Thinsulex helps build carbon zero dream

Thinsulex was the first and currently only multi-foil to be BBA certified.

Meeting the stringent requirements of part L of Building Regulations is hard enough but when you also set yourself the task of creating a zero carbon, timber framed house then the job becomes a whole different ball game.

That's been the goal of Gary Gates, a carpenter by trade, who launched Earthwise Resources and Timber Frame It on April 6th 2006, with the aim of making a profound contribution to changing the way new homes are built in the UK.

New legislation, under Part L of the revised Building Regulations (2006), sets out clear guidelines for the conservation of heat and power in existing and new buildings yet for Gary these didn't go quite far enough.

So as part of his journey to complete a zero carbon house he began to hunt for products which meet his company's strict 'green' criteria and are readily available in the market today.

Gary said: "Once I'd made the decision to commit to building this kind of home and using eco-friendly solutions in the construction then the real work began tracking down and investigating the vast array of products available as alternatives to those used in more traditionally constructed houses.

"I also thought that if I did the leg work on this then it may encourage other builders to look at how they can use eco-friendly products not just because they have to but because they want to and lead to a major change in the way we construct homes in this country.

"It was while I was looking through a self build magazine that I came across a story about Thinsulex and the installation of the product in a project to change a bungalow into a two storey house.

"What struck me about this story was the use of multi-foils in conjunction with glass wool to boost the U value rating.

I had previously used multi-foil insulation as a single layer however once the debate about using the product this way arose I had to stop using it.

"This article explained how Thinsulex was the first and currently only multi-foil to be BBA certified which meant that it could be used in conjunction with either glass wool or PUR board but not as a single layer".

Having previously used Warmcel which is also BBA certified Gary found that the combination of the two products offered a fully approved insulation solution achieving a U value of 0.11.

This result would mean substantially reduced heat loss which in turn reduces heating bills.

Gary is currently working on four projects and all will be using Thinsulex which will be installed over and under rafters.

He says the particular benefits are that it reflects the heat back into the house and keeps the cold out.

He has also discovered that it can be used to line walls which presents other opportunities.

He said he has looked at many different insulation options over the years but he wants to ensure that his company's work does not encounter issues with the authorities.

With Thinsulex having Local Authority Building Control approval and BBA certification, such issues don't arise.

He added: "Thinsulex is a very easy product to use.

It's clean, light and very manageable.

Installation was easy we were soon able to roll it out across the rafters and have much of the first roof fixed and battened in a day.

We also found that if we measured and cut on the ground and used pre cut battens we could shorten the installation time even further.

"My primarily focus is now on building eco-friendly homes and helping others do the same.

I've had plenty of requests to work not just locally but across the country and I believe there really is demand for sustainable housing.

I'm very pleased to have discovered Thinsulex and I think this is only the beginning of how we can start using this product".

Since April 2006, and the introduction of Approved Document L1A of the Building Regulations in England and Wales for new dwellings, the requirement has been to improve the thermal performance of roofs.

NHBC accepted Thinsulex, is a thin, flexible insulation which reflects infra-red radiation.

It stops air leakage by providing an air-tight vapour barrier and restricting air movement in its multi-foil layers.

Thinsulex is quick to install, leaving no mess and results in low wastage.

It works in combination with glass wool, reducing the total thickness of insulation needed, and with PUR rigid board, cutting the installation time.

In most roof applications, it should be used with a minimum of 120mm of glass wool (Lambda value 0.032) or 70mm of PUR rigid board (Lambda value 0.023).

Timber Frame It is based in Hastings and builds around 50 houses per year.

The company will this year complete its first zero carbon home.

Some interesting statistics:.

* A timber frame house saves, on average, 4 tonnes of CO2 compared to masonry construction.

* 3 to 4 more tonnes of CO2 can be saved by installing solar panels in your house.

* You can drastically reduce downstream flooding and your water bills by around GBP250 a year, by installing a water harvesting system.

* By using natural wool and a modern multi-foil for insulation, you can substantially reduce heat loss from a home and in turn reduce your heating bills.

It is possible to achieve a U value of 0.11 by using these products.

* If every single person in this country changed one light bulb to an energy saving version, this country could get rid of one power station.

Think what you could achieve by lighting your whole home with energy efficient bulbs.

* A typical domestic solar electric system will generate roughly half of your domestic electricity consumption (approximately 1,500kWh a year).

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