Barratt's speedy roofing solution
Glass-Therm rigid polyurethane (PUR) insulation board from EcoTherm is being used as part of a fast-track flat roofing solution at Equinox, a new Barratt development in Hertfordshire. The high performance thermal roofboard supports a Prelasti rubber waterproofing membrane, which is custom-made to the size and shape of the roof and delivered to site ready to install. The prefabricated roofing system enables flat roofs to be installed and fully waterproof up to four times faster than a traditional felt and bitumen construction.
Equinox is an exclusive collection of luxury one and two bedroom apartments in the heart of Hatfield. The rapid installation time and 20-year warranty offered by the Prelasti roof covering with Glass-Therm insulation board were key benefits for Barratt. The innovative system has proved a highly successful solution for the development’s 8,000m2 of flat roofing.
GMRS in Gwynedd, North Wales, markets the Prelasti rubber roof covering in the UK (fabricated by AAC Waterproofing) and was instrumental in securing the Equinox contract for Essex-based Westfield Roofing. According to Gavin Mutlow, Managing Director of GMRS, Glass-Therm is Prelasti’s insulation board of choice and Westfield has used it with Prelasti on a number of previous prestigious projects, including other Barratt developments. The lightweight PUR roofboard has a Lambda value of 0.027 W/mK and is particularly suitable for use with single-ply non-bituminous waterproofing membranes like Prelasti, he says. “Glass-Therm has a high thermal insulation value and is quick and easy to install and therefore contributes to the overall speed of construction, which is one of Prelasti’s major advantages for contractors working to a tight build schedule.”
EcoTherm’s Glass-Therm roofboard is being used in a ‘warm roof’ application at Equinox. With this roofing method, the insulation is installed above the roof timbers and supports membrane, rather than being installed between the joists. As all the timber is on the ‘warm’ side of the insulation there is less risk of problems with condensation. At Equinox, the Glass-Therm boards are mechanically fixed to the roof deck and then the Prelasti waterproof membrane is adhesively bonded to it to provide an effective insulating layer. Glass-Therm board has a mineral-coated glass fibre tissue on both sides, which provides an excellent substrate for adhesive bonding to the membrane.
In addition to exceptional thermal insulation properties, EcoTherm’s PUR boards also offer a green building solution. No ozone depleting chemicals are produced in the manufacturing process and the energy consumed during manufacture is repaid after only eight months of energy saving in service. Furthermore, Glass-Therm’s superb strength and durability ensure the same high level of insulation is maintained almost indefinitely, thereby removing the need to consume further resources in the manufacture and fitting of replacement insulation.
EcoTherm, a wholly owned subsidiary of the CRH Group, is one of Europe’s leading manufacturers of PUR and PIR boards for floors, cavity walls, flat roofs and pitched roofs. With production facilities across Europe, including two plants in Essex, the company supplies its product range in the UK through insulation distributors and builders’ merchants nationwide.
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