ISO-CHEMIE’s
high performance expanding foam sealing tape has been specified for an
innovative project that could herald a new approach to building affordable
housing.
The ISO
BLOCO ONE tape has been used to provide a high performance airtight, acoustic
and thermal seal for the ModCell TAM project located in the grounds of the
Filwood Community Centre in Bristol.
Developed
to provide people with rapid, effective and affordable housing, TAM is also one
of the most environmentally friendly building systems in Europe, combining
advances in high-quality, low energy design with the innovative use of
renewable construction materials, including prefabricated straw-filled panels.
Sustainability is a
key driver of the project, so the ISO-BLOCO tape has been used to seal the
expansion joints and gaps around the window and door frames. This will
significantly help to achieve an excellent Passivhaus target of <0.69
m³/hour/m² measured at 50 Pascals air tight seal per completed building – a
good standard for the construction industry is anything between 3 – 5
m³/hour/m².
Finlay White,
business development director at Bristol-based ModCell, said that TAM is
currently being considered by several social housing providers, and added:
“ISO-BLOCO ONE is an excellent product, meeting the requirements for an
easy-to-install, cost effective and extremely reliable all-round sealing
solution.”
Andy Swift,
ISO-CHEMIE’s national sales manager, said: “Systems like TAM are gaining
increasing traction in meeting the UK’s housing demand. It has been specified
as a practical and energy efficient solution for the Filwood Community Centre
development among other projects.
“So, for us to be
involved in this latest ground-breaking initiative not only reinforces our
strong environmental credentials, but also strengthens the requirement for
longer lasting sealing tapes that deliver airtight, acoustic and thermal
benefits.”
ISO-BLOCO
ONE offers a single product ‘fit and forget’ solution for fast and effective
sealing based around the European RAL principles of three level sealing - the
inside seal area is more airtight than the external one, allowing any trapped
moisture inside the joint, or within the wall, to escape outwards rather than
into the building.
The external seal area provides weather resistance and
breathability with a minimum resistance of 1000 Pascals (hurricane forces),
while the intermediate seal area provides extra thermal and acoustic
properties, with a U-value between 0.55 and 0.8 subject to tape size, and the
internal one air tightness and humidity regulation, the tape installation
itself gives less than 0.01 m³ air loss when tested at 1,000 Pascals air
pressure difference. All three levels are designed to accommodate movement
between the adjacent materials.
Once installed,
ISO-BLOCO ONE ensures a building is better protected from elemental factors
like wind, dust and moisture ingress by accommodating the changes in structural
movement caused by environmental, cyclical and settlement factors.
Product, which has
Passivhaus certification, has CE marking and complies with energy saving
regulations (EnEV) on windows and doors as well as the RAL quality assurance
association, has an EC1 rating for very low emissions and a B1 fire resistant
rating. It can accommodate extremes of temperature changes – from -30°C to +
80°C and is available with a 10-year performance warranty.
