Insulating and Achieving Airtightness with

Cross Laminated Timber

25th November 2020
Fintan Wallace
Architectural Technologist

• Certified European Passivhaus Designer &

Tradesperson

• Studied Passivhaus & Sustainable Energy Technology

in Germany

• Significant knowledge in the use of Natural insulation

• Enerphit standard experience

Niall Crosson
Group Technical Manager

• Certified European Passivhaus Consultant

• Member of the Board of Directors of the Irish Green

Building Council & provides input to a number of
national standard committees including the NSAI and
UKCMB

• Provided technical guidance on many award winning

low energy projects in Ireland & the UK
Products & Systems with Sole Agency in the
Ireland & the UK

pro clima air & windtight membranes, tapes & seals

Gutex wood fibreboards

Diasen cork lime thermal plaster

Calsitherm climate board

Thermo-Hemp Insulation

Wellhoefer insulated airtight attic hatches

Optime airtight downlighter Boxes

ELKA Strong Board – diffusion open racking board

Bosig Phonotherm 200 thermal bridge insulation

AURO Natural Paints

FINSA technical structural panels

www.ecologicalbuildingsystems.com
 CROSS LAMINATED TIMBER (CLT)

What it is:
CLT refers to Cross Laminated Timber Construction
• Used for over 2 decades
• Made from several layers of timber stacked crosswise
(usually 90 degrees) & glued together
• The cross lamination provides:
Dimensional stability
Strength & Rigidity
• Viable alternative to concrete, masonry & steel
• Used on many ground-breaking projects around the
world and throughout the UK and growing in Ireland
FW1

The UK Experience:
Vitsoe HQ, Leamington Spa
Slide 9

FW1 Fintan Wallace, 06/04/2020

FW1

The UK Experience:
Vitsoe HQ, Leamington Spa
Slide 10

FW1 Fintan Wallace, 06/04/2020

The UK Experience:
Vitsoe HQ, Leamington Spa

U-Value for walls: 0.19 W/m2K

• 120mm CLT Panel
• 160mm Gutex Multitherm woodfibre boards
• SOLITEX FRONTA QUATTRO
• 65mm battened ventilation zone
• 8mm open screen Cladding
The UK Experience:
Vitsoe HQ, Leamington Spa
FW1

The UK Experience:
Vitsoe HQ, Leamington Spa
Slide 13

FW1 Fintan Wallace, 06/04/2020

FW1

The UK Experience:
Vitsoe HQ, Leamington Spa
Slide 14

FW1 Fintan Wallace, 06/04/2020

FW1

The UK Experience:
Vitsoe HQ, Leamington Spa
Slide 15

FW1 Fintan Wallace, 06/04/2020

FW1
The UK Experience:
Harris Academy Sutton Secondary Passivhaus
School
Slide 16

FW1 Fintan Wallace, 06/04/2020

FW1
The UK Experience:
Harris Academy Sutton Secondary Passivhaus
School
Slide 17

FW1 Fintan Wallace, 06/04/2020

FW1
The UK Experience:
Harris Academy Sutton Secondary Passivhaus
School
Slide 18

FW1 Fintan Wallace, 06/04/2020

FW1
The UK Experience:
Harris Academy Sutton Secondary Passivhaus
School
Slide 19

FW1 Fintan Wallace, 06/04/2020

FW1
The UK Experience:
Harris Academy Sutton Secondary Passivhaus
School
Slide 20

FW1 Fintan Wallace, 06/04/2020

FW1
The UK Experience:
Harris Academy Sutton Secondary Passivhaus
School
Slide 21

FW1 Fintan Wallace, 06/04/2020

FW1

The UK Experience:
Larch Corner Passivhaus, Warwickshire
Slide 22

FW1 Fintan Wallace, 06/04/2020

FW1

The UK Experience:
Larch Corner Passivhaus, Warwickshire
Slide 23

FW1 Fintan Wallace, 06/04/2020

FW1

The UK Experience:
Larch Corner Passivhaus
Slide 24

FW1 Fintan Wallace, 06/04/2020

 BUILDING
REGULATIONS

Airtightness, how do we compare?

• England/Wales Part L 2013 is < 10m³/hr/m²

• Northern Ireland Part F 2012 is <10m³/hr/m²
• Scotland < 7m³/hr/m²
• Ireland nZEB– < 5m³/hr/m²*
*Below 3m³/hr/m² requires Controlled Ventilation – normally MVHR

AECB Gold Standard Q50< 0.75 m³/hr/m²

Passivhaus n50<0.6 ACH @50Pa

DESIGN FOR
AIRTIGHTNESS IN CLT
DEFINE THE
AIR BARRIER
Identify leakage areas

3 main areas of Air Leakage

• Service Leaks
• Structural Leaks
• Combination of Both
Airtightness with CLT

Option 1: Tape joints of CLT Option 2: Install Airtight membrane Option 3: Install peel and stick airtight membrane
Airtightness with CLT

Option 1: Tape joints of CLT

NC1

SIMPLE DESIGN Steiner School: Frome

S i m p l e D e t a i l : E xc e p t i o n a l Pe r f o r m a n c e !

UV stable Breather
membrane

Early Conception Sketch by Project Architect, Will Garner, Midas Group

Slide 32

NC1 Niall Crosson, 19/08/2020

LARCH CORNER - Mark Siddall / Mick Wooley
First Domestic Zero air leakage building in UK
The record-breaking airtightness result of
0.047ach@50pa
CLT panels taped using TESCON VANA & EXTOSEAL
ENCORS used at base

Equivalent leakage area –

size of a penny
Passivhaus CLT student accommodation for
King’s College, Cambridge.

59 graduate rooms across two new

accommodation buildings

TESCON VANA, EXTOSEAL ENCORS and

SOLITEX FRONTA WA
The SOLID ACRYLIC affect

Solid Acrylic glue

ENSURE THE APPROPRIATE AIRTIGHTNESS TAPE IS USED
CLT - airtightness
Swelling and Shrinking of Timber

In summer the inside air is more

humid --> we find a higher moisture
content of the timber

In winter we have dryer conditions -->

lower moisture content of the timber

App. 5% difference between

winter and summer
Air leakage from shrinkage and swelling of Timber
AEROSANA VISCONN -Liquid applied air barrier
 AEROSANA VISCONN
- Flexible Liquid applied air
barrier
Airtightness with CLT
Option 2: Install Airtight membrane
Option 2: Install Airtight membrane
Option 2: Install Airtight membrane
Van Heyningen and Haward Architects /Etude
Option 2: Install Airtight membrane
Van Heyningen and Haward Architects /Etude
Option 2: Install Airtight membrane
Sutton Passivhaus School
Sutton Passivhaus Secondary School
CLT
DA membrane
I joist stud frame with Cellulose
Magnesium Oxide board
Solitex Fronta Quattro UV membrane
Battens and Cladding finish
Tectonics Architects –Hackney Passivhaus

• CLT Airtightness attained with pro clima DA membrane

Tectonics Architects –Hackney Passivhaus
Potential leakage through CLT panels illustrated during blowerdoor testing
Potential leakage through CLT panels illustrated during blowerdoor testing
• Screw Calculations provided by Ecological
• Screw Calculations provided by Ecological
• Calculations carried out in accordance with Eurocode 5
• 8mm x 500mm screws were required!
The UK Experience:
Vitsoe HQ, Leamington Spa
Ensuring continuity of airtightness and Insulation
Airtightness with CLT
Option 3: Full Surface Adhesive-SOLITEX ADHERO
SOLITEX ADHERO – full-surface gluing membrane
Building moisture management – SOLITEX ADHERO
Building moisture management
Building moisture management
Building moisture management
Building moisture management: Solution 1
Temporary construction of the buildingsite with tent / scaffolding structures

Advantages:

High level of security

Working regardless of the weather

Disadvantages:

Less flexibility in crane work

=> Element assembly limited

=> Better for refurbishment work

High costs

Problematic for large projects
Building moisture management: Solution 2
Temporary scheduling as required during construction

Advantages:

Can be applied if necessary

Removable

Disadvantages:

Strong delay in the construction process when needed

Leakages pose a high risk of damage

Protection against wind needed

Difficult drainage planning for large areas
Building moisture management: Solution 3
Full-surface gluing of the SOLITEX ADHERO membrane

Advantages:

Maximum security through full-surface gluing
(penetrations remain securely closed)
=> No danger of infiltration
Serves an an airtightness layer
=> also between floors
Can be assembled at the factory
Easy construction site assembly possible

Disadvantages:
Not removable
Slight increase of costs
Airtightness with CLT
Airtightness with CLT
Airtightness with CLT
Case study – Winchester self build
Airtightness with CLT
Case study – Winchester self build
Airtightness with CLT
Case study – Winchester self build
Airtightness with CLT
Case study – Co. Cavan self build
Airtightness with CLT
Case study – Co. Cavan self build
Airtightness with CLT
Case study – Co. Cavan self build

FINSA VAPOURSTOP
Airtightness with CLT

✔ Protects the structure: Diffusion-

permeable and maximum protection against
driving rain
✔ Keeps building components dry by means
of a pore-free moisture-active functional
membrane
✔ Easy and reliable installation thanks to its
split release film – sticks immediately to
subsurfaces with sufficient load-bearing
capacity
✔ Permanent protection thanks to the high
resistance to ageing and heat of the TEEE
membrane
✔ 3 months of outdoor exposure
Insulating CLT – GUTEX Woodfibre
WHAT IS WOODFIBRE INSULATION?
• Made with post-industrial recycled wood chips (spruce and
pine)

• Rigid Boards (110-240kg/m3 density), flexible batts (50kg/m3

density) and loose fill (25-40kg/m3 density)

• Woodfibre boards by “wet” & “dry” method

• Excellent insulation material for internal or external applications

• All products are Certified according to EN13171 and have EPD’s

• Can be applied almost anywhere provided it is above

ground level
 GUTEX WOOD FIBRE PRODUCTS

Product Range: Primarily differentiated by density

• Gutex Thermosafe Homogen – Semi Rigid Insulation board
• 110kg/m3
• 0.038W/mK
• Must overlay with a denser board
• Contains binder and a small amount of paraffin
 GUTEX WOOD FIBRE PRODUCTS

Product Range: Primarily differentiated by density

• Gutex Multitherm – Rigid Insulation board
• 140kg/m3
• 0.040W/mK
• External face of Stud or CLT Walls
• Over rafter on roof
• Contains binder and paraffin
 GUTEX WOOD FIBRE PRODUCTS

Product Range: Primarily differentiated by density

• Gutex Ultratherm– Rigid Insulation board
• 180kg/m3
• 0.042W/mK
• External face of Stud or CLT Walls
• Over rafter on roof – special waterproof T&G Profile
• Has a higher level of paraffin
• 3 months weather exposure
 GUTEX WOOD FIBRE PRODUCTS

Product Range: Primarily differentiated by density

• Gutex Multiplex Top– Rigid Insulation board
• 200kg/m3
• 0.044W/mK
• External face of Stud or CLT Walls
• Over rafter on roof – special waterproof T&G Profile
• Has a higher level of paraffin
• 3 months weather exposure
WOOD FIBRE DURABILITY
Hail- and rainproof
Windtight
Suitable as temporary roof covering
Diffusion open
WHY WOODFIBRE INSULATION

The Benefits:
• Optimum combination of Thermal insulation in Winter
& Summer
• Effective acoustic properties
• Speed of application
• Very Robust
• Extremely diffusion open, reducing condensation risk
• Consistent quality and reliable application
• Inherently windtight material
• Recyclable & Optimum Sustainability
• Embodied Carbon
WHY WOODFIBRE INSULATION

Reaction to Fire
• Wood fibre insulation chars on exposure to flame
• The surface char provides protection to the structure and
retards the penetration of heat and flame through the
structure
• Can achieve an REI rating of up to 90 minutes tested from
inside and outside according to EN13501-2 (BS476 Part
20)
• R=Load bearing; E= Integrity, I= Insulation
• A variety of systems fully tested and certified by Euro
approved laboratories in Germany
WHY WOODFIBRE INSULATION
REACTION TO FIRE DEMONSTRATION:

C LT W h y H i d e I t?

After 10 Minutes

Temperature on reverse of Insulation:

Woodfibre: 66OC
o
Stonewool: 261 C
A SIMPLE SYSTEMATIC APPROACH
Option 1: Tape joints of CLT Option 2: Install Airtight membrane Option 3: Install peel and stick airtight membrane
Embodied Carbon, The Blindspot of the Construction Industr y

• Between now and 2060, the buildings industry is poised to add 230 billion m2
of new construction worldwide.
• That means we will double the amount of buildings we currently have on the
planet over the next four decades.
• To put this into perspective, we are constructing the equivalent of an entire
New York City every month for the next 40 years.
• “Embodied carbon will be responsible for almost half of total new
construction emissions between now and 2050." – (Architecture 2030)
UKGBC: Embodied Carbon: Developing a Client Brief March 2017
 SUMMARY
• Compatible materials optimise vapour permeability of construction

• Outstanding thermal resistance up to Passivhaus levels

• Homogenous woodfibre reduces thermal bridges offering flexibility

and high compression resistance

• Use appropriate tapes and seals and membranes fit for purpose
with optimal durability

• Offsite construction reduces risk and unforeseen issues on site

• Faster more efficient erection of building

• Carbon sequestering and more ecological

• Why not lock up Carbon with our buildings!

We can help you ……
• Full technical support for our products and systems
• U value calculations
• Dew point calculations
• WUFI hygrothermal modelling
• NSAI Approved thermal modelling
• Advice on achieving Building Regulations
• Tool Box Talks on site
• Airtightness specification clauses and installation
videos
• Screw Calculations - carried out in accordance with
Eurocode 5
• Products delivered quickly and efficiently from our
UK and Irish warehouses
www.ecologicalbuildingsystems.com
 THANK YOU
www.ecologicalbuildingsystems.com
info@ecologicalbuildingsystems.com

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