INSULATION
LOCKING DOWN ENERGY
EFFICIENCY GAINS
lifetime running costs will continue to be major decision-clinching factors.
BMJ chats to Bob Dalrymple, head of marketing for Western Europe & North America at TN International, about why the rush to catch-up on lost time from
lockdown shouldn’t be at the expense of delivering high-quality and energy efficient homes.
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or construction companies and suppliers, minds have rightly been focussed on protecting the wellbeing of staff and minimising the financial impact of Coronavirus restrictions. But as governments across the UK begin to ease restrictions and construction restarts in earnest, we can’t take our eye off the critical importance of weaving environmental sustainability into our buildings. While building sites have been closed, the demand for housing has not gone away, and the temptation for some could be to fast-track developments, compromising quality in the fabric of the building – especially insulation. When markets begin to open up again, house buyers may well place more emphasis on the availability of outdoor space they’ve missed during lockdown, but energy efficiency and
Cutting what my seem like small corners in fully insulating properties can quickly add up to major impacts on energy performance, affecting value and desirability of newbuilds. With our Superglass brand, we work with installers, architects and project managers to develop our wide range of mineral wool insulation to fully envelop buildings to reduce carbon emissions. Our mantra is ‘wrap it then heat it’, as the simplest and most effective way to improve thermal retention in the home. There are some simple steps that builders and installers can take to do just that and improve a building’s environmental friendliness. When designing a building, there are a lot of inbuilt assumptions in the energy model about the continuity of insulation (and associated air tightness) that can be tricky to achieve in practice. The Zero Carbon Hub identified the most common areas where poor construction details lead to unintentional heat loss in traditional masonry construction, including: missing insulation below the damp proof course; gaps in floor, roof and wall insulation; cold bridging at window lintels; uninsulated pipes; and poor detailing around pipes and skirting boards.
Superglass’ insulation is more forgiving than rigid boards. For example, with the latter, you often get small air gaps between the inner wall and insulation in cavity walls due to excess mortar creating a rough surface. Because glass mineral wool is flexible, it’s easier to ensure a flush fitting against uneven walls and in small spaces.
Using different types of insulation can also help minimise air and heat leakage. It’s almost impossible to get traditional loft insulation laid properly in hard to treat lofts, but blown insulation, such as Superglass Superwhite Loft, can insulate the smallest of roof voids. Over recent years we’ve seen increased demand for fully blown insulation in lofts in the UK – rather than the traditional laid insulation with loft cavities left open. The trend started in the Nordic countries, where insulation
www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net June 2020
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Superglass’ insulation is made of up to 84% recycled glass, it reduces waste disposal and saves valuable resources and over its lifetime saves more than 300% of the energy used to manufacture it.
against arctic winters is vital, and is becoming increasingly popular here. As homeowners chase energy savings, we may well see even more demand for fully blown loft insulation in British homes.
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Lifetime running costs remain high in the order of considerations for house buyers, so architects, planners, builders and project
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