What is Celotex SW3000

Celotex SW3000 is Celotex's new product on the market. Everything you need to know about it here.

There are so many different types of materials on the market when it comes to home insulation, and each company seems to claim that their material is the best one out there.

With so many varying claims, biased reviews and differing opinions, it can be difficult to find out all the information that you wish to know in regards to a particular type of material.

It is for this reason that we are creating this article to help educate you on the advantages, the downfalls and the useful little tips and tricks that you would be hard-pressed to find anywhere else.

In this particular article, we will be talking about the new product that Celotex has recently released. It is called 'Celotex SW3000', and it is advertised as being an external wall insulation material that is specifically meant for solid walls which are unable to be insulated by cavity insulation.

As you may or may not know, wall insulation is one of the most important forms of insulation when it comes to thoroughly protect your home from unpleasant weather conditions. It is second only to roof insulation, but it is definitely a priority if you wish to increase the comfort of your living space and even save yourself from becoming ill due to the extreme weather.

When you have a building with cavity walls, i.e. a wall with two layers and space in the middle, and insulation material is generally put inside this cavity to keep heat from escaping the house. However, when you have solid walls, which do not have space in between them but are solely composed of one thick and solid layer, cavity insulation is not a convenient option. It is in cases like this that the Celotex SW3000 can be used.

The Celotex SW3000 is a PIR board that has been designed to upgrade the wall insulation externally and offer extreme thermal protection. The board is coated with a layer of glass tissue facings, which are meant to aid its performance in maintaining the temperature of your home.

One thing that you may want to take note of is that the Celotex SW3000 material is manufactured using low global warming potential blowing agents and zero ozone depletion potential, making it a relatively environment-friendly material. This is a huge deciding factor for many people, as a lot of insulation materials out there these days are not very environment-friendly. If the undesirable side effect that certain insulating materials have on the planet is something that concerns you and that you do not wish to support, the Celotex SW3000 is an option that you may want to consider using for your walls instead.

One aspect of this new insulation material, however, that might deter some people is the fact that it is only available in one standard size of 1200 x 600 mm. If this size suits your needs, then you may have no issue with it whatsoever. However, if you require more than this size of insulation material or less than this standard size, you may be tempted to choose a brand that carries a wider variety of sizes for the insulation material. Generally, though most external wall insulation products from other manufacturers are this size also.

In spite of the lack of availability of sizes, the material does come in several different thicknesses. You can purchase it in the thicknesses of 50 mm, 80 mm and 100 mm. This is definitely an advantage, as it means that you are able to pick the exact thickness that suits your needs without needing to go through the trouble of trying to make numerous modifications to the material to try and layer it and make it thicker or to reduce the thickness.

Another benefit of using the Celotex SW3000 material is that it is installed externally. This means that it is placed on the outer side of the walls rather than the inner side.

When it comes to solid wall insulation, external insulation is generally considered to be the better method as compared to internal insulation, as it does not affect your internal living area. When you install internal wall insulation, it is likely to take up some of your living space, or make it look less attractive, which is undesirable to many people. The Celotex SW3000 is relatively easy to install as well, which is another plus.

There are, however, some downfalls of using the Celotex SW3000 to insulate your walls externally. External wall insulation is much more prone to suffering damage due to the fact that it is exposed to the rain, snow, the wind, etc. which can gradually wear away at the insulation and make it less effective. In the long run, this may lead to increased expenses spent on maintaining the insulation material.

If this is not something you wish to deal with, the Celotex SW3000 is not right for you.

Now, let's talk about the method of installing this insulation material. The instructions for installation say that you must take care of the surface that you are going to be placing the insulation on by cleaning it, levelling it out, filling in any gaps or holes, removing any type of projections and cleaning away debris. The installation temperature is supposed to be around 4 degrees Celsius or higher.

The actual boards of the insulation material then need to be placed with the perforated side facing outwards and fixed there with the help of the pre-drilled holes in the material. Each board must have at least five fixings at the centre of the board as well as one at each corner.

All the boards need to be installed very firmly together, with no gaps between them, and with end joints tightly butted and staggered.

Lastly, a base render coat needs to be applied, then the mesh must be used and topped with the top render coat and finish layer.

That's all there is to know about the Celotex SW3000. Now, all you need to do is decide whether it fits your needs or not!