May 2021

Insulation Updates
For further info on all these updates and more, visit www.total-contractor.co.uk
KNAUF KEY TO DELIVERY
Four years ago, sustainable developer Citu System to install Supafil Frame – a high
set out to create homes 10 times more energy performance, non-combustible blowing wool.
efficient than typical UK houses. To do this,
Supafil Blowing Wool lends itself to offsite
the company invested in a state-of-the-art
production because it completely fills the cavity,
production facility where all the components
without any voids even around complex
for its properties are built offsite.
penetrations – something that can occur when
Thermal performance is critical to energy
insulation slabs or rolls are cut to size. It is also
efficiency. Citu wanted to go far beyond the a dry process, so operatives are not exposed to
regulations to achieve wall build-ups with an any harmful chemicals and it doesn’t require a
extremely low U-value of just 0.10W/m²K. This is dedicated production line.
at least three times better than the U-value
Instead, the system comprises a blowing
achieved in most new build homes and fifteen
machine and a filling plate. The system is
times better than older houses.
modular allowing for phased investment. Citu
Citu turned to Knauf Insulation for advice and opted to install the blowing machine in phase
support in developing the offsite capability one, which allowed them to manually fill the
required for this level of thermal performance. panels. Phase two saw the addition of the
Knauf Insulation’s Technical Support Team blowing plate, semi-automating the process.
undertook extensive calculations and
Supafil Frame can be run by a single operator,
recommended the Blowing Plate Insulation
Knauf Insulation’s Blowing Plate Insulation System ensures
that cavities are filled to the correct thickness.
fits easily into the existing production line, and
can even be moved quickly and swiftly to other
areas in the manufacturing facility depending on
Citu’s volume capacity requirements.
Knauf Insulation’s Technical Support Team
provided full training and support during each
phase of installation.
www.knaufinsulation.com
STO PRODUCTS USED IN EDINBURGH’S OLD TOWN
StoTherm Mineral insulation and StoSilco render were used to provide outstanding thermal performance on the
recently completed Peveril Securities King’s Stables Road mixed-use development in Edinburgh’s city centre. This
project illustrates Sto’s ability to work closely with specifiers, contractors and clients to ensure that the most
appropriate solution was chosen for this project.
Located in the Edinburgh Old Town’s historic Grassmarket area, the £40M King’s Stables Road development is a landmark
scheme delivering housing, premium student accommodation, a 4-star apart-hotel and various commercial units, set
around a number of public courtyards. “This was a large project for which a rainscreen cladding system was originally
considered,” said Sto’s Project Manager, Jim Reid. “However, budget constraints meant that an alternative solution was
required. The façades of the buildings feature numerous multi-level surfaces, and any alternative solution had to be able to
accommodate these and various other complex detailing requirements, while still meeting the budgetary requirements.”
Pic: Paul Zanre Photography.
Sto successfully worked in partnership with project architects, Fletcher Joseph Associates, and façade specialists AFS (Scotland) who installed the
StoTherm Mineral system. The result was a fully bespoke insulation system which satisfied all the project requirements. The mineral-fibre insulation
boards used in the StoTherm system provide excellent thermal performance along with unrivalled fire protection, great durability and impressive sound
insulation. The system’s efficient single-leaf construction does not reduce interior space and requires no additional expansion joints. This allowed the
smooth external surfaces which are used in the King’s Stables Road design to be created. Some sections of the development used Sto’s unique Sto-
Rotofix Plus adjustable spiral fixings to secure the insulation boards to the substrate.
“We’ve used Sto’s external wall insulation on many previous projects and find that it performs extremely well,” commented Steve Avery of AFS
(Scotland). “The StoTherm system is very straightforward to install, but still provides a high degree of flexibility which makes it a very practical
solution.” www.sto.co.uk
64 TC MAY 2021