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Insulation firm that warned against combustibles ban launches non-combustible product
A large manufacturer of plastic insulation that warned against plans to ban combustible materials on tall buildings has launched a new non-combustible product.
Kingspan, which provided some of the insulation for the walls and windows of Grenfell Tower, had warned banning combustible insulation would leave tenants unable to heat their homes.
The firm, which turned over €428.9m and made a profit of €53.1m from selling insulation boards globally in first half of 2018, has previously published white papers criticising the efficiency of mineral fibre insulation.
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However, in September, the same month the government announced its intention to ban combustible materials on high rises, the firm launched its new mineral fibre ‘K-Roc’ insulation.
It advertises it as “designed for use in buildings with a storey 18m or more above ground level” – the level at which the government ban kicks in.
While the company has previously produced some mineral-based products, they have mainly been the preserve of its rival insulation firm Rockwool.
Kingspan provided K15 Kooltherm for a small proportion of the walls on Grenfell Tower and PIR plastic insulation for its window panels – both of which are considered combustible.
In the aftermath of the fire it supported continued use of ‘desktop studies’ and system testing to justify the use of combustible materials on high-rise buildings.
The government-commissioned Hackitt Review of building regulations supported using both of these measures, albeit with tighter restrictions than had been seen previously.
However, following outcry from politicians and survivors of the fire, the government did not follow the report and instead announced plans for a ban.
A spokesperson for Kingspan said: “Kingspan Group has traditionally offered mineral fibre solutions as part of its product portfolio, as we aim to have a product suite that is flexible to a wide range of customer needs. Typically, our customers have favoured more innovative materials that are able to offer better thermal performance without compromising on fire safety.
“The K-Roc mineral fibre product range was launched in September 2018 and is offered by our Kingspan Facades business unit to provide architects and building designers a wider range of facade options. Kingspan Facades was created to provide a single interface for clients to access Kingspan’s advanced core insulations alongside more traditional materials like K-Roc mineral fibre.”
