All three products in the Actis Hybrid range, which was specifically designed to address the performance gap, have been granted ‘Registered Details’ by the LABC – which means they can be accepted instantly by all LABC building control surveyors in more than 300 local authorities across England and Wales.
The news follows their acceptance a few months ago by the NHBC, subject to them being used strictly in accordance with their respective product certification.
The CE marked Actis Hybrid range, whose products can be used as standalones or in combination, includes an innovative insulation material, Hybris, a vapour control layer with built-in thermal performance, HControl Hybrid, and an insulating breather membrane, Boost‘R Hybrid.
The three Hybrid solutions comply perfectly with revised Part L regulations. They can achieve the best U-value requirements, meeting or even exceeding current building regulations in roofs, walls, floors and ceilings and they provide both insulation and air tightness properties. They are flexible, which means any margin for error in installation can be reduced or eliminated as they can be fitted neatly into irregular shapes, reducing thermal bridging and improving air tightness.
They are to date the only insulation products to have been tested both in lab and in situ to ensure their predicted performance is achieved in real life - something which, DECC data shows, can diverge by as much as 35% for loft and cavity wall insulation. The Zero Carbon Hub recently identified 15 areas which needed to be tackled urgently to address the performance gap, with solutions expected to be published in the summer.
ACTIS UK and Ireland director Matthew King explained: “After the NHBC warranty acceptance a few months ago, the LABC Registered Details allows specifiers to use Hybrid products with confidence for both new build and refurbishment projects.”
The Hybrid range, which has been fully certified in UK and Europe by accredited bodies, is complemented by a free online simulator, which enables specifiers to estimate the likely U-value of a project in seconds using products individually or in combination.