Panel Systems, one of the UK’s leading suppliers of Styrofoam insulation, has secured a major new order to upgrade the thermal performance of Shipley Educational Mosque in Bradford.
After being specified by Warmfloors, Panel Systems supplied Styrofoam insulation for the buildings new under floor heating system.
240m2 of grooved Styrofoam was required to insulate the under floor heating system, which was split into five zones to make the building warmer and to retain more heat. Panel Systems provided specialist cutting and routing services to suit the needs of the complex pipework for the under floor heating system.
Working closely with WarmFloors, a specialist underfloor heating installation company, Panel Systems supplied the Styrofoam insulation to the mosque within a very tight timeframe, ensuring there was minimal disruption to visitors to the mosque, which enabled the building to remain open throughout.
A 120-year old former Methodist Church, Shipley Educational Mosque has been undergoing refurbishment for the past five years, and the central heating upgrade was part of the final phase of the renovation. Although the mosque was previously heated by radiators, the subfloor, which is constructed from suspended timber was very cold underfoot. The new under floor heating plus Styrofoam insulation will help create a more energy efficient, comfortable space for the hundreds of visitors to the mosque each week.
Russel Zera, Managing Director at under floor heating specialists WarmFloors, said: “We chose Panel Systems because they were able to work within a strict deadline and had the cutting and routing capabilities that we were looking for with Styrofoam. The whole process ran really smoothly and we were able to complete the project to meet its deadlines.”
Styrofoam insulation is strong enough to be used in applications such as walls, roofs, ceilings and load bearing areas under the slabs and floors. The material has for a long time been the preferred choice of contractors for its low thermal conductivity and long term durability. Contractors like the fact that it is quick and simple to cut and shape and requires no specialist cutting tools.
Styrofoam is light in weight and has high compressive strength, as well as offering excellent bonding and lamination properties.
Panel Systems offers a full 3D fabrication service for Styrofoam, which includes use of CNC equipment to cut and shape the material to meet customer needs.
Styrofoam can also be hot-wire cut to meet specific customer width, thickness and length requirements with a thickness tolerance of +/- 0.5mm. Panel Systems can CNC Styrofoam sheets up to 3m by 1.2m.
For anyone looking for even closer tolerances, Panel Systems offers sophisticated sanding equipment, which will improve surface finish and thickness tolerance down to +/-0.05mm. This equipment will extend the range of sheet thicknesses below the existing 5.5mm to as little as 2mm.
A Styrofoam ‘A’ foam is now available, which uses recycled carbon dioxide as the blowing agent, making it suitable for applications requiring an enhanced BREEAM or Code for Sustainable Homes rating. The A-foam has an ozone depletion potential (ODP) of zero and a global warming potential (GWP) of one.
