THE energy saving qualities of two products from one of Europe’s leading foam sealant suppliers have been recognised by the Passive House Institute (PHI).
ISO-CHEMIE’S multi-function joint sealing tape ISO-BLOCO ONE, and the thermal insulating and load bearing bracket system, ISO-TOP WINFRAMER, have gained the ‘certified passive energy house components’ award in the PHI’s airtight systems/window connection category.
The all-in-one ISO-BLOCO ONE is the only tape of its type to date to have received the PHI award, and both products have been recognised for their contribution to the functionality and long term maintenance of a passive energy house.
As an independent body, the PHI tests and certifies products to ensure their suitability for use in passive energy houses – testing is carried out in accordance with strict energy efficiency criteria.
ISO-BLOCO ONE stood out on account of its excellent functional characteristics according to the PHI, while ISO-TOP WINFRAMER also impressed after comfortably passing the criteria tests.
Peter Thompson, ISO Chemie’s UK general manager, said: “PHI certification is highly regarded internationally, so this is good news, reinforcing the energy saving benefits of our products.
“ISO-CHEMIE has a strong commitment to providing customers with high quality innovative technologies that offer the highest levels of airtightness sealing, so certification is a natural progression for us. We’re again setting the standards for others to try and follow.”
Up to 70% cost savings can be achieved when using the ISO-BLOCO ONE foam tape rather than alternative three component systems, enabling windows to be quickly sealed from inside the building. This avoids the need to use time consuming and costly external access systems like scaffolding and ladders and provides above average resistance to driving rain with more than 1,000 Pa (hurricane force).
Hiring access systems, with the associated health and safety issues, can add significantly to the overall cost of a new build or renovation project, so additional savings can also be made. Moreover, because the foam sealant can be used in the wet and rain the installation of windows can be undertaken regardless of external weather conditions, avoiding time consuming and costly delays.
ISO-WINFRAMER, which can be cut to size on-site and secured in position using an adhesive, enables installers to quickly fit windows into the insulation area between the inner and outer walls.
This avoids the need to use metal brackets which can cause non-repeating thermal bridging and give extensive problems when the windows need replacing.
The system can be used with a range of ISO-CHEMIE foam tape sealant systems to provide high performance window sealing. As well as ISO-BLOCO ONE, these include ISO-BLOCO 600, the ISO-CONNECT Vario range of self-adhesive foils and fleeces, and ISO-TOP Flex Adhesive WF for bonding and sealing to masonry and joint/corner sealing.
A significant end-user benefit of the system is that when a window needs to be replaced at a later date it is not necessary to remove the internal plaster finish of the reveal wall to remove the old metal brackets and fit new ones, saving additional disruption, refurbishment time and costs. Resistant to temperatures between -50ºC – +100ºC, ISO-TOP WINFRAMER also offers excellent acoustic insulation performance (up to 50dBA), high humidity resistance and can be over plastered for decorative finishes. More at www.iso-chemie.co.uk