Insulating the structure of heated swimming pools reduces heat loss to the surrounding ground and the need for energy to maintain water temperature.
Ravatherm XPS X placed external to the structure below the pool floor slab and around the pool retaining walls easily meet requirements and offers several advantages for insulation of pool structures:
- High load-bearing capacity due to high compressive strength and E-modules
- Low compression
- Long-term high insulation value low thermal conductivity
- Easy and fast installation
- Safe long-term floor and retaining wall structure
Where pools are installed within a building then the surrounding floor U value may dictate the thickness of insulation around the pool recess and Building Control should be consulted to determine requirements for the floor and pool.
Description
SAFE AND EFFICIENT FLOOR INSULATION
The advantages of extruded polystyrene foam are particularly evident around pool structures. The closed cell structure gives negligible water absorption and zero capillarity, which means it can also be successfully used when the insulation is laid directly on a sand bed before placing a waterproof concrete pool base.
Extruded polystyrene boards are non-biodegradable, so their use does not impose any risk to the ground or water environment.
External insulation of the pool retaining walls follows simply once the walls are in place.
A fully stable surface must first be prepared before placing the pool floor insulation.
Ravago XPS boards can be placed directly on 25mm level sand bed, under a reinforced concrete pool floor slab. Any gas membrane should be placed under the insulation and a DPM can be placed under the insulation - but a DPM/ vapour barrier /separating membrane should always be placed over the insulation below the pool waterproof concrete base construction.
Ravago XPS insulation boards can be simply bonded with polyurethane solvent-free adhesive foam to the external face of the waterproof reinforced concrete or blockwork pool retaining wall. Adhesive should be bead-applied (with minimum three strips per board) to wall surfaces.
The insulation boards should be installed with tight joints and in brick pattern, either horizontal or vertical position on the pool wall. Ravago XPS boards must stand on a firm base area at the foot to avoid sliding when compacting free draining backfill later.