Passivhaus project chooses WALLTITE® for airtight insulation

Location: Poole

Architect: Northcroft construction consultants

Completion date: 12 July 2012

WALLTITE^® spray foam insulation has been used in the roof of Dorset’s first Passivhaus dwelling to achieve the air-tight insulation required to meet the demanding standards required for Passivhaus certification.

The impressive five bedroom house in Poole is making maximum use of all interior space, with the roof space being used to accommodate an office and a bedroom with en suite facilities.

Thermal insulation was obviously critical. The roof achieves its required U-value using a combination of PIR board above and a layer of WALLTITE^® between the rafters.

WALLTITE^® is a spray applied polyurethane foam applied in a continuous spray that is fast to apply and quick to cure, resulting in an airtight building envelope.

The property is a privately owned residence where the owner had made the decision to build to Passivhaus standards as a cost-effective way to achieve near-zero running costs for the house.

The WALLTITE^® used in this project was applied to the 160m² area of the roof in just two days by BASF Approved Contractor Isotech. BASF has a network of approved contractors throughout the UK, all of whom have completed a rigorous training programme and have committed to regular top-up training and assessment.

Northcroft construction consultants were acting as Project Manager, Employers Agent and Quantity Surveyors on the project. This was the organisation’s first experience of specifying the WALLTITE^® product, but is unlikely to be their last. “We were very impressed by the speed of the installation: WALLTITE^® was the best solution to combine thermal insulation with airtightness, particularly in hard to reach locations where traditional techniques would be unlikely to achieve the required standard” summarised Project Manager Jonathan Dronsfield.