UK’s First Passive Treehouse constructed using DuPont Tyvek and DuPont AirGuard

The UK’s first treehouse recently featured on Grand Designs, built to meet passive house standards and set 40 feet into the forest canopy. 

Designed and built to the highest standards of sustainability and efficiency as a much loved home but also to operate as a B&B. The tree house is steel and timber framed with open-jointed timber cladding to allow the building to blend into its environment.

Consequently, to protect the structure during the build and maximise airtightness and thermal performance once occupied, a range of DuPont Tyvek advanced building membranes and accessories were specified.

A key choice of membrane was the highly specialised Tyvek UV Facade option, considering the location and style of the project, a totally black breather membrane designed to withstand exposure to sunlight.

This option is ideal for ventilated facades, fully certified and rigorously tested, allowing for the optimal combination of design freedom and peace of mind.

Tyvek UV Facade was fitted at first floor level directly behind the elegant timber cladding of the treehouse and it will maintain its high performance for many years to come. The insulation will also be protected from the effects of wind washing with the Tyvek membrane being fitted in this way – a process that is known to reduce its performance and which can increase a structure’s U value by up to 80%.

Tyvek Housewrap has also been applied at found floor level, to act as a secondary water shedding layer while also diffusing moisture to the exterior, by being applied externally to sit behind the steel cladding.

Tyvek membranes offer proven long term performance in both these crucial functions, watertight but naturally vapour-permeable.

In each application of the different membranes used here, all laps and penetrations have been carefully sealed using UV Facade tape on the exposed areas and Tyvek tape to the areas protected by the Tyvek Housewrap.

A systemised partnership has been installed consisting of DuPont AirGuard Smart AVCL and Tyvek Flexwrap to adapt to the more challenging sections creating an airtight seal and acting as a moisture barrier. The initial airtightness is as expected and results have been outstanding, achieving an impressive figure of 0.32 ACH.

DuPont AirGuard Smart AVCL is both fully airtight and water resistant and adapts its vapour resistance as humidity levels change, giving buildings maximum protection against structural damage caused by humidity.

Jon Martin, project owner said that he was determined that the fabric of the building must be correct and knew that DuPont had a full range of both internal and external membranes but this is complimented with a wide range of accessories and tapes, and these have been essential for the building to achieve the goal of being the first passive tree house in the UK.

DuPont Protection Solutions
BBSP1
Bristol & Bath Science Park
Dirac Crescent
Emersons Green
Bristol
BS16 7FR

Phone: 08444 068 722

Technical enquiries: Tyvek.construction@dupont.com

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