Housebuilder Magazine - It's a wrap

insulation
corners, with high U-values and is made from up to
84% recycled glass.”
Of course creating the healthy home mentioned
earlier is not just about energy efficiency, says Tracey
Dempster, head of marketing at Saint-Gobain Weber.
“Insulating properties without due consideration to
condensation and ventilation issues can be damaging to
the health and wellbeing of building users. But equally,
if you insulate correctly it will have a positive influence
on those who use that space. To strike the balance,
it’s all about understanding the relationship between
insulation, condensation and ventilation, knowing what
you’re starting with, in the case of a refurbishment
project, and sourcing the correct advice.”
With this in mind Weber’s multi-comfort strategy aims
to overcome condensation, thermal bridging and poor
Insulation and fire safety
Housebuilders should think carefully about
the fire safety of the insulation they specify in
buildings higher than 18m says Rockwool head
of technical Tim Vincent.
Approved Document Part B requires that
external walls adequately resist the spread of
fire in such buildings, while MHCLG guidance
states that all the elements of a wall should be
of limited combustibility.
But these are ambiguous terms and it is
vital housebuilders are aware how “noncombustible”,
“limited combustibility” and
“combustible” are defined in the Euroclass
system – the harmonised European method of
classifying the reaction to fire performance of
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to work with their preferred construction sizes while
easily meeting current standards.”
Saint-Gobain Weber product manager Kelvin Green
says: “We’re innovating to develop products that set
faster, allowing housebuilders to finish the job more
quickly.” He points to the company’s polymer-modified,
cement-based mortar, weberend LAC rapid, which can
be applied in two passes as an example of this. The
company’s webertherm XP external wall insulation (EWI)
system is also designed to be fast and simple to install,
using glass fibre mesh reinforcement and webertherm
M1 render which is suitable for machine application.
Using high performance products will help to ensure
a housebuilding boom leaves a positive legacy –
homes that are still being enjoyed in 100 years’ time.
It would be a huge shame to let that opportunity slip.
The key to this, says Sarah White, residential sector
manager at British Gypsum, is getting the fabric
of a building right from the start without reducing
56 housebuilder may 2018
products – says Vincent.
There are seven classification levels, from A1
to F, plus a no performance declared rating,
and they are mandatory for all CE marked
construction products. “The Euroclass system
states that products achieving A1 classification
are defined as non-combustible. Products
achieving an A2 classification are recognised
as products of limited combustibility, offering
no significant contribution to fire growth.
Products achieving a rating of B to F are
deemed to be combustible.”
In short, non-combustible equals noncombustible.
Other terms such as fire safe,
fire proof, fire retardant or flame proof do not
necessarily mean a product is non-combustible.
floor space. “If you can do this by exceeding Building
Regulations, from design through to installation,
you’re adding value to the end user.”
She adds: “British Gypsum has introduced four
variations – Gyproc ThermaLine BASIC, Gyproc
ThermaLine PLUS, Gyproc ThermaLine SUPER and Gyproc
ThermaLine PIR – in order to support housebuilders
in choosing the correct thickness for their specific
performance requirements. With Gyproc ThermaLine PIR
proving to be the most popular due to its combination of
high performance and minimal thickness.”
“wrap it then heat it”
Bob Dalrymple, head of marketing at Superglass,
agrees that the fabric of a home should be top priority,
which is why its motto is “wrap it then heat it”. A well
wrapped home “not only keeps heating bills down
but also complements green technologies.” He adds:
“Our glass wool is especially effective as it is flexible
enough to fully envelope a building, including sharp
Kingspan’s 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
energy performance. This includes calculating target
U-values when specifying external wall insulation and
undertaking a condensation risk analysis.
This kind of service is growing as suppliers seek
to provide a more complete package. They can
help housebuilders navigate their way through the
specification process, since, as O’Donnell of BEP points
out: “There’s so much choice in the market at the
moment, choosing an appropriate insulation for the
specific home is a key factor. This could depend on
the wind driven rain exposure category of the site,
whether a timber frame or traditional masonry cavity
is the preferred choice of construction, or the overall
wall thickness desired.”
“We’re committed to constantly improving our customer
service and bespoke product offering,” says Dalrymple
of Superglass. “Our in-house specification and technical
teams provide U-value calculations, dew point analysis,
condensation risk analysis and Building Regulation
compliance as part of a free service for customers.”
He adds: “We are investing tens of millions over
the next couple of years into upgrading our Stirling
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