Broadacres Housing Association (BHA) has specified ISO Chemie’s thermal-insulating and load-bearing bracket support system, and its sealing tapes, for a new energy improvement initiative. Winframer units are set to be retrofitted at three houses in Northallerton and Stokesley, North Yorkshire, as part of BHA’s pilot project. This is expected to eventually bring hundreds of poorly insulated properties up to zero-carbon-ready standards, business representatives have said.
Passivhaus-certified and fire-rated to up to 30 minutes, Winframer is a pre-fabricated installation frame, manufactured to accommodate cavities up to 250mm. It allows windows to be supported independently from the face of the wall, regardless of external cladding being in place. The product’s application at The Crescent, Northallerton, has been integrated alongside ISO Chemie’s ISO Bloco One sealing tapes, to achieve Passivhaus-certified window perimeter sealing performance.
Eddie Grant, the development’s project manager, said: “We are currently retrofitting four initial properties to help them achieve zero-carbon-ready standards, which will further inform our longer-term approach. This work is scheduled to complete later this year. The ISO Chemie products have already proven their value in delivering demonstrable energy efficiency improvements.”
Nick Thompson, ISO Chemie’s technical advisor, added: “As new building regulations continue to take effect, property owners and landlords are increasingly requiring smarter ways to deliver their refurb’ projects through sustainable technologies. Our tapes can support this activity, providing high-performance airtight, acoustic and thermal sealing solutions.”
Composite Winframer brackets can bear heavy loads, and installation is quick, according to business representatives. Windows are attached directly and secured mechanically using either standard fixing screws or fixing lugs. A hinged insulation core combines with the composite wood structural bracket to become an integral part of the overall wall structure, providing compliance with window energy saving regulations and the RAL quality assurance association.
The flexible-humidity, variable-sealing foil ISO-Connect Vario SD and the ISO-Top Flex tape were also chosen for the project, to deliver greater internal air tightness around wall, floor and ceiling joints. These products were used at a property in Myton on Swale, North Yorkshire, which was set to receive internal wall insulation.
A multi-purpose foam tape, ISO-Bloco One provides effective and rapid sealing of windows from inside the building during construction, avoiding the need to use time-consuming and costly external access systems. This can deliver cost savings of up to 70% when compared to traditional three component systems.
Earlier this year, ISO-Chemie secured an international energy-efficiency certificate for its ISO-Bloc Hybratec joint sealing tape. Read more about this here.
