INSULATION
FIRE IN THE HOLD! T
Fire safety is in the news and as a result the spotlight has fallen on non-combustible insulation.
he construction industry is facing far greater scrutiny about the way buildings are built, with fire safety a primary concern right across the supply chain. Regulations are getting tighter, and the new Construction Products Regulator has been set up to ensure the materials being used are safe. Merchants will therefore need to guide customers towards the right products for the application – and where fire safety is concerned the simplest solution is to go non- combustible.
Architects are already designing out fire risk, and not just in cases where the building regulations mandate non-combustibility. Large developers too are increasingly pre-empting further legislative changes by insisting on non- combustible only projects.
Graham Wroe, sales director (building & distribution) at Knauf Insulation says that this isn’t just being driven by government and legislation, but also by forces outside of the industry. There have been reports of homeowners who cannot sell their homes because lenders will not provide mortgages for flats without an EWS1 form, regardless of the building’s height – even though the form is only required to ascertain the safety of cladding used on buildings over 18m, he says. “Similarly, there have been accounts of insurers refusing to cover low-rise properties suspected of having been built with combustible insulation or cladding. Where insurance is provided, premiums have been rising dramatically.“
Wroe adds these stakeholders have the power to stop the housing market and therefore, hold great sway across the industry. “After all, no housebuilder wants to discover their prime development is rendered unsaleable because of the type of insulation used.
“Similarly, after years of Grenfell inquiry headlines and the subsequent issue of liability for cladding remediation, many homeowners are starting to question the fire safety of products used in their own homes.” This could be an issue for smaller, independent builders, Wroe suggests, who won’t be able to lean on the internal technical teams available to large contractors for advice. “Will they understand all the risks involved with using certain products, and the potential for future liability issues? The answer is probably no.”
He explains that merchants will therefore play a critical role in helping the construction industry deliver safer buildings, by educating their customers about the need to use non- combustible insulation on every project including extensions and low-rise properties. “There are two fire performance measures that should be considered. Fire resistance measures the ability of a material or system to resist, and ideally prevent, the passage of fire from one distinct area to another. Reaction to fire measures how a material or system will contribute to the development and spread of fire particularly in the very early stages when evacuation is crucial.
“Technically, combustible materials can be used as part of a system that achieves a ‘good’ level of fire resistance. However, if the structure of a building is compromised, through poor installation or movement, for example, a fire could reach the flammable insulation within the build-up and spread to otherwise concealed spaces in the walls or floors – with dangerous consequences.” This is where non-combustibility comes in. Euroclass reaction to fire classification measures whether a material will ignite, produce smoke or flaming droplets. Ratings
range from F (the lowest) to A1 (the highest). Non-combustible insulation (Euroclass A1 or A2 s1, d0), such as Glass or Rock Mineral Wool, will not contribute to the development or spread of fire should it occur, making it the safest choice whatever the application or building height. And with a melting point of over 1,000°C, Rock Mineral Wool should be the preferred solution for fire resistance too. Wroe says: “Ultimately, where reaction to fire is concerned, you don’t need to have all the answers or know every detail of the building regulations. The simplest solution to the complex issue of fire safety is to encourage customers to use Glass or Rock Mineral Wool insulation in their systems. Not only will it meet the thermal requirements but it will give builders and their customers the added reassurance of non-combustibility. After all, where fire safety is concerned, why take the risk?” BMJ
Insulation distributor Belgrade Insulation has relocated its Wellingborough branch to the Brackmills Trade Park in Northampton. This two-year-old unit provides the oppor- tunity to stock a wider range of products and is ideally positioned for local collections and deliveries, being situated close to the national road network, including the M1, M6 motorways. Branch Director Mike Cosgrove has brought across his full team to ensure continuity of both customer and supplier contact and the branch has expertise in Building Envelope Insulation and associated Fire Stopping solutions. The company has also been recog- nised by this year’s Sunday Times Profit Track 100, which recognises the Britiah compa- nies with the fastest growing profits.
June 2021
www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net 29
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