INSULATION
63
Foam Lite expands 100 fold in seconds
“We needed a more efficient, modern method of insulation that provides a high level of thermal insulation and help us create a sealed ‘breathable’ box environment to give us better management of both heat input and ventilation. Electricity is already expensive and prices will only go upwards, so it’s vital that we do all we can to first minimise consumption, prior to the installation of any renewable energy technologies” said Finnegan. Early on in the restoration programme, insulation specialists, Green Horizon Energy Solutions were brought in to advise on how best to minimise thermal loss. Director, Matt Lawford recommended the use of Foam Lite LDC 50, a breathable, spray applied ‘open cell’ insulation system from Huntsman Building Solutions (HBS). “Huntsman’s Foam Lite is a spray applied insulation system that expands quickly but gently, sealing all gaps, service holes and hard to reach spaces, virtually eliminating cold bridging and air leakage” explained Matt Lawford. “As well as the entire roof area, we recommended applying spray foam insulation to the underfloor area of the timber ground floor. Up to 20% of heat can be lost through an un-insulated suspended
The entire roof area insulated in a matter of minutes
floor and, with easy access from the cellar area, this gave us a quick-win in terms of heat loss mitigation” added Lawford.
Spray applied, open-cell insulation Unlike the urethane foams of 20 years ago, modern spray foams such as Huntsman Building Solutions Foam Lite LDC 50 uses water as the blowing agent. This means that the reaction between the two components
produces a small amount of CO2 which causes the foam to expand. Cells of the foam
burst and the CO2 is replaced by air. This “open cell” foam provides outstanding insulation properties but still allows the building to breathe naturally, without the risk of condensation. HBS spray foam insulation systems were developed in Canada to cope with their severe winters and are now widely used in UK in both the residential and commercial sectors. In the roof area, the original lath and
plaster covering was removed from the underside to the pitched roof and 50mm section timber counter- battens installed. The roof had been re-slated in the 1960’s and the bituminous sarking felt covering was found to be in sound condition so no further remedial work was needed. A thin layer of glass fibre was removed and
HBS Foam Lite LDC 50 insulation sprayed directly on to the exposed felt to a depth of 120 mm. After trimming flush, the ceiling was fitted with a Vapour Control Layer (VCL), re-boarded and skimmed. With good access to the underfloor at
ground level (via the basement), insulation was sprayed between the flooring joists to a depth of 120 mm, eliminating draught incursion to the rooms above.
Post restoration data collection The house restoration project began in early 2021 with a target for completion and occupation by the end of the year. An array of temperature, energy and relative humidity sensors are being installed as work progresses allowing a comprehensive programme of data collection covering air tightness, net electrical energy consumption, thermal performance and so on. These will be collated into a formal paper to be published by Dr Finnegan during the latter part of 2022. Alongside a live data feed open to the public and hosted by the Zero Carbon Research Institute
www.zcri.co.uk, which was founded by Dr Finnegan.
01485 500 668
www.huntsmanbuildingsolutions.co.uk
ADF NOVEMBER 2021
WWW.ARCHITECTSDATAFILE.CO.UK
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