Minvata and polystyrene may soon become a thing of the past. Tepofol: will it be a competitor? Dealing with a new insulation.

Now, in the field of construction, something really new and innovative appears very rarely. More often, some old technologies are hidden in a beautiful wrapper and sold to us again (marketing ...). But this "Tepofol" really gives the impression of something interesting.

Friends, a big hello to everyone. Although the roof in my house under construction has been insulated for a long time, you still constantly compare and think: did you do everything right?

We did everything together with my wife ...

And here the conversation is not only about the process of work. It all starts with the choice of material.

And somehow I didn't bother with it. Everyone insulates the roof with mineral wool, and I began to do this.

In general, of course, there was a choice, but not much. After all, if you look at the total mass and in large volumes, now, during construction, two types of insulation are used: mineral wool and foam (I put Epps in the same category).

Moreover, they are used both outside and inside. Although about the use of foam inside the house, I personally have a lot of doubts. But there are examples and you can't get away from this.

Both of these types of insulation have their pros and cons.

But then a competitor appears who must "beat" everyone.

Well, such conclusions can be drawn from the declared characteristics. And we are talking about a heater called "Tepofol".

In fact, it is foamed polyethylene with a foil coating.

Well, nothing new and innovative, but the manufacturer puts forward the following advantages.

✅ Safe material for human and animal health.

• That during installation, you can work without any respirators, and are not afraid to breathe in dust (I immediately remembered how I blew it out with mineral wool for weeks after insulating the roof).
• That during operation there are no harmful emissions (which are attributed to foam, in the form of styrene).
• In this case, there will be no mold or mildew.

✅ During the installation process, a continuous insulation contour is created.

The joints of the insulation have a lock, and at the same time they are soldered with a hairdryer. Those. we get a solid canvas, without cold bridges.

Namely, these bridges of cold are inherent when insulating with either mineral wool or foam, between the rafters.

✅ The best indicators of thermal conductivity. I found such a sign:

But this is where the tale ends.

And you need to return to reality. And the reality is that for all this sea of ​​pluses, a couple of shortcomings are enough that can bring serious doubts.

✔ Finishing over insulation. There is no question of any plastering, only the lathing option remains. But how to securely (rigidly) fix the frame, while not breaking the same continuous layer of insulation (which is its main advantage)?

The manufacturer proposes to fix the crate directly through the insulation. But here, it seems to me, the insulation in this place will come to naught (due to the compression of the insulation), and the reliability of the fastening is questionable.

✔ Fire safety is something that people prefer to keep silent about. I made this conclusion because I did not find even a mention of this topic on the official website of the company.But I found a video on the Internet showing how this material behaves.

• In the first seconds, foil saves the situation.

• But after a little more time, polyethylene blazes as it should (even though it is foamed 😁), by itself ...

What conclusions can be drawn from all?

For me, the miracle did not happen. And again, I see a lot of beautiful wrappers on the outside, but with their own problems on the inside. And whether they will become critical at your construction site, no one knows, and will not say.

Friends, I am waiting for your opinion on this issue in the comments. It is always interesting to read, especially if you have already encountered this, and have real experience, be sure to share.

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