Tag Archives: Airtight Ireland

West coast low energy dwelling with Enerphit credentials

A Beautiful coastal location was chosen for this ecological low energy build by Corbwell Design. It started as a small rural cottage that was redeveloped and extended to enerphit standards.

A new timber frame construction was erected adjacent to the older cottage and within 20m of the sea - this challenging location has meant that superior building protection solutions were chosen to ensure long term building security.

The Ampack Airtight system was achieved to enerphit levels of airtightness and to manage vapour in the building. External and internal systems were supplied by Ampack care of Partel which essentially ensures the structure avails of the market leading 10 year warranty by Ampack

Specialist insulation materials were also used to improve the performance. Cellulose insulation pumped at 65kg/m3 was used in the exterior timber frame walls with 100mm of Woodfibre insulation outside of this. The internal service cavity has 50mm flexible woodfibre insulation (both woodfibre and cellulose are used to keep the house cool in the summer).

Thermal bridging was addressed in all areas using Compacfoam underneath the timberframe and doors and the entire roof has woodfibre insulation over the rafters. Heico fixings were used throughout.

The LUNOS decentralised heat recovery ventilation system was chosen due to guaranteed low sound levels, ease of installation and low running costs. We also used the smart LUNOTHERM element.

Internally the soundproofing of floors used a combination the Idikell system from Ampack and 20mm of rigid high density woodfibre insulation.

The project has finished and the results in terms of location and comfort are exceptional.

(Airtightness, Thermal bridging, Windows and Insulation are all in keeping with many passive house projects recently undertaken but certification was not a requirement from the clients. Building performance and comfort were the primary factors)

Project management, specification and supervision by Corbwell Design. Low energy materials and specification by Partel. Original architectural design by others.

Ampack airtight system receives British Bord of Agrément certification (BBA approved)

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We are delighted to announce that our Ampack airtight system has received British Bord of Agrément certification. The certification also includes approval from the National House Building Council (NHBC).

Ampack’s BBA certification includes Ampack’s internal system -Ampatex DB 90 airtightness vapour check, The range of associated Ampack tapes is also listed as ancillary parts in the certificate. This certificate is the first in a new range of certification for Ampack.

DB90 BBA Certificate

The entire Ampack range comes with a unique ten year warranty. Ampack’s guarantee covers not just the replacement cost of materials but also any associated damages and the cost of any repairs, which makes it unique in the market. This warranty is particularly pertinent as Architects and Engineers assume greater levels of responsibility when certifying. The use of the Ampack system can essentially provide security over the building fabric.

Established in 1946, Swiss supplier Ampack is a market leader in building envelope protection products, and was reportedly the first company to commercially produce vapour checks. As a result Ampack have products installed and tested for over 35 years.

Ampack have been at the forefront of building protection systems for decades and have developed a name stands for high quality proven product’s. Ampack offer one of the largest ranges of airtight systems including a range of Butyl, Nail seal, UV stable tapes and a new SD variable membrane Variano – Another innovative product with a new type of surface designed for increased adhesion.

Why build an airtight house? – The Ampack 10 year Warranty

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Why build an airtight house?

The Ampack Market leading 10 year warranty covers the cost of removal of all affected material, as well as the replacement of all damaged materials.

10 reasons for an airtight House

In the case of new buildings a permanent, airtight layer is now essentially a requirement.
New building regulations ensure that the assigned certifier must have correct detailing to avoid future construction damage
No draughts
Lower heating costs
No condensation in the construction
No mould formation
No damage to the building
Clear improvement in the quality of air in the rooms
Clear improvement in sound insulation
Ventilation systems work highly efficiently

These days, homeowners and clients expect more in terms of quality in their homes. In particular, they pay special attention to their climate: It has to be comfortable, It should not damp or too dry and the energy costs must be kept within reason. In other words: Everything should be right, with no ifs or buts. Which is one more reason why the construction of new buildings should always be airtight.

Build well, build airtight

Heat loss due to a lack of airtightness is extremely expensive and can potentially cause great damage. The installation of a high quality airtight layer protects both your wallet and the value of the building. The amortisation of the investment over many years is clearly more relevant here than the short-term cost considerations.

Even the smallest joints and tears in the building shell can cause disastrous amounts of damage to a house and result in clearly escalating energy costs.

Construction Damage

Thermography: Blue = heat loss
resulting from ventilation = increase
in energy consumption and structural
damage.

Mould formation within a multi-layer
structural component.

Partel are the exclusive Irish and UK agent for the Ampack range of airtightness, wind-tightness, and building protection products. Ampack was founded in 1946 and is one of Europes most established specialist membrane and tape manufacturers.

“Our Ampack products offer a complete building protection system, from radon membranes to airtight membranes, tapes, adhesives, and wind-tight membranes, and Ampack’s unique 10 year guarantee ensures customers confidence in our range” .

Achieving airtightness for the new building regulations.

At Partel we have worked on a standardisation of robust airtight details designed to ensure the following: -

Compliance with building regulations
Quality detailing to achieve excellent blower door results

Our details when applied correctly will always exceed the current building regulations and achieve lower than 0.6 air changes – the passive house standard

All of construction drawings are available for free download at the links below

Auto cad drawings available on request – contact us here

Airtightness and the new building regulations

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Achieving airtightness for the new building regulations.

At Partel we have worked on a standardisation of robust airtight details designed to ensure the following: -

Compliance with building regulations
Quality detailing to achieve excellent blower door results

Our details when applied correctly will always exceed the current building regulations and achieve lower than 0.6 air changes – the passive house standard

All of construction drawings are available for free download at the links below

Auto cad drawings available on request – contact us here

Ampack – The Air-tight and Wind-tight Systems Specialist

Builders, having very high standards when it comes to their own homes, especially with regard to the living environment, acknowledge the importance of air-tightness and wind-tightness. The house should be comfortable, not too damp or dry, and energy costs should be reasonable.

The Whole Is Always Greater Than The Sum of Its Parts

For 60 years now, Ampack has been developing systems and solutions that safely and professionally resolve all the problems associated with protecting the building envelope. Good products alone are not enough. This principle guides the continuous development of our product range and the design of our services. An air-tight and wind-tight building envelope can only be ensured if the products are installed correctly. This puts professional tradesmen in a tricky situation: new designs and construction products are constantly flooding the market making it more and more difficult for contractors to maintain an overview and become skilled at installing the products correctly.

Ampack offers more than just high-quality products. Professional tradesmen and specialist retailers who choose our services will benefit from our comprehensive building expertise, as well as:

- Our insulation-neutral product range

- Technical advice, including a phone hotline

- 10-year warranty

- Customer training

Training

During our training courses, participants learn how to use Ampack products safely and are provided with the knowledge necessary to answer the most important questions regarding safety standards, air- and wind-tightness, and application engineering. We seek to establish a direct dialogue with our partners. After all, who better to judge a product than someone who works with it every day? Your opinion is important to us and your input goes directly towards improving and enhancing our products. Training courses can be held either at our head office or at our partners’ premises. Contact us for available course dates.

10-year warranty

Warranties are a dime a dozen. But upon closer inspection, many warranties aren’t worth the paper they’re printed on. That’s why you should always read the small print. With Ampack, a tradesman can claim on our comprehensive warranty at any time within ten years of buying the product from a specialist retailer, provided that the terms and conditions are met. In an emergency, the claim will be processed quickly and competently by our technical advisers. Our warranty has been designed with your needs in mind and we’ve taken the broader context into consideration. We not only cover the replacement materials, but also the removal and installation costs, as well as any subsequent damages. In other words, you can count on Ampack.

Airtightness and MVHR – What is the real cost/saving?

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Passive Airtightness & MVHR V Building regulations

During our recent passive house designer course with Target Zero we considered the following – a cost comparison of a typical house designed to meet current building regulations and a house designed to achieve passive house levels of Airtightness including MVHR.

The results were surprising and had the potential to save €20,000 over the life of the mortgage

€643/year = Cost of air leakage at 7/m3/m2/h – Current building regulations (N 50 of 5.74) Losses due to leakage and through required vents as per Part F
€96/year = Cost of air leakage at 0.6ac/h -Certified Passive house, Passive House has losses due to MVHR efficiency – losses based on 85% efficiency.
€547 = Annual difference in cost of air leakage between passive house levels and achieving building regulations

Payback timeframe for MVHR and Airtightness

In order to consider the payback periods we will look at the supply and fit cost of Ampack Airtight materials and a supply and fit price for a Lunos MVHR

€3000.00 Supply and fit of Airtight materials
€5000.00 Supply and fit Lunos Decentralised ventilation system

Total cost of €8000 for Airtightness measures and mechanical ventilation

Calculation of savings on a simple basis using annuity factor method over 30 years works out as: -

0.03/(1-(1+.03)-³⁰ *€8000 => 4080 => Additional loan repayment cost per annum = €408

Additional annual saving from efficiency of Lunos MVHR system above centralised MVHR estimated at €100 pa (Each fan costs approximately €5.00 per annum)

A building built to building regulations natural ventilation will have €548 more costs than a passive house just due to leakage. It will cost you €408 per year on loan repayment – so you still have a savings of €140.

€140.00 Annual saving from the above example.
€100.00 Additional saving by using Lunos MVHR ventilation system
€240.00 Total potential savings per annum from installing the above systems.

If we invested the €240.00 over the life of the mortgage we could save €8640 and earn interest of €11,417 to give total savings of approximately €20,000 over 30 years

On top of the savings the occupants of the house will have the following benefits: -

Condensation is avoided in the structure
The formation of mould and structural damage is avoided
Pollutants are avoided in the air within the rooms
The noise-reduction mass in structural components is guaranteed
The insulating effect of structural components is guaranteed
The ability of ventilation systems to work properly is guaranteed

Much of the detailed analysis and workings that resulted in the figures can be found here (www.targetzero.ie) but a standard 2 story house with a square footage of 200m2 was assumed. We also assumed an annual energy usage of €110 for a centralised system, a 30 year mortgage, typical masonry construction, identical insulation and building fabric for each house.

Windtight construction – Why and how?

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Should new construction be windtight ?

It sounds like an obvious answer but until now very few people even consider it. It is an important part of the construction fabric and although it may not cause the same heat loss or structural damage as ineffective airtightness its benefits should not be overlooked.

This a change in thinking for many professionals who for years have been encouraged to have as much ventilation as possible in the roof space. In the past we were used to bituminous roof felts which created issues with condensation and construction damage and necessitated large amount of in roof ventilation (Wind !)

More recently various qualities of breathable membranes have come to the market which have helped but are not designed to deal with the levels of humidity in the modern homes and may still experience condensation if airtight measures are overlooked.

It is still possible to ventilate the roof as before but this allows the cold air to cool the insulation layer thereby affecting insulation performance. We should also consider that the average family home of 2 adults and 2 children can create 10 Litres of water vapour per day. Airtight membranes are designed to stop >90% of water vapour and will allow the roof membrane to dry the construction without overloading. Improved results can be achieved by making your construction Windtight and Airtight.

Our windtight membranes (Roof felts) have two purposes – to protect the construction during the construction process and afterwards to form part of a breathable construction that can allow the construction to dry correctly.

Benefits, Implications

Without windtightness U Values can be up to 1.5 times higher than the calculated figures due to thermal bypass
Thermal bypass can occur when buildings are airtight but not windtight. This weakness allows air to move around or through insulation. In the roof, this occurs when the felt has not been taped or sealed at the eaves.
Decreases losses associated with possible holes in the insulation layer.
Decreases the chances of water ingress

Windtight membrane requirements

Rain tight, airtight,vapour permeable and compatible with the airtight layer (Contact us for free WUFI analysis to ensure correct specification)
High mechanical strength – Our Ampatop® Aero offers up to 3 times the tear resistance of some commonly used felts – Our higher grade Ampatop Protecta® offers almost 3 times that the tear resistance of Aero, and 5/6 times that of commonly used roof membranes.
UV Stable, flame resistant, suitable for temperature ranges from -20° C to +80° C

How to achieve windtight construction at roof level

Option 1

Windtight using Ampatop® Protecta windtight membrane, Ampacoll®XT 60 & Ampacoll® Superfix

Ampacoll® Superfix

Ampacoll®XT 60

Option 2

Windtight using Ampatop® Protecta plus windtight membrane with integrated tapes.

Windtight Accessories

We recommend making all penetrations wind tight and water tight using either Ampacoll® BK535 – the award winning flexible butyl tape seen here sealing at chimneys and ventilation ducts.

BKF can withstand temperatures from -40° to +90 °C, is highly flexible – (moves with structural elements) and elastic ( can be formed in 3 dimensions)

Ampacoll BK535.

Nail Seals Ampacoll® ND Band

Nail seal tapes avoid rainwater penetration through the nailing and screw-fixing of battens and counter-battens.

Ampacoll® ND Band have a temperature range from- 25 °C up to + 75 °C

U-Values – The Difference Between Calculated and Insitu Measurements

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U Values overview

U-values are used to describe the thermal performance of building elements including floors, walls, windows, doors and roofs. This data is then used to calculate the energy performance of the whole building which in turn can impact on the size and cost of the specified insulation, heating system and overall cost of the development. U-values are calculated using a range of computerised calculators and in some cases manually. Many u-value calculators also assume that insulation layers are airtight meaning the use of the airtight layer is necessary to achieve specified u-values.

At Partel, we feel that in many cases, the calculated u-values may not truly reflect the installed u-values as the standard of installation can vary greatly. The installation factors that affect u-values are airtightness, windtightness, thermal bypass, damp construction, condensation and cold bridging.

Airtightness

Airtightness and the installation of a vapour control layer (VCL) is possibly the most important part of an installation as it can protect the structure of the roof from condensation, mould and structural damage. It contributes towards noise reduction, and allows and insulation to function correctly.

Breathable Construction

The correct installation of the appropriate VCL will ensure that a breathable construction is achieved which means that condensation of roof felt is avoided and that the roof can effectively ‘breath’ correctly. The quality of the installation is of utmost importance as weak points may be formed, which in certain weather conditions may generate condensation in the roof space. As a result, this may lead to mould and/or timber damage. Ampack’s extensive range of VCL solutions from DB 90 (fixed SD of 23), Resano (variable SD 0.9 to 12m), to Cento (fixed SD 100m), to name a few, ensures that the correct product for each construction type is available. Read more on SD values here.

Thermal Bypass

Thermal bypass can occur when buildings are in fact airtight. When airtight, air can still move around or through insulation. In the roof, this can occur when the felt has not been taped or sealed at the eaves. It can also happen in the walls where external insulation has been poorly fitted or where cavity walls have been partially filled

Windtight

Where a roof or window is not windtight, the performance of insulation can be dramatically affected, in that the wind will cool down the insulation. The location of the project, the exposure of the roof and the quality of the workmanship will determine the effect that the wind will have on the calculated u-value. It can be assumed that that the calculated u-value could adjust by 1.5 times where windtightness is ignored. This may not sound like a lot but consider if you had hoped to achieve a u-value of 0.16 and you actually achieve 0.24, this could result in a significant effect on heating demand and possibly compliance.

Regulation

In Sweden current practice allows for certain adjustments to the u-value of a property and such adjustment may acknowledge external factors such as workmanship, dimensions, services, material properties, wall ties, noggins and wall plates. Such adjustments to the u-value are known as ‘’Delta U’’ and the terms are based upon the difference between calculated and actual (measured) u-values. Contractors may endeavour to reduce the figure through controlled/supervised manufacture and detailed planning. The typical adjustment figure in Sweden is between 5% and 20%.

Summary

Given the recent issues we have with workmanship, planning and supervision we can assume that the overall u-value variations in constructed buildings can exceed or reach 20% as a standard. The implementation of more rigorous inspections may commence next year and that, together with the availability of higher quality materials and better knowledge, should lead to higher quality construction – something which we at Partel are striving to promote.

Ampack supply a complete range of windtight products, all of which are available with integrated windtight tapes for ease of installation. We also recommend that windows and doors be also sealed externally to avoid wind and water ingress using Ampacoll XT tapes

At Partel our free specification assistance, WUFI analysis and 10 year comprehensive guarantee can give security on the system specification.

References

Sean Doran BRE East Kilbride Field investigations of the thermal performance

of construction elements as built

Change of Company Name/Partel Launch

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We are excited to announce that from Monday 2^nd September 2013 we will be operating as Partel. Our new name reflects the significant expansion in our product range since we first began operating in 2011.

See below an extract from our editorial in passive house + magazine

Galway-based company Partel has launched a range of specialist insulation, ventilation, and airtightness systems to the Irish market, aimed specifically at the low energy building sector. The company was founded by Hugh Whiriskey in 2011.

Partel is the exclusive Irish and UK agent for the Ampack range of airtightness, wind-tightness, and building protection products. Ampack was founded in 1946 and is one of Europes most established specialist membrane and tape manufacturers. “Our Ampack products offer a complete building protection system, from radon membranes to airtight membranes, tapes, adhesives, and wind-tight membranes, and Ampack’s unique 10 year guarantee ensures customers confidence in our range” said Hugh Whiriskey.

Partel also supplies the Lunos range of humidity activated decentralised ventilation systems. This range includes the award winning Lunos e2, one of the smallest heat recovery ventilation units in the world. The Lunos e2 system is not only duct free but can be used in both new and retrofit construction.

In addition, Partel offers the Schneider range of woodfibre insulation. “Schneider woodfibre is produced in one of the most modern factories in the world; the quality of the products is unparalleled,” Whiriskey said. “They amazingly have a zero waste production plant.” He explained that the woodfibre itself is produced from the by-products of timber production and that the waste from the insulation manufacturing process produces biomass that is then burned to power the plant (the equivilant of a population of 24 million).

Partel have also partnered with Episat to bring the Epatherm range of calcium silicate insulation boards for use primarily in older buildings. Partel will launch its in-roof solar PV tiles in early September.

Whiriskey said that “As an Engineer with 15 years experience in construction I have found that there is a demand for higher quality building products, and that the focus will continue to move towards natural and sustainable products”. “We offer customised technical sales and provide support on all of our products from specification advice, WUFI analysis, training, and onsite inspections. We believe we have a lot to offer to the modern builder.

In addition to low energy buildings we have a number of Passivhaus and Enerphit projects on our books which we believe is a reflection of the quality of our products and services”.

Airtight Supplies

Wood Fibre

Calcium Silicate

Decentralised ventilation

Airtight Membranes & SD values

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Airtight Membranes & SD values

Often referred to as airtight membranes know but should be classified as -

Vapour Checks
Vapour Barriers

Before we discuss the differences in 1 & 2 we need to discuss Vapour resistance, SD values and μ values.

Vapour resistance

The vapour resistance of a material is a measure of the material’s reluctance to let water vapour pass through. The μ (“mu-value”) of a material is also known as its “water vapour resistance factor”. It is a measure of the material’s relative reluctance to let water vapour pass through, and is measured in comparison to the properties of air. The μ value is a property of the bulk material and needs to be multiplied by the material’s thickness when used in a particular construction. Because the μ value is a relative quantity, it is just expressed as a number (it has no units)

Equivalent air layer thickness (sd value)

You might see the reluctance of a material to let water vapour pass through expressed as an “equivalent air layer thickness”, which is usually represented as sd. As its name suggests, the equivalent air layer thickness is measured in metres. Like vapour resistance, it can only be quoted for a particular thickness of material. The higher the SD Value the more resistant to vapour transmittance.

To convert an equivalent air layer thickness to a µ-value -sd is the symbol for equivalent air layer thickness

Divide by thickness in metres

Example: For a material with : sd = 2,000m and thickness = 100 mm, we have µ-value =2000 m / 0.1 m = 20000

3 Rules for the correct Installation of Vapour Barriers and Vapour Checks

1. Working ventilation or vapour permeable layer. low SD value. DB90, DB2, Sisalex 500

2. No Ventilation between insulation and vapour retardant outer skin. Vapour barrier with high SD value Sisalex 514 >1800

3. Locations with constant relative humidity such as swimming pools. Vapour barrier high SD value Sisalex 514 >1800

Incorrect installation will lead to construction damage!

The images below show roofs where a Vapour check should of been installed.

WUFI – What is it? Why its important?

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At Partel we offer WUFI analysis on request to ensure that the completed project is functioning correctly.

Incorrect installation or lack of appropriate membranes can cause issues with insulation functioning as specified leading to lower U Values, dampness, and structural damage

What is WUFI
WUFI – Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL)/Fraunhofer Institute for Building Physics (IBP) is a menu-driven PC program which allows realistic calculation of the transient coupled one-dimensional heat and moisture transport in multi-layer building components exposed to natural weather. WUFI-ORNL/IBP is based on the newest findings regarding vapour diffusion and liquid transport in building materials. The underlying model has been validated for over 20 years.

Hygrothermics
Besides the thermal properties of a building component and their impact on heating losses, its hygric behavior has to be considered, too. Permanently increased moisture content in the component may result in moisture damages. Elevated surface moisture levels in living rooms can lead to hygienic problems and health risks due to mould growth.
In addition, thermal and hygric behavior of a building component are closely interrelated as well as an increased moisture content favors heat losses. The thermal situation affects moisture transport. Therefore, both have to be investigated together in their mutual interdependence; the research field of hygrothermics is dealing with these problems.
Out of Date: Dew-Point (Glaser)
The Dew-Point method as detailed in American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) handbook has been a common method to assess the moisture balance of a building component by considering vapour diffusion transport in its interior. However, this method does not allow for the capillary moisture transport in the component, nor for its sorption capacity, both of which reduce the risk of damage in case of condensation. Furthermore, since the method only considers steady-state transport under heavily simplified boundary conditions, it cannot reproduce individual short-term events or allow for rain and solar radiation. It is meant to provide a general assessment of the hygrothermal suitability of a component, not to produce a simulation of realistic heat and moisture conditions in a component exposed to the weather prevailing at its individual location.
Up to Date: WUFI-ORNL/IBP
The menu-driven PC program WUFI-ORNL/IBP developed by the Holzkirchen branch of the Fraunhofer IBP and ORNL validates using data derived from outdoor and laboratory tests, allows realistic calculation of the transient hygrothermal behaviour of multi-layer building components exposed to natural climate conditions.

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