Insulate Magazine issue 6

The only independent 

insulation industry 

trade magazine 

Cover story: 

The Continued Rise of 

Rockwool 

Exclusive interview with 

Rockwool Commercial 

Director Ed Peltor 

Issue 6 / May 2017 

Inside 

Exclusive interview with 

The Commitee on Climate 

Change Chairman 

Rt Hon. Lord Deben 

Snap Election ; Focus on 

the opportunity says mima 

The Apprenticeship Levy - 

what does it mean for the 

insulation industry?

SIG360 work with us 

on site, to ensure we 

not only meet our 

client’s needs but 

exceed them. 

NEIL HARRISON 

HARRISON PROJECTS 

AN SIG CUSTOMER 

BUILD YOUR NAME ON US 

Providing impartial 

product advice 

The SIG360 Technical Centre is a service offering from SIG, that focuses on helping customers 

deliver energy efficient buildings. 

Through an intimate knowledge of building regulations and product performance, brought 

about through more than 50 years specialising in the energy efficiency of the fabric of a 

building, the SIG360 Technical Centre is able to make cost effective and impartial product 

selection to ensure the best energy performance can be achieved. 

The service provided includes energy statements, U value calculations , condensation risk 

analysis, thermal modelling and SAP assessments leading to EPC certification. 

If you are seeking impartial advice on the fabric energy efficiency of your building contact 

SIG360 Technical Centre. 

For guidance you can trust call 0844 443 0059 

email 360enquiries@sigplc.com or visit www.sig360.co.uk 

Talk to the SIG360 Technical 

Centre at the start of your project 

for a 360 o view of cost effective 

and energy efficient home building

www.insulatemagazine.co.uk 

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CIRCULATION 

The magazine is sent to 23,000 digitial subscribers per month 

Contents 

The Continued Rise of Rockwool 

Achieving Eye Safety Compliance 10-13 

Sustainable Moneypenny HQ 

6-9 

14-15 

The Apprenticeship Levy 16-17 

Accolade for Belgrade Insulations 18 

Reducing costs with full-fill cavity 22-23 

Featured CPDs 24-25 

Inside story featuring Darren Evans 28-29 

The snap election opportunity 31-32 

Rockwool goes back to school 34-35 

Vision preview 2017 36-37 

©M4 PUBLISHING & EVENTS LTD 

No part can be reproduced without the express 

permission of the publisher 

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www.twitter.com/insulatemag 

www.youtube.com/channel/insulatemag 

Construction industry post Brexit 38 

Rt Hon. Lord Deben on insulation 40-45 

The Future of Our Building Stock 46 

The UK's only dedicated 

trade journal for the insulation industry 

3

Cherry Blossom season in Japan - Between 23 rd April and 5 th May 

The month of April seemed to pass in a flash here 

at Insulate HQ. The month began with a fantastic 

interview with Committee on Climate Change Chairman, 

The RT Hon Lord Deben, an informative interview 

with lots of interesting topics covered. 

In excess of 100 entries for the inaugural National Insulation 

Industry Awards were received with MP Plastering of Cornwall 

winning a free table at the event after being nominated by Saint- 

Gobain Weber, a pleasing result for a great team, entries have 

less than one hundred days to be submitted before the November 

ceremony, we look forward to welcoming you all. 

Colin Heath 

Managing Editor 

In this sixth issue, our largest to date, an interview with Ed Peltor, 

Commercial Director at ROCKWOOL UK gives an insight into 

one of the most well-known insulation brands in the UK, a fantastic 

column from Sarah Konstense-Winterton, Exec Director at 

MIMA in which Sarah suggests that we focus on the opportunity 

of the snap election that has dominated the news recently. 

Please enjoy! 

4 

www.insulatemagazine.co.uk

The only independent insulation industry trade magazine 

Cover Story 

The Continued Rise of 

Rockwool 

Ed Peltor, Commercial Director of Rockwool - Interview with Colin Heath 

Ed Peltor is the commercial director of ROCKWOOL 

UK, the stone wool manufacturer. Made from one of 

nature’s most abundant resources – volcanic rock, 

ROCKWOOL products are not only a naturally renewable 

and sustainable material, but they also boasts a unique 

combination of acoustic, thermal and fire benefits. 

Having previously held positions at Minster and 

Sheffield Insulations, as well as MD of FGF, it’s probably 

not an overstatement to say that few people can match 

Ed’s experience of the insulation market. 

Insulate Magazine’s Colin Heath recently caught up with 

Ed and talked to him about his experiences, his insight 

into the industry and his views of the future. 

It has been almost 4 years since you joined ROCKWOOL. What are 

the most significant changes you have seen during that time? 

We continue to expand our contractor led approach, pioneered 

by our Firestopping and HVAC businesses. Indeed, our 

Firestopping business has quadrupled in the last four years. 

As well as expanding and upskilling the national sales team, we 

6 www.insulatemagazine.co.uk


have also significantly expanded the contractor 

support specialist team within the merchant sector 

and developed the specification area which 

now includes specialists within the EWI, Flat Roof 

and Rainscreen sectors. 

We have also seen a huge improvement within 

technical support, due to the development of 

a selection of online support tools. These tools 

allow customers to find the information they require 

quickly and easily, enabling a more effective 

response from the technical support department. 

The latest compliance guide that specifiers and 

contractors should be aware of, is BR135. Explain a bit 

more about this topic, and the support and products 

that ROCKWOOL is offering? 

Buildings over 18m in height present numerous 

challenges when it comes to insulation requirements 

and fire safety standards. Given that most 

fires occur in domestic dwellings, high-rise residential 

buildings over 18m have a high safety risk 

in the event of a fire due to the long escape time 

for occupants to travel from the top of the building 

to safety. 

Fire safety standards, embodied in Building 

Regulations Part B Fire Safety and associated 

Approved Documents, are designed to ensure 

that adequate fire safety provisions are incorporated 

in tower blocks of any type. Regulation B4 

requires the external walls of a building to adequately 

“resist the spread of fire” with functional 

requirements given in Approved Documents. In 

any building, the cladding system and materials 

must either conform or exceed the guidance for 

limited combustibility as quoted in Part B4, 

paragraph 12.7: ‘Insulation Materials/Products’ 

or, meet the performance criteria given in the 

BRE Report: “Fire Performance of External Insulation 

for Walls of Multi-Storey Buildings” (BR 

135), full scale testing in accordance with BS 

8414-1:2002 and BS 8414-2:2005 for its range 

of external wall insulation systems. 

This testing satisfies building regulations in England 

& Wales and Scotland pertaining to fire for 

buildings over 18 metres tall. 

The BR 135 classification is called for as an alternative 

guidance to non-combustibility compliance 

for domestic and commercial applications. 

With the completion of a number of construction 

projects not compliant with Approved Document 

B or the guidance under BR135, the Building 

Control Alliance in conjunction with its members 

looked to readdress misunderstandings within 

the market. In June 2014, the BCA published the 

first issue for guidance note 18, which addressed 

the key issues surrounding external wall materials, 

including the difference between ‘Surface 

Spread of Flame Classification’ (Class 0) and 

‘Limited Combustibility’ (Euroclass Classification), 

and the various routes for compliance. Following 

this revision, the NHBC now include a fourth 

option for compliance, published in their 

technical bulletin echoing the risk of fire spread 

within external wall constructions. 

As a publicly available document, Guidance Note 

18 is useful to everyone within the construction 

process looking to mitigate risk and advises that 

“As a guide, insulation of limited combustibility 

should be used e.g. Rock mineral fibre type, 

stone wool, slag wool or man-made mineral 

wool/fibre.” 

We have developed a RIBA Accredited CPD, 

entitled “Fire safety compliance: Rainscreen 

Cladding Systems”. The CPD highlights the 

design flexibility and practical benefits that rainscreen 

cladding systems can offer both new build 

and refurbishment projects. The CPD also explains 

how to comply with fire safety performance 

within rainscreen systems designed for buildings 

above 18 metres. 

We have also seen a huge 

improvement within technical 

support 

insulatemag 

7


Apart from domestic housing, what sectors of the 

built environment will place demands on insulation 

manufacturers? 

There is a lot of pressure to upgrade schools. 

Teaching and learning are acoustically very 

demanding activities where it's imperative that 

ambient noise is kept as low as possible to 

minimise intrusion and distraction. 

It's no surprise that studies consistently show 

that quieter classrooms achieve better results. 

As well as impairing students' reading, comprehension 

and verbal interaction, excessive 

noise will also compromise behaviour, attention 

spans and stress levels. 

The existing guidance, Building Bulletin 93 

(BB93) "Acoustic Design of Schools", initially 

published in 2003 and currently in the process 

of revision, offers a clear regulatory framework 

for the acoustic design of schools in support 

or the Building Regulations. 

The revised guidance will support requirement 

E4 of the Building Regulations, which applies 

to both new schools and schools formed by 

change of use of existing buildings. It will also 

support the School Premises Regulations 

2012, which apply to all state-funded schools 

and the Independent Schools Standards, 

which apply to all independent schools. 

Building Regulations Requirement E4 states 

that, "Each room or other space in a school 

building shall be designed and constructed 

in such a way that it has the acoustic conditions 

and the insulation against disturbance 

by noise appropriate to its normal use. "The 

recently revised School Premises Regulations, 

which came into force on the 31 October 

2012, require that, "the acoustic conditions 

and sound insulation of each room or other 

space must be suitable, having regard to the 

nature of the activities which normally take 

place therein" 



I see that you offer a thermal & sound range. What was 

your thinking behind launching this dedicated product? 

This range was designed to clarify and simplify 

the insulation category by focussing on two 

clearly defined applications; Thermal Insulation 

and Sound Insulation in the RMI sector, therefore 

well served by the builders’ merchants and DIY 

channels. 

The benefits of Thermal Insulation and its application 

are well understood and documented. 

Acoustics or Sound, is becoming a more 

important consideration in the domestic arena 

with ageing housing stock, greater urbanisation, 

increasing noise pollution from roads, rail and air 

plus the wider adoption of domestic electronics, 

TV and surround sound systems in the home. 

With its dense, non-directional fibre structure, 

our Sound Insulation offering effectively traps 

sound waves and dampens vibration to provide 

an enhanced noise reducing solution both between 

adjacent properties and between rooms 

within the same home. The launch of a focussed 

Sound range presents clear opportunities for the 

contractor to up sell their offer and add value. 

We believe our approach brings clarity and opportunity 

for the contractor in this category. By 

bringing a fresh definition to the category, we 

can help contractors find the best insulation for a 

particular application. As construction practices 

evolve and our lifestyles change, there is a growing 

demand for sound insulation and with this 

new range and ROCKWOOL’s support we can 

help contractors capitalise on that opportunity. 

Insulation manufacturers now place greater emphasis 

on promoting their solutions to a higher end specification 

audience. How successful has Rockwool been in 

influencing specifiers? 

This is a key sector for us, and one which we 

have focussed our attention on recently. We recognised 

that this audience requires support when 

it comes to specifying insulation, and as such, 

we have developed a number of online tools to 

support this process. 

We recently launched an acoustic calculator, 

which provides specifiers with a simple and 

effective way of working out the acoustic performance 

of insulation installed on walls, floors and 

roofs. This calculator enables users to determine 

the noise reduction levels that could be achieved 

when using ROCKWOOL insulation products. 

With over 2,100 acoustic calculations, each with 

their own BIM (Building Information Modelling) 

objects, this calculator allows users to download 

and include BIM objects in their designs quickly 

and easily. 

The ROCKWOOL acoustic calculator is an extension 

of the ROCKWOOL U-value calculator and 

complements the ROCKWOOL ROI tool and BIM 

solution finder. The calculator provides U-value 

results for the calculations, if applicable, as well 

as graphical representations of the construction. 

We recently launched an acoustic 

calculator, which provides 

specifiers with a simple and 

effective way of working out the 

acoustic performance of insulation 

installed on walls, floors and roofs 

Arguably, ROCKWOOL is one, if not the oldest and 

best-known insulation brands. Does this tend to work 

in your favour? 

Certainly for me, when I started Minster, ROCK- 

WOOL was one of the top five suppliers from 

whom I needed an account to make the proposition 

viable. Their unique history in the UK since 

1979 in effect built the specialist insulation distribution 

sector. Saying you are from ROCKWOOL 

certainly opens a few doors. It’s a fantastic 

brand. 

insulatemag 

9


Health & Safety 

Achieving Safety 

Eyewear Compliance 

George Elliott Technical Service Engineer 3M 

Within the insulation industry, eye protection is vital for protecting against a range of 

potential hazards, from chemicals and fibres to ultraviolet (UV) sunlight. As a result, 

companies are increasingly implementing mandatory eye protection policies, 

requiring employees to wear safety spectacles, goggles or full face shields. 

However, it is not uncommon to see people 

wearing these items on their heads, rather than 

on their faces, leaving them potentially exposed. 

There are several common reasons for this, 

which those responsible for purchasing safety 

eyewear should be aware of, in order to improve 

compliance rates. 

One of the most common reasons for non-compliance 

is that workers find their eyewear 

uncomfortable, because it fits poorly. 

If eyewear is uncomfortably tight, employees may 

be less likely to want to wear it for long periods. 

Extremely tight eyewear may even force itself off 

the wearer’s head over the course of a shift. 

Alternatively, if safety eyewear is too loose, the 

wearer may need to repeatedly slide it back up 

their nose. This can become such an annoyance 

that some may opt to remove the eyewear 

altogether. 

No two head sizes are identical, so to find safety 

eyewear that is suitable for an entire worforce, 

employees should be involved in the selection 

process. As part of this process, staff should be 

offered a wide range of safety eyewear options. 

However, this can result in employers needing 

to stock a number of frame sizes, which can be 

a burden in terms of stock management and 

storage. 

No two head sizes are identical, so to find safety eyewear that is suitable for 

an entire worforce, employees should be involved in the selection process. 

10 



Supplying safety spectacles with adjustable features 

or ‘self-adjusting’ features can be one way to 

reduce the total number of models that need to be 

made available 

. 

To help employers rationalise their purchasing, 3M 

has developed its SecureFit Protective Eyewear 

Range. 

All models of safety eyewear in this range self-adjust 

to fit all head sizes comfortably, without sacrificing 

security of fit. This is achieved using 3M’s innovative 

Pressure Diffusion Temple Technology, which ensures 

that the temple arms apply a similar pressure 

for different sized heads. 

Another common reason for non-compliance with 

safety eyewear requirements is lens fogging. 

A study published in Accident Analysis and 

Prevention magazine highlighted this issue by interviewing 

focus groups from a range of industries[1]. 

Every group interviewed identified fogging as the 

main vision-related issue they faced, and said it was 

a key barrier to compliance. More than 55 per cent 

of respondents suggested that an anti-fog solution 

would be useful for increasing usage of personal 

protective eyewear. 

Reducing a worker’s ability to see has obvious 

safety implications. However, the bigger risk often 

comes when workers are forced to remove their 

eyewear in order to wipe away fogging on the lens, 

as this can leave them exposed. 

To help employes rationalise 

their purchasing, 3M has 

developed its SecureFit 

Protective Eyewear Range 

The Scotchgard Anti-Fog Coating Technology, 

which works even after repeated washing, is 

applied more than 50 per cent thicker than 

most coatings on the market, while retaining 

optical clarity Class 1. 

The coating also provides superior protection 

against lens scratching, increasing the eyewear’s 

lifespan. 

Another consideration when selecting safety 

eyewear is lens colour. Insulation work is often 

conducted outdoors, which makes UV light 

from the sun a potential hazard. UV light can 

cause cataracts, corneal damage and blindness. 

In addition, glare from bright sunlight can also 

be a hazard, as well as an annoyance, as it 

can prevent the worker from seeing properly. 

For those working outdoors, grey lenses may 

be a suitable option to consider as they provide 

protection against sun glare. Grey lenses 

also provide protection against UV light, as do 

all models in the SF600 eyewear range. 

Eyewear with a superior anti-fog coating can therefore 

be a great asset when encouraging compliance 

and increasing worker safety and comfort. 

3M recently launched the latest model of safety 

spectacles in its SecureFit Protective Eyewear 

Range – the 3M Securefit Protective Eyewear 600 

Series (SF600) – bringing together its Pressure 

Diffusion Temple Technology and Scotchgard 

Anti-fog Coating technologies for the first time. 

12 

insulatemag


The SF600 eyewear range 

comes in six lens options – 

clear, grey, amber, infra-red, 

polarised and indoor/outdoor. 

When selecting safety eyewear 

that is adequate for protecting 

against a particular 

hazard, one consideration will 

be whether to purchase safety 

spectacles, goggles or full face 

shields. 

Safety spectacles can be less 

intrusive, as they are typically 

lighter and smaller than goggles. 

However, in particularly 

dusty environments, some 

models may not offer enough 

protection. 

The SF600 eyewear range 

comes with the option of 

a foam gasket that can be 

retro-fitted to the eyewear to 

create a tight seal between the 

spectacles and the wearer’s 

face. This gives the wearer 

improved protection without 

sacrificing comfort. 

For more information on any 

of these topics, or for general 

information about health and 

safety in the workplace, call 

the 3M helpline on 

0870 608 0060. 

The SF600 eyewear 

range comes in six 

lens options – clear, 

grey, amber, 

infra-red, polarised 

and indoor/outdoor. 


13


Case Study 

Sweeping Curves 

and Glittering Bronze for 

Sustainable Moneypenny HQ 

Aliva UK created an environmentally-friendly and 

visually stunning façade for the award winning 

£15m headquarters of Wrexham-based telephone 

answering firm Moneypenny 

The UK leader in exterior and interior finishes, Aliva 

crafted a clean, crisp façade that wraps in unbroken lines 

around the curved exterior of the building. 

The British Board of Agrement certified render was chosen 

for its excellent thermal insulation credentials. The 

render’s self-cleaning and anti-algae staining properties 

will also ensure the building maintains its pristine finish 

for years to come. 

Discover more about Aliva here. 

Aliva also provided 500sqm 

of its Alucovering aluminium 

cladding in an anodised 

bronze colour matched to 

the architect’s specifications. 

This was used to create 

window detailing which 

adds an extra dimension to 

the building’s external 

appearance. 

AEW Architects selected 

Aliva to deliver every aspect 

of the façade design from 

panel layouts and window 

details, to the design of a 

bespoke façade fixing 

system for the building. 



The new headquarters will be able to accommodate 

1,000 staff over three floors, allowing for 

Moneypenny’s planned business growth. The 

10-acre plot includes nature trails, orchards and 

gardens, with the interior of the building featuring 

a treehouse meeting room and a ‘village pub’ for 

employees. 

The building is designed to be as environmentally 

sustainable as possible. By using rainwater recycling, 

solar energy, ground source heating and 

natural ventilation for climate control, the company 

aims to be almost entirely self-sufficient. The 

thermal efficiency offered by Termok8 insulated 

render was therefore a key consideration in the 

architects’ selection process. 

Phil Hepworth, Associate at AEW Architects said: 

“Aliva helped us achieve the effect we wanted for 

Moneypenny’s new Headquarters by providing a 

high quality self-cleaning insulated render system 

that highlighted the smooth curves of the building 

and complimented its picturesque setting. The 

bronze aluminium cladding was selected to create 

window detailing and highlight the stunning 

picture windows of the building”. 

service and environment in which to answer their 

calls, as well as provide our employees with a 

world-class space to work. The environmental 

credentials of the building were also important to 

us and Aliva’s insulated render not only creates 

the visually striking finish that we envisaged for 

the building’s exterior, but it also lives up to the 

energy efficiency standards that we wanted to 

reach.” 

James Ormerod, Managing Director at Aliva 

UK, said: 

“We were delighted to be selected to design and 

supply the façade for this stand-out project. The 

crisp, unbroken lines of the render create sweeping 

curves that attract the eye, while its thermal 

qualities ensure it boosts the building’s environmentally-friendly 

credentials.” 

A popular choice for energy-conscious building 

projects, Aliva’s Termok8 render systems provide 

a beautiful, weatherproof and long-lasting finish 

that meets the highest modern thermal requirements. 

Ed Reeves, co-founder and director of Moneypenny, 

who led the ground-breaking project said: 

“Since we founded Moneypenny we have strived 

to set the industry standard for ‘excellence’. Our 

new head office once again raises the bar in 

achieving this and will offer clients an unrivalled 

insulatemag 

15


Employment 

The Apprenticeship Levy began last 

month - what does it mean for 

insulation employers? 

UK employers are being encouraged to take on more apprentices following the introduction 

of a new levy last month. But which businesses are expected to pay, how much 

they have to put in, and on what they can use the funds from it? And why should they 

consider taking on apprentices? 

Employers with a pay bill over £3 million each 

year must pay the new apprenticeship levy, but 

they can also use it to fund their own apprenticeship 

programmes. Funds in a business’s apprenticeship 

service account – and funding provided 

by the government through co-investment – can 

be used to pay for apprenticeship training and 

end point assessment, with a government-approved 

training provider and government-approved 

assessment organisation. Smaller businesses, 

with pay bills under £3 million, will not be 

required to pay the levy. These non-levy paying 

employers will share the cost of training and assessing 

their apprentices with government – this 

is called ‘co-investment’. 



From May 2017, they will pay 10% towards to 

the cost of apprenticeship training and the government 

will pay the rest (90%), up to the funding 

band maximum. 

Employers in the insulation and construction 

industry could consider technical apprenticeship 

programmes – such as thermal insulation engineer, 

bricklaying and site carpentry – but there 

are also frameworks for other, more ‘back office’ 

roles that might be useful, such as business administration, 

accounting, and human resources. 

Apprentices offer a lot to employers: they are 

trained in the specific skills and job role required, 

and research shows that employers find apprentices 

make the most loyal employees. More than 

half of apprentice employers say that apprentices 

stay in the business longer than other recruits. 

Michelle Clark, HR Manager 

at Darren Evans Assessments 

Ltd – working in energy 

efficiency for large commercial 

developers through to independent 

investors, architects, 

house builders and public 

sector organisations – is very 

positive about the apprentices 

the company has taken on, in 

business support roles. 

“The process was really simple 

and we were fully supported by 

SGS Filton College, who gave 

us help and guidance along the 

way,” says Michelle. 

“The college shortlisted and 

interviewed potential candidates, 

carried out basic Maths, English 

and IT tests and then sent us a 

list of candidates that matched 

our business needs. We have 

found taking on apprentices really 

positive and beneficial to both the 

business and our team.” 

Michelle says preparation is 

key: a good induction, a training 

schedule and a buddy 

system should all be planned. 

“Apprentices could be a school 

leaver with limited or no work 

experience and new to a work 

environment,” says Michelle. 

“So time will need to be given 

once they join to support them 

in their role. We have also given 

our apprentices time working 

in different departments so that 

they can experience working in 

varies areas of the business. This 

gives our apprentices a feel for 

the type of role they enjoy, where 

their strengths lie, and may wish 

to explore more as their career 

progresses, it also helps us to 

identify where they may need 

additional support in different 

business functions.“ 

Michelle is in no doubt about 

the benefits the new recruits 

bring to the businesses. 

“An apprenticeship scheme has 

given Darren Evans Assessments 

a chance to play an active role 

in moulding our future workforce 

and creating the future skills that 

we need to help our business 

grow,” she says. 

“We are so proud to be part of 

watching our apprentices grow 

into young professionals whilst 

gaining a recognised qualification 

at college. They have both settled 

into the world of work, are enthusiastic 

and an asset to our 

company already.“ 

Jack Denton, co-founder 

of AllAboutSchoolLeavers. 

co.uk – a website dedicated to 

informing people about apprenticeship 

and school leaver 

options – agrees with Michelle 

that apprentices bring a lot to 

a business. 

“They are fresh, eager to learn 

and want to get stuck in,” he 

says, of the two apprentices the 

company took on last year. “It 

also gives us a new perspective 

on what we’re doing as a business, 

as they are also consumers 

– young people who have just 

left school – and it’s beneficial to 

have a variety of points of view.” 

For more details on 

apprenticeships and 

information on the 

process of setting up 

various programmes, 

how much school 

leavers of certain ages 

should be paid, and 

information on training 

providers, visit AllAbout- 

ShoolLeavers’ dedicated 

recruiters pages. 

insulatemag 17


News 

Belgrade Insulations Featured 

in Yorkshire's Fastest 50 Awards 

The Management Team and all staff are proud that their business was featured in Yorkshires 

FASTEST 50 AWARDS. Positioned midway in the top 50 listings the award 

recognises the growth and success since 2010 when Belgrade Insulations was acquired. 

Managing Director Alex Khan commented: 

This award is a tribute to the hard work of all our staff who have worked together to grow the 

company across varied sectors of the Construction Industry. Our commitment to training and 

personal development has been fundamental to developing the skills of our people. 

We have exciting plans for the future which will see more branches, providing opportunities for 

existing staff and new potentials wishing to join a growing business. 

Belgrade is a distributor of 

Thermal, Acoustic and Fire 

Protection Insulation, 

together with Drywall Systems 

to the Building and Technical 

Insulation markets. 

The company operates from 

branches strategically located 

across the UK to provide the 

service required by specialist 

sub-contractors, merchants 

and housing providers. 

The company is a member and 

supporter of these trade associations; 

ASFP, BMF, NFRC, 

TICA. Active participation 

ensures up to date knowledge 

of market trends. 

Belgrade develops close relationships 

with its manufacturing 

suppliers, helping them trial 

and introduce new products. 

A strong commitment to training 

ensures customers receive 

latest product and application 

detail. 

18

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® 

Kingspan, Kooltherm and the Lion Device are Registered Trademarks of 

the Kingspan Group plc in the UK and other countries. All rights reserved.

Thursday 30 th November 2017 

East Midlands Conference Centre & Orchard Hotel 

Expert judge panel 

22 awards categories 

BREEAM Excellent rated venue 

Unmissable night of celebration 

5 course meal, wine and champagne 

Evening hosted by TV personality Nick Knowles 

Accepting FREE entries now 

www.insulationawards.co.uk | info@insulationawards.co.uk | 01948 759 351

Will you be a winner? 

Be a shining star 

at the awards event the 

insulation industry has been waiting for 

Award sponsorship & VIP opportunities available 

NiiAwards


Case Study 

Using a Full-Fill Cavity 

solution to prevent increased 

costs in new residential developments 

Cavity Wall (brick/block) is the 

predominant Build method for 

the UK housing industry with 

70% of 27.4 million homes 

built with cavity walls. 

The change to Part L1a in 

2013 (which sets the guidelines 

for new residential house 

builds) brought a second compliance 

metric, Fabric Energy 

Efficiency Standard (FEES). 

As a result of these requirements 

the fabric of the building 

needed to be more robust, 

with better insulation, reduced 

air leakage and improved thermal 

bridging. 

The ultimate goal: the homeowner 

to switch the heating on 

less. 

This ‘whole house’ approach 

meant maintaining a strong 

fabric performance to comply, 

without having to widen 

cavities and compromise plot 

efficiencies. This, in turn, would 

require more land to deliver the 

same number of homes. 

Increasing wall cavity width 

would not only impact space 

required for each property. It 

would change the products 

required in the cavity construction: 

longer and stronger 

wall ties, thicker cavity closers 

and bigger door and window 

lintels. 

The change in product combined 

with the extra land requirements 

would bring commercial 

challenges; it would 

either increase house prices 

or reduce house builder profit. 

Not a good choice either way. 

Performance Vs Cost - 

The research 

Research carried out across 

both Housebuilders and specifiers 

identified balancing cost 

and performance as a primary 

concern. 

“Cost is assessed not between 

materials, but also on 

a whole-cavity or whole-site 

basis” 

“The impact of increased cavity 

width requirements is identified 

as a key challenge which 

across the whole site can 

result in lost m² and impact on 

cost significantly” 

Source: Celotex PIR Insulation 

Research 12th December 

2014 

22


Product Innovation 

To meet the industry needs in response to 

changing regulations, Celotex CF5000 was 

created; a unique product to solve a technical 

problem for housebuilders. 

CF5000 is a high thermal performance full-fill 

solution for masonry cavity walls that helps to 

deliver a U-value within the wall of 0.18 W/m²K 

without the need to widen the cavity. 

Comprising a rigid polyisocyanurate foam core 

adhesively bonded to aluminium foil facings 

on both sides, CF5000 is designed with the 

installer in mind. Easy to cut and available in 

1200x450mm dimensions, it fits with standard 

cavity wall tie spacing to provide improved plot 

efficiencies on site. 

Engineered board edges ship-lap to jigsaw 

together, effectively closing the gaps between 

the boards; this eliminates the passage of wind 

driven rain across the cavity (a requirement of 

Approved Document C). 

Summary - The impact on the industry 

As a company that leads the way in technological 

innovations, Celotex filled a huge gap 

in the market with the introduction of Celotex 

CF5000. Developed with a clear focus on maximising 

thermal efficiency with thinner solutions, 

the new and innovative CF5000 system gives 

architects, designers and specifiers the whole 

picture for full fill cavity wall applications. 

Instead of choosing commercial value or 

performance, housebuilders using CF5000 can 

have both. 

Find out more about the innovative product 

here, or login to our members area for more 

valuable product information and specification 

tools. 

The impact of increased cavity 

width resuirements is identified 

as a key challenge which across 

the whole site can result in lost 

m² and impact on cost 

significantly 

insulatemag 23


Featured CPDs 

Recticel CPD provides the ultimate guide to 

insulation solution for cavity wall buildings 

Leading PIR manufacturer, Recticel Insulation, has 

created an informative CPD titled, Toolbox Talk, 

which offers a fascinating overview of the insulation 

solutions used with masonry cavity wall construction. 

The seminar offers an in-depth understanding of a 

range of topics. It includes a look at the evolution of 

cavity wall construction and how improved thermal 

performance requirements have fuelled the development 

of insulation products such as low thermal 

conductivity rigid pir insulation boards. 

Recticel’s presentation, which forms part of the 

RIBA core curriculum, also features traditional insulation 

solutions as well as analysis on the contrast 

between rigid partial-fill and rigid full-fill solutions. 

Issues to consider in design, specification and 

construction to ensure optimum performance from 

rigid full-fill solutions, is another of the seminar’s 

highlights. 

Recticel is renowned throughout the industry as a 

supplier of new-build and refurbishment solutions 

through its innovative insulation products which excel 

in terms of low thermal conductivity and handling 

ability. 

For more information on booking a Recticel CPD, visit: www.recticelinsulation.co.uk 

Get involved with 

insulate magazine 

24 www.insulatemagazine.co.uk 

sales@insulatemagazine.co.uk | 01948 759 351


Rockwool launches CPD 

on acoustic standards in schools 

ROCKWOOL has developed a 

new CPD for architects entitled 

‘Acoustic Standards in Schools’. 

The CPD aims to explain the 

science behind acoustics, the 

latest building regulations, best 

practice guidance on acoustics 

and explore the most appropriate 

sound insulation solutions for 

education environments. 

A noisier urban environment is 

increasing the importance of 

good acoustics in schools. In 

addition, pressure on space in 

our towns and cities is leading to 

more buildings being developed 

as multi-use, combining residential, 

educational and commercial 

environments in one unit. 

“Excessive and unwanted noise 

is known to have a detrimental 

effect on academic performance 

in the learning environment”, 

comments Paul Barrett, Product 

Manager at ROCKWOOL 

Ltd. “ROCKWOOL has created 

this new CPD, focusing on the 

increasing issues surrounding 

acoustics in school buildings, to 

help make sure architects are 

aware of the issues and understand 

how stone wool insulation 

can provide a range of solutions 

that will last the lifetime of the 

building.” 

Over the last 40 years, research 

has proved that poor acoustics 

can lower pupils’ academic performance, 

compromise classroom 

control, affect the health of 

teachers and classroom assistants 

and disadvantage children 

with special needs, especially 

those with hearing difficulties. 

In 2003, the Department of 

Education and Skills, introduced 

acoustic performance standards 

for new schools under the Building 

Regulations, Building Bulletin 

93 (BB93). 

In meeting the acoustic requirements 

of BB93, the choice of 

insulation material has a major 

impact. ROCKWOOL stone 

wool insulation is renowned for 

its excellent acoustic properties. 

Fully tested to meet the rigorous 

demands of today’s legislation, 

stone wool insulation solutions 

are proven to reduce ambient, 

impact and reverberation noise 

in educational buildings. 

ROCKWOOL can provide a 

number of different bespoke 

acoustic solutions, including 

flat roof insulation with 

HARDROCK® Multi-Fix, external 

wall insulation, using the RE- 

DArt® system, internal partitions 

with ROCKWOOL FLEXI®, 

and internal floor solutions 

with ROCKWOOL FLEXI® and 

ROCKFLOOR® to combat 

impact noise. ROCKWOOL fire 

protection products also reduce 

flanking transmission, one of the 

most prevalent noise concerns 

in schools. Flanking transfer 

comprises of sound that is 

transmitted indirectly via paths 

such as external wall cavities, 

voids above partitions, ceilings 

and internal corridors, or where 

there are problems of excessive 

reverberation within the rooms 

themselves. 

To book a place and participate 

in ROCKWOOL’s Acoustics 

in Schools CPD, please 

complete the online enquiry 

form www.rockwool.co.uk/ 

technical-support/CPDS/ 

cpd-sign-up. For further information, 

please visit www. 

rockwool.co.uk. 

Feature your CPD here: 

sales@insulatemagazine.co.uk | 01948 759 351 

insulatemag 25

SOUND REDUCTION 

Superior sound insulation helps reduce unwanted 

noise from both internal and external sources. 

THERMAL PERFORMANCE 

Stone wool insulation doesn’t just keep buildings warm 

today, it maintains its insulating properties for years to come. 

© 2016 ROCKWOOL Ltd. All rights reserved. 

DIMENSIONAL STABILITY 

Density, volume and structural integrity provide 

a perfect fit for maintaining performance.

This is ROCK, re-engineered 

for a fast, easy and perfect fit. 

From volcanic rock to high performance building insulation. See 

ROCK re-engineered to provide high performance insulation solutions 

for today’s building projects. ROCKWOOL insulation is easy to use, 

dense, durable and performs because of its origins in natural stone. 

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SEARCH ROCKWOOL INSULATION ORIGINS


Interview 

Inside Story 

Featuring Darren Evans 

Interview with Darren Evans Managing Director, Darren Evans Assessments 

Based in Chipping Sodbury near Bristol and with offices in Birmingham, Darren Evans 

Assessments Ltd is a busy, fast-growing and dynamic company offering energy saving 

assessments, research and consultancy services. Working for large commercial developers 

through to independent investors with a small private rental portfolio, architects, housebuilders 

and public sector organisations, this leading independent consultant can provide a 

broad range of energy efficiency and sustainability services. 

How did you become involved 

in the industry? 

My start in the industry developed 

from my interest in 

buildings, and an interest in 

sustainability. I saw an opportunity 

to help and add value 

to the construction industry 

and the built environment. I 

also believed that it would be 

difficult for architects, M & E 

companies, property developers 

and managers etc, to keep 

up to date with regulations 

as they changed whilst at the 

same time follow their passion. 

I set up the company in 2007 

from my home, with a vision 

to have a team of 50 people 

with regional offices across 

the country. We have come 

a long way in ten years and 

our client base is testament to 

that. We work with large and 

small organisations to support 

and help them with tenders, 

and discover and develop the 

‘best’ methods for building. 

What is your definition of 

'best' when it comes to buildings? 

My definition of ‘best’ and 

‘sustainable’ is what is acceptable 

from an environmental 

perspective and also 

acceptable from a financial or 

business perspective. Things 

are not sustainable unless you 

are making money and a profit 

- an important part of sustainability 

that sometimes gets lost 

in the mix. I’d add that value 

and profitability will only occur 

in this market when there is 

quality, robustness and trust in 

the methodology, the calculation 

and the outcome. 

What changes have you 

seen in the industry over the 

years? 

There are a lot of good things 

going on, however, we struggle 

to articulate the 

28 



sustainability element from a profitability perspective. 

We use buzzwords such as “BREEAM, 

reducing carbon, responsibility and sustainability”, 

but we struggle to define exactly what that 

means. One thing to one company means something 

else to another company. But the language 

every company understands is profit. We are 

ultimately trying to define and articulate that. So 

when you have a BREEAM assessment done 

for example, this is what the pounds and pence 

is going to look like. That is where I want to go. 

One of the best scenarios is having someone 

who understands and has bought into sustainability 

within an organisation, and someone who 

doesn’t as much, but is open and transparent. 

As an industry, we have made huge steps forward 

in ensuring that buildings perform better. It 

would be great in the marketplace if we continue 

to move forward. One way is to look at planning 

applications and the expectation of when a building 

is going to be completed. Why buy a house 

in 2017 which has been built to a 2006 Building 

Regulation for example? 

What excites you in the world of 

sustainability? 

Some might say we don’t need another building 

standard, but the WELL Building Standard 

(WELL), industry’s first benchmark for human 

health and wellness is a step in the right direction. 

It’s also something Darren Evans Assessments 

is going to be adopting and encouraging. 

The needs and requirements of people within a 

building is something that everybody can identify 

with, irrespective of where you are from and what 

belief system you have. The health and wellbeing 

agenda is looking at the things we connect with, 

both purposefully and with an end in mind. This 

will help drive and encourage the owners of a 

building or company to connect with their staff 

better. When you work for a large organisation, 

it’s sometimes hard to feel connected with it. By 

creating an environment that is better for employees, 

there is a greater likelihood of them being 

connected to their workplace, from which they 

can be productive and flourish. It’s good for us 

all to work for organisations that are actually interested 

in their people and take employee health 

and wellbeing seriously. 

What developments in the industry will help 

the testing process? 

Pulse air pressure testing is a new way of testing 

the air pressure within a building and is quite 

different to the conventional ‘Blower door’ airtightness 

measurement technique. It measures 

building airtightness by generating an instant low 

pressure rise inside the building envelope. This 

new device has potential to deliver a number of 

benefits related to on-site testing and will allow 

quick and simple measurements to be made at 

various points within the build process. 

To find out more or for more information 

visit: www.darren-evans.co.uk 

Darren Evans will be on the esteemed panel of 

judges for The Insulation Industry Awards 2017, 

taking place at the East Midlands Conference 

Centre and Orchard Hotel in Nottingham on 30th 

November 2017. For more information visit: 

https://www.insulationawards.co.uk/ 

insulatemag 29

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stopping it going to landfill. And with Superglass, you get 

service that is second-to-none. Our Teamworks values mean 

we’ll work closely with you to deliver your ideal insulation 

solution, including same-day order confirmation and next-day 

delivery. Which means less time on site and lower costs. 

Our Timber & Rafter Roll is a lightweight, flexible option ideal for roofs, walls 

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It’s a decision that really doesn’t take too much bottle. 

Call 0844 381 4022 or visit www.superglass.co.uk


Interview 

The Snap Election: 

Let's not get distracted 

but focus on the opportunity 

Sarah Konstense-Winterton Executive Director, MIMA 

It appears that as soon as I write an article the political policy environment changes yet 

again; this time it’s to sounds of weary moans and groans to the announcement of yet another 

election on 8 June. We all have election/referendum/vote fatigue. However, we must 

hold our resolve and grasp this opportunity to communicate our messages to potentially winning 

candidates - future and incumbent MPs - and a new government with a fresh intake and 

perspective. As industry working together it is vital we continue to position Energy Efficiency 

as an Infrastructure (EEI) priority and an integral part of any successful, future energy policy. 

The Frontier Economics report 

“Affordable Warmth, Clean 

Growth” commissioned by the 

Energy Efficiency Infrastructure 

Group (EEIG), will give the 

government the tools for an 

achievable, high value for money 

energy efficiency infrastructure 

programme. The election 

will mean a slight delay to 

its Westminster launch and 

it is now likely to come in the 

weeks leading up to summer 

recess (when the MPs return 

to their constituencies for the 

summer break). 

Time is of the essence and the 

political parties are hurriedly 

putting together their election 

manifestos and the political 

parties have been asking us 

for more. This is encouraging 

and even better, we have the 

research to respond robustly. 

In response MIMA, as part of 

the EEIG has put together a 

mini manifesto to secure “A 

commitment to keeping energy 

costs in British homes 

and buildings down, by delivering 

a buildings energy 

infrastructure programme to 

bring all UK homes up to EPC 

Band C by 2035.” and underpinned 

by the Frontier Economics 

research report and 

action plan. Whilst we must 

manage our expectations on 

successfully securing a slot in 

the political parties manifesto 

commitments, it helpfully sets 

down a marker for our campaign 

which is firmly building 

momentum. We want a new 

government to see the new 

Frontier Economics report as 

deliverable, fresh and open to 

their “ownership”. 

Our attentions must then turn 

to the prospective candidates 

and to help Energy Efficiency 

as Infrastructure form part of 

election campaigning debate 

or, perhaps more realistically, 

to ensure that it forms part of 

political thinking in the next 

parliament. 

insulatemag 31


We want to encourage stakeholders in our industry 

to targeting constituency candidates and 

particularly their local candidates to ask that they 

pledge to support Energy Efficiency as an Infrastructure 

priority over the coming weeks. 

Once 8 June is over and the MPs are back there 

will be an intensive period before the summer 

break beckons. Some of our supporters on the 

backbenches may be lost as a result of this election, 

but we may also gain new, fresh-faced ones 

and must connect early. We have a strong line up 

with the Frontier Economics report launch and a 

series of engagement and profile-raising events 

over the summer and into the party conference 

season. We will be shadowing Ministers, MPs, 

special advisors and civil servants to ensure that 

our message has clearly reached them and is 

resonating. Pre-election our political support was 

growing and we need to ensure that this impetus 

continues. 

Politicians should be left in no doubt that a practical 

and cost-effective blue print for UK government 

policy making on energy in buildings is a 

reality and we can help deliver it. A blue print that 

can repair and restore business confidence and 

investment in the industry - ensuring a committed, 

long-term, sustainable approach for improving 

building energy performance. A stable, high 

quality programme that will draw on the highest 

standards of workmanship and delivery supported 

by best practice to inspire consumer confidence. 

In turn we can help government deliver on its 

targets such as reducing carbon emissions to 

ensure it meets its Fourth and Fifth carbon budgets, 

and bringing fuel poor homes up to EPC 

Band C by 2030. Delivering strong economic 

returns, increased productivity, lower energy bills 

and significant health benefits, this innovative 

approach would be a no brainer for any new (or 

not so new) government waking up with a sore 

head on 9 June. 

What we need is for businesses, organisations 

and individuals to come together and join with 

our existing 20 plus EEIG members and campaign 

with one voice to turn our vision into reality 

post election. 

Sarah Kostense-Winterton is Executive Director of MIMA, the Mineral Wool Insulation 

Manufacturers Association and provides the secretariat to the Energy Efficiency 

Infrastructure Group. 

For further details of the EEIG and if you would like to join, 

please contact Sarah at sarah@mima.info 


2017 

10–12 NEC BIRMINGHAM 

10-12 OCTOBER | NEC | BIRMINGHAM 

THE UK’S LARGEST 

CONSTRUCTION TRADE SHOW 

9 SHOWS UNDER 1 ROOF 

650+ EXHIBITING COMPANIES 

10,000+ INNOVATIVE 

PRODUCTS AND SERVICES 

OVER 30,000 VISITORS 

DEDICATED OFFSITE ZONE 

100+ CPD SESSIONS 

AND SEMINARS 

FOR FREE REGISTRATION AND EXHIBITING ENQUIRIES PLEASE VISIT 

Includes access to these events: 

UKCONSTRUCTIONWEEK.COM 

2017


Rockwool goes back to school 

with Hardrock® Multi-Fix (DD) Roof Boards 

Thanks to the installation of ROCKWOOL flat roof insulation products, teachers and students 

at Stopsley High School are benefitting from a learning environment that has been 

acoustically treated to reduce noise disruption. 

Located in Luton, Stopsley High School is a mixed Comprehensive and Community College 

that educates children from 11 to 16 years old. In 2013, the school received funding from the 

Government, via the Priority School Building Programme (PSBP) to demolish and rebuild some 

buildings, while others receive upgrades. To support the increase of pupil capacity from 990 

to 1,350, a new school building was built to provide 64 classrooms, a four court sports hall, 

creative and music spaces and a special needs facility. 

Main contractor, Interserve worked with sub-contractor, 

Briggs Amasco and Acoustic consultant, 

Arup to deliver a modern, purpose-built and 

well-insulated school building. The brief for this 

project included the following: 

To achieve a thermal performance of 0.15 W/ 

m2K in the school building. To meet the stringent 

acoustic performance requirements of BB93, 

in order to achieve a target noise reduction of 

Rw44Db. To control the noise generated in high 

traffic areas of the school, such as the sports hall 

and music rooms was desired. 

Offering maximum density and exceptional dimensional 

stability, approximately 600m2 of the 

150mm ROCKWOOL HARDROCK® Multi-Fix 

(DD) boards were adhesively applied on the roof 

of the building. ROCKWOOL HARDROCK® Multi-Fix 

(DD) Underlay was placed across the roof, 

followed by the HARDROCK® Multi-Fix (DD) roof 

boards providing a non-combustible surface that 

was ideal for the application of the torch applied 

bitumen waterproofing system. 

ROCKWOOL HARDROCK® Multi-Fix (DD) Underlay 

was placed across the roof, followed by 

the HARDROCK® Multi-Fix (DD) roof boards 

providing a non-combustible surface that was 

ideal for the application of the torch applied bitumen 

waterproofing system. 

34


“I have used ROCKWOOL products on several 

projects previously, so I was confident that the 

ROCKWOOL HARDROCK® Multi-Fix (DD) roof 

boards would deliver outstanding results,” 

comments Tony Sutton, Contracts Manager at 

Briggs Amasco. 

“The ROCKWOOL products act as an excellent 

sound deadening layer, which helped in controlling 

the high level of noise coming from the 

sports and the music halls of the school. The 

products also deliver optimum levels of thermal 

and acoustic performance, which helped us 

achieve the set requirements.” 

The HARDROCK® Multi-Fix (DD) boards 

have helped to deliver a comprehensive thermal, 

sound and fire safe solution that is suitable 

for this type of multi-purpose application. 

HARDROCK® Multi-Fix (DD) products are excellent 

sound level controlling products and fully 

compatible for use with other flat roofing systems. 

Achieving excellent thermal efficiency and sound 

insulation was paramount at Stopsley High 

School. The thermal, acoustic and fire resistance 

properties of ROCKWOOL products have 

helped Stopsley High School to provide effective 

teaching and learning environment. Additionally, 

the excellent fire resistance properties of the 

ROCKWOOL products provide a high level of fire 

protection that will last the lifetime of the school 

building. 

www.rockwool.co.uk 




insulatemag 35


Industry Event 

All-star line up revealed for Vision 2017 

UNStudio, Zaha Hadid Architects, Gensler, 

Foster & Partners and more 

Vision 2017 has announced its programme, including some of the biggest names and 

world-renowned experts from across the built environment industry. The programme 

will address the main issues facing the profession, both in the UK and in a global context 

and new technologies, materials, products and approaches will be explored across five 

lecture theatres on the 6-7 June. The event is also affiliated to major industry partners, such 

as the RIBA, the London Festival of Architecture, New London Architecture, the Museum of 

Architecture and BRE. 

Alongside the extensive 

programme, this year Vision 

has also partnered with various 

international trade authorities, 

including Belgium, France, Italy, 

Luxembourg, Latvia and the 

Czech Republic, represented 

at the event through a number 

of pavilions. Live demonstrations 

and networking will 

provide opportunities to meet 

and exchange ideas with our 

continental counterparts. 

As always, the exhibitors at 

Vision cover a range of products 

and services, including 

research and development into 

the latest software, bringing 

elegant solutions to everyday 

challenges in the built environment. 

This year’s programme is 

split into four main categories: 

Architectural & Design 

Evolution; Building Health & 

Wellness; Offsite & Modular 

Construction; and Materials & 

Systems Innovation. Highlights 

in the former include keynote 

lectures from Caroline Bos 

of UNStudio, who will unveil 

brand-new research into the 

circular economy, as well as 

Stefano Paiocchi from Zaha 

Hadid Architects explaining a 

groundbreaking CodeStructed 

Skin project that fuses architecture 

with fashion. On the 

second day, this theatre will 

see a major debate, chaired 

by the NLA’s Peter Murray, 

that will tackle housing as part 

of our complex urban future. 

The RIBA President Elect Ben 

Derbyshire will take a leading 

role in this debate, outlining 

his vision for solutions to the 

ongoing crisis. This theatre is 

sponsored by ACO. 

Academics, designers and innovators 

will gather in Building 

Health & Wellness theatre to 

discuss the ways which light, 

air, heat and space can be 

controlled for cities of the next 

generation, from the likes of 

the Mack, the Bartlett, Buro- 

Happold, Hoare Lea and the 

RIBA Ambassador on Climate 

Change: Lynne Sullivan OBE. 

The debate gets technical in 

the Offsite & Modular 

36 



Construction theatre, with 

Aukett Swanke outlining how 

they are using the disruptive 

technology of offsite manufacture 

techniques to reshape 

projects for the future and 

Hawkins\Brown will explain 

the prefabricated construction 

methods that were essential 

for Crossrail. 

Sponsored by Nudura, the 

Materials & Systems Innovation 

theatre will explore future materials, 

such as bio-responsive 

stone, a material that absorbs 

water and grows moss; mushroom 

mycelium structures; urban 

balcony farms; and interactive 

coastal monitoring and 

management systems. BIG will 

reveal their unique approach to 

architectural conundrums, the 

first such talk from the London 

studio, and the Soane Museum 

will team up once again 

with ScanLAB to explore one 

of London’s greatest architectural 

masterpieces through the 

lens of virtual reality. 

BRE will also be running their 

thought leadership conference, 

BIM Prospects, exploring the 

approaches that educators 

and training providers are 

taking to provide the knowledge 

and skills needed to take 

forward BIM in the world of design 

and construction, as well 

as showing how BIM can help 

architects better engage with 

construction suppliers and 

specialists in delivering better 

buildings. 

The exhibition and the talks 

are CPD certified and free-toattend, 

register today for your 

free pass. 

Vision 2017 - 6-7 June Olympia London - www.visionlondon.com @visionldn 

insulatemag 37


Industry Insight 

Construction industry beats 

post-Brexit expectations but 

growth reliant on infrastructure delivery 

Noble Francis Economics Director, Construction Productions Association 

Activity in the construction 

industry is rising at 

a faster pace following 

the EU referendum than initially 

expected according to the latest 

forecasts by the Construction 

Products Association (CPA). 

Construction output is expected 

to rise each year between 2017- 

2019, by 1.3% in 2017, 1.2% in 

2018 and 2.3% in 2019. 

While the figures may fuel hope of 

a resilient UK construction industry 

amid Brexit-related anxieties and 

rising costs, the growth masks a 

considerable difference in activity 

across the key construction sectors. 

Infrastructure projects are expected 

to be the industry’s main growth 

engine, driven by a strong National 

Infrastructure and Construction 

Pipeline valued at £300 billion over 

the next four years. 

In particular, growth to 2019 is 

expected to be primarily driven by 

a 34.5% increase in infrastructure 

activity due to major projects in the 

energy, rail and water sub-sectors, 

which would offset expected falls in 

commercial and industrial construction. 

House building is also expected to 

remain a key source of growth, with 

private house building starts rising 

by 7.2% between 2017 and 2019, 

underpinned by a continued upward 

trend in house prices, demand from 

first-time buyers and the Help to 

Buy equity loans. In 2016, Help to 

Buy accounted for 39.8% of new 

home sales in Q4 and has been a 

significant government policy for 

supporting building activity. 

Noble Francis, Economics Director 

at the Construction Products 

Association said: “Construction 

output has been sustained post-referendum, 

primarily due to projects 

signed up to before June 2016. Activity 

is expected to remain strong in 

the first half of this year in all the key 

construction sectors: private housing, 

commercial, industrial and infrastructure. 

Looking further forward, 

a fall in contract awards during the 

second half of last year, is likely to 

impact greatest where Brexit uncertainty 

affects sectors requiring high 

investment up front for a long term 

rate of return, such as commercial 

offices and industrial factories. 

“We forecast that output in commercial 

offices will fall 1.0% this year 

and a further 12.0% in 2018. Industrial 

factories construction is expected 

to fall 5.0% in 2017 and 4.0% in 

2018. However, this is expected to 

be offset by strong growth in infrastructure 

and private housing. Infrastructure 

construction is expected 

to increase by 7.3% in 2017 and 

11.1% in 2018, primarily driven by 

major projects such as main works 

at Hinkley Point C and High- Speed 

2. Private housing starts are forecast 

to rise 3.0% in 2017 and 2.0% 

in both 2018 and 2019. 

“Looking forward, given the dependence 

of construction industry 

growth on activity in the infrastructure 

and private housing sectors, it 

is essential that government focuses 

on delivery of infrastructure 

projects in its National Infrastructure 

and Construction Pipeline. In addition, 

as major house builders are reliant 

upon Help to Buy equity loans, 

which are due to end in 2021, it is 

vital that government outlines its 

plans early to support house building 

growth as we approach the end 

of the scheme.” 

38 


Alfriston School/Duggan Morris Architects 

© Jack Hobhouse 

Design tm-studio.co.uk


Exclusive Interview 

Rt Hon. Lord Deben 

On the Insulation Industry 

Rt Hon. Lord Deben Chairman of the Committee on Climate Change Interview with Colin Heath 

The Rt. Hon John Gummer, Lord Deben was Minister for Agriculture, 

Fisheries and Food between 1989-1993 and the longest 

serving Secretary of State for the Environment the UK has 

ever had. His sixteen years of top-level ministerial experience also 

include Minister for London, Employment Minister and Paymaster 

General. He set up and now runs Sancroft, a Corporate Responsibility 

consultancy. Lord Deben is also Chairman of the Committee on 

Climate Change, Valpak Limited, and the Association of Professional 

Financial Advisors. Insulate Magazine’s Colin Heath sat down with 

Lord deben for his views on the insulation industries contribution to 

reaching climate change targets 

Your recent 266 page report from the Committee 

which was a bit of an eye opener to those of us that 

read it, in your opinion Lord Deben where are the quick 

wins to be gained for the Country from that report 

Well, my own view is that there aren’t quick wins 

what there is a very important matter of getting 

people to change the way in which they behave 

without hindering the way in which they live. In 

other words we can do these things and still have 

the things we want we can just buy them if you like 

at a very much lower carbon intensity. 

So, you may have seen in another recent report 

that we show that because of all the green measures 

that we have taken, our bills are £9.00 a 

month more on average than they would otherwise 

have been, but we spend £20.00 a month 

less than we would have done so because of the 

greater efficiency that all our equipment now has, 

so whenever you buy a new kettle or get a new 

boiler or buy a new toaster they use much less 

energy so we are all using much less energy without 

noticing it. 

So my first quick win is making it easy to be good 

and difficult to be bad 

40 



Interesting point to raise , I suppose it's a bit like the 

Direct Debit the consumer becomes totallyblasé to either 

wins or costs because they don't see that cash 

coming out of their pocket and the advancements that 

you have driven with manufacturing technology in 

terms of the reduction of the usage of power is a good 

thing, and I don't think it gets the credit that it deserves 

personally, but that's all about education isn't it 

I know it doesn’t because the climate change deniers 

were utterly furious when we produced that 

report and claimed that it was all untrue and then 

failed to explain anything that was untrue in it, so I 

think we had hit the spot. 

If Government is to achieve its own carbon reduction 

targets, improved rates of insulation installation 

is clearly needed throughout the domestic housing 

stock in the UK, how do you see that panning out over 

the next period? 

Well we have made it clear to the Government that 

as you know ,from your reading of the report, the 

two big challenges now that we are well on the 

way to the decarbonisation of electricity, the two 

big challenges are Heat & Transport. 

We are well on the way to the 

decarbonisation of electricity, the 

two big challenges are Heat and 

transport. 

Transport looks as if it is turning in the right direction 

the take up of electric is significant and is 

much more popular than people thought it was 

going to be, the issue now is how do we move 

it faster and the Government will need to look at 

that, 

The big problem is heat and we have been much 

less successful in dealing with heat and that is 

two-fold, one is of course not wasting it and that 

is where the insulation comes in and the other is of 

course trying to produce heat in a more sensible 

and more efficient and less carbon intensive way 

and so that’s what we have asked the Government 

to concentrate on and it should be producing it’s 

response to that once the local Government elections 

are over. 

It’s not allowed to do so during purdah so we are 

expecting it probably at some time in May which 

will enable us to comment on it by the end of June 

which is what legally what we have to do, we are 

also affected by the act and every June before the 

end of June we have to produce our Annual Report. 

Ok, as an Industry how do you feel that we contribute 

and add value to what you are saying in the report, do 

we as an Industry get it right from your perspective? 

I think the Industry is absolutely crucial to the future, 

insulation is absolutely vital and I am very 

interested to see, I went to look at a new house, an 

individual new house being built and the amount 

of insulation being put into it is really excitingly effective 

and of course it means that the amount 

of heating that it will need will be very small even 

though it’s right on the coast, so particularly when 

you have when you have purchasers who are keen 

on these things and who realise just what savings 

can be brought about the Industry has a range of 

products which are very suitable. 

I think the Industry has been less good at pressurizing 

the standards of new build, I still think that we 

can move (improve) the insulated quality and lower 

the amount of heating needed in all new builds, 

there are several builders who frankly don’t cut the 

mustard and we need to pressurize them and we 

need to pressurize the Government to raise the 

standards required of new build, because if you 

do this in a new build the initial cost is very small 

indeed but the running costs are reduced very 

considerably. 

I think the Industry is absolutely 

crucial to the future, insulation is 

absolutely vital 

insulatemag 41


Retrofitting which is the third part, retrofitting 

is of course an expensive and very often an inconvenient 

thing to do once you get past putting 

some rolls of insulation in the attic, not that 

I write that down because it’s very important, 

to get beyond that you’re talking about what is 

at least an intricate thing which takes time and 

which people don’t necessarily want to do, so 

I think the area where I would press the Industry 

is both in new build materials and in innovation 

in dealing with the really hard core problems 

for example of solid wall insulation which is 

very expensive and we haven’t really cracked it 

properly. 

The area I would press the industry 

is both in new build materials 

innovation in dealing with the 

really hard core problems 

I do also think that the innovation is absolutely 

crucial and I was looking the other day at 

some new material for use in building which are 

made out of glass being presented at the last 

Ecobuild and if you look at this, and it’s only one of 

a whole range, you will see something which can 

be applied to the outside of solid wall homes and 

made to look exactly as if it weren’t there so to 

speak because it’s infinitely paintable and sandable 

and all sorts of things and is very cheap. 

Now I am concerned that the building industry 

hasn’t jumped on that and built it up and is clearly 

working and other things like it because that would 

make a huge difference because I am personally 

extremely interested in doing something about 

solid wall insulation because many of the poorest 

people in Britain for whom the heating bills are 

most difficult live in that sort of accommodation. 

I feel that our readers would like to know your 

thoughts on how better this Industry could 

cooperate with Government and use the report 

instead of the usual chuntering about this 

and that and accept some of the criticisms as 

critique rather than criticisms, what are your 

thoughts? 

Well, I think the answer really is that the Industry 

always wants things done for their own 

commercial advantage, I am all for commercial 

advantage, I am of course a Conservative, so I 

think that it is very important for the market to 

work, but I still think that if Government is going 

to be fully engaged the Industry needs not only to 

point out the sort of things which only you know 

when you do things, Government isn’t always 

very good at framing legislation or regulation and 

it’s important for the Industry to play a real part 

in that but it’s also important for the Industry to 

welcome good things that have been done, I’ve 

always thought that a thank you encourages people 

to do more and if you only get criticism that’s 

not good and it doesn’t serve the purpose and I 

think the other thing the Industry should be doing 

is saying to Government look we want to work 

with you part of your new industrial strategy ought 

to see energy efficiency as a matter of infrastructure, 

we’ve really got to use the means we’ve got 

to ensure that the whole of British infrastructure 

is properly insulated, has a real energy efficiency 

programmes because doing that will save us 

huge sums of money and I don’t think the Industry 

has really linked in to the Government’s own programme 

for industrial strategy and for infrastructure 

spending and that’s where I think a great deal 

could be done. 

I think you made an absolute germane point 

there Lord Deben and could it be, and I'd be 

interested to take your view on this, could it 

be the fragmented sort of nature of the insulation 

industry, and if you couple that up with 

the fragmented nature of the installation end, 

the contractor end, the installer end it's quite a 

hotchpotch of approaches, what is your steer 



to it in terms of finding an overall avenue because 

Government likes to speak to one voice 

does it not or have I got that wrong? 

No I think one of the big problems is that the construction 

industry as a whole has a long history 

of failing to engage with Government because it 

fails itself to have a common voice and I remember 

that when I was Secretary of State for the Environment 

I got so fed up with five different sets of 

people coming from the construction industry and 

giving me slightly difference messages that I said I 

wasn’t going to listen to any of them until they got 

one person or one organisation to come and tell 

me what they had decided as a whole, otherwise 

I was making the decisions actually and I had upset 

four for every one decision one made because 

they had not worked out for themselves what their 

priorities as an industry was, and I think that is particularly 

true of some 

of the sub-sets of the industry and that is true in the 

insulation industry for obvious reasons that there is 

a mis-match between manufacturer and installer, 

there’s a mis-match between small installers and 

big installers and altogether the industry, if you 

take it as that sub-set of the construction industry 

doesn’t speak as one, and I very much wish, for 

example I’d like to see the industry decide that it 

would come together in order to produce an answer 

to the Governments request for contributions 

to the industrial strategy, and that should be done 

right across the board and not by any one Trade 

Association and presented by people that are recognised 

in the industry as leaders that is the way 

the Government listens, it listens to leaders and 

this is an industry which sorely needs that 

That's an excellent point and well taken here and hopefully 

the readers of this piece will get that message of 

leadership. If we just digress slightly, the Farmer report, 

we've had many reports over the years from 

the various Governments but the most recent farmer 

report I think was an absolute indictment of how this 

industry is generally and that would cover where we 

are today with the industry insulation space, bad practice, 

all sorts of chaos, wastage, etc we need 




insulatemag 43

to wake up and smell the coffee as an industry we'll 

not be able to contribute in a meaningful way to what 

your committee is saying in that report and that would 

be a shame really if that was the case 

I think you’ve put your finger on an important 

element which is that particularly in retro-fit the 

installer is coming into somebodies home, and if 

for example, bad practice, every example of poor 

finishing, every example of dirty and untidy dealing 

with people is then swaged around so Mrs Jones 

has a bad story, she tells Mrs Brown who tells Mrs 

Smith and in the end a whole series of people say 

then I’m not having that done because it’s a terrible 

mess, one single bad installer can make a huge 

difference and the industry needs to think, I think, 

much more of how it raises the general standards, 

not because everybody’s bad or indeed that the 

majority are, but an individual can make so much 

difference to the reputation of everyone else 

The awards event the 

insulation indusrtry has been waiting for 

I totally agree the barriers to entry for our particular 

space are so low that their frightening you're unleashing 

individuals who may not have the right skill set 

onto the biggest investment that people will have 

committed to in their lifetime, drilling holes in it, spraying 

polyfoam insulation in areas that they shouldn't be 

spraying it around and the general public just go along 

with it because they feel that that is how it is done, and 

it's not how it's done and you and me know it's not 

how it's done. 

I think so, and I think it’s a question of leadership 

and it’s a question of frankly having a structure 

where people have a simple way of knowing that 

the person who they are dealing with is a properly 

accredited and properly trained person, and that 

has not happened yet. I myself am a believer in 

the success of the rules about electricians, it has 

improved the standard of electrical installation it’s 

saved a lot of peoples lives and it certainly reduced 

the number of fires. I want to see that in other 

trades as well, I think plumbers searching for that 

sort of necessary registration and it seems to me 

that given the amount of money people are going 

to spend, if they are going to have insulation, given 



the Government’s support for insulation it is very 

important for the industry to find a way, a simple 

way in which if someone is asking for it, and given 

that people don’t do this twice, they want to know 

the person they are dealing with actually knows 

how to do it. 

Absolutely agree with you, the models there it's 

proven, it's a case of adopting it and adapting it and using 

their best practice to leap-frog through this process 

quite quickly, and I'm sure those industry bodies will be 

quite happy to assist and share the best practice, because 

I find now, and I'm sure you probably do from 

your discussions with various associations and organisations, 

people are quite happy now to assist in best 

practice and share and improve and lift levels of professionalism, 

there's less competition at certain levels I feel. 

Yes, I think it’s a question of concentration and 

focus actually, we need to see a much more focussed 

attempts to achieve these ends. 

the sense that they would continue to live as they 

do but because we have more energy efficiency 

homes, because offices are built a more energy 

efficient way because we have more energy efficient 

products, the European Union has been extremely 

helpful there, I notice that Mr Dyson was 

antagonistic to the new rules on vacuum cleaners 

unless that you actively insist that people deliver 

the same results, that is not have worse vacuum 

cleaners but that deliver the same results at much 

lower energy input, unless you do that then people 

will pay for energy that they don’t need to and so 

I am passionate about reducing our energy spend 

because that helps people much more than anything 

else. 

Excellent, Lord Deben thank you for your time, it's been 

an excellent exchange with you and we look forward to 

printing your thoughts and ideas. 

Ok, thank you very much 

Final question Lord Deben, and you've been very kind 

giving us this amount of your time, so the last question 

for you, you've kindly offered to join the judging panel 

and we are delighted, what attracted to this particular 

event? 

Simply that I come from a background which believed 

that the first thing you did was not to spend 

money but to save it I find it extremely offensive 

that we are so wasteful in our use of energy and 

we keep on trying to find new ways to deliver energy 

that’s very important I’m very keen on renewables 

and all the rest, but in the end you could save 

half the energy we use simply by using it more efficiently 

and if you did that nobody would notice in 

I’m very keen on renewables and all 

the rest, but in the end you could 

save half the energy we use simply 

by using it more efficiently 

insulatemag 45


Industry Insight 

Brufma Conference Set to Provide Insight 

Into the Future of Our Building Stock 

Our built environment is vulnerable to the future and so we need to take significant steps 

to ensure our buildings are made more resilient and reduce energy costs. We must 

reconsider how we design, construct and upgrade both new and existing buildings. 

But when it comes to design, how do we strike the right balance between regulation and 

education to ensure all parties are on board? 

At its annual conference on Wednesday 28 June 

2017, the British Rigid Urethane Foam Manufacturers’ 

Association (BRUFMA) will put future proofing 

our buildings in the spotlight. With an overarching 

theme, Regulation or Education? The role 

of design in future proofing the UK building stock, 

the conference will play host to some of the leading 

players in sustainability, design and building 

standards. 

An impressive line-up of speakers ready to debate 

the long-term view on the sustainability of buildings 

includes Dr Stephen Garvin, Director BRE 

Centre for Resilience, Claire Curtis-Thomas, Chief 

Executive of the BBA, Dr Howard Porter, Chair of 

the Each Home Counts Implementation Board 

and CEO of BEAMA, and Lynn Sullivan OBE, 

co-founding partner of sustainableBYdesign. They 

will be joined by, amongst others, Will Waller from 

leading design and consultancy firm, Arcadis, who 

will provide an overview of the built environment. 

Should it be a case of everyone understanding 

how every small detail of a build fits together or do 

we need more regulation around real performance 

testing? Is there a disconnect between those who 

design and the people who actually do the building? 

Is there a need for design strategies that will 

manage future trends and drivers affecting the energy 

performance of buildings? And how do we 

incentivise homeowners into investing in energy 

The event will also be the perfect platform to discuss 

the drive towards greater sustainable housing 

in light of the government’s latest attempt to 

solve our housing shortage. Of course building an 

additional one million homes by 2020 should not 

mean poorer performing buildings. 

The 2017 conference will provide a unique and 

exciting opportunity for anyone engaged in future 

proofing new and existing buildings, including architects, 

specifiers and local authorities as well as 

BRUFMA members. 

Over the years BRUFMA has built enormous credibility 

within the industry and across government 

and non-governmental organisations involved in 

legislative areas affecting the production and use 

of PIR/PUR insulation products. 

For more information about the BRUFMA Annual 

Conference taking place at The Building Centre, 

26 Store Street, London or to register please click 

here 

46 


The UK's only 

exhibition dedicated 

to the insulation industry 

Register your interest online today 

www.insulationexpo.co.uk 

In association with

Thursday 30 th November 2017 

East Midlands Conference Centre & Orchard Hotel 

Expert judge panel 

22 awards categories 

BREEAM Excellent rated venue 

Unmissable night of celebration 

5 course meal, wine and champagne 

Evening hosted by TV personality Nick Knowles 

Accepting FREE entries now 

www.insulationawards.co.uk | info@insulationawards.co.uk | 01948 759 351

Insulate Magazine issue 6

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