Hottest June since records began underlines need for heat-combatting insulation, says Actis

With the Met Office confirming that June was the hottest on record in the UK, and with parts of the world suffering unbearable temperatures, mitigating the effects of extreme heat is becoming increasingly important – even in this country, says insulation specialist Actis.

While addressing the roots of climate change on a massive scale is imperative, immediate actions to minimise the dangerous effects of living in hot houses will at least address the short-term impact of a warming world, it says.

The latest figures, 0.9C above those recorded in 1940 and 1976, and the greatest since Met Office records began in 1884, are particularly worrying, say climate scientists.

This is because, unlike last year which saw temperatures top 40C, the nights, as well as the days, were also considerably warmer across the UK.

Mark Cooper, Actis UK and Ireland sales director, said: “While installing heat-defying insulation won’t address the global issues of climate change or enable users to keep cool while outdoors, it can make homes considerably cooler during the hot summers, helping to protect the health and comfort of the occupants.

“This aspect has not been of such major importance in our previously more temperate climate, but as recent summers have shown, the heat we’ve experienced can be at best uncomfortable and at worst lethal.

“While some insulations are excellent at keeping warmth in the winter they can make houses unbearably hot in the summer. Reflective insulations, such as ours, have the specific ability to counteract heat transfer via radiation and act as coolants. This helps to reflect the heat and keep the property at a constant low relative temperature.”

Actis’ Hybrid range and its new two-in-one Eolis HC both reflect infrared radiation. Indeed, Eolis HC, a reflective insulation with an integrated vapour barrier created from Actis’ revolutionary Triplex technology, reflects an impressive 95%!

It’s worth bearing in mind too that Part O of the building regulations obliges architects to limit unwanted solar gains and provide a way to remove heat from residential dwellings.

The Triplex technology on which Eolis HC is based is created from a number of layers of reflective films, each separated by a thin layer of fibre, trapping air between each section, boosting thermal performance.