Installing insulation below the floor slab helps to create an envelope of continuous insulation that minimizes heat loss – but few materials can perform in such a demanding environment.
FLOORMATE 300-A - which is manufactured in the UK by Dow Building Solutions - resists moisture and is durable enough to be laid beneath floors, helping to avoid thermal bridges at floor and wall junctions. The material is being used to insulate what is set to be the UK’s first rural affordable housing scheme to gain Passivhaus certification in Wimbish, Essex, which is aiming for completion in May 2011.
Surpassing requirements by installing extra insulation beneath a floor during construction also makes the most of precious internal space and provides a one-off opportunity that could help compensate for design and construction changes made during a building’s lifetime.
FLOORMATE 300-A has a high design load of 130 kN/m2, low water absorption, ease of installation and excellent insulating properties. It is available in a range of thicknesses: 50mm, 75mm, 100mm, 125mm and 150mm, and is manufactured using technology that takes CO2 from industry and uses it as a blowing agent in order to create insulation foam with a Global Warming Potential (GWP) of less than five.
For access to a free technical paper on “The future of insulation in residential groundbearing floors” contact Dow Building Solutions by email on FKLMAIL@dow.com or visit www.styrofoam.co.uk and download the paper from the literature pages on the website.
