Northamptonshire builder protects horses by using dust-free Actis insulation for stable conversion
A builder who created an unusual two-bedroom apartment inside a Northamptonshire stable chose dust-free Actis insulation to ensure the horses were safe during the building work.
Chris Brooks, who has been using Actis Hybrid products for the past decade and a half, said choosing his favourite insulation for the unusual project was top of his priority list as he couldn’t risk dust from PIR board getting anywhere near the horses’ lungs.
“Dust would have been a mega issue,” he explained. “The work was carried out within the stables and 14 horses were around during the build. So there was no question of using any other form of insulation.”
The project saw Chris create a two-bedroom flat within the stable, at first floor level, to allow the occupant easy access to the horses below with the bonus of a view across the neighbouring fields from its full height glass doors.
He created a timber frame structure inside the existing stable and replaced the old roof lights with a dozen Velux windows, installed an air source heat pump and underfloor heating, a kitchen, bathroom and shower room. And he insulated the whole apartment with insulating vapour control layer HControl Hybrid and honeycomb style insualtion Hybris – 125mm in the walls and 155mm in the suspended floor - to create a warm flat for the easiest commute in the world!
As well as being warm during the cold months, the flat will be cool in the summer thanks to the reflective nature of Actis insulation.
“Actis is brilliant,” said Chris. “From a dust point of view it’s so clean – there’s no dust! You just cut it with a proper saw. If it’s a little bit too big it pushes in. With PIR board, sod’s law says you get dust in eyes and then you put it in and it’s too tight, cut a bit off and it’s too loose. It takes so long. With Actis you cut it, push it in, job done.”
In fact, the dust-free nature of Actis Hybris makes it an excellent choice for human as well as equine creatures.
The Health and Safety Executive says building workers are around a hundred times more likely to die from a disease caused or exacerbated by their workplace than through a construction accident.
The organisation’s annual Dust Kills campaign, which takes place in October, sees HSE officials checking up on construction firms across the country to help protect workers from the dangers of dust caused by certain materials and working practices.
Watch Chris Brooks’ build in action here.