41890
January 2025
Lower air leakage performance sees "Natural-SIP" specialist warm to SterlingOSB Zero
An custom housebuilder, whose focus is on achieving excellent energy performance coupled with high environmental standards, has adopted the use of SterlingOSB Zerofrom the range of West Fraser, in particular favouring the well proven panel product's superior standards of airtightness.Makar Ltddesigns and manufactures a range of affordable homes, one off exemplar homes and commercial properties.
As Makar's Scott Reid commented: "Instead of a standard SIP panel which is filled with polyurethane foam insulation, we employ the 11mm SterlingOSB Zeroas a lining to the inside face of the 220mm wall structure to provide racking, retain the Warmcel insulation and provide airtightness. Significantly, we ran independent ‘blind' testing comparing theSterlingOSB Zeroto one of its European made competitors and it came out as showing a variance of 20%. Both the dimensional accuracy of the boards and their actual structure contribute to our achieving a figure of 0.6 (M3/m2/hr) which is in line with PassivHaus standards. Then we add a 40mm wood fibreboard externally, plus on the roof there is a 245mm rafter depth with two layers of the wood fibre with multiple covering solutions available."
West Fraser'srenowned SterlingOSB Zero boards appear again as part of the build-up for the intermediate floors, where the 18mm thick version is installed to offer a working platform for the duration of the build phase, as well as providing racking strength to the structure overall. This deck is then normally covered by a hardwood flooring overlay.
Scott continued: "It is one of the key selling points to our system that the selection of materials serves to control moisture movement across the fabric of the building. We don't use any plastics in our buildings and theSterlingOSB Zerois therefore acting as a partial vapour barrier - and we use a condensation risk analysis. This demonstrates how the moisture can move through the fabric and be expelled. Then for the past ten years, there has been MVHR* in place to provide tempered fresh air to the occupants." (* MVHR Mechanical Ventilation & Heat Recovery).
Makar has found a formula which is resonating with a widening customer base, as Scott concluded: "We are set up to deliver 12 custom designed homes or commercial properties a year - though that capacity is steadily increasing, and we have recently made changes to the set-up, where our system will also be used for affordable housing. We have also done some work with Logie Estate."
All West Fraser panel products produced in the UK arenet carbon negativeand manufactured in mills that have obtained the coveted environmental ISO 14001 accreditation. Responsibly sourced, the panels areFSC® certified (C012533)and created from locally grown timber, cutting embodied carbon from transportation.
For further information, call 01786 812 921 or visitUk.westfraser.com
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With Compliments:
Taylor Alden
helen@tayloralden.co.uk