A Match Made in Heaven: Mere’s Ashby Residential Case Study
Tremco CPG UK family members, illbruck and Nudura, have collaborated on the construction of a large residential property located in Mere’s Ashby, Northampton. The compatibility between the products and systems used, combined with the superb performance benefits and finished aesthetics, have blended seamlessly together to create an attractive, yet high-performing build.
The Project
Situated in the Northamptonshire village of Mere’s Ashby lies a 5,400 square foot house, constructed utilising a number of market-leading solutions from the illbruck and Nudura product portfolios. The Client, a local property developer, strives to improve the quality of today’s housing, working in conjunction with architects to influence the design by improving elements such as the joints and ensuring there are no weak links in the structure.
The Client has over seven years of experience building with Nudura Solid Wall Insulated technology (ICF), therefore, when it came to specifying the right solution for this project, they once again enlisted the expertise of Tremco CPG UK.
In the ever-evolving arena of today’s construction industry, we are now in an age of making buildings airtight to improve their energy efficiency, which can otherwise be compromised through heat loss due to inadequate materials and practices. With a UK target of achieving net zero emissions by the year 2050, architects, contractors, and building owners are now looking towards solutions that maintain airtightness and ventilation within structures.
The Solution
The Property Developer’s goal was to achieve the highest possible build standard in relation to airtightness. As the only manufacturer to provide a single source solution for all six sides of the building envelope, Tremco CPG UK were in pole position to fulfil the requirements of the Client with their extensive range of airtight, breathable, and energy efficient technologies.
Backed by our team of knowledgeable and highly skilled experts, we support our customers at each stage of the project. Starting at the planning and design stage with our technical know-how and solutions advice, right through to on-site support during the construction phase. Through multiple decades in specialised fields, this enables us to point customers in the right direction for a wide range of solutions for waterproofing, performance resin flooring, passive fire protection, glazing and façades, façades insulation, sealing materials, and roofing.
The Application
ICF technology from Nudura was chosen to build the structure of the house, which allows homes and commercial dwellings to be built in a stronger, more energy efficient, and environmentally friendly manner. Based on a patented web system, this allows the polystyrene forms to be stacked and steel reinforced. Once built up on site, the forms are then filled with concrete, which works in conjunction with the polystyrene to provide a thermal mass, enhancing the structure’s heating and cooling capabilities.
Building with ICFs helps homeowners to achieve Passivhaus levels of insulation and airtightness. By eliminating any air gaps, this is turn minimises the risk of mould formation and draft paths. This ultimately contributes to a sustainable build, which provides a better quality of life for the structure’s inhabitants.
The perfect accompaniments to achieve the project’s air and weathertightness requirements, were the inclusion of two products from illbruck’s range of sealing and bonding solutions. TP600 illmod 600 is an impregnated foam tape that was used to seal the window perimeter joints of the structure. Weather tight against the most severe combinations of wind and rain, it serves as an ideal weather seal whilst maintaining breathability properties for vapour diffusion. With full BBA approval, this extensively trialled and tested product was an important piece of the project’s jigsaw.
Following the installation of the foam tape, illbruck’s high-performance FM330 Pro Foam Air Seal was used in conjunction as an airtight gap filler around the window perimeter joint seals. This rapid curing expanding polyurethane foam has excellent elasticity and adhesion to many surfaces, in addition to its airtightness and acoustic advantages. The product’s 50% movement capability ensures integrity of the seal in the event of movement.
Steve Pendegrass, National Sales Manager – illbruck Distribution, Windows & Facades, commented: “This project will span over a 12-month period, with completion due in June 2023. We are delighted to be working on this impressive structure, which highlights how well our solutions complement one another when installed together. The energy efficient benefits of Nudura’s ICF technology, combined with the weather and airtightness properties of illbruck’s sealing and bonding solutions, will work together in harmony to achieve a high-performing, sustainable home.
“The exterior of the house has been finished with a natural stone skin, and the remainder of the project will see a selection of illbruck’s top-of-the-range products used for the internal finishes, including sanitary silicones. We are very much looking forward to seeing the finished result.”
For more information about the illbruck or Nudura products used in this project, or to enquire about our other Tremco CPG solutions, please get in touch.
