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AN ALTERNATIVE PERSPECTIVE ON BEING A RSPONSIBLE PRODUCT MANUFACTURER

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“What makes a responsible construction product manufacturer?” asks Gary Ferguson, Polyfoam XPS’s Business Development Manager for the North and Scotland. Clearly communicated values. Good quality product information. Comprehensive specification and sales support. Transparency and responsiveness. All of those things, and more, contribute to a manufacturer feeling more like a collaborative partner than simply a product … Read more

SPECIFYING THERMAL INSULATION WITH INSTALLERS IN MIND

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Thermal insulation only performs as well as it is installed. The best specified floor, wall or roof means nothing if what happens on site doesn’t correlate with what was designed. It’s not enough for insulation to simply be present within the construction: it must be calculated correctly, fitted as tightly as possible, and continuous from … Read more

HOW CAN COMPETENCE AROUND U VALUE CALCULATIONS AND INSULATION SPECIFICATION BE IMPROVED?

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The matter of misleading U-value calculations – produced unintentionally or otherwise – is a question of the ethics and values that the construction industry wants to reflect, and of the quality of end product it wants to deliver to building users. The above statement is highly relevant to the discussions and initiatives around competence that … Read more

HOW TO SPECIFY EXTRUDED POLYSTYRENE (XPS) INSULATION FOR A CAR PARK DECK

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If a flat roof forms part of a building’s thermal envelope as well as providing car parking then it is necessary to specify an insulated car park deck. This means choosing a thermal insulation product capable of meeting the energy efficiency requirements of national building regulations and bearing the loads imposed by vehicular traffic. Any … Read more

WHAT TESTING IS NEEDED TO FULLY DETERMINE INVERTED ROOF PERFORMANCE?

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Inverted roof construction places unique demands on the components within the build-up, and the insulation layer specifically. For specifiers and installers of inverted roofs, it is essential to have full confidence that the chosen insulation has been fully assessed against those demands. Otherwise, there is a risk of under-performance: not just thermally, but in terms … Read more

THE IMPORTANCE OF A WATER FLOW REDUCING LAYER (WFRL) IN INVERTED ROOFS

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The inclusion of water flow reducing layers (WFRLs) in inverted flat roof build-ups is so widely accepted that it might surprise people to realise they are, in fact, an optional component of the roof system. However, such is the effectiveness of a WFRL in that system that the membrane’s removal from a specification would significantly … Read more

HOW DO EXTRUDED AND EXPANDED POLYSTYRENE COMPARE?

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As both are types of polystyrene insulation, extruded polystyrene (XPS) and expanded polystyrene (EPS) are often seen as very similar. They tend to be viewed as more direct competition to one another than other types of rigid insulation like PIR and phenolic foam. While there are similarities in the applications for which XPS and EPS … Read more

INSULATING BASEMENTS WITH EXTRUDED POLYSTYRENE (XPS)

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Extruded polystyrene (XPS) can be used to insulate basement structures both externally and internally. The material’s unique combination of performance characteristics means it is particularly well-suited to insulating on the outside of below-ground structures. Choosing to insulate internally or externally depends whether a project is new-build or retrofit, and how continuity will be achieved with … Read more

CAN EXTRUDED POLYSTYRENE (XPS) INSULATION BE RECYCLED?

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We know that polystyrene material, including extruded polystyrene (XPS), can be recycled. That’s because the manufacture of XPS products uses a certain amount of recycled material, to reduce the quantity of virgin polystyrene required. You can read more about how Polyfoam XPS makes its insulation products in our ‘How is XPS made?’ blog post. This … Read more

HOW CONSTRUCTION PRODUCT MANUFACTURERS CAN HELP SPECIFIERS FIND THE INFORMATION THEY NEED

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It is more than five years since Dame Judith Hackitt’s independent review of building regulations and fire safety was published. In that time, the government and the construction industry have begun implementing the review’s recommendations, through new legislation and initiatives aimed at addressing areas such as competence and construction product information. An independent review of … Read more

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