PIR insulation in very short supply - alternative plan?

[dnb]

I planned to put 150mm of PIR insulation between the screed and beam and block floor. The snag is that nobody seems to have a sufficient quantity in stock or won't deliver it to my postcode. So my revised plan is 2 layers of thinner PIR to reach the same 150mm thickness. Are there any pitfalls with this other than it costing a little more (but at least I can get it on to site)?  I don't believe there are any alternative materials that give sufficient levels of insulation.

[Oz07]

I prefer this way. Get double the amount of 75mm

[Cpd]

75mm is so much easier to cut and deal with than 150mm would be my first choice given the option. 

[nod]

6 hours ago, dnb said:

I planned to put 150mm of PIR insulation between the screed and beam and block floor. The snag is that nobody seems to have a sufficient quantity in stock or won't deliver it to my postcode. So my revised plan is 2 layers of thinner PIR to reach the same 150mm thickness. Are there any pitfalls with this other than it costing a little more (but at least I can get it on to site)?  I don't believe there are any alternative materials that give sufficient levels of insulation. 
 

Most things are in short supply at the moment 

I been getting deliveries from Varleys insulation 

You would have to open an account as they mainly supply builders merchants 

[Russell griffiths]

With two layers you can stagger the joins, you can also flip one over to counteract and bends in the sheets. 

 

Not being able to get 150mm has probably done you a favour. 

[dnb]

4 hours ago, nod said:

Most things are in short supply at the moment 

I been getting deliveries from Varleys insulation 

You would have to open an account as they mainly supply builders merchants

 

Thanks for the pointer. I know there are supply problems in pretty much everything. The biggest logistical problem for me is usually getting things across the Solent on a ferry without it costing the earth.  One delivery example was free to Southampton, but £250 to site - a sizable additional cost in relation to the materials themselves. Needless to say, all angles need to be considered - houses aren't more expensive over here and I do need to worry about the budget.

 

And thanks all for confirming that there's no hidden gotcha with staggered double layer. It gives a few more workable options. I like the idea of staggered joints and I can make a castleated joint with the upstands at the edge too.

 

One of my local suppliers (specialist in roofing materials) has recently given up on PIR insulation because of the supply issues, but they inform me that their structural timber supply is much better now. Looks like the next job might have to be the stud walls on the 1st floor.

Edited April 10, 2021 by dnb

[nod]

31 minutes ago, dnb said:

 

Thanks for the pointer. I know there are supply problems in pretty much everything. The biggest logistical problem for me is usually getting things across the Solent on a ferry without it costing the earth.  One delivery example was free to Southampton, but £250 to site - a sizable additional cost in relation to the materials themselves. Needless to say, all angles need to be considered - houses aren't more expensive over here and I do need to worry about the budget.

 

And thanks all for confirming that there's no hidden gotcha with staggered double layer. It gives a few more workable options. I like the idea of staggered joints and I can make a castleated joint with the upstands at the edge too.

 

One of my local suppliers (specialist in roofing materials) has recently given up on PIR insulation because of the supply issues, but they inform me that their structural timber supply is much better now. Looks like the next job might have to be the stud walls on the 1st floor.

Varleys are bringing everything in from Germany Might not be a such a stretch to send directly to you 

[Russell griffiths]

Can you raise your height to 200mm if so go eps. Will save you a fortune. 

[dnb]

1 hour ago, nod said:

Varleys are bringing everything in from Germany Might not be a such a stretch to send directly to you 

 

You and I might think that. But tests have shown that the IOW ferry is often a sticking point. It's a small market here, and this is one of the costs of living in, when all said and done, a really pleasant place.

 

16 minutes ago, Russell griffiths said:

Can you raise your height to 200mm if so go eps. Will save you a fortune.

 

Unfortunately not. I didn't plan for both brexit and pandemic when I agreed the foundation design. Had I known how the world would go I would have dug down another 100mm and put in another row of plinth blocks. Then I could have at least 200mm EPS. When I costed it in of 2018 it was better to have PIR. How things change... (But of course if I had done that I would probably want 200mm of PIR, chasing those ever diminishing returns!!)

[Temp]

How much do you need? Can you hire a van or borrow a minibus whio the seats out and go collect it? 

 

 

 

 

[dnb]

8 minutes ago, Temp said:

How much do you need? Can you hire a van or borrow a minibus whio the seats out and go collect it? 

Seriously thought about this, but I don't think it works.

I need 37 sheets of 150mm thick and 10 sheets of 25mm. That's 1.2m * 2.4m * 0.15m * 38  +  1.2m * 2.4m * 0.025m * 10 = 17m^3 approx. So this would apparently just fit in a large luton van.  But the long dimension of any van I can find here is less than 4.8m and both the width and height are less than 2.4, so you can't ever fill it with whole sheets. I therefore need to go for something bigger, like a 7.5 tonner which gets a bit expensive on the ferry. 

 

I therefore think the best answer is to go for 75 sheets of 75mm (or whatever combination I can get that adds up to 150mm) so I can use one of the two suppliers I found that seem sensible on delivery and are not too bad on price.

[Temp]

Any removals companies you could ask to quote? Eg if someone is moving off island perhaps you can fill their van for the return trip.

[Onoff]

Could you buy it on the mainland, make a raft and sail it back? ?

 

I could bring a few sheets over strapped to the roof of the Mondeo estate if I make it over this year! Wonder if there's a height limit? ??

 

On a serious note isn't 75mm disproportionately expensive when compared to the more "standard" 50 or 100mm thickness?

 

 

[dnb]

5 hours ago, Onoff said:

Could you buy it on the mainland, make a raft and sail it back?

Best plan yet!

 

5 hours ago, Onoff said:

if I make it over this year! Wonder if there's a height limit?

Unfortunately yes, otherwise I would take the Range Rover and trailer over. Let me know if you do get over.

 

5 hours ago, Onoff said:

isn't 75mm disproportionately expensive when compared to the more "standard" 50 or 100mm thickness?

Haven't added it all up yet, but if it is then 100 + 50 still makes 150 well enough.

[Triassic]

If 50mm is cheapest by volume I’d buy that and just build up the 150mm in three layers. I bought from Varleys and you don’t need an account, I just paid by credit card over the phone.