February 2022

Project Focus: PIR
MEETING THE GRADE FOR
THERMAL PERFORMANCE
Recticel PIR insulation has proven to be the ideal solution to ensure two new public
school buildings attained regulation levels of thermal performance.
Charterhouse public school in Surrey is said
to be one of England’s most revered seats
of learning. As part of an expansion at the
site, which opened as a school in the 16th
century, two new buildings designed as boarding
accommodation for students are under
construction. The huge project involves nearly 50
roofs – containing pitches of between 3.55° and
65° – and 60 dormer windows. With this in mind,
an insulation system that was rapid to install and
offered superb thermal capabilities was therefore
essential to meeting the works programme’s
strict time constraints. Recticel’s Eurothane GP
insulation board met both
requirements.
Waterproofing work on the
new school buildings
began in August 2020.
The build-up comprised
a vapour barrier, which
was applied to a
plywood deck, and
breather membrane with a
standing seam. For the
insulation, TSH Architects, in
conjunction with contractor Salmon Solutions and
Recticel, specified 140mm Eurothane GP PIR
insulation board. Despite this high-performance
system’s lightweight composition, it provides a
thermal capability of 0.022 W/mK.
Eurothane GP boards fit easily between roof
rafters to create a superbly flat foundation for a
waterproofing finish. For the Charterhouse
project, the boards were installed across a huge,
2,200m² area. The prevalence of dormer windows
provided an additional challenge, which was
overcome due to Eurothane GP’s easy handling
and cutting properties, ensuring these features
Images: Charterhouse public school in Surrey has undergone a significant expansion.
“The boards were ideal when it came
to selecting an insulation system
which helped the roofing element of
the impressive public school
buildings achieve the required U-value”
were quickly and effectively insulated
against instances of thermal bridging.
Charlie Whitman, Project Manager and Surveyor
at Salmon Solutions, said: “Recticel Insulation
played a significant role in ensuring this vital
project was completed to the agreed timeframe
and to the highest specification. Lightweight and
easy to handle, Eurothane GP insulation boards,
were a pleasure to work with on this project. This
benefit, along with their superb durability and
consistent performance, ensured the boards were
ideal when it came to selecting an insulation
system which helped the roofing element of the
impressive public school buildings achieve the
required U-value.”
Despite the stop-start nature of the works
programme due to coronavirus restrictions and
inclement periods of weather, the Charterhouse
building’s roofs are on track to be fullywaterproofed
by the agreed completion date. This
is in no small part to Eurothane GP’s superb
usability, resulting in a quick and easy installation
that will futureproof these impressive structures
against cold and damp for years to come.
Contact Recticel Insulation
www.recticelinsulation.com/en-gb/home
@RecticelInsulUK
58 TC FEBRUARY 2022