Polystyrene sheets are easy to cut, lightweight and water resistant. They also have great compressive strength and thermal protection properties.
Styroboard EPS insulation does not degrade into harmful substances and isn’t a risk to termites or rodents. It’s also highly recyclable.
HBCD has been banned in Europe and around the world under the Stockholm Convention. It will take some time for substitutions to be developed.
Versatility
A popular choice for insulation and packaging, polystyrene is lightweight, versatile and easy to cut. Its inert nature means it is safe to use around other materials and chemicals, has water resistance and compressive strength and won’t support termites or rot.
Its versatility and machinability are why it’s commonly used in the construction industry. EPS is a great solution for insulating concrete floor slabs, and can be used as a base to render on. It also offers good thermal properties, making it ideal for insulating buildings in all climates and aiding energy savings.
The insulating material is available in sheets and planks, and comes in a variety of sizes. It is easily cut using manual or computerised machinery and can be fabricated into any shape. It is also a common choice for horticultural applications such as greenhouses and plant cloches. It can be used as secondary glazing, splashbacks or in place of glass in doors and windows.
Fire Retardant
Fire breakout in buildings is a serious issue that may lead to the destruction of homes and offices. Building insulation should be made of materials that are resistant to fire breakout.
Expanded polystyrene foam (EPS) and extruded polystyrene foam (XPS) are treated with a fire retardant additive, which prevents the material from igniting during normal use. EPS is a non-flammable, rigid and tough product that has low thermal conductivity and does not rot or decay, making it an ideal choice for insulation.
EXPOL ThermaSlab (EPS) and Emperor Panel (XPS) are fire rated insulation panels that are available in a variety of thicknesses to suit your needs. Designed to be used under concrete slab floors, they offer excellent compressive strength and moisture resistance while providing effective insulation that will achieve R-values above the minimum required by building regulations. Moreover, they help reduce energy costs by protecting your home from heat loss through the concrete slab. For a cost-effective solution to your building insulation requirements, contact us today for more information about our EPS and XPS products.
Environmentally Friendly
There are a number of ordinances that regulate, restrict or ban the use of PS, but the reason is not for the physical properties of the material, but rather its potential to leak toxins into bodies and ecosystems. In fact, styrene has been shown to absorb through the lipid-based cell membranes of aquatic organisms and concentrate in higher levels of the food chain, where it is likely to affect predators.
The EPS production process uses only pentane which does not contain chlorine or ozone depleting chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and the end result is that expanded polystyrene is 98% air. Moreover, EPS manufacturers that are members of Plastics New Zealand offer an EPS recycling service to ensure that their customers can get their clean offcuts collected and recycled.
Composite Insulation cares about the environment and only provides proven foam insulation products like EPS and XPS. Contact us today to learn more about our Goldfoam XPS extruded polystyrene insulation and our other insulation solutions for homes and commercial properties in Auckland.
Recyclable
Polystyrene is a solid plastic and comes in a variety of forms. It can be found in day-to-day items such as the case on your smoke detector or the styrofoam packing “peanuts” used to protect electronics, furniture and other large equipment during shipping. It also lines coolers and freezers and can be used for art and crafts projects.
Expanded polystyrene (or EPS) is made by expanding beads of a type of petroleum-based plastic and fusing them together. It is 98% air and can be recycled many times over. It is often used in insulation products, protection systems like helmets and children’s car seats and as loose fill material in packaging.
Throughout New Zealand, a number of expanded polystyrene manufacturers are offering a recycling service to their customers. This enables tradespeople to avoid paying landfill fees and ensures that clean EPS offcuts are collected and sent away for processing, rather than ending up on building sites as litter.