Insulation feature Housebuilder May

insulation
It’s a
wrap
Superglass says the fabric of a home should be
top priority; its motto is “wrap it then heat it”.
Pictured: Superglass’ party wall roll
Chris Windle looks at the part insulation has to play
in creating an energy efficient, comfortable home and
the other roles it has in the new build market
The icy blast that turned early spring into a
Siberian winter probably had lots of home
owners reassessing how good their insulation
is and, perhaps, considering the benefits of an efficient
new home.
For suppliers and housebuilders who continually
bang the drum for the undoubted benefits of
efficiently insulated homes, it is a convenient jolt
to the nation’s collective consciousness. Especially
since the government decided to step away from
toughening up legislation, says Andrew Orriss,
sales director at SIG360. “The supply chain were
disillusioned with the speed at which Zero Carbon
Homes was ditched. They spent seven years running
businesses that were all about carbon reduction, and
to have that suddenly rejected was disappointing.”
Orriss believes legislation is the quickest way to
drive standards up. But for now consumer demand
will have to do the job, and it is gently rising. Home
owners are increasingly keen to limit their impact on
the environment and increasingly aware of how their
living environment impacts them.
Isover’s marketing director Órla Whelan points
to a survey commissioned by Saint-Gobain UK
that revealed that 90% of respondents, buying or
moving into a new home, were concerned about the
impact their homes would have on their health and
wellbeing. Almost 30% said they would be willing to
pay more for a home that enhanced it. So if you can
genuinely say the homes you build are a healthier
product, it is another string to your sales bow.
more homes
Combine this with the much-trumpeted drive to build
more homes and housebuilders are looking to suppliers
for products that can be installed quickly and easily, but
do not compromise on quality or reduce floor space.
Suppliers are responding to the challenge, says Kevin
O’Donnell of Building Energy Performance (BEP).
“There are some innovative new insulation products out
there such as Kingspan’s OPTIM-R vacuum insulation
panel (VIP) which has a thermal performance three
times better than typical PIR boards. I’ve even heard of
a nanotech insulation coating called Eco1 Resin which
traps air in tiny pockets of 1/100,000th of the width of
a human hair, and claims that three coats at 0.25mm
thickness gives the equivalent thermal resistance of
70mm of exterior wall insulation.”
Speaking of Kingspan, its head of technical and
product development Adrian Pargeter says: “We lead
the field in the research and development of enhanced
insulation products to meet growing market demand.
For example, we have worked to improve the lambda
(reduce the thermal conductivity) of our Kooltherm
product ranges so that the same levels of insulation can
be achieved with a lesser thickness.”
He adds: “With a thermal conductivity of just 0.018
W/mK across all board thicknesses, the new Kingspan
Kooltherm K100 range of insulation boards provides
an unrivalled level of performance, allowing builders
Continued on page 56 4
housebuilder may 2018 55

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
Continued from page 55
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
Continued on page 58 4

insulation
Turning the volume down
Acoustic insulation may not grab the headlines
in the same way as its energy efficient sibling
but it can make all the difference to the quality
of life in a home. Which is why Isover launched
its Sound Good Factor in 2017.
Órla Whelan of Isover explains: “The
campaign showcases the types of noise
that can happen within homes and how
Isover products can help minimise them and
maximise acoustic comfort.”
“Despite glass mineral wool insulation often
being viewed as a material that solely affects
the thermal performance of a property, it can
also help to improve the acoustics of a building
significantly because it naturally absorbs sound
and drastically reduces the transfer of noise.”
Metac, for instance, is a cost effective high
performance mineral wool developed for
pitched roof rafter applications, which can
help to enhance acoustic comfort by reducing
external noise, from sources such as planes,
trains, traffic and adverse weather.
Whelan claims: “In an independent test,
Metac provided a weighted sound reduction
of up to 49dB(Rw). What’s more, it offers a
thermal conductivity of 0.034W/mK and is
available in a variety of thicknesses (50mm
– 200mm), to allow housebuilders to meet a
wide range of U-values.”
Weber’s webertherm XP external wall insulation (EWI) system is designed to be fast and simple to install
KEY CONTACTS
Building Energy Performance www.bepltd.co.uk
British Gypsum www.british-gypsum.com
Isover www.isover.co.uk
Kingspan www.kingspan.com
SIG360 www.sig360.co.uk
Superglass www.superglass.co.uk
Weber www.netweber.co.uk
Continued from page 56
manufacturing site, bringing in new machinery
and expanding our research and development and
customer service operations.”
Kingspan, says Pargeter, offers a specialist installation
design service for its OPTIM-R E roofing system which
comprises both OPTIM-R E panels and OPTIM-R Flex
infill strips and is suitable for applications on flat roofs,
terraces and balconies. The service provides “detailed
58 housebuilder may 2018
Kingspan’s new Kooltherm K100 range of
insulation boards provides an unrivalled level of
performance, it says
layouts and instruction with every installation to
guarantee the ratio of panels to flex infill strips is
maximised for each project. The panels arrive on site as
part of a system, designed to the building’s dimensions,
and do not require any extra cutting or moulding,
making them ideal for tight timescales.”
Orriss of SIG360, which helps developers design
systems and specify products, says: “Our software
creates a 3-D model of a home which we can examine
to work out what the energy performance would be
like and how it could be improved.” In the near future
he believes this kind of technology could have further
beneficial applications for housebuilders. “By creating
3D house types they’re just a short step from allowing
customers to take a virtual reality tour of a new home.
British Gypsum has introduced four variations
of product to help housebuilders choose the
correct thickness for their specific performance
requirements
Which would be great for the industry.”
In fact technology, rather than the products
themselves, is where Orriss sees the greatest leaps in
innovation coming next. “There’s lots of opportunity
to use tech to improve the process,” he says, pointing
out, for example, the advantages of collaboratively
discussing a 3-D model with all stakeholders and
making revisions in real time.
Suppliers may not be able to stop the Beast from the
East returning one day but by constantly improving
what they offer, they can make sure it does not sink its
chilly claws into any new homes. hb

2018 HOUSEBUILDER
MOUNTAIN MARATHON
The ‘Housebuilder Mountain Marathon’ (21-23 September 2018),
sponsored by Barratt, Crest Nicholson, Linden Homes and Taylor
Wimpey has proved to be extremely popular. Over 30 teams have
now entered to take on this two-day challenge up and over the tough,
but beautiful mountains of Snowdonia. The marathon has long been
held as the pinnacle of endurance and now it is being taken to the
next level, in this industry mountain challenge.
The aim is to raise over £100,000 for Youth Adventure Trust, who
support vulnerable young people, who face their own challenges on
a daily basis.
There are still a few team places left, so get a team (of 4 – 6) together
and by taking on your own challenge, you’ll be helping young people
to build the confidence and resilience to face their own. Team places
cost £1,500 with a minimum sponsorship target of £3,600 per team.
Contact sharon.axford@taylorwimpey.com for more information.