You may not be aware of the three systems, or maybe even familiar with one system, but in an age where thermal efficiency within the building envelope is an increasing priority, it will do you no harm to learn of three major thermal flooring systems in use today.
The three systems are all designed to help achieve required U values in the property under construction by reducing the cold-bridging. Each system has different attributes, so this simple post will highlight those to help you chose the right thermal flooring system for you.
Beam and Block
This thermal flooring system uses floor beams with block infill and insulation over the top. The traditional beam and block system is laid first, and then a sheet of insulation is laid over the top. The specification of this insulation will depend upon the required U value, it can vary in depth and thickness to suit the requirements needed.
The advantage of this system is that it creates a working floor for the installation team or groundworkers to use.
Top sheet
The Top sheet system uses beams with inserts and ‘top sheet’ poly panels. This system uses standard poly panels which can reduce waste, and is very easy to install. It is ‘groundworker friendly’ and because of its ease of use, it can also be installed quickly further improving efficiencies on site.
Under-beam
The final thermal flooring solution is the under-beam solution. This uses 150mm or 225mm beams as per the other two methods but comprises of interlocking under-beam poly panels which can be cut on site. The advantage of this system is that it only requires one type of poly panel and because they interlock under the beams they stop the cold-bridge before it hits the concrete beam.
Have a look at our video to see how to install the under-beam system.
All of our thermal flooring systems can be used with either 150mm or 225mm beams in widths of 105mm, 125mm and 165mm making the choice of thermal flooring offerings very comprehensive.
With the available EPS panel thickness and depth variations, we can offer a thermal solution based on your required U value. For more information contact our flooring department or have a look at our flooring page.