INSULATION FROM THE INSIDE OUT
The insulation sector is still reverberating from the shock of last year’s Grenfell fire and the shifts in regulation that it will bring, BMJ looks at what changes are having to be made and how that will shape the future of the market for suppliers and merchants.
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ighter regulations are having a strong impact on current trends in the insulation industry. Partly this is down to last year’s Grenfell Tower fire and the repercussions from it, partly it is down to the need to increase - and then meet - housebuilding targets.
Jemma Harris, regional sales director at Actis says: “Housebuilding targets are providing a boost to construction component manufacturers. We will have to see more timber frame due to the increased build speed. The need for speedier builds is even greater due to the UK’s dwindling skilled construction workforce.”
Actis has launched a new specialised roofing product aimed at the new-build and refurb market. BoostR Hybrid Roof has LABC and LABSS registered details and is NHBC, LABC warranty and Premier Gaurantee approved. It’s an evolution of Actis’ Boost R Hybrid, explains Harris.
“The new CE marked product, to be used on the cold side of roofs, eliminates the risk of condensation and prevents moisture entering the building. It contains four special features developed following customers feedback, which set it apart from its sister product, now renamed Boost R Hybrid Wall. The two changes which will make the most difference to the user experience are the addition of a lap and the inclusion of built-in adhesive tape.” Boost R Hybrid Roof is easily distinguished from its sister wall product by its colour. The roof variant is black while Boost R Hybrid Wall is silver. Boost R Hybrid Roof also comes in larger rolls which cover 15sqm.
Actis specification manager Dan Anson-Hart says, “Customers say they find it incredibly quick and easy to use. Those who loved the original Boost R in roofs, but found the lack of adhesive overlap an issue are delighted that they’re going to be able to get the same impressive thermal efficiency and value for money, with the added benefit of no hassle.” Harris says the company is hoping that in future the insulation sector will see a move towards using products which have been tested within a wider system rather than in isolation. “In her recent review following the Grenfell tragedy, Dame Judith Hackitt is pushing for construction materials to be tested within a
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system. While this relates to safety, the principle, we believe, should apply to other construction products and systems” she says.
“Dame Hackitt says that the government should restrict the use of desktop studies and that products should be tested within a full construction system. Testing data should be made transparent and publicly available for a much clearer product classification and labelling as well as product traceability. All products in the CE marked, NHBC approved, LABC and LABSS compliant Actis Hybrid system have been dual tested as individual components as well as within construction systems to measure their as-built performance, U-valves, air tightness and ability to eliminate thermal bridging.” Sales of Actis’ three core products have seen substantial growth year-on-year. All four CE marked products have LABC and LABSS registered details and are NHBC, LABC warranty and Premier Gaurantee approved. Mark Cooper, UK and Ireland sales director at Actis, explains that with tighter Part L regulations regarding air-tightness and thermal bridging, he company is seeing specifiers paying more attention to the role insulation will play in the overall energy efficiency of a building. “Part L changes ean we are seeing greater emphasis on avoiding thermal bridging” he says. Actis has produced a range of educational tools aimed at helping merchants, as well as
builders, specifiers, architects and building control officers, to understand how its products can help. These include a CPD training module, bitesize How-To videos, point of sale and downloadable How-To booklets and its popular online U-value simulator.
“Obviously, it’s in our interest to educate merchants about the benefits of our products to their customers. A while ago we ran a merchant competition, inviting them to see how quickly they could install our Hybris panels. Merchants across the UK took part in the challenge. Not only was it fun, it demonstrated in real life how quick and easy it is to install our products, even for those who weren’t experts,” says Jemma Harris. “We have loads of videos,
Continued on page 38
www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net August 2018
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