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A new white paper has highlighted that tapered roof insulation systems, which combine flat roof insulation and drainage in a single product, can achieve considerable savings when compared with other common methods for creating a fall on a flat roof. The report shows the tapered insulation systems require no drying time, can be as little as around 3% the weight of screed to fall systems and deliver cost savings of as much as £58 per m2 (43%) on the roof build-up above the deck.

 

The Flat Roof Drainage white paper from Kingspan Insulation examines three commonly used methods of achieving a fall on a warm deck flat roof:

  • screed laid to falls;
  • timber firrings under a plywood deck; and
  • tapered roof insulation (specifically Kingspan Thermataper Systems)

 

It features a comparative cost analysis from Currie & Brown, looking at the three approaches across four new build non-residential buildings with concrete decks. These included a hospital extension and office blocks, with roof areas of between 192 m2 and 3,073 m2. All of the constructions use Kingspan Therma range insulation and are designed to achieve identical U-values of 0.16 W/m2K.

 

The results showed that the Kingspan Thermataper Systems provided the most cost-effective option across all four case studies. The system provided savings of £43 – 58 per m2 (up to 43%) on the roof build-up above deck when compared with screed to falls and £15 – 32 per m2 (up to 23%) when compared with the timber firrings. The analysis concluded that Kingspan Thermataper Systems would also provide cost savings on timber and metal deck roofs when compared with timber firings.

 

The white paper also highlights that a standard cement: sand screed dries at approximately one month per 25 mm thickness. This means that the drying time can be as much as 195 days or more on larger surfaces – greatly extending project timescales. Whilst this can be reduced with a quick-drying screed, this will raise system costs by between 40-50%.

 

Weight is also identified as an issue, with standard cement: sand screed weighing around 2000 kg/m3. When applied to the 3,073 m2 case study roof this led to a total above deck system weight of 1,005,000 kg, compared with just 23,000 kg for the Kingspan Thermataper System. This added weight will have clear structural implications for the building foundations and frame along with additional costs beyond those highlighted in the Currie & Brown analysis.

 

To read more about the research and the benefits tapered roof insulation can provide, download the Flat Roof Drainage white paper – www.kingspaninsulation.co.uk/flatroofdrainage

 

For further information, please contact:

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email: info@kingspaninsulation.co.uk

Website: www.kingspaninsulation.co.uk/flatroofdrainage

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Kingspan Insulation has launched a free online calculator and app to make it easier than ever to estimate the additional space and value you can add to a commercial property by using Kingspan’s thinner, more thermally efficient wall insulation solutions.

The RVoS calculator can be downloaded from the Google Play and Apple App stores or accessed at: http://realvalueofspace.co.uk/. Users can choose from five common external wall constructions, each comparing Kingspan Kooltherm solutions with lower performing alternatives. By setting a few additional project parameters, including floor area, rental price and yield value, you can receive a clear estimate of the additional floor space that can be recovered by using a Kingspan Kooltherm solution, and the added rental income and capitalised value this can provide.

The calculator has been developed based on independent research from Currie & Brown, commissioned by Kingspan Insulation. The research considered a database of 7,290 buildings of different types from across the country and ten real case study buildings, looking at how the use of different external wall insulation specifications impacted the useable floor space and value of the properties.

 

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The findings showed that whilst the use of Kingspan Kooltherm wall insulation solutions raised initial material costs, the additional floor space recovered through its use resulted in a positive return on investment (ROI) on this cost for 92% of the database buildings. Furthermore, 40% of the buildings achieved an ROI of between 300% and 1000%, whilst 18% showed an ROI greater than 1000%.

Kingspan are running a series of free regional seminars exploring the research and further issues surrounding energy efficiency in commercial and private domestic developments. To sign up for a seminar or to view the full RVoS research visit: kingspaninsulation.co.uk/realvalueofspace

 

For further information, please contact:

Tel: +44 (0) 1544 387 384

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Email: info@kingspaninsulation.co.uk

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New research from quantity surveyors, Rider Levett Bucknall, has shown that the physical properties, specifically the enhanced thermal performance, of Kingspan Kooltherm K110 FM Soffit Board can allow installers to fit an additional 5.25 m2 of insulation every thirty minutes when compared with the closest competitor, rock mineral fibre.

The independent study first compared the physical properties of five common soffit insulation materials. This analysis showed that the thermal conductivity of Kingspan Kooltherm K110 FM Soffit Board (0.018 W/mK) was the lowest on the market, 11% better than the next best material and 89% better than rock mineral fibre. This means that a compliant construction can be achieved with a slimmer thickness of insulation. For example, a 100 mm layer of the insulation material fitted beneath a 150 mm concrete deck can achieve a U-value of 0.17 W/m2K, the recommended best starting point to meet non-domestic Building Regulations in England and Wales. To match this performance with rock mineral fibre, 210 mm would be required. As the rock mineral fibre material assessed within the study is only available in thicknesses of between 130 mm and 160 mm,, two layers of insulation would need to be fitted to a total thickness of 260 mm.

To assess how this might impact an installation, a demonstration was carried out looking at how quickly a 100 mm thickness of Kingspan Kooltherm K110 FM Soffit Board could be installed beneath a 150 mm concrete deck when compared with the thinnest solution of 130 mm thick rock mineral fibre insulant. The results showed that the lightweight, easy to install design of Kingspan Kooltherm K110 FM Soffit Board allowed a 17.28 m2 area to be insulated in 37 minutes compared with just 10.8 m2 with the rock mineral fibre insulation, an improvement of 60%.

The study further showed that Kingspan Kooltherm K110 FM Soffit Board was the only material assessed that could provide details of certification as an ‘excellent’ product under the demanding responsible sourcing standard – BES 6001. The board, produced at Kingspan Insulation’s Pembridge, Herefordshire manufacturing facility, is also FM Approved to FM 4880.

The view the full demonstration of the Speed of Install video and to download the Reduce Your Overheads whitepaper, visit:

www.kingspaninsulation.co.uk/SpeedMatters

 

For further information, please contact:

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Kingspan Kooltherm K110 PLUS Soffit Board and Kingspan Kooltherm K118 Insulated Plasterboard have been installed as part of the conversion and expansion of a former office building, adding luxury accommodation to Birmingham’s historic Jewellery Quarter.

Beaufort House offers 88 one and two bedroomed apartments in the heart of Birmingham city centre. Benchmark Architects have drawn on Urban Luxe and Art Deco influences for their revisions to the Beaufort Housing Development Project. This styling is continued within all of the apartment rooms, which also feature generous open-plan living areas and a range of modern facilities. The construction work, overseen by Shaylor Group Ltd, included the erection of a recessed, two-storey roof extension.

To ensure the new apartments provided a comfortable environment for occupants, the design team looked to address the performance of areas of the existing building fabric – bringing them up to the standard of current Building Regulations. To insulate the ceiling of the basement (containing a residents’ bike store) and an undercroft below the ground floor they specified over 650 m2 of Kingspan Kooltherm K110 PLUS Soffit Board.

The soffit board has a thermal conductivity of just 0.018 W/m·K across all thicknesses, the lowest of any commonly used insulation material. This allowed heat loss through the ground floor of the building to be minimised without significantly reducing headroom within the basement area. Installers mechanically fixed the boards to the basement ceiling and concrete undercroft soffit.

The building’s stylish, glazed roof extension has been designed to provide contrast with the brick façade of the main building. To insulate its external walls, 57.5 mm Kingspan Kooltherm K118 Insulated Plasterboard was installed. The product combines vapour control, 12.5 mm plasterboard and a premium performance insulation core in a single product. This allowed installers to rapidly fit the insulation and begin decorating the apartments. The internal layer of insulation also mean that flats respond more quickly to heating – keeping them comfortable throughout the cooler months.

Kingspan Kooltherm K110 PLUS Soffit Board and Kingspan Kooltherm K118 Insulated Plasterboard produced at Kingspan Insulation’s Pembridge manufacturing facility are certified ‘Excellent’ to the demanding BES 6001 (Framework Standard for the Responsible Sourcing of Construction Products) responsible sourcing standard.

For further information, please contact:

Tel: +44 (0) 1544 387 384

Fax: +44 (0) 1544 387 484

email: info@kingspaninsulation.co.uk

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Kingspan Kooltherm K7 and K107 Pitched Roof Board have been installed as part of a major refurbishment project, transforming a former Victorian mill into CAT B office space for Manchester Metropolitan University.

6 Great Marlborough Street forms part of Manchester’s rich industrial heritage and sits within Little Ireland, the earliest area of Irish settlement within the city. The sensitive restoration plans make a feature of the historic building fabric, exposing the original brickwork and beams internally, whilst incorporating more contemporary elements such as building services and modern windows.

The design team prepared the fit-out using the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyor’s SKA Rating environmental assessment method – targeting a Silver rating certificate. As part of this process, they identified an opportunity to upgrade the thermal performance of the poorly insulated pitched roof. To minimise heat loss through the roof, a construction combining Kingspan Kooltherm K7 and K107 Pitched Roof Board was installed.

Kingspan Kooltherm K7 and K107 Pitched Roof Board can achieve thermal conductivities as low as 0.020 W/m·K and 0.018 W/m·K, respectively. In combination with their low emissivity foil facing, this makes them amongst the most thermally efficient pitched roof insulation materials in common use.

As the original roof slates have been retained, the boards were cut to size by hand and fitted between and below the existing roof rafters from inside the building. This premium specification allowed the target U-value to be met with the slimmest possible construction – maximising floor to ceiling heights in the top storey spaces in the 5-floor building.

Kingspan Kooltherm K7 and K107 Pitched Roof Board are produced under an integrated management system which is certified to the highest standards including ISO 9001: 2015 (Quality), ISO 14001: 2015 (Environmental), BS OHSAS 18001: 2007 (Health and Safety) and ISO 50001: 2011 (Energy). Their insulation core is manufactured with a blowing agent that has zero Ozone Depletion Potential (ODP) and low Global Warming Potential (GWP).

Image credit: Manchester Metropolitan University ©

For further information, please contact:

Tel: +44 (0) 1544 387 384

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A private development for contemporary urban living in Bristol is benefiting from the latest advancement in vacuum insulation technology and exceptional thermal performance with the Kingspan OPTIM-R E Roofing System.

The Old Library is an exclusive new-build featuring 36 spacious studios and apartments in the vibrant, North Bristol neighbourhood of Cotham. The classic exterior design complements the surrounding Victorian architecture, whilst the contemporary interior provides stylishly finished living spaces. Autograph Homes, the developer, designed the building in line with their commitment to building with ‘imagination and intelligence’, combining exciting architectural features with the latest smart and sustainable technologies.

The building includes several small roof-top balconies, which are above heated spaces and offer an extension to the living areas. Installers at Youngs Roofing noted that “the need to retain low threshold heights whilst meeting the demanding U-value of 0.14 W/m2.K provided a challenge” for this project. The Kingspan OPTIM-R E Roofing System offered the perfect solution.

Kingspan OPTIM-R E comprises a vacuum insulation panel, Kingspan OPTIM-R, completely encased within a high performance PIR insulation board. With an ultra-slim 80 mm thick design, it delivers an outstanding thermal conductivity of 0.009 W/m.K.

The encasing PIR insulation board provides complete protection for the vacuum insulation panel, allowing fast installation. Utilising Kingspan OPTIM-R flex infill strips, of the same thickness, enabled installers to easily infill awkward spaces and accommodate penetrations through the insulation layer.

Kingspan Insulation provided detailed information regarding the fitting of the Kingspan OPTIM-R E Roofing System, ensuring the ratio of Kingspan OPTIM-R E panels to OPTIM-R flex infill strips was optimised. This ensured that the U-value requirements were met with a minimal construction depth, without compromising on aesthetic design.

Image credit: Michael Whitestone

For more information, please contact:
Tel: +44 (0) 1544 387 384
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E.mail: info@kingspaninsulation.co.uk
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The Pines Primary School in Red Lodge has been constructed to provide a flexible, adaptable and sustainable space for education, with the help of Kingspan Kooltherm K15 Rainscreen Board.

The purpose-built structure, designed by Concertus Design & Property Consultants, has been carefully planned to meet today’s educational demands, cope with changes in the future and reduce the environmental impact of the school. The new building has been constructed by contractors, Morgan Sindall Construction, and offers specialist classrooms, practical areas and administration facilities, with the flexibility for growth as the school’s pupil intake increases. To ensure the new building achieved a premium level of thermal performance, 1600 m2 of Kingspan Kooltherm K15 Rainscreen Board was installed in a 50 mm thickness, helping to create a more comfortable learning environment, which can inspire and stimulate.

All new school developments in Suffolk require adoption of a sustainable building approach and, to this end, building materials were carefully chosen to both meet the design requirements and ensure maximum efficiency for the building’s life cycle. The school was designed to target a wall U-value of 0.19 W/m.2K, meeting best practice requirements. Concertus Design & Property Consultants commented:

“Sustainability needed to be considered early in the design so best practice could be embraced before, during and beyond the construction phases to reduce the immediate and long-term environmental impact of the new school.”

Utilising Kingspan Kooltherm K15 Rainscreen Board within the façade system allowed flexibility in the design process, as it is suitable for use behind a range of cladding options, including the timber façades chosen for the school, whilst maintaining the high levels of insulation required for the project.

The Kingspan Kooltherm K15 Rainscreen Board features a fibre-free rigid thermoset phenolic core and offers thermal conductivities as low as 0.020 W/m·K. This allowed the U-value to be met with a slim external wall construction.

In addition, all Kooltherm, Therma and KoolDuct insulation products and cavity closers manufactured at Kingspan Insulation’s facilities in Pembridge and Selby are certified to BES 6001 (Framework Standard for the Responsible Sourcing of Construction Products) ‘Excellent’. They are also manufactured with a blowing agent that has zero Ozone Depletion Potential (ODP) and low Global Warming Potential (GWP).

Photography courtesy of Morgan Sindall Construction

For further information, please contact:
Tel: +44 (0) 1544 387 384
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Kingspan Insulation has published a new white paper assessing how different floor insulation specifications can impact cost and floor-to-ceiling height in home refurbishments. The report is based on research from leading consultants — Currie & Brown. It shows that Kingspan Kooltherm K103 Floorboard can provide a cost-effective option for insulating solid floors without reducing headroom.

Ground floors in many UK homes are uninsulated. By retrofitting insulation in these areas, it is possible to reduce annual energy bills by as much as £65. When choosing insulation for these refurbishment applications, it is important to look at their thermal conductivity. Insulation materials with lower thermal conductivities are more efficient and can allow a compliant U-value to be achieved with a slimmer thickness of insulation. Currie & Brown carried out a cost analysis to see how this can affect solid floor applications.

The research looked at Kingspan Kooltherm K103 Floorboard, which has the lowest thermal conductivity of any commonly used insulation (0.018 W/m·K), and expanded polystyrene (EPS) insulation with a thermal conductivity of 0.038 W/m·K. The insulation materials were compared in two refurbishment scenarios for an existing solid concrete floor with a sand and cement screed:

  1. The sand and cement screed was removed and replaced with insulation and either a 35 mm liquid screed or 65 mm sand and cement screed;
  2. The existing floor was excavated and replaced with a 100 mm concrete slab, insulation and the sand and cement or liquid screed

All constructions were designed to achieve a maximum U-value of 0.25 W/m².K – complying with the refurbishment requirements outlined within Approved Document L1B in England & Wales.

The research shows that it was considerably more cost effective to remove and replace the screed layer rather than excavating the entire slab. When adopting this approach, the Kingspan Kooltherm K103 Floorboard with liquid screed was the only construction which allowed existing headroom to be retained. This also avoids potential remedial costs relating to altering floor heights, such as raising fixtures and pipework, which were not considered within the analysis.

You can download and read the full white paper at: https://www.kingspan.com/gb/en-gb/products/insulation/kingspan-insight/maintaining-floor-to-ceiling-height-in-residential

For further information, please contact:
Tel: +44 (0) 1544 387 384
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Email: info@kingspaninsulation.co.uk
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Tower Bridge Magistrates’ Court and Police Station has been reinvented as a four-star boutique hotel in a Dominvs Group development. It includes the installation of a tapered roof insulation system from Kingspan Insulation — ensuring the only thing taking the fall from now on at the former court will be the rain.

Consarc Design Group led the architectural restoration work on The Dixon, named after the building’s original architect, John Dixon Butler. Dexter Moren Associates oversaw the planning stage design, including the construction of a new-build extension. The 193-bedroom hotel has joined Marriott International’s Autograph Collection and also includes a bar, restaurant, two meeting spaces and a gym. The interior décor blends Edwardian influences with modern styles, reflective of the diversity and rich culture of SE1.

McAleer & Rushe have undertaken construction and refurbishment work on the historic site. The completed hotel is expected to achieve a ‘Very Good’ rating under the BREEAM 2014 New Construction Non-Domestic Building standard, with the new extension designed to achieve the 40% improvement in ADL2A criterion required by the London Plan. To raise the thermal performance of the building’s flat roof, whilst also providing effective drainage, Kingspan Thermataper TT47 LPC/FM and Kingspan Thermaroof TR27 LPC/FM were installed.

Kingspan Thermataper TT47 LPC/FM provided the project team with a fast-track alternative to other drainage methods, such as structural falls. The product combines high performance insulation and drainage in a single board which can be fixed with a dry installation process, avoiding the time lost waiting for wet trades to dry. The lightweight boards can also be as little as 1.5%, or less, of the weight of a screed to fall solution, minimising the structural support requirements for the roof surface.

Kingspan Insulation’s specialist tapered roofing service team created a carefully tailored scheme layout for the hotel roof, maximising cost efficiency whilst also ensuring the surface met the rainwater runoff and insulation requirements. The layout also simplified the installation process for the site team aided by the pre-mitred hip and valley boards supplied as part of the Kingspan Thermataper system.

Kingspan Thermataper TT47 LPC/FM and Thermaroof TR27 LPC/FM feature a high-performance core capable of achieving thermal conductivities as low as 0.024 W/m·K. The products, produced at Kingspan Insulation’s Pembridge manufacturing facility, have been successfully tested to LPS 1181: Part 1 and are certified as achieving Class 1 Insulated Steel Deck Pass to Factory Mutual Research Standard 4470: 2016. For further details of the conditions of approval please refer to the full product brochures.

For further information, please contact:
Tel: +44 (0) 1544 387 384
Fax: +44 (0) 1544 387 484
Email: info@kingspaninsulation.co.uk
Website: www.kingspaninsulation.co.uk
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Kingspan Insulation has introduced the latest advance in XPS insulation — Kingspan GreenGuard — an all new range of boards with excellent compressive strength. Kingspan GreenGuard was developed to handle some of the most challenging applications including the floors of aircraft hangars and industrial units.

Kingspan GreenGuard replaces the popular Styrozone range and is available in three grades to suit differing requirements. Kingspan GreenGuard GG300 has a compressive strength of 300 kPa (minimum compressive stress at 10% deformation when tested to BS EN 826 : 2013) making it ideal for applications with medium loading such as cold store floors. For more demanding areas, such as car park decks and aircraft hangars, Kingspan GreenGuard GG500 and GG700 are also available. These products have compressive strengths of 500 and 700 kPa respectively (minimum compressive stress at 10% deformation when tested to BS EN 826 : 2013), helping to maintain surface integrity whilst providing excellent insulation performance.

The lightweight boards also provide an effective means of insulating inverted roofs. In these applications they can withstand freeze-thaw cycling and provide protection for waterproofing systems, extending their lifespan. Their excellent compressive strength also makes them compatible with most green roof systems.

Kingspan GreenGuard is manufactured on an all new production line at Kingspan’s facility in Selby, North Yorkshire. The line’s advanced design includes a 100% recycled waste stream, minimising the environmental impact of the boards. They are also manufactured with a blowing agent that has zero Ozone Depletion Potential (ODP) and low Global Warming Potential (GWP).

Please note: Kingspan Insulation Ltd is not associated with, and its products have not necessarily been tested by, the GREENGUARD Environmental Institute.

For further information, please contact: Tel: +44 (0) 1544 387 384 Email: info@kingspaninsulation.co.uk Website: www.kingspaninsulation.co.uk