The Intelligent Blog
Get tips and advices on the latest technologies for sustainable construction. Learn how we inspire customers, employees and other companies.
Meet IPAC – Intelligent Protect And Clean: Our Approved Nationwide Installers
Want Intelligent Protect supply-and-applied? IPAC (Intelligent Protect And Clean) are our approved, family-run installers — spray-applyin...
Waterproof Blue Explained: A Liquid Replacement for Plastic DPMs and DPCs
Waterproof Blue replaces loose-laid plastic DPM and DPC sheet with a single roller-applied liquid membrane, seamless, jointless, and rado...
Passive Purple and the Considerate Constructors Scheme: Building Airtight, Building Responsibly
Passive Purple is recognised within the Considerate Constructors Scheme best-practice library. Discover how a VOC-free, liquid-applied ai...
My Builder Forgot the Vapour Control Layer? Don’t Panic - Here’s How to Fix It
Forgot the vapour control layer? Don’t panic. Because our membranes are liquid-applied, it’s almost always fixable without demolition. he...
Why Customers Trust Passive Purple: Real Reviews on Trustpilot
Rated 4.4 / 5 ‘Excellent’ on Trustpilot. From self-builders to main contractors, see why architects and installers trust Passive Purple —...
Passive Purple BIM Objects: Download Airtight Membrane Data for Your Next Specification
Specify with confidence. Passive Purple airtight and vapour control membranes are available as free, ready-to-use BIM objects on BIMobjec...
Applying Passive Purple by Roller: Creating a Continuous Airtight Vapour Control Layer
Passive Purple can be applied using a roller, providing a practical and effective method for creating a continuous airtight vapour contro...
Why Intelligent Membranes Invests in NBS
Intelligent Membranes continues to invest in NBS (National Building Specification), one of the construction industry's leading specificat...
The Airtightness Challenge Facing Modern Construction: Why Blockwork Alone Is No Longer Enough
The 2022 updates to Part L Building Regulations introduced stricter energy efficiency requirements, driving changes in wall construction,...
Step Inside the Project: Exploring Construction Through 360° Tours
360° construction tours provide a more immersive way to explore building projects beyond traditional photography. By allowing viewers to ...
Insights from the Marketing Passivhaus Podcast with Adam White
Adam White, CEO of Intelligent Membranes, joins the Marketing Passivhaus podcast to share insights from his journey from tradesperson to ...
What Is a Vapour Control Layer? | VCL Explained
A vapour control layer (VCL) is used in modern construction to help manage how moisture moves through a building. Installed on the warm s...
What Causes Condensation in Buildings?
Condensation occurs when warm, moisture-laden air comes into contact with colder surfaces, often forming within walls and building struct...
What Is Radon? How It Enters Buildings and How to Manage It.
Radon is a naturally occurring, invisible gas that can enter buildings from the ground and accumulate indoors if not properly managed. Wh...
What Does an ETA Mean? The GOAT Roofing Membrane Explained
A European Technical Assessment (ETA) provides independent verification that a construction product has been tested and meets recognised ...
How Airtightness and Vapour Control Layers Support Net Zero Buildings
The UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard is changing how buildings are designed, with greater focus on reducing operational energy and i...
Ferndale Rise Retrofit: Transforming a 1930s Home with Passive Purple
The Ferndale Rise retrofit demonstrates how a traditional 1930s semi-detached home can be transformed into a high-performance, energy-eff...
Intelligent Membranes Joins the Radon Council: Raising the Standard for Radon Safety in the UK
We’re proud to announce our membership with the Radon Council, reinforcing our commitment to best practice in radon measurement, mitigati...
Why We Trust Graco and Spray Plant UK
Achieving Passivhaus-level airtightness doesn’t have to mean weeks of taping. By combining Passive Purple with Graco airless sprayers and...
Introducing the world's most airtight bar - located in Cambridgeshire
The world’s first airtight pub has opened in Cambridgeshire, built to Passivhaus standards and powered by the warmth of its customers. Di...
Why Passivhaus Sets The Standard
Passive Purple plays a vital role in achieving Passivhaus standards by creating a seamless, liquid-applied airtight membrane that reduces...
Adam White Extends Charity Support To Blue Ribbon Foundation
Intelligent Membranes has joined forces with the Blue Ribbon Foundation to promote men’s mental and physical health, tackling the constru...
Our MD Adam White is to Join Offsite Dirt
Adam White joins Offsite Dirt Network and modular construction expert Audree M Grubesic to support innovation, collaboration and industry...
Intelligent Membranes Commits to Habbin Stand Sponsorship Renewal
Intelligent Membranes has confirmed a one-year extension of its sponsorship of the Habbin Stand at Abbey Stadium, marking a continued com...
Intelligent Membranes Becomes a Supporter of Passive House California
Intelligent Membranes is proud to support Passive House California as part of its continued expansion into the U.S. market. With a shared...
NHBC Standards 2023: Waterproof Membranes as a Tanking System
The July 2023 updates to NHBC Standards 2023 introduce mandatory requirements for liquid-applied waterproofing membranes in bath and show...
Intelligent Membranes Feature on Passive House Accelerator Component Spotlight
We were proud to join the Passive House Accelerator podcast to discuss how Intelligent Membranes is helping drive performance-led constru...
Raising the Standard: Intelligent Membranes Joins the AECB to Drive Sustainable Building
Intelligent Membranes is proud to become an official member of the Association for Environment Conscious Building (AECB), reinfor...
Intelligent Membranes Continues Membership Support for the Passivhaus Trust
Intelligent Membranes is proud to renew our membership with the Passivhaus Trust, reinforcing our commitment to high-performance, low-ene...
Damp Walls? Two Breathable Solutions That Actually Work
Damp walls are more than a surface issue, they are a sign that moisture is penetrating your building fabric and compromising performance....
Spray-On Window Protection: Save Time and Money on Construction Sites
Construction sites are busy environments where new windows can easily be scratched, chipped, or damaged by paint and debris. This blog ex...
Intelligent Membranes at the UK & Ireland Passivhaus Conference 2025
Intelligent Membranes will be attending the 2025 UK & Ireland Passivhaus Conference in Belfast, joining industry leaders to discuss s...
How to Retrofit Vapour Control Without the Mess
This blog explains how vapour control can still be added to a building even after construction or retrofit work has been completed. Using...
Why White GOAT is Solar Reflective Gold Roofing Membrane
White GOAT isn’t just a waterproofing solution, its high solar reflectivity helps reduce surface temperatures, improve energy efficiency,...
The Science Behind Airtight and smoke tight Buildings
Airtightness has become essential in modern construction, delivering lower energy bills, improved indoor air quality, and long-term build...
Case Study: Up to 30–45% Cooler — The GOAT Solar Reflective Roof Membrane in Dubai
We sprayed The GOAT in solar reflective white across a Dubai rooftop — deck, upstands, plant bases and pipework in one seamless membrane....
Reuben College Oxford – Award-Winning Airtight Basement Solution Using Airtight White
The University of Oxford's £45 million redevelopment of Reuben College transformed the Grade II-listed Radcliffe Science Library into a s...
Bedford Academy Expansion – Achieving 0.43 ACH Airtightness with Passive Purple
Bedford Academy's major expansion project required a high-performance airtightness solution capable of supporting ambitious energy-effici...
The Dairy Passivhaus Project Achieves Outstanding Airtightness with Passive Purple
The Dairy Passivhaus project showcases how Passive Purple & Passive Purple External helped create a highly airtight, energy-efficient...
Oxford Brookes University Workshop Building Uses Passive Purple to Support Net Zero Construction Goals
Oxford Brookes University's £60 million Workshop Building uses Passive Purple to create a continuous airtight building envelope, supporti...
Everton Heath Primary School Achieves Outstanding 0.03 ACH Airtightness Result with Passive Purple
Discover how Everton Heath Primary School achieved an exceptional airtightness result of just 0.03 ACH using Passive Purple and Passive P...
Dudley College Animal Studies Centre Retrofit: Achieving 0.91 ACH with Passive Purple
This £7.5 million deep retrofit transformed a redundant 1950s building into Dudley College's modern Animal Studies Centre. Using Passive ...
Ferndale Rise Retrofit: Achieving 0.54 ACH with Passive Purple & Brick Seal
Discover how Koru Construction and Intelligent Membranes transformed a 1930s semi-detached property in Cambridge into a high-performance,...
High-Performance Airtight Construction
Products Used on This Project – Passive Purple Airtightness Solutions By Intelligent Membranes To tackle the complex mix of substrates on...
Oxford Retrofit Case Study – Achieving Exceptional Airtightness with Passive Purple
Results The achievement of a 0.4 ACH score underlines the potential of modern retrofitting techniques to transform existing buildings int...
Building a Passivhaus Standard School with Outstanding Airtightness Performance
PRODUCTS USED ON THIS PROJECT
Passive Purple Retrofit Installation in London – Airtightness for Energy Efficiency
PRODUCTS USED ON THIS PROJECT Passive Purple External Airtight Fire Rated Façade Waterproofing Membrane (10kg) – Spray / Roller – Intelli...
High-Performance Airtight Passive House Build in Croydon
Products Used on This Project 1. Passive Purple External Passive Purple External Airtight Fire Rated Façade Waterproofing Membrane (10kg)...
How Intelligent Protect Safeguarded 1,500m² of Windows at Harrow Student Accommodation
Intelligent Protect kept 1,500m² of new windows damage-free at a Harrow student accommodation scheme — spray-applied peelable protection ...
Four-Bed Detached Airtightness with Passive Purple
PRODUCTS USED ON THIS PROJECT 1. Passive Purple External Passive Purple External Airtight Fire Rated Façade Waterproofing Membrane (10kg)...
Passive Purple Achieves the French A+ Indoor-Air Rating
Passive Purple earned France's cleanest A+ VOC emissions band, tested to EN 16516 by an accredited lab — a recognised European indoor-air...
Passive Purple Certified to the Finnish M1 Emission Class
Passive Purple holds the top Finnish M1 emission class, VTT-tested and RTS-classified free from VOCs and formaldehyde — a second independ...
Passive Purple's EPD: The Low-Carbon Credential for Specifiers
Passive Purple's verified EN 15804 EPD gives architects transparent, third-party whole-life carbon data — GWP 2.38 kg CO₂ eq./m² — to sup...
Passive Purple Is Certified Class A Airtight by the Passive House Institute
Independent PHI testing to DIN EN 12114 awards Passive Purple top Class A (phA) airtightness at 0.02 m³/(h·m²), with connection results a...
Certified Air Barrier: Passive Purple Meets ASTM E2178 and ICC-ES ESR-4715
The same Passive Purple certified to EN in Europe is proven to ASTM E2178 and code-compliant via ICC-ES ESR-4715, so it can be specified ...
Passive Purple Fire Performance: Class A in the US, Euroclass C (and B-s1,d0 with FRED)
Independently tested fire classifications on both US and European systems: ASTM E84 Class A, EN 13501-1 Euroclass C-s1,d0 alone, and B-s1...
Passive Purple as a Radon and Methane Barrier: One Continuous Coating
Independently tested radon and methane data shows how one continuous liquid membrane can serve as both airtight layer and ground-gas barr...
What Does Passive Purple Stick To? Independent Adhesion Testing Across Substrates
Independent pull-off tests across steel, timber, masonry, gypsum, boards and insulation show Passive Purple's bond consistently beats the...
Mould and Fungal Resistance: How Passive Purple Protects Airtight Interiors
Passive Purple scored a perfect 10/10 for mould over 28 days and zero fungal growth in independent ASTM testing, protecting healthy airti...
Waterproof, Watertight and Vapour-Intelligent: How Passive Purple Manages Water and Vapour
One liquid-applied coating that is airtight, watertight to EN 14891 and vapour-intelligent, with high elongation to bridge cracks and mov...
What an ETA Means: Poseidon Wetroom Waterproofing, Certified
Explains what a European Technical Assessment is and why Poseidon's ETA-23/0378, its EN 14891 results and 25-year assessed working life g...
Poseidon Meets the US Tile Standards: ANSI A118.10 & A118.12
Shows how Poseidon passes ANSI A118.10 waterproofing and A118.12 crack-isolation tests, plus ASTM and CA 01350 data, making it a membrane...
Passive Purple External: Fire Class B, Watertight and Breathable
A liquid-applied façade membrane that is fire-rated (Euroclass B-s1,d0), Class W1 watertight, airtight and vapour-open (Sd ≈ 0.6 m) in on...
The GOAT: 344% Stretch, Crack-Bridging and a Cool-Roof White
A technical deep-dive into The GOAT liquid waterproofing: ~344% elongation, 1.15–1.84 mm crack-bridging, watertight at 150 kPa, 25-year E...
White Roofs Work — the Only Catch Was Keeping Them White
Science has known for decades that white roofs beat dark ones. The one thing that held them back wasn't performance — it was soiling, and...
Waterborne vs Solvent-Based Reflective Roof Coatings: Why It Matters
Not all reflective roof coatings are equal — the carrier matters. Here's what waterborne vs solvent-based really means for odour, VOCs, f...
SRI Explained: What Solar Reflectance Index Means for Your Roof
SRI is the single number that tells you how cool a roof surface stays in the sun. Here's what Solar Reflectance Index actually measures, ...
Cool Roofs and Part L: Where a Reflective Roof Fits UK Building Regs
Part L is about heat loss, not solar gain — so where does a solar-reflective roof actually help with compliance? A plain-English look at ...
How to Cool an Ageing Bituminous Roof — Without Ripping It Off
Most flat roofs in Britain are bituminous, dark and older than they look. A waterborne, solar-reflective retrofit coating can go straight...
How to Waterproof Foundations with The GOAT Liquid Membrane
Foundations face constant ground moisture and water pressure. Here's how The GOAT liquid-applied waterproof membrane protects foundations...
Spray-On Window and Glass Protection: Save Time and Money on Site
Scratched glass and damaged frames are among the most common (and avoidable) snagging costs on site. Spray-applied peelable protection st...
Spray Foam Fire Protection: How Foam, Primer and FRED Achieve Class B
Exposed spray foam needs a fire-rated thermal barrier. See how a foam primer plus FRED intumescent coating creates a Class B build-up — a...
Airtightness Tape: How to Choose and Install It Correctly
Which airtightness tape do you need for windows, junctions and membranes? A practical guide to choosing, installing and avoiding the mist...
Rising Damp: How to Spot It and Stop It for Good
Tide marks halfway up the wall? Peeling paper and rotting skirting? Here's how to identify rising damp and the modern liquid-applied way ...
Intumescent Paint Explained: How Fire Retardant Coatings Protect Timber and Spray Foam
What intumescent paint actually does in a fire, what the Class A2-S1,D0 rating means, and where fire retardant coatings are required in m...
Radon Barriers Explained: Protecting Buildings from Underground Gases
Radon is the UK's second-biggest cause of lung cancer after smoking — and it seeps into buildings from the ground. Here's how liquid-appl...
How to Make a Building Airtight: The Liquid Membrane System
How to make a building airtight using liquid membrane for large areas plus tape and brush for the details.
How to Waterproof a Wetroom or Bathroom Before Tiling
How to tank a bathroom or wetroom with a liquid membrane before tiling — and stay NHBC-compliant.
Fire Protection for Timber Frame and Spray Foam
How intumescent coatings protect timber frame and spray foam — and how FRED hits Class A2-s1,d0.
How to Stop Penetrating Damp in Brickwork
How a breathable, invisible masonry cream stops penetrating damp in brickwork.
How to Stop Rising Damp with a Liquid DPM
How a roller-applied liquid DPM creates a seamless barrier against rising damp.
Sealing Window and Door Frames Airtight with Fleece Tape
How a fleece-backed airtight tape seals window and door frames and board joints as part of the airtight system.
An Airtight Vapour Control Layer You Can Leave On Show
Airtight White is a white, paintable airtight vapour control membrane that can be left on show in exposed areas.
The Complete Kit for an Airtight, On-Show Wall
The Airtight White bundle covers an exposed, paintable airtight layer in one kit.
Brush-Applied Airtight White for Retrofit Detailing
Brush-applied Airtight White for hand-sealing retrofit details with a paintable, certified finish.
The Airtight White Brush Pack for Small Jobs
A right-sized brush pack of Airtight White for small airtightness jobs, snagging and detailing.
Protecting Steel from Corrosion On Site
How an anti-oxidation spray protects exposed steel and fixings from rust on site.
Anti-Corrosion and Flame-Retardant Protection for Steel
A peelable, spray-applied coating giving steel both anti-corrosion and flame-retardant protection.
Encapsulating Asbestos: A Safer Alternative to Removal
How a spray-applied encapsulation coating safely seals asbestos in place as an alternative to removal.
Sealing Joints in Wet Areas with a Flexible Acrylic Sealant
How a flexible acrylic sealant seals joints in wet areas as part of a watertight tanking system.
Faster, Neater Airtight Taping with a Foil Applicator Gun
How a foil applicator gun makes airtight taping faster, neater and better-bonded.
Sealing Gaps and Penetrations Airtight with a Passivhaus Sealant
How a flexible Passivhaus airtight sealant closes the small gaps at pipes, cables and frames that decide your air test.