<html><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">Dear Andy<div><br></div><div>Perlite was used quite a lot on the WISE building I think</div><div>There can hardly be a building in the world that doesn't have more moisture and wetting issues than it has</div><div>I have copied this email to Pat Borer who was the architect with David Lea, so you can ask him</div><div>I dont think the perlite is on the CAT web site</div><div><a href="http://info.cat.org.uk/questions/wise/what-materials-were-used-build-wise">http://info.cat.org.uk/questions/wise/what-materials-were-used-build-wise</a></div><div>However you can download a presentation which shows the perlite in use I think</div><div><span class="f"><cite><a href="http://www.bath.ac.uk/ace/uploads/images/BRE/.../shanks%2014.00.pdf">www.bath.ac.uk/ace/uploads/images/BRE/.../shanks%2014.00.pdf</a></cite></span></div><div>I think there are two kinds of perlite ...one is much more moisture resistant</div><div><br></div><div>We use closed cell eps in floors here as there seems to be unlimited amounts of recycled eps available ...we would never use new for the reasons you give but its better to recycle it than it going into landfill</div><div><br></div><div>Good luck</div><div><br></div><div>Tom</div><div><br></div><div><br><div><div>On 4 Apr 2011, at 10:57, Andy Horn wrote:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type="cite"><div lang="EN-GB" link="blue" vlink="purple"><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="City"><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="place"><div class="Section1"><div style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0cm; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><font size="2" color="green" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: green; ">Hi<o:p></o:p></span></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0cm; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><font size="2" color="green" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: green; ">I am trying to get more info on the use of Perlite for underfloor insulation. (been to<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.perlite.org" style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline; ">www.perlite.org</a>)<o:p></o:p></span></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0cm; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><font size="2" color="green" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: green; "><o:p> </o:p></span></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0cm; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><font size="2" color="green" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: green; ">I am involved as a consultant to a project in<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Johannesburg</st1:place></st1:city>, where we are using under floor hot water heating for winter (pipes are being embedded inside a concrete slab) and so need to insulate under the slab. I have suggested we look at using a layer of 100mm of Perlite.<o:p></o:p></span></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0cm; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><font size="2" color="green" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: green; "><o:p> </o:p></span></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0cm; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><font size="2" color="green" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: green; ">However, the Project manager has just come back to say we must use the closed cell polystyrene as he is worried about the Perlite absorbing water and is concerned that as a result it will loose its insulating properties. We have quite a water logged site with lots of clay and silt in the soil and the buildings in question are being dug into the back of the slope.<o:p></o:p></span></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0cm; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><font size="2" color="green" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: green; "><o:p> </o:p></span></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0cm; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><font size="2" color="green" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: green; ">Various info says it is “water repellent” but I notice the details – the 2 that I could find – included some kind of a capillary break under and over the Perlite or a layer of plastic damp proofing underneath (as would be under a concrete slab anyway) and a layer of “oil paper” on top to separate it from the concrete. I also see it is used in insulating lightweight screeds and concrete work…..where it clearly retains its insulating properties despite being encapsulated in concrete with its relatively high moisture content……or does one treat the Perlite in some way to prevent it absorbing moisture???<o:p></o:p></span></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0cm; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><font size="2" color="green" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: green; "><o:p> </o:p></span></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0cm; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><font size="2" color="green" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: green; ">Can anyone input here ….as while we can get the Perlite here, the suppliers have no experience with using it in the building industry……and I am loath to let the project use the closed cell polystyrene as it is a particularly environmentally damaging material which, uses benzene and ozone damaging HCFC’s in its manufacture.<o:p></o:p></span></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0cm; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><font size="2" color="green" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: green; "><o:p> </o:p></span></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0cm; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><font size="2" color="green" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: green; "> <o:p></o:p></span></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0cm; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><font size="2" color="green" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: green; ">Any input would be really valued</span></font><font size="2" color="green" face="Arial"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: green; ">,<o:p></o:p></span></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0cm; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><font size="2" color="green" face="Arial"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: green; ">Thanks<o:p></o:p></span></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0cm; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><font size="2" color="green" face="Arial"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: green; ">Andy Horn<o:p></o:p></span></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0cm; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><font size="2" color="green" face="Arial"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: green; "><o:p> </o:p></span></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0cm; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><font size="2" color="green" face="Arial"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: green; "><o:p> </o:p></span></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0cm; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><font size="2" color="green" face="Arial"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: green; "><span><image001.gif></span></span></font><font color="green"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: green; "><o:p></o:p></span></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0cm; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; "><o:p> </o:p></span></font></div></div>_______________________________________________<br>GSBN mailing list<br><a href="mailto:GSBN@sustainablesources.com" style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline; ">GSBN@sustainablesources.com</a><br><a href="http://sustainablesources.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/GSBN" style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline; ">http://sustainablesources.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/GSBN</a><br></o:smarttagtype></o:smarttagtype></div></blockquote></div><br><div apple-content-edited="true"> <div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; text-indent: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-transform: none; orphans: 2; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; "><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; text-indent: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-transform: none; orphans: 2; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; text-indent: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-transform: none; orphans: 2; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; "><div>Tom Woolley</div><div><br class="khtml-block-placeholder"></div><div>Rachel Bevan Architects</div><div>80 Church Road</div><div>Crossgar</div><div>Downpatrick</div><div>BT30 9HR</div><div><a href="mailto:tom.woolley@btconnect.com">tom.woolley@btconnect.com</a></div><div>028 44 830988</div><div><a href="http://www.bevanarchitects.com">www.bevanarchitects.com</a></div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"></span></span></div></span></div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"> </div><br></div></body></html>