Energy-efficient, durable, environmentally friendly, resistant to damp and the spread of fire, attractive, easily installed, legally compliant and locally produced: Summit XPS Insulation Board is the insulation of choice for architects and their clients, and for good reason.
Summit XPS is part of Swartland’s Summit range of insulation and decorative products, and its commitment to 100% local, green products.
Insulation is no longer just a nice-to-have: SANS 10400-XA building regulations stipulate that proper insulation is a legal requirement for any new structure.
Daneel Pretorius, Category Manager for Swartland’s Summit range, says XPS (Extruded polystyrene) foam board creates a single layer of thermal- and moisture protection on walls, roofs, or floors, greatly boosting buildings’ overall energy efficiency.
“XPS’s production process results in a closed-cell structure with excellent long-term strength and durability, making it suitable for a wide gamut of commercial, residential, agricultural, and industrial thermal insulation applications,” says Daneel. He describes its benefits:
- Lower heating and cooling costs: The objective of insulation is to cut the cost of keeping a building’s interior cool in summer and warm in winter. A well-insulated building is easier and cheaper to cool or heat, as the air indoors stays at a comfortable temperature, and Summit XPS Insulation Board is an incredibly efficient thermal insulator.
- Environmentally-friendly: Summit XPS Insulation Board is a very green material: not only does it make buildings more energy-efficient, but making it yields no harmful waste. It’s 100% recyclable, and its exceptionally long lifespan reduces its overall carbon footprint.
- Versatility: XPS’s wide variety of applications include nail-up ceiling and insulation, as well as ceilinged insulation between trusses for an exposed-truss look, over-rafter insulation, over-purlin insulation, cavity- and perimeter-wall insulation, and under-floor insulation. It’s available in lengths from 1.8m and 8m, and in thicknesses from 30mm to 100mm.
- Easy installation, with no leaks: Summit XPS Insulation Board has tongue-and-groove edging so it’s simple to install, and the tight seal eliminates leakage of hot or cold air.
- Endurance: The insulative capacity of many insulation materials degrades over time, leading to slowly rising utility bills. Not so with Summit XPS Insulation Board: its closed-cell structure boosts its strength, ensuring a much longer lifespan than other materials. This fixes heating- and cooling costs, and also saves money as you need to replace your insulation much less often, lowering the building’s cradle-to-grave carbon footprint.
- No flame-spread hazard: Summit XPS Insulation Board’s B/B1/2/H&V classification in terms of SANS 428 means that it poses no flame-spread hazard. Exposed to fire, it shrinks away from the heat source, with no flaming droplets. Its efficacy is also recognised by the Thermal Insulation Products & Systems Association (TIPSASA.)
- Better indoor air-quality: Because insulation is a barrier between you and the outdoor world, it keeps allergens and environmental pollutants out of the air circulating in your home, improving indoor air quality.
- No mildew: Mould and mildew can harm the health of people, pets, fixtures, and stored goods, as well as buildings’ structural integrity. Summit XPS Insulation Board acts as a barrier against moisture, preventing that.
Daneel says, “Insulation is the easiest, most economical way to reduce energy consumption for heating and cooling a new or existing building. Improve its insulation before investing in air-conditioning units, heaters, or even in green sources of energy, such as solar panels or solar water-heating.”
He concludes: “The Summit XPS Insulation Board offers excellent long-term thermal resistance. It offers the best-in-market performance and national after-sales service, which the building industry has come to expect from Swartland.”