AFFORDABLE ISOLATION

Thankfully, there are some tried and trusted building products which are answering the need to prevent heat escaping from our properties, that are both affordable and practical to use such as Marmox Thermoblocks, which are finding applications on an increasing number of projects from social housing schemes to PassivHaus standard schools and even swimming pool complexes.

Unique to the industry in terms of their insulation performance, coupled with high load carrying capacity and practicality in use, Thermoblocks are viewed by many specifiers as offering the ideal answer to tackling linear heat loss at places such as the ground floor perimeter, parapet walls and even within basement construction.  BBA approved Thermoblocks are available in widths of 100, 140 or 215mm and are formed from sections of XPS encapsulating two rows of high strength, epoxy concrete mini-columns.

These are attached at either end to the top and bottom layers of glass-fibre reinforced polymer concrete, to ensure a good bond with the rest of the structure.

The 600mm long units – the same depth as a course of bricks - feature an overlapping, stepped joint which is normally secured using Marmox’s own MSP360 adhesive, while they can also be cut to length to suit individual plot dimensions, with the task of installation normally being assigned to the groundworker or bricklaying sub-contractor.  With the XPS also being fully waterproof, Thermoblocks can further be seen as representing a modern advancement on the traditional practice of laying engineering bricks to form a damp-proof course, though most wall constructions will incorporate a conventional DPC interconnecting with cavity trays and damp-proof membranes protecting the main floor area.  

Grant Terry, the Marketing Manager for Marmox, commented: “The increasing focus on energy performance, from fuel prices and legislation like the Future Homes standard, have forced specifiers to pay particular attention to thermal bridging and Thermoblock really offers a unique solution.  The product has proved itself in a range of applications and is now widely used in commercial contracts as well as by housebuilders.  15% of a building’s heat gets lost through the wall-floor junction and by simply replacing one layer of blocks with Marmox Thermoblocks, that heat loss can be cut to just 1% and crucially it avoids having to use punishing default values under SAP and it is also now being used beneath modular multi-storey buildings.”
 
Marmox, based in Chatham, Kent, is able to offer developers comprehensive technical advice on project specific and other matters, as well as providing on-site training for contractors employing the product for the first time.  The team also regularly assists architects and structural engineers seeking guidance or the provision of detail drawings, so that Thermoblocks can be incorporated into non-conventional wall types and still contribute fully to meeting SAP or even Passivhaus requirements.  In fact, on recent projects across the UK, Thermoblocks have been used within wall constructions where the outer leaf is raised in natural coursed stone, as well as beneath internal walls where thermal bridging is identified as an issue.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT: MR. GRANT TERRY, MARKETING MANAGER
MARMOX (UK) LTD. CAXTON HOUSE 101-103 HOPEWELL DRIVE CHATHAM KENT ME5 7NP.  

FAX: 
01634 835299