Soprema UK, the specialist in waterproofing and building envelope solutions, is to begin manufacturing its Pavadry woodfibre insulation in the UK, with an improved product specification.

A high performance, internal wall insulation that controls dispersion of water from the walls into the building to prevent condensation and the risk of mould, Pavadry is the solution of choice for solid wall buildings, and is particularly popular as a retrofit solution for heritage properties. The revised product will be manufactured with an OSB-facing, rather than the MDF previously used, making it easier and faster to install.

Roland Jackson, commercial director at Soprema UK explains: “Pavadry enables the thermal performance of solid wall and heritage properties to be improved without changing their external appearance or unbalancing their building physics. The improved product will continue to deliver those benefits but the OSB facing will allow screw fixings to be attached directly to the board, rather than requiring a counter sink to accommodate a screw head. Over the course of an installation, this will save considerable time and aid consistency.”

The move of production from Switzerland to Manchester enables changes to the manufacturing process and ensures reliable lead times and supply for UK specifiers and contractors, at a time when demand for renewable and sustainable solutions is high.

Roland continues: “With the Green Deal now extended for another year until March 2022, homeowners and landlords have a great opportunity to improve the comfort of their property and reduce its carbon footprint. Meanwhile, the £1 billion Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (PSDS) remains open for grant applications to fund energy efficiency and heat decarbonisation measures in publicly-owned property assets until the end of January 2021. The £4 billion levelling-up fund also includes investment in housing and local arts and culture, with bidding for projects beginning in 2021.

“With so many incentives available to invest in carbon reduction improvements, there is high demand for Pavadry because it is made from natural, renewable materials, is completely recyclable and has such a positive effect on thermal performance and building comfort. Bringing production to the UK and making the product easier to install are the right choices at the right time.”