What is extruded polystyrene (XPS)?

Extruded polystyrene or XPS is a plastic foam. The millions of cells inside the insulating material retain the air inside and thus ensure that no heat loss occurs, which keeps your home nice and warm in the winter. The closed cell structure also ensures that extruded polystyrene insulation does not absorb water and has an extremely high compressive strength, which makes it perfect as insulation for heavily loaded floors.

You should not confuse extruded polystyrene with expanded polystyrene. The latter are made by heating small pearls with steam causing them to expand and stick together, while XPS comes from an extrusion process. Read more about this article from https://dmas.eu/

What is the difference between URSA XPS N and URSA XPS HR?

There are two types of URSA XPS insulation; XPS N, where the ‘N’ stands for ‘Natural’, CO2 is used as the blowing gas. And XPS HR, a different blowing gas is used, which means that the lambda values ​​are even lower

The benefits of insulating with extruded polystyrene plates

Thermal comfort

XPS insulation prevents heat loss. Extruded polystyrene consists of millions of cells that trap the air inside, preventing the heat from escaping the room. This ensures that it stays warm inside in the winter and that you therefore have to use less energy for heating, but also that the heat stays outside in the summer.

Extruded polystyrene sheets already provide high thermal insulation values ​​with a small thickness, which do not diminish over time.

High compressive strength

Insulating a heavily loaded floor, a parking roof or a green roof? Then extruded polystyrene insulation with its excellent compressive strength is the material of choice. Extruded polystyrene insulation has a permanent pressure resistance of up to 70 ton/m² and prevents deformation under the influence of heavy loads. Using polystyrene for your floor insulation is therefore a smart option.

High resistance to water and moisture ingress

Extruded polystyrene has a closed cell structure, which ensures that the material absorbs almost no water or water vapor. The XPS panels can therefore not be damaged under moist conditions and always retain their insulating capacity.

Resistant to freeze and thaw

Extreme weather conditions will not affect the effectiveness of your XPS insulation. The material continues to deliver its excellent performance within a temperature range of -50°C to +75°C. XPS is therefore also highly resistant to frost and thaw and this has no adverse effect on the lifespan or the functioning of your insulation.

Smooth processing

XPS is a very light and flexible material. It is easy to cut and easy to install, without the need for special tools or protective equipment.

Sustainable and recyclable

XPS can withstand temperatures from -50°C to +75°C, does not rot and is not attacked by fungi. The material retains its thermal and mechanical qualities for a long time. In addition, XPS is also a sustainable choice with regard to our environment. In addition to reducing your energy consumption, with XPS you also choose a recyclable material. If the boards remain undamaged, they can be reprocessed into new XPS insulation.

Applications of extruded polystyrene plate insulation

Floor insulation

Floor insulation with extruded polystyrene provides a comfortable feeling under your feet and has a beneficial effect on your energy consumption. For a floor with a normal load, choose URSA XPS N-W-E or N-III-L. Is the floor more heavily loaded? Then you can go for URSA XPS N-V-L and N-VII-L.

Basement or perimeter insulation

Do you use your basement as living or storage space? Then you can insulate them with extruded polystyrene sheets to increase the temperature in the basement and prevent hygienic problems such as mold from developing. Extruded polystyrene is very suitable for this.

Roof insulation

XPS sheets are often used for inverted roofs. This is a roof construction in which the extruded polystyrene insulation plates are applied on top of the seal or watertight plate. This protects the roof construction against temperature fluctuations, thermal stress and UV rays and ensures that it lasts longer. Because the insulation for inverted roofs has to withstand extreme weather conditions, XPS is the best insulation material with its high resistance.

Insulation of the walls

The extruded polystyrene sheet URSA XPS N-W-E has been specially developed for cavity wall insulation. The plates are strong, resistant to moisture and have a high thermal resistance. But they are also windproof, which is important for the insulation of a cavity wall.