Hard foam and natural insulation materials for roofs, facades, walls and floors

The energy standards for new construction and renovation are getting stricter every year. Good insulation of roof, wall, façade and floor contributes to better energy performance. Soprema, manufacturer and supplier of high-quality products for waterproofing and insulation, offers a wide range of rigid foam (PIR & PUR, XPS) and natural insulation materials (PAVATEX wood fiber insulation) through the professional building materials trade.

The drive for innovation and technical know-how have been the key to success for specialist Soprema from day one. Thus, they very quickly discovered a light and sturdy coating that is waterproof and smooth to install.

"Today this family-owned company produces and supplies bitumen and plastic roofing, liquid waterproofing and insulation materials. It has 73 production sites and operates in more than 90 countries worldwide, including the Netherlands and Belgium," says Walter Van Velzen, sales manager Bouw NL with a focus on rigid foam insulation materials.

"At Soprema BV, which before the acquisition was known in the Dutch roofing market under the name Troelstra & de Vries, I am together with my colleague Jacco Dwars, sales manager Natural Insulations, and our team of area sales manager and commercial technical advisors responsible for supporting the construction industry in the Netherlands. After all, determining the right insulation depends on several factors, such as application (floor, facade, wall, roof), location (inside, outside), budget and personal preference. Customers can find our insulation products in the professional building materials trade: PIR and PUR insulation boards, XPS rigid foam insulation as well as natural wood fiber insulation PAVATEX. There is always a perfect solution at hand and everything under one roof.

Hard foam insulation materials

PIR (polyisocyanurate) and PUR (polyurethane) insulation boards are composed of small cells containing a gas with low thermal conductivity - immediately the two most efficient insulation materials on the market. Excellent insulation values can be achieved with a thinner insulation layer. The thinner that insulation layer in a cavity wall, the more space is left inside. These insulation boards are installed on walls, floors, flat and pitched roofs.

With Sopratherm ALU, Efisarking, SIS Reve Si and Efigreen ITE, Soprema provides a wide range of PIR/PUR insulation boards.

"XPS insulation boards made of extruded polystyrene have a closed cell structure with a flat surface, which makes them extremely pressure resistant, insulating and moisture resistant. It is the only insulation that can be used in an inverted roof system and underground. Moreover, the boards are very easy to install," Van Velzen adds.

"Depending on the application, these XPS plates are available in different compressive strengths. The three standard versions are the XPS SL for roofs and walls, the XPS PM/CW for roofs and facades and the XPS CR for floors, foundations, walls, facades and roofs. For heavily loaded floors or parking roofs, XPS 500 and XPS 700 were developed."

Natural insulation

The majority of buildings in the Netherlands are still realized with traditional insulation materials, but the demand for natural insulation materials is increasing, for example for integration in timber frame construction. With PAVATEX, Soprema offers a natural insulation material produced with leftover wood chips and available as a facade board or hard and soft boards for roofs, floors and interior walls.

"Unlike rigid foam insulation materials, buildings with natural insulation materials do need to be able to breathe to avoid moisture build-up, and consequently mold," Walter Van Velzen concludes. "Wood fiber insulation is naturally diffusion-open, which means that moisture problems cannot occur. So the building envelope here is airtight, but not sealed along the inside with a vapor-tight screen, allowing the building to breathe."