A Better Method

We guess you are here because you're looking at options to move beyond traditional framed construction.

Since our inauguration in 2012 we have helped hundreds of New Zealanders into better and more comfortable homes. Why has Formance made sense for these people? Here are some of the reasons.

"...I want to be more comfortable..."

A building is a separation between the outside environment and the inside environment. The better you separate the two, the more control you have over the inside environment. Separation must be fourfold. Weathertight, Airtight, Thermal, and Acoustic. Besides cladding (for weathertightness, which is a separate layer) Formance is the ultimate choice for the other three. Hands down the simplest and most effective way to achieve an airtight house, impressive R Values and a unique ability to shut out airborne noise create a special place inside.  Houses built with Formance have a uniquely calm atmosphere, an area of tranquillity you can wake up to, and come home to every day.

"...I want to have the strongest house..."

Formance provides without doubt the strongest buildings in their class for residential homes. When conducting our bracing tests we found the capacity of the panel exceeded that of the ability of the hold down anchors used in concrete foundations in residential construction. A concrete slab is only rated to 150 bracing units per meter, Formance panels exceeded 200 bu/m. Home owner’s reports post-earthquake confirm just how homes built with Formance really are. The strongest earthquake recorded in recent times in NZ was the Kaikoura Quake of December 2016, 7.5 on the Richter Scale. A family living in a Formance home just 30 minutes from the epicentre reported no damage at all from this event. In the vicinity mountains were deformed, the seabed rose up and stone houses were destroyed; such was the ferocity of the earthquake.  Sleep easy with Formance.

"...I want to have the lowest lifetime cost..."

With its impressive building envelope, it is no wonder Formance is frugal on energy. Families who have chosen Formance are equally impressed, reporting energy bills of is 1/3 of their previous new home in the winter and 1/2  in summer. Reassuringly, unlike other forms of insulation which slump over time, Formance remains at peak thermal performance for ever.

"...I want to be the most ecologically responsible..."

Formance panels are fully recyclable. The engineered Oriented Strand Board (OSB) skins are made from timber sourced from Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) certified logging operations. Not only that but 90% of useable timber in a tree can be used to make the board, compared to around 35% for traditional framing timber. For the rigid foam core, we’re using EPS, the only rigid foam insulation that is fully recycleable. EPS is completely harmless. We use it to transport fruit, fish, vegetables, pharmaceuticals, we drink hot drinks from EPS containers, and we wear it in bike helmets. It does not off-gas and by providing a pre-cut solution Formance panels do not require any site cutting so there’s no waste on site.

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