To do this, they turned to a range of high performance products from market leading manufacturer of insulation, Celotex.
The Travelodge was part of a riverside development including an Asda Living superstore. Set right in the heart of the town, it is set to stimulate local business and create thirty new jobs for residents. With its sustainability policy foremost in its mind, Travelodge stipulated to architects Urban View that the hotel had a highly thermally efficient building envelope. To achieve this, the designers specified two innovative PIR (polyisocyanurate) insulation ranges from Celotex – Celotex XR4000 for use in cavity walls and Celotex TA4000 in the roof.
Meeting modern standards of construction and sustainability, the 113 bedroom hotel, built by main contractor G & H Group, was based around a timber frame. A sustainable and fast track method of construction, it also made Celotex an ideal partner for the scheme – as Celotex XR4000 has just achieved BBA (British Board of Agrément) certification for use in timber frames.
Celotex’ BBA timber frame approved products are the most versatile on the market, and can be used in either inter-stud, lining or sheathing applications – or any combination thereof. The company also offers the thickest PIR insulation accredited for use with timber frames. Extending to a thickness of 200mm, it eliminates the need to double install sheets of insulation, minimising effort and costs.
Celotex was the first PIR insulation to achieve an A+ rating when compared to the BRE Green Guide 2008. Foil faced for greater emissivity, Celotex TA4000 and Celotex XR4000 have further advantages to sustainability, combining low Ozone Warming Potential and zero Ozone Depletion Potential with their formidable thermal efficiency with a lambda of 0.022W/mK, a market leading standard.
Celotex TA4000 and Celotex XR4000 provide more insulation per mm than many other materials. This makes them ideal for space saving applications, where their relative thinness created more saleable space in the hotel. The boards are also highly workable. Exceptionally lightweight, they can be easily moved and installed – though this doesn’t come at the expense of strength or durability. They can also be cut onsite with hand tools.
Celotex XR4000 was used in the cavity walls of the building, at a thickness of 140mm to match the timber studs. Installed by specialist contractor Grays Drylining, which was responsible for constructing the envelope of the building, it was simply slotted between the timber studs, tightly butted and fixed with all joints sealed by tape. It ensured an effective thermal envelope for the building, reducing its heating needs and thereby its energy costs and carbon emissions.
The roof of the Travelodge was installed by specialist contractor Roofline. It featured Celotex TA4000, a purpose designed high performance insulation board suitable for flat roofing systems and the mechanical application of single ply membranes.
A polythene 1000 gauge vapour control layer was first applied to the roof substrate to ensure no penetration of moisture in the built up roof. The Celotex TA4000 boards were then applied and tightly butted together. Following this, the single ply membrane was fixed, ensuring a lasting roof that would not allow heat to escape from this most vulnerable of areas.
Now complete, the Maidstone Travelodge has become a well known landmark in the town for its distinct appearance, featuring an unusual shape and the inventive use of colour. Thanks to easily applied Celotex insulation products, the new hotel will play its part in keeping the nation’s Carbon emissions as low as possible.
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