Insulate Magazine Issue 19

The only independent
insulation industry
trade magazine
Issue 19 | July 2018
…..………………………………………
Reducing condensation risk
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Focus on safety & quality
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ECO3
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The performance gap
Women In Insulation

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Contents
Welcome to the July edition of Insulate Magazine,
we are back after a month away, we’re
refreshed and ready to face the second half of
2018 with vigour—promoting best practice
and collaboration across the insulation industry
This month we have great content from Thermal
Economics on the topic of condensation,
a full feature on the women in insulation and
columns from all of the usual suspects!
The debate on combustibles seems to have
peaked at the government launching a full
consultation. This consultation is seeking
views on proposals to ban the use of certain
materials. The consultation will also produce a
detailed impact assessment based on the information
it receives from this consultation to
inform the final policy decision.
Combatting Condensation 6
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Women In Insulation 10
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Each Home Counts Quality Drive 15
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Women In Insulation 16
…………………………………………………………………………………………….
Closing the Performance Gap 24
…………………………………………………………………………………………….
Enjoy!
Colin Heath
Managing Editor
colin@insulatenetwork.com
@Colin_Insulate
The UK’s only dedicated
trade journal for the insulation industry

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Insulation Insight
Thermal Insulation:
Retrofitting to existing homes without causing moisture problems
John Hefford Talks combatting condensation
Thermal insulation isn’t applied just to prevent high energy
bills, it also has a significant effect on indoor air quality by
preventing condensation risk and mould growth. However,
sometimes adding insulation can make condensation problems
worse; so how can insulation be retrofitted to existing
homes without causing moisture problems?
Causes of condensation
Condensation occurs when water vapour comes into contact
with a cold surface. This happens a lot in houses; and
can be seen on single-glazed windows, on tiles and mirrors
in poorly ventilated bathrooms, or parts of the wall where
there is an uninsulated thermal bridge.
Paul Forrester talked about thermal bridges in The Language
of Insulation (Insulate Magazine Issue 17) and described
how they can be caused by timber rafters or changing
geometry within the building envelope at construction
junctions. The effect of thermal bridges is that there is a
greater, localised heat loss where the thermal bridge exists,
resulting in lower surface temperatures in these areas.
As the temperature falls, the ability of the air to retain moisture
as water vapour also falls. The dewpoint is the temperature
at which the air cannot hold any more water, and
the air is said to be saturated or at 100% relative humidity.
If the temperature on a surface falls below the dewpoint,
the water vapour in the air next to it condenses into water
droplets. Sometimes the water droplets are small and defy
gravity by the friction resistance of the wall. Other times
the droplets are large and run down in rivulets. On some
surfaces, the droplets are absorbed but leave a damp
patch or a water mark.
There are bigger problems with condensation than just
‘steamed windows’ that need to be wiped and dirty-looking
marks on a wall. Condensation on organic materials can
help create the perfect environment for toxic mould growth,
which has an adverse effect on indoor air quality and occupant
health.
The right amount of insulation,
infiltration and ventilation
The Building Regulations specifically state that the building
should be protected from the harmful effects of interstitial
and surface condensation in Part C (Section 3 in Scotland);
and this can either be done with insulation to keep temperatures
above the dewpoint, ventilation to remove moisture
from the building, or more appropriately a sensible combination
of both!
Some types of insulation will also make the building more
air-tight, preventing water vapour from permeating through
the walls and roof; and preventing infiltration of fresh air
from outside to displace the moisture-laden air inside. The
accumulation of moisture inside the building increases the
dewpoint temperature as it becomes more difficult for the
air to retain the water vapour.
Insulation will also prevent the heating system from warming
up the exterior surfaces, which means that inherent

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moisture within the building materials could condense and
remain as damp. When condensation occurs within a saturated
building material it is referred to as interstitial condensation;
and the risks include timber rot and weakening of
masonry by freeze/thaw effects.
On the other hand, ventilation increases heat losses as
warm air is replaced with fresh, colder air from outside.
Some mechanical ventilation systems also require constant
operation and regular maintenance making them expensive
to install and operate, especially if its full air conditioning for
close control of temperature and relative humidity.
Finding an optimum solution to condensation risk is a fine
balance between just the right amount of insulation, the
right amount of infiltration and the right amount of ventilation.
No easy task, especially as the different strategies
have adverse, knock-on effects with each other! However,
knowing how insulation, infiltration and ventilation interact
with each other can help to design an effective, energyefficient
and cost-efficient system.
Utilising predictive models
Generally, the risk of surface condensation and mould
growth can be limited by ensuring that the U-value doesn’t
exceed 0.70 W∙m -2 ∙K -1 (0.35 W∙m -2 ∙K -1 for roofs), although
this should really be assessed by calculating the surface
temperature factor to check that there is no condensation or
mould growth.
The surface temperature factor (fRsi-value) is the ratio of
the temperature difference between the surface saturation
temperature and the external air temperature; and the temperature
difference between the internal and external air
temperatures. An fRsi-value can be calculated for planar
elements such as floors, walls and roofs; and thermal bridges.
The building element will comply with Building Regulations
as long as the calculated fRsi-value is less than the
critical value for surface condensation and mould growth.
The addition of insulation will increase the fRsi-value; and
increasing the air change rate with infiltration and an appropriate
ventilation strategy will increase the critical value
which makes mould growth less likely. Whilst it is theoretically
possible to avoid moisture risk with ventilation alone,
this would make for high energy bills!
Keeping control of water vapour
Interstitial condensation is best prevented by installing a
vapour control layer to act as a barrier to water vapour permeating
through the construction. Ideally, this should normally
be installed on the warm side of the insulation; but
some insulation products such as Alreflex 1L1 also have a
high vapour resistance, so function as a vapour control layer
as well.
Interstitial condensation risk can be predicted with a vapour
diffusion calculation; also known as a Glaser calculation.
The Glaser calculation is a simplified prediction of interstitial
condensation at different interfaces within the construction
over twelve months; and will check if the condensation will
evaporate during the summer or whether it will continue to
accumulate over time.
Unlike calculations for surface humidity, Glaser calculations
cannot be used to predict interstitial condensation at thermal
bridges; although this can be done with advanced hygrothermal
simulations. Where appropriate, Thermal Economics
would normally include a Glaser calculation in a
condensation risk analysis.
Installing a vapour control layer like Alreflex 1L1 to prevent
interstitial condensation will also reduce infiltration, which

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affects the critical surface temperature factor for mould
growth; and may have an effect on the chosen ventilation
strategy, so thought should always be given checking
that ventilation is still sufficient when adding insulation.
It might be tempting at this stage to think that all problems
can be avoided by covering the walls with vapour
control barriers and installing a mechanical ventilation
system with heat recovery (MVHR) unit! However, this
will not meet the conservation of fuel and energy requirements
in Part L for England and Wales, or Section
6 for Scotland.
Designing an effective, energy-efficient
and cost-efficient system
There is no silver bullet to keeping homes comfortable
to live in. Condensation risk should be managed with a
combination of good insulation, infiltration and ventilation
strategies that work together.
Calculations will not only identify if there is a risk of
condensation forming but also the point at which it
would form.
At Thermal Economics, to ensure compliance for
retrofits, our technical team usually carries out these
calculations for free for customers buying our products
(where a steady-state, one-dimensional vapour diffusion
analysis is appropriate). However, for any build ask
for a ‘condensation risk analysis’ before buying products
so that you know Part C will also be met in your
project.
John Hefford is a Senior Consultant and part of
the technical team at Thermal Economics.
Thermal Economics has been delivering thermal
and acoustic insulation products for over
35 years.
The company helps customers to make the
best decisions for their builds by providing
support throughout the project – from specifying
and design through to ensuring that its
installed products meet building regulations –
as and when we are needed.
www.thermal-economics.co.uk
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Women in Insulation
Insulate Network sent questionnaires to some of the women we know who work in insulation
to discuss what its like to be a women in a predominantly male dominated industry.
Here's what they had to say…..
aided your time at Insulation Manufacturers Association
Mel Price is Assistant Chief Executive at
Insulation Manufacturers Association.
I
n a few words could you describe your role at
Insulation Manufacturers Association
am the assistant Chief Executive; my
role is varied but essentially I support
the Chief Executive and the membership in
representing the views of the association
across the standardisation, regulations and
political arena. I work closely with our technical
committee, policy group and marketing
and communications teams as well as
administering the organisation.
How has your previous employment experience
I have worked with IMA for 26 years now
but was formerly with BSI so this gave me a
good insight into the world of standardisation
at a UK, European and International
level, which has proved invaluable. I also
volunteer with two charities in the UK and
my role as a trustee and manager has given
me a wide range of skills and contacts
which have been transferable into the workplace
and vice versa.
What have the highlights and challenges been
during your time at Insulation Manufacturers Association?
The highlight has been seeing the PIR industry
grow, with the product going from
being relatively unknown when I started in
1992 to becoming one of the largest thermal
insulation types in use in the UK today.
Insulate Feature

I have had the privilege of working with a
huge number of people in the industry over
such a long period, all of whom have
shown the utmost professionalism and
passion for the industry and I have learnt
so much from them. The lowlight for the
whole industry must be the Grenfell Tower
tragedy and having to deal with the enormous
range of challenges that have arisen.
How does Insulation Manufacturers Association
support equality in the workplace?
We are a small team and luckily I’ve never
been treated as anything other than an
equal.
What do you think is the biggest issue for women
in the workplace?
I’m not sure there is one single issue but
gender stereotyping and the perception
that men should “take charge” is still commonplace
as is the inability in some sectors
for women to secure those top jobs.
Do you think it's right women should be paid
less for doing the same job as men because
they have to take career breaks?
No. I find it disappointing that 100 years
after the Suffragists and Suffragettes
strove for women’s votes that we are still
having to have conversations like these.
Neither women or men should be penalised
for taking career breaks. If they are
doing the same job, they deserve the same
pay regardless of what stage they are at in
their career. There needs to be greater
transparency around salaries and recruitment.
Salaries are much clearer in the
public sector but in the private sector less
so. Until we become more open about salaries
the disparity will continue and probably
only legislation around this will change
matters.
Anything you would like to add?
In 26 years it has been great to see so
many women come into the insulation industry
and into construction more generally,
but we are still a long way off construction
featuring as a first-choice career option
for women. More needs to be done to engage
young people of school and college
age about the options and pathways into
the different elements of the industry.
Insulate Feature

Elain Gardner is Commercial
Manager at SIP BUILD UK
In a few words could you describe your role at
SIP Build UK?
I was brought into the SIP Build UK to identify
business opportunities across new markets.
SIPS are extremely popular within the
self-build market due to the excellent advantages
including thermal performance
and speed of construction reduced energy
bills due to excellent air tightness of the
building envelope for the home owner.
These advantages are also transferring
across to social housing, residential projects,
education and health.
How has your previous employment experience
aided your time at SIP Build UK?
I worked at SIG PLC for almost 21 years, I
started in March 1997 as a graduate and
was given numerous opportunities to develop
my career with the building and construction
market including: managing a telesales
team of 12 people, building product
management along with Glass/Rock fibre
and roofing category management. Within
these roles I was given an excellent experience
working for a top 250 FTSE company.
I developed key relationships with suppliers
jointly developing new products for market
and identifying sales opportunities.
What have the highlights and challenges been
during your time at SIP Build UK?
We have a dynamic, forward thinking
team with extensive knowledge and years
of experience at SIP Build UK. We are
customer service focused offering face to
face interaction from concept, design,
technical support and site visits during installation
to ensure quality service. We
are experiencing an unprecedented increase
in the number of enquiries due to
the increasing popularity of SIP’s
(Structural Insulated Panels) so continuing
to exceed customer expectations is
our top our priority!
How does SIP Build UK support equality in the
workplace?
Regardless of gender SIP Build UK offer
everyone an equal opportunity to work
within the business. We have 4 women
working in the business all adding value in
a variety of roles at differing levels including
senior management.
What do you think is the biggest issue for women
in the workplace?
Women need to be seen as serious/
credible members of any construction
team, we should encourage women to enter
such an exciting and professional industry
at every level.
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Insulate Feature

The only independent trade magazine for the insulation industry
Women in Insulation
There is an average 10% pay gap between men and
women in full time jobs and 34.5% in part time jobs.
(Stonewall 2017) How do you feel the industry could assist
in addressing this?
The government has made the first move to
address this. Companies and public-sector
bodies with more than 250 employees must
have now reported their gender pay gap by
April 4, 2018. What will be interesting is how
the government will act against companies
that deliberately pay women less than men for
doing the same work. The next step must be
to challenge smaller companies who are also
actively discriminating by gender.
Anything you would like to add?
The construction industry offers excellent career
opportunities to all, changing building
regulations ensure the industry continually
evolves which makes it an exciting and fun
industry to be a part of. We do however need
more women entering the construction industry
within technical and leadership roles. I
have met some great people over the last 20+
years working in a variety of different roles
and look forward many more ahead.
Insulate Feature

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Insulate Columnist
Supporting Each Home Counts Quality Drive
One of the key recommendations from the
Each Home Counts Review is the introduction
of a new Quality Mark which is
currently being developed by Trustmark.
The Quality Mark will include a variety of
qualifying criteria including; PAS2030 and
PAS2035 (specification and standards for
the installation of energy efficiency products)
certification.
The National Insulation Association (NIA)
is supporting the development of these
new requirements by feeding into Trustmark’s
work on the content and design of
the Quality Mark scheme for insulation
products and inputting to the new PAS’s
via membership of the national Steering
Group and Measures Experts Groups. In
addition, the NIA is working with its members
and other industry stakeholders in
developing a number of standards and
specifications for insulation products –
these include:
Revisions to the current Room in Roof
and Loft Insulation Best Practice Guides.
Specification for the Design and Installation
of Retrofit Floor Insulation.
Commenting on the work Neil Marshall
Chief Executive of the NIA said: “Whilst
we’re supportive of these initiatives it is
vitally important that they are informed by
the industry so that it can ensure a desired
outcome and that they are workable
for all parties involved.
Specification for External Wall Insulation
Weathering Design Details
Post Installation Maintenance Schedule
for External Wall Insulation.

The only independent trade magazine for the insulation industry
In a few words could you describe
your role at MIMA?
As one of my members said my role is
“herding cats”….however there may be
a soupçon of truth in this but most people
know by now that I am not a traditional
trade association Executive Director.
My official role is to ensure that MI-
MA provides an authoritative source of
independent information and advice on
glass and stone wool insulation as well
as promotes the benefits of mineral
wool insulation and the contribution it
makes to the energy efficiency of buildings
and the comfort of their occupants.
However I have also expanded my focus
to ensure a small, but perfectly
formed trade body punches above its
weight with its stakeholders including
the governments, becomes more public
-facing and works with other likeminded
organisations and individuals
through projects, campaign and coalitions.
How has your previous employment experience
aided your time at MIMA?
My previous experience has most definitely
helped! My expertise over the last
25 plus years has been working with
some complex industries and providing
strategies and solutions on often contentious
issues and people with challenging
personalities. Building coalitions
within these environments and working
in politics at all levels makes you a fairly
resilient, determined and creative person!
I don’t take ‘no’ for an answer!
What have the highlights and challenges
been during your time at MIMA?
The biggest challenge has been to understand
the dictionary of acronyms related
to this industry. I thought “what
have I done” at my first MIMA meeting,
however my new colleagues around the
table and the excitement of such big
challenges ahead made me stick with it.
Highlights include bringing together
Women in Insulation
Insulate Feature

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wide ranging organisations under the EEIG
campaign banner with a shared objective to
bring all homes up to EPC C by 2035 and
when the current Energy Minister, Claire
Perry reflected this vision so strongly in the
Government’s Clean Growth Strategy it
could have been a ‘cut n paste’ job. It’s
great to see the results and outcomes from
sheer hard work as part of a team.
Finally the ultimate highlight is the people I
work with….or dare I say the MIMA family
and others in the industry! I could name
them but wouldn’t want to embarrass
them…
How does MIMA support equality in the workplace?
MIMA members and particularly the MIMA
Board – John Sinfield, Knauf Insulation; David
Travill, Isover Saint Gobain; Darryl Matthews
& Rory Moss, Rockwool; and Ken
Munro, Superglass - have always been a
great support – from when they employed
me when I was up against three male candidates,
to giving me the flexibility and under
Sarah Kostense-Winterton is
executive director at The
mineral wool manufacturers
association
standing as a woman with a busy life and a
family outside of work. Trust and straight
talking is an important part of this – they
know I will always get the job done!
What do you think is the biggest issue for women
in the workplace?
Finding the work/life balance and being disciplined
about it. Women are ‘doers’, they
are determined and they want to succeed.
Sometimes we need to approach issues differently
to get the desired outcome.
Employers need to better understand and
be flexible with women in the workplace – I
became my best after maternity leave but I
also realized that I am not an office or desk
person. What works when you are a younger
woman doesn’t necessarily work when
you are ‘more mature’.
Insulate Feature

Women in Insulation
Do you think it's right women should be paid
less for doing the same job as men because
they have to take career breaks?
I think we must remember that taking a career
break doesn’t mean your career is
over but you may have to think differently
and consider a different approach to your
career and sometimes that involves compromise.
A career is important but it is not
your entire life. Few careers are remembered
when you have met your maker!
Change is happening and employers are
beginning to open up to a more flexible
and understanding approach which will get
the best out of all employees!
compromise may be required and this may
mean in pay as well, but if we are seeing a
narrowing of the gap we are going in the
right direction.
Anything you would like to add?
It is encouraging to see increasing numbers
of women in the insulation industry
and it can only improve the working environment.
I am happy working in a maledominated
industry and it can be a lot of
fun but sometimes it’s nice to drink wine
(preferably with bubbles) instead of beer
and not talk about football! Excuse the clichés!
There is an average 10% pay gap between
men and women in full time jobs and 34.5% in
part time jobs .(Stonewall 2017) How do you
feel the industry could assist in addressing
this?
It is important that this issue remains a
high priority and women have a part to play
in changing this. As companies become
more transparent and as cultural change
takes hold we should see this gap narrow.
However with changes in work practices
and increasing flexibility within jobs some
Insulate Feature

The only independent trade magazine for the insulation industry
Women in Insulation
Louise Foody is Director of digital transformation
and customer experience at Kingspan
In a few words could you describe your role at
Kingspan
I am the Director of the digital transformation and
customer experience programme at Kingspan. I
am driving our vision for this new digital and experience
economy.
How has your previous employment experience
aided your time at Kingspan
I have been working in the construction sector
since I graduated from college. Growing up I always
had an appreciation for well-crafted houses
and buildings, and I joined Kingspan on the back
of an application to the company’s graduate programme.
That application has been my ticket to
heading up teams around the world, living in the
UK and Canada, implementing global strategies
and sitting on the board of an exciting software
company, Invicara.
What have the highlights and challenges been
during your time at Kingspan
Oh there has been so many! Launching the first
APP in the North American construction industry
was a great day− there is nothing like first mover
advantage. The biggest challenge is finding great
people. Once you have them it is gold, but it can
be a long process and attracting people to our
industry is what I try to do a lot of.
How does Kingspan support equality in the
workplace?
I have consistently received nothing but encouragement
and support throughout my career with
Kingspan, and I can’t stress how important it is. I
never felt any different to my male peers. If anything,
I may have received more encouragement
as I climbed the ranks. The support I have experienced
has permeated into my leadership style,
and my focus is on encouraging my teams’ members,
female and male, across the world, to
stretch themselves, so they can be the next generation
of leaders in the business.
What do you think is the biggest issue for women
in the workplace?
Many sectors are, by their very nature, more
heavily represented by one gender than the other
and it’s not surprising that there is a lack of diversity
in the construction industry when compared
with other sectors. It is no secret that Boards
need more women and, in my experience, this
resonates with business leaders. I do fundamentally
believe that senior roles for women exist in
every industry, and I am proof of it.
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Do you think it's right women should be paid less for doing
the same job as men because they have to take career
breaks?
Of course not. Both men and women should be paid
equal for the same job. It’s important to never lose sight
of the fact that, at the end of the day, the candidate most
deserving of a role is the person with the best ability to do
the job. I want future generations of women to look to our
industry and see one which welcomes their talents, values
their abilities and offers them the chance to grow as
individuals, regardless of their gender.
There is an average 10% pay gap between men and
women in full time jobs and 34.5% in part time jobs.
(Stonewall 2017) How do you feel the industry could assist
in addressing this?
One of the most common explanations for the gender pay
gap is that there are less women in senior positions.
Women not only need to be able to see that there is a
clear path for them up the career ladder, but they need to
have the confidence to go for it.
Given the lack of females on Boards, it is very possible that in many organisations there
are no female role models for female employees, and it makes some roles difficult to perceive
as possibilities. I do truly believe that it is our responsibility as women to fearlessly
say yes when a career opportunity comes our way, even if we don’t have the blueprint for
what that opportunity might look like.
Anything you would like to add?
If you want it, go for it and take chances.
Insulate Feature

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Women in Insulation
In a few words could you describe
your role at Paroc?
I work in Paroc Building Insulation
as Development Manager.
My role is to increase stone
wool market demand by influencing
on the building regulations
and standardization work,
to contribute to the continuous
development of our product
offering to meet current and
future customer needs and
keep the markets open for Paroc
stone wool products via
certification development.
How has your previous employment
experience aided
your time at Paroc
I have worked in Paroc over 18
years, so it is already quite a
long time since my previous
employment. After completing
the school and before joining
Paroc, I worked for 3 years at a
house factory, where I got a
good understanding of the industrial
process of residential
construction. Now I look at the
house factory from an insulation
supplier perspective and
understand better about their
needs.
What have the highlights and
challenges been during your
time at Paroc?
I have had the privilege to work
with the best experts in the
building industry and meet a
huge number of people from
different organisations.
As a challenge I could mention
that this work is not taught in
school - the learning happens
through experience, attempts
and mistakes.
How does Paroc support
equality in the workplace?
Employees are treated as individuals,
so gender roles are
not visible in any of the activities.
The company has an
equality plan which contains
different indicators of equality
to ensure the implementation
of the plan; for example employee
salaries are compared
each year according to gender
to ensure that differences are
relatively low.
What do you think is the biggest
issue for women in the
workplace?
In my view, women are generally
forced to work twice as
hard to achieve a better position
in working life. In addition,
they will do another working
day at home maintenance and
child rearing. Sometimes balancing
between family and career
can take its toll and the
women prioritise family above
their career.
Insulate Feature

There is an average 10% pay gap
between men and women in full
time jobs and 34.5% in part time
jobs.(Stonewall 2017) How do you
feel the industry could assist in addressing
this?
If the transparency of wage systems
could be increased and the
salary of each position would be
known to everyone, it would be
easy to eliminate the pay gap between
men and women.
Anything you would like to add?
Construction is traditionally maledominated
field, but I'm happy to
see that the insulation business attracts
greater amounts of capable
women. Women are effective and
bring soft values to building industry
when men are found fair and nice
co-workers. We need good combination
of men and women to create
a good and efficient work community.
Do you think it's right women should be paid
less for doing the same job as men because
they have to take career breaks?
The salary should be based on job, people's capabilities
and skills, not the time they have spent
in the company. Therefore breaks shouldn`t affect
the salary. Of course many times experience
is also increasing people's capabilities
Susanna Tykkä-Vedder is a
Development Manager in
Building Insulation for Paroc
Insulate Feature

Insulate Columnist
CLOSING THE
PERFORMANCE GAP
Simon Storer is Chief Executive on Insulation Manufacturers Association
The performance gap between design and built
performance is a well-documented and contentious
issue in the construction industry, especially
in relation to a building’s energy usage
and consumption. Although the debate has garnered
a high-level of attention, practical solutions
are yet to be outlined and resolved.
To drive this important industry change, the Insulation
Manufacturers Association (IMA) and
fellow representatives participated in a dynamic
and thought-provoking roundtable discussing
the problematic performance gaps between design
and built performance. Taking place recently
at the Royal Exchange, Manchester, the
roundtable explored the detrimental effect the
performance gap is having on energy use in
buildings.
The debate sparked various opinions and insights,
however the ultimate question is: what
can we do to reduce the performance gap? Is it
not about managing expectations?
Attended by industry experts, discussion flowed
throughout the event, with key areas emerging as
top-priority points for further perusal including: targeting
the performance gaps in the design and installation
stages of a project.
The roundtable proceeded to debate the various
actions the industry can take to offer solutions to
these issues including; housebuilder accountability,
better public and client education and more rigorous
building performance legislation. With a building’s
energy consumption often up to twice the amount
than initially predicted, it is high time that this issue
was tackled, in order to make buildings better, safer
and more energy-efficient.
Accountability
No housebuilder wants to be seen as taking a risk
when it comes to building homes for people to live
in. However, with more and more companies using
‘value engineering’ to stay on course with the government’s
demands to build more homes, corners
are, inevitably, cut. Whether it’s a labourer modifying
a complex installation onsite without the
knowledge to do so or simple product substitution,
this ‘make-do’ mentality of working must change.
Companies must be held accountable for any under
-performance, especially if it is compromising a
building’s long-term efficiency and safety.

Managing expectations
Building owners really need to be better educated
about what they should expect and demand
from their building. When it comes to housebuying,
the majority of potential homeowners are
often more focussed on the shade of their timber
flooring rather than whether their building is
equipped with the thermal efficiency to meet current
and future standards. Homeowners simply
lack insight on how their buildings perform, so
when they underperform, they really are none
the wiser.
This is, in part, a result of little to no education
on what homeowners can expect from a building.
Homeowners can see and touch their flooring
or walls but they can’t see their building’s key
fabric components, such as the wall or floor insulation.
By providing a more comprehensive, holistic
view of the internal properties of a building,
the public will have a more robust perception of
how their building should be performing. Improved
transparency will benefit all.
Not only does the public’s expectation in terms
of housing require attention, the clients for nondomestic
buildings also need to be instructed.
And this is in everyone’s interest. All clients
would benefit from an improved understanding of
how a building should perform. Learning about a
building’s mechanics will ensure clients place
more focus on occupant health and wellbeing as
opposed to mere aesthetics - and meeting their
KPIs.
More rigorous inspection and compliance
In order to truly address and reduce the performance
gap, the industry is ultimately reliant on
standards being met and decision-makers being
held accountable. There must be rigorous inspection
and compliance to ensure all regulations
are met. We can no longer accept underperforming
buildings just because there are not
enough people with sufficient knowledge or authority
asking the right questions. With this model,
all we are doing is stacking up problems for
the future as well as cheating the current buyers
and occupants.
IMA was delighted to hold such a compelling
roundtable which created a space for industry
experts to share their perspectives on the performance
gaps from design to construction. The
event was a great opportunity to share important
insights on this crucial topic.
As a collective, the industry recognises the problems.
We also have the ability to meet the higher
standards that many are crying out for. The current
model is not working, but will the cultural
change that the industry needs be adopted so
that issues like the damaging performance gap
become a thing of the past?
For more information about Insulation Manufacturers
Association please visit
www.insulationmanufacturers.org.uk