Insulation specialist Actis has launched its first major new product in a decade - with the revolutionary technology at its core ensuring installation is not only twice as quick as traditional alternatives, but will also transform the loft and barn conversion sector.
Actis Eolis HC is a two-in-one reflective insulation with an integrated vapour barrier which will enable builders and roofers to reduce the number of steps required to achieve an impressive U-value as well as airtightness in roofs.
It will be especially transformative for loft and barn converters dealing with shallow rafters where headroom is at a premium. It removes the need to cut insulation between each rafter, with all the tricky and dusty cutting that entails if using PIR board, thanks to the fact that while it is thin enough to be used in low headspace zones it also offers excellent thermal performance.
Instead, they can just lay the product, like a blanket, across the rafters on the inside (warm side) of the building, sealing each section to the next with the self-adhesive lap feature of the product.
Time trials show that when insulating a roof, installation time using Eolis HC is at least twice as quick as insulating between rafters with PIR board. The time difference is even more dramatically in favour of Eolis HC when taking into account the time taken handling materials on site and clearing up afterwards.
The unique, patented product, which benefits from BBA certification, is the result of years of research and development at the company's French headquarters.
Actis UK and Ireland sales director Mark Cooper explained: "The beauty of this new technology is that it removes the time-consuming annoyance of cutting insulation to fit between timbers. It eliminates an entire step in the process. In a pitched roof it's designed to work with a high or low resistance underlay. You just lay the Eolis HC across the warm side of the structure and cover it with rigid insulation and plasterboard or, to save even more time, use insulated plasterboard for the final finish.
The Triplex technology on which Eolis HC is based is created from a number of layers of reflective films, each separated by a thin layer of fibre, trapping air between each section, thus boosting thermal performance
"Eolis HC can be installed just like any other multifoil product, but achieves much better thermal performances because it contains several layers of air, which is an excellent insulating material," added Mark. "This makes it an ideal way to avoid spending time cutting insulation between timbers with a roof or wall application. It means loft and barn converters dealing with shallow or uneven timbers will have a much easier time creating habitable rooms."
As if that is not enough, Eolis HC is a more sustainable form of insulation, as it uses less material and is fully recyclable. Because so much U-value can be packed into a small space, and because it can be compressed within its packaging it takes up less room. It also means more insulation can be transported in one lorryload compared with bulkier alternatives.
Rated A+ for its environmental impact, it also has a BREEAM exemplary level of VOC release for indoor air quality and contains no harmful chemicals.
Its size also means merchants can store more insulation per square foot of sales space.
And as well as keeping a home warm in winter, Eolis HC will keep it cool in summer, with its films reflecting 90% of infrared radiation.
Eolis HC is the latest major addition to the Actis stable following the introduction in 2013 of the popular Hybrid range which consists of honeycomb-style Hybris, insulating breather membrane and vapour control layers BoostR Hybrid and HControl Hybrid. An evolution of that range saw BoostR Hybrid Roof, which also has a self-adhesive lap, added a few years later.
