Keystone Lintels has redefined lintel performance with the introduction of its new, innovative Hi-therm Lintel which offers a thermal performance that is up to five times more efficient than a standard cavity wall steel lintel.
The Hi-therm lintels hybrid design uses a unique patented combination of glass-reinforced polymer and galvanised steel to create a lintel with thermal characteristics that outperform all other lintels, offers greater corrosion resistance than stainless steel lintels and the ability to support loads equal to that of a standard or heavy duty steel lintel.
The Hi-therm Lintel bonds the internal and external walls together by spanning the intervening gap and contributes towards the achievement of the Fabric Energy Efficiency (FEE) standards required by the Code for Sustainable Homes. It can be manufactured to suit different cavity widths, making it ideal for a wide range of different building types. This impressive new lintel, approved by the British Board of Agreement (BBA), has an extremely low thermal conductivity performance, which contributes towards its Psi value of 0.05 W/m•K.
Openings for windows and doors are vulnerable to heat loss through thermal bridging so it’s more important than ever to pay close attention to the performance of structural elements such as lintels that are installed in these junctions. In line with the changes introduced in April 2014, the need to limit thermal bridging has become a high priority for architects, designers and sap assessors. Keystone’s Hi-therm Lintel virtually eliminates thermal bridging.
Using the Hi-therm lintel within housing projects provides a low-cost and sustainable solution to improving SAP calculations. Hi-therm is a key product for designers aiming to achieve building regulations with a fabric first approach. The new building regulations appendix R Psi value for Lintels is 0.05W/m.k. With the introduction of Hi-therm, Keystone are offering the only one piece lintel on the market that satisfies this requirement.
Hi therm has already impressed industry experts, having won ‘Best Building Fabric Product’ at the Housebuilder Product Awards, Best Eco Product at Self build magazine Build It Awards and Best Product at the Housebuilder Awards in 2013. Having also been shortlisted for The Construction News Awards 2014 for ‘Commercial Innovation of the Year’, it seems that this success is set to continue.
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