Reflecting on Achieving CSH

Reflective technology from Glidevale is helping a rural social housing provider achieve a U value of just 0.22W/m2K, CSH Level 3 and an EcoHomes’ rating of ‘very good’.

South Shropshire Housing Association’s contractor SJ Roberts has used timber frame housing units factory-built by Lowfield Timber to achieve the ratings, by incorporating Glidevale’s Protect TF200 Thermo and Protect VC Foil insulating membranes in each of the 26 new 2-,3- and 4-bedroomed detached and semi-detached homes in Church Stretton, Shropshire.

The Glidevale Protect membranes have played a key role in SSHA’s attainment of the Code for Sustainable Homes’ Level 3, optimising heat retention within the houses to help reach up to 25% reduction in the Dwelling Emission Rate (DER) over the Target Emission Rate (TER). Other sustainable elements in the passive design strategy have included large glazed areas, building orientation within 15° of south, simple plan dwelling design and attenuation of surface water flow. As a result, the development has further qualified to be registered as an EcoHomes scheme, for which it has scored ‘very good’ under the BREEAM assessment criteria.

When installed with the highly reflective foil surface facing a 50mm unventilated cavity, Glidevale Protect TF200 Thermo breather membrane provides 0.67m2/KW thermal resistance helping to reduce radiated heat loss- equivalent to a 270+% thermal resistance improvement over a standard unventilated airspace. As well as enhancing the wall’s thermal performance, TF200 Thermo provides a water vapour resistance of 0.5MNs/g, achieving the requirements recommended by TRADA and the NHBC.

Glidevale’s Protect VC Foil is a high reflective vapour control layer manufactured from a polywoven core and high purity aluminium foil bonded with a further polypropylene interlayer. Using BRE
U- value calculator software to verify the thermal performance, in walls with a 20mm airspace, Protect VC Foil gives a 272% improvement in heat flow resistance against a wall with a similar size unventilated airspace. Installed correctly, Protect VC Foil also yields a 10-15% cost saving on insulation against similar build techniques and materials on the market.

Mark Philips of Lowfield Timber commented, “Glidevale’s Protect reflective membranes give us an effective solution, in both performance and cost, to achieving the higher thermal requirements of new Guidelines and Regulations. As a result, we use them in combination whenever we are building homes that need to meet these tougher criteria.”

Protect TF200 Thermo and Protect VC Foil are just part of Glidevale’s range of Protect vapour permeable and nonpermeable underlays and membranes, which are complimented by an extensive range of roofing ventilation solutions. Glidevale is part of the Building Product Design Group, which includes Passivent (natural ventilation for domestic and commercial applications), Z-Led damp-proofing, gas control and cavity closers, and Kingfisher ventilation and solar control louvre systems. All in the Group specialise in developing innovative yet practical products in line with changing requirements.