Ground floor and flat roof insulation products manufactured by Polyfoam XPS have been recertified by the British Board of Agrément (BBA). The reissued certificates mean the extruded polystyrene (XPS) insulation boards have been independently assessed by the BBA against the latest building regulations, and confirmed as still being fit for purpose. “BBA certificates remain one […]
To make sustainable product choices for construction projects, it’s necessary to compare environmental product declarations (EPDs). When different manufacturers make EPDs available for their products, it’s important to look for similarities and differences in the reporting so that appropriate judgements can be made. On its own, an EPD is not a statement of whether a […]
A point thermal transmittance measures heat loss through an isolated thermal bridge, and is expressed as a chi value. A point thermal bridge can occur anywhere in the building fabric, but for this blog post we’ll refer to common examples found in flat roof constructions. A chi value is a counterpart to a psi value, […]
A life cycle assessment, or LCA, analyses the environmental impact of a construction product across five stages: product, construction process, use, end of life, and the circular economy. The results of the assessment are reported in a standardised document, an environmental product declaration (EPD), which can cover some or all of these stages. The five […]
A new white paper from Polyfoam XPS aims to provide specifiers and contractors with advice on insulating cavity walls below damp proof course (DPC) level, while guarding against moisture risk. “Our technical helpdesk regularly gets asked about improving the thermal performance of junctions between ground floors and external walls,” said Rob Firman, Technical and Specification […]
An environmental product declaration, or EPD, is a document that communicates environmental impact. EPDs are internationally recognised and should be independently verified to ensure they meet the applicable standards. While EPDs can be created for products and services of all types, in all areas of life, there are specific standards and rules covering the creation […]
Polyfoam XPS’s range of extruded polystyrene insulation products for ground floors and flat roofs can now be found on SpecifiedBy, the leading building product research platform for architects and specifiers in the UK. “Supporting our clients and customers with their digital processes, and engaging with projects at an early stage, has never been more important,” […]
The Code for Construction Product Information (CCPI) was published in September 2021, following a consultation process. The Code has been prepared by the Marketing Integrity Group (MIG), which was established by the Construction Products Association (CPA) in response to Dame Judith Hackitt’s report Building A Safer Future. We first wrote about the Code in May […]
BS 5250 has always been an important standard for architects and design professionals to be familiar with. Until 2021 it was titled Control of condensation in buildings, but the publication of an updated and heavily revised version has widened its scope and it is now the code of practice for Management of moisture in buildings. […]
Product data and product information supplied by manufacturers in the construction industry is currently the subject of much debate and discussion. For architects and specifiers to make informed decisions about which construction products will help them to deliver safe, healthy and comfortable buildings, product data must be relevant, accurate and up to date. Underpinning all […]
