THERMAL WELLBEING FOR SOCIAL HOUSING PROJECTS

Recticel provided the quality insulation for two city-based affordable housing developments.

The Melody Gardens and Corporation Road projects were designed to increase the number of available affordable homes in Salford.

Watson Homes carried out the work on both developments, which were built on behalf of Places for People and ForHousing. For Melody Gardens it involved the building of a four-storey block comprising 48 apartments; nine two-storey houses, and a bungalow. The properties were being built on a 0.4-hectare site once occupied by a Catholic church. Due to the superb reputation of its products and service, Recticel was selected to supply the development’s cavity wall and ground floor insulation.

As part of Recticel’s quality PIR range, Eurothane GP, a low-thermal conductivity panel, provided Melody Gardens’ ground floor insulation. With a low-thermal conductivity of 0.022W/mK, the Eurothane GP panel’s dimensional stability and super-flat surface help create homes which excel in terms of comfort and wellbeing. Such a solution is crucial for multiple-occupancy buildings where the risk of damp and increased noise levels is greater than single occupancies.

For the buildings’ walls, Eurowall Cavity was installed. The closed-cell, rigid polyisocyanurate foam board helps regulate temperature to create a warm and even interior climate. The use of a residual 50mm clear cavity means Eurowall Cavity may be used in any exposure zone.

It’s estimated the Melody Gardens building project will be completed in November 2019.

Eurothane GP and Eurowall Cavity were also used as respective floor and wall insulation for the Corporation Gardens project. A total of 2,525m² of insulation was installed during the development carried out by Watson Homes. It comprises 18, one-bed and 15, two-bed apartments. The easy usability of both products proved essential in ensuring contractors were able to meet the client’s strict deadline and complete building works to the highest specification in May 2018.

Mike Watson, Construction Director at Watson Homes, said: “Recticel’s high-quality products were essential to ensuring the fabric of both developments was fitted with insulation that will fulfil the occupants’ long-term domestic needs. In terms of installation, the panels’ easy-fit properties made quicker, lighter work of a potentially challenging project.”

The durability and thermal performance facilitated by Eurothane GP and Eurowall Cavity panels will help create damp-free and moisture-free interiors at Melody Gardens and Corporation Road. It will result in these developments becoming a welcome and much-valued addition to Salford’s social housing portfolio.

Visit: www.recticelinsulation.co.uk