Finnfoam Oy’s Tulppa is a Finnish-made wet room panel, which functions as both a construction board and waterproofing material. The core of the panel is made from a closed-cell, waterproof and mold-proof Finnfoam (XPS) insulation material and the surface layer consists of strong, special-purpose cement mortar. The Tulppa panel can be used as a base for tiling.
Tulppa is based on Finnfoam Oy’s Finnfoam insulation panel, which is coated with a special mortar and reinforced with a fiberglass mesh on both sides. Due to the characteristics of the waterproof Finnfoam insulation material, Tulppa panels are highly resistant to water vapor and moisture and have a high compressive strength. The purpose of the special mortar is to reinforce the panel and provide a regular adhesion surface for the mortar used to attach tiles. In exterior wall structures, a Finnfoam core functions as waterproofing, thermal insulation, and a vapor barrier.
The wet room solution is CE marked through ETA certification. Ardex, Casco, Schönox, Fescon, Kiilto, and Weber offer sealing products and tile mortars that have been tested to be compatible with the Tulppa wet room solution.
As the Tulppa panels are lightweight, easy to work with, and quick to install even in cramped spaces, they can provide up to several days’ worth of time-savings for a wet room fitter.
The innovative and patented horizontal installation method of the rabbeted Tulppa panels makes installation easier and the grooved edge profile ensures waterproof seams. The panels can be easily cut into the right size using a utility knife, handsaw or jigsaw, for example. A professional fitter is able to complete up to 10–15 m2 of tiling-ready wall surface per hour. The lightweight panels can be moved around the site easily even by yourself.
Plenty of time can be saved in waterproofing, as you don’t have to apply waterproofing compound on each panel and wait for it to dry. The Tulppa wet room panels are ready for tiling as soon as the waterproofing applied to corners and around passages has dried.
The core of the Tulppa panels is made from the Finnfoam thermal insulation material, i.e. extruded polystyrene, which is a waterproof and mold-proof material. No bromine compounds or other chemicals that are hazardous to the environment are used in the manufacturing of the Finnfoam insulation material.
Each component of the Tulppa wet room system has been tested in accordance with the most stringent European requirements (ETAG 022). In addition, the compatibility of each component is thoroughly tested and examined during product development. Tulppa panels can be used to create structures that are completely safe in terms of moisture performance.