Page 28 - HW April 2020

pre-cladding & insulation
Rather than people thinking of it as plasterboard that’s used outside, Gordon White describes the Weatherline RAB product as a gypsum-based product with breglass on either side.
“What helped was we could point to its uses internationally and to the amount of testing that’s been done locally to give people con dence. And the development pathways continue as we listen to our customer base.” (See the sidebar on this page for more about the development of GIB Weatherline.)
INSULATION – A HECTIC YEAR
Moving from enclosure to insulation now, what have some of the main players been experiencing so far this last year?
Sounding as resilient as ever, Marcel Herbke from GreenStuf manufacturer Autex Industries, says the business is in good shape after a prosperous and at times hectic, 2019.
Indeed, the company has a brand new factory that has increased production capacity and most of its business remains focused on the commercial sector, with some high-end residential new-builds in the mix.
And new products include an under oor polyester slab lining that is suitable for underground carparks in apartment buildings.
High domestic and commercial demand have required a balanced approach, says Marcel: “Every year throws up changes or variables and challenges. Last year was an interesting one for the insulation industry because demand from the retro t market and
“Last year was an interesting one for the insulation industry because demand from the retrofit market and new rental regulations created a spike in demand for underfloor”
new rental regulations created a spike in demand for under oor. “So there was that unprecedented under oor demand
alongside all the ongoing commercial work. We were at pains
to ensure we still supplied our core business and we had to control the percentage of under oor that was going out the door because the building would still be there after the under oor demand backed away.
“ e second half of the year proved steadier; we returned to core business with our guys focusing on the commercial and speci cation market.”
INSULATING THE RENTAL SECTOR
Expol Sales & Marketing Manager, Paul Grondin, also retains a positive outlook, “especially around the under oor product, thanks to consumers wanting healthier and warmer homes during winter, and especially as some landlords still need to meet the conditions of the RTA.”
Although admitting that the current environment is “challenging”, Paul says it still presents an opportunity for consumers and landlords to get their properties up to
Long road to compliance for
gypsum-based Weatherline
Winstone Wallboards’ rst foray into exterior RAB-type products was GIB Barrierline.“Instead of using pre-cast concrete, you could have a gypsum-based material that could be used in a similar application,” Gordon White explains.
“The bene t to the customer is that it’s a lot quicker and they can actually do the work themselves rather than needing specialists to come in. That got us into a conversation about putting gypsum-based products outside, which led us into the likes of Weatherline.
“It’s a technology that has come over from Europe, and these types of products have been used there, and in America, for the last 15 or so years. But it took a good two and a half years of development to make sure it was compliant for the New Zealand market.
“It’s still a baby steps phase for our product but we’ve had good sales coming through and we’ve already got a lot of Weatherline case studies up on our website around customer applications.
“It’s about getting customers comfortable that the product achieves what they need it to, about building credibility and really educating the market that we’re offering another credible, well-thought-through solution.
“We had to be entirely con dent ourselves that the base material used outside in New Zealand was going to work and work well.”
In contrast, Gordon White says it wasn’t necessary to educate the market around Rigid Air Barriers as a product because others have already done a great job there,“but we had to make customers aware of it and transfer con dence to customers that our gypsum-based product could do the job.
“We also had to make some re nements in terms of how people work with it, and make sure they were aware of the system capabilities. The last thing we wanted was to go out and make bold claims and have any issues.”
www.gib.co.nz/systems/gib-weatherline-rigid-air-barrier-systems/
26 NZHJ | APRIL 2020
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