‘Zero falls’ is a term generally used to describe a flat roof designed to be as close to level as possible. That is extremely difficult to achieve in reality, for which reason zero falls has long been a topic of debate within the flat roofing sector. Designing for zero falls may be desirable on a […]
After careful consideration, and in light of the rapidly changing market conditions, we at Polyfoam XPS have taken the decision to temporarily reduce the level of our operations.  From Friday 3rd April we will be reducing our operation and staff levels within our warehouse, offices and sales team. We endeavour to continue to do our […]
A requirement of national building regulations throughout the UK is that the building fabric, and the occupants of the building, are protected from moisture. That includes moisture from the ground, putting the onus on the construction of the floor in contact with the ground. Arguably, the thermal performance of a ground floor or the loadbearing […]
The compressive strength of ground floor insulation depends on the type of insulation material selected and the application in which a product is to be used. It must be capable of withstanding the loads that will be imposed on it, without any deformation of the floor. The load-bearing capability of a floor build-up and the […]
Due to the nature of energy efficiency regulations across the UK, it is impossible to state a definitive U-value that any single ground floor construction should achieve. Energy efficiency is measured by whole-building assessment methods that take into account many variables – of which building fabric performance, including the ground floor, is just one part. […]
The loads imposed on a ground floor construction rule out flexible insulation, like mineral wool and stone wool, as suitable products for use in typical build-ups. Rigid insulation boards not only bear those loads with relative ease, but their large-format sheet sizes can be laid quickly and easily over the floor area. This blog post […]
The ground floor of a building has to achieve a variety of performance requirements, some of which may be more obvious than others. It often has a role to play in the thermal performance of the building fabric, and must also be capable of bearing the loads imposed by the use of the building. The […]
Dame Judith Hackitt’s review into fire safety and building regulations is driving fundamental change across the whole construction sector. Here, we explain the impact of the review and why knowledge sharing has never been so important. ‘Building a Safer Future’ is the name of Dame Judith Hackitt’s final report following her independent review of building […]
The difference between testing thermal insulation products by immersion and diffusion is to assess the level of water absorption when the material is sitting/submerged in water, or exposed to high humidities, respectively. Immersion testing applies to more insulation types, and a range of testing options exist accordingly. Testing by diffusion is an additional test for […]
Extruded polystyrene (XPS) insulation is unique among common thermal insulation materials for its low moisture absorption and tolerance of wet environments. Whether installed directly in contact with the ground, or above the waterproofing layer in an inverted warm roof construction, it performs consistently and predictably in wet and dry conditions. Two different water absorption tests […]
