Three is the magic number for new modular housing scheme
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June 20, 2019
A combination of three reflective, low emissivity wall construction membranes from Protect Membranes has been used to deliver the magic formula for a flagship affordable housing scheme in Swansea on behalf of Gwalia Housing / Pobl Group, delivering thermal efficiency benefits and reduced heat loss. Based on the former Four Seasons Social Club site, the development is made up of 41 timber frame properties, offering a mix of one, two and three-bedroom homes that provide a modern living space in keeping with local architecture.
Appointed by main contractor, Morganstone, timber frame specialist Seven Oaks Modular constructed the wall panels offsite in their factory, followed by delivery and installation on-site. Installing Protect’s reflective membrane solution helped Seven Oaks Modular to reduce material waste during manufacture and value engineer without severely impacting labour cost. The timber frame panels incorporated Protect TF InterFoil, a vapour permeable, reflective membrane installed on the cold side of the insulation, with the foil facing into an airspace to deliver low emissivity performance. This was combined with Protect TF200 Thermo, a reflective, external breather membrane and Protect VC Foil Ultra, an internal vapour control layer on the warm side of the insulation to help create a radiant barrier. This system achieved the client’s target U-value of 0.19W/m2K and achieved important insulation savings, with a reduced thickness of PIR needed for the 140mm stud without increasing the overall wall footprint.
Warren Rowlands, senior designer at Seven Oaks Modular, said: “The use of Protect’s full reflective membrane system enabled us to not only value engineer this project but ensure a robust solution that provided affordability to the client. The innovative application of membranes offering low emissivity within unventilated cavities was easy to incorporate into our timber frame panels at the factory, ensuring the structure retained thermal efficiency and met our target U-value.”
