrane system is a popular choice
for timber frame manufacturers, is a
long-time champion of offsite
production.
Regional sales director Jemma
Harris explained: “Building a timber
frame house is around 30% faster
than brick and block. With a
shrinking workforce and the
likelihood that this situation will
worsen in the light of Brexit, off-site
is a vital way of creating the homes
we desperately need in this country.
“The bulk of the skilled element
takes place off site. Timber frame
walls, floors and roofs, complete with
electrical wiring, plumbing and
insulation are built in factories at
relative speed. The site crew ‘just’ has
to erect everything in the right order
with a typical build time of between
seven and 12 days, depending on the
size of house.”
www.insulation-actis.com
38 MAY 2018, REFURBISHMENT PROJECTS