Kiwi innovation leading the way in concrete slab insulation

A new generation of Expanded Polystyrene Board insulation has arrived

What makes SLABX200 different?

We chatted to Wayne Watson a Structural EPS and GeoFoam Consultant at EXPOL to see what makes SLABX200 different.

Wayne told us that due to its compressive strength rating of 200Kpa there is no comparable product on the market. He states “SLABX200 is specifically designed for insulating concrete slabs.

It has a rating of 200kpa at 10 percent compression or 20 ton per square meter.

Its high performance specs are designed to give Engineer’s peace of mind so that they can recommend this product with 100 percent confidence”.

The team at EXPOL recognised that there was nothing on the market that offered a cost-effective yet high performance solution to concrete insulation. So they set about to develop a product with New Zealand residential and commercial projects in mind.

The durable nature of SLABX200 means that it won’t degrade over time, keeping its integrity for the life of the structure.

Due to the lightweight nature of Expanded Polystyrene the product is also easy to handle and install making quick work of slab insulation on site.

How does this product compare to Healthy Homes standards?

The Healthy Homes insulation standards across New Zealand states than underfloor insulation should have an R-Value of 1.3 or greater.

With several thicknesses available SLABX200 ranges from an R-Value of R 1.5 at 50mm thickness through to an impressive R6.0 at 200mm thickness.

Therefore, all thicknesses offer R-Values over and above the standards to ensure healthy and efficient homes.

How does this product work in my sustainable building project?

The team at EXPOL are committed to the environment. In a true closed loop process 100 percent of manufacturing waste is recycled in their seven recycling plants nationwide.

Expanded Polystyrene offers great eco credentials and at the end of a products life it can be turned into other EXPOL products.

The high performance of the SLABX product also ensures that your building project is sustainable to heat and cool and therefore leading to less energy consumption over the life of the building.

If you’d like to learn more about the SLABX200 product, the team at EXPOL are happy to have a chat. Visit their website on www.expol.co.nz or give the Technical Manager at call on 0800 86 33 73.

The latest report from Auckland-based BWA Insolvency shows a steady increase in business failures across the country, with the triple whammy of price increases, supply shortages and decreasing demand affecting a range of different sectors.

In Q1 2023 (Jan 1 – Mar 31), there were 355 formal insolvency proceedings lodged in New Zealand compared to the corresponding period in 2022 when there were 277. That’s an overall increase of 28%.

The data offers a snapshot of the health of the business sector and New Zealand’s significant year-on-year increase in insolvencies is part of a global trend.

Governments worldwide were blind to the inflationary consequences of the free money dished out in Covid. Now the medicine to deal with the issue has become the poison and a 28% increase is consistent with the notion that an economy awash with liquidity while producing nothing camouflaged poor performing fundamentals. Many of these companies that have closed will have had issues for years, so when the tap was turned off, the underlying issues could not be managed.

Construction (90) and property and real estate (39) had the highest number of formal insolvency proceedings by sector in Q1 2023. Construction insolvencies were up 53% yearon-year, an inevitable result given the impact of price increases and reduced demand starting to bite. In the construction sector, you might need the money from Project B to finish off Project A but if Project C doesn’t come in, the whole thing starts to fall over.

Compared to the previous