Insulation feature Housebuilder May

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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 ‘<strong>Housebuilder</strong> 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.
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Insulation feature Housebuilder May

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