Scandia-Hus chooses Actis Hybrid for latest show home

Timber frame specialist Scandia-Hus has chosen the Actis Hybrid range to insulate a fourth show home – inspired by the impressive energy efficiency performance achieved on the three previous show properties insulated using the same system.

Groundworks on The Lodge – a 1,915sq ft single storey home –began in April at Scandia-Hus HQ in Sussex, with the timber frame element commencing in June. The Scandia-Hus team again hopes to carry out a thermal imaging survey once it’s completed to demonstrate the effectiveness of the products. The company conducted a similar exercise a few years ago after building its first Actis Hybrid-insulated show home, with the results showing an impressive lack of thermal bridging and confirming that Hybrid was the right choice for the bulk of its ongoing projects.

The Lodge will have three bedrooms all with en-suites, a large kitchen/ dining/ living room, snug and utility room as well as a full heat recovery system. The flat-roofed property will use H Control Hybrid, 105 mm Hybris, and Boost R Hybrid in the walls to achieve a U-value of 0.14W/m2K and Actis H Control in the roof.

Previous show homes have been insulated with a combination of vapour control layer Actis H Control Hybrid and 155mm honeycomb design Actis Hybris in the pitched roof and H Control Hybrid and 105mm Hybris in the walls to achieve a U-value of 0.14 in the roof and 0.16 in the walls.

Scandia-Hus is also planning to use its third show home as a space in which to display details of the thermal performance of the current three Actis-insulated show homes. Information will include the U-values achieved, EPCs and air testing results to underline the energy efficiency of the buildings to potential customers. The other three showhomes are a 3,500sq ft Tudor style property, a 2,755sq ft three-bedroom contemporary property and a 2,800sq ft chalet style house.

Actis regional sales manager Liane Bayliss is attending two open days at Scandia-Hus HQ this year – 17 June and 2 September – when she will be talking about Actis products and available to answer technical questions, she said: “Actis Hybrid products are particularly popular with timber frame manufacturers. And Scandia-Hus is clearly smitten by the thermal properties they offer.” Scandia-Hus MD Derek Dawson added: “Using Actis reduced installation time by up to 30%. Other benefits are minimal wastage and site cleanliness. And as if that is not benefit enough, the Hybrid range does not produce irritant and messy dust when installing.”

More at  www.insulation-actis.com

Timber cladders should heed ventilation warning

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Timber cladding is installed as a rainscreen on buildings in the UK. This means the cladding should be fitted over a drained and ventilated cavity, to allow air to flow and moisture to escape – giving it the longest possible service life.

Ventilation provision should be allowed for at the top and bottom of the cladding, while support battens – one or two layers depending on the orientation of the cladding – create a continuous drainage plane over a waterproof breather membrane.

Earlier in the year, NHBC reported that it ‘has recent experience with the design life of timber cladding being less than intended, leading to loss of performance and claims’. It cites ‘lack of detailing to enable drainage and ventilation’ as one of the key problems, as well as the use of ‘unsuitable film-forming coatings that can trap moisture’ and ‘fixings issues’. These are all crucial factors that builders, specifiers and tradespeople must get right to avoid future problems arising.

“Fixings issues are a bug bear of the TDCA in respect to both timber cladding and decking,” explains Janet Sycamore, Director of TDCA. “Most of the problem cases we see feature the use of the wrong type of fixing, for example: fixings made of unsuitable material or incorrect placement and poor application. If you get it wrong the result could be at best, dark and unsightly rust stains or, at worst, boards becoming detached from the wall and potentially causing harm.”

The good news is that these problems are easily avoided by following good practice guidance available from the TDCA. You can find practical information in The Timber Cladding Handbook, which is freely available online at  www.tdca.org.uk