Dryseal plays an active role in a ‘passive’ house

Dryseal was the material of choice for the green roof waterproofing on a recently constructed ‘Passive’ House in Easter Housebyres, Melrose, Scotland. The term ‘Passive’ house (Passivhaus in German) refers to a rigorous, voluntary standard for energy efficiency in buildings, reducing their ecological footprint. It results in an ultra low-energy building that requires little input for space heating or cooling.

Malcolm Horsburgh of MEH Builders and Joiners chose robust and lightweight Dryseal to line the green roof on 130m² of the main roof and 56m² of the lower area and balcony. GRP was specified by the architect for the roof membrane and approved contractors MEH felt Dryseal was the obvious choice.

The Dryseal system is ideal for green roofs as it eradicates the need for a root barrier. The superior roofing material is also safe with potable water, as there is no contamination from the surface that might interfere with growth of the vegetation. Dryseal has other environmental advantages; it has the lowest embodied carbon of all its competitors (for more information, please contact us).

Malcolm from MEH said: “By using Dryseal as opposed to other GRP ‘wet lay’ products we were able to leave out the additional layer of plywood required for wet lay systems and increase the thickness of insulation by 20mm. More to the point, we also saved the client money!”

Building the Melrose ‘Passive’ House began in January 2014, with the project due to be finished in January 2015. The site is on a slope, making the build tricky at times, but the Dryseal went on smoothly, taking four contractors only 6 days to install. Owner Patricia Touw said Malcolm and his team paid “great attention to detail”.

The Dryseal system carries a 20-year leak free guarantee with an insurance warranty; a perfect choice for your roof.