Insulation industry news from Global Insulation
US/Canada: Johns Manville (JM) has launched JM CladStone Water & Fire Block Insulation in the US and Canada. The mineral wool product is for use in cavity wall and rain screen applications. JM says that the product allows for the drainage of water from an exterior wall cavity system.
“We are committed to providing our customers with an array of products to meet the needs of any project, and that’s why we’re introducing JM CladStone Water & Fire Block Insulation, a non-combustible product designed to aid in managing moisture in continuous insulation systems,” said Tommy Knappich, Vice President and General Manager of Building Insulation at JM.
UK: Kingspan has confirmed that a limited amount of its Kooltherm K15 phenolic insulation product was used in Grenfell Tower. In response to a report by Channel 4 News the insulation producer said that a ‘very small quantity’ of the product had been used without its knowledge in a façade refurbishment of the high-rise tower. The building subsequently suffered a fire in June 2017 in which at least 80 people are believed to have died or gone missing.
“Kingspan had no involvement in either the design or the specification of the refurbishment of the Grenfell Tower facade, and neither Kingspan insulated panels nor Kingspan façade systems were used on Grenfell Tower,” said Kingspan in a statement. It added that following the fire it became aware that a limited quantity of Kingspan Kooltherm K15, less than 5% of the estimated total amount of insulation used on the building façade, was sourced by a third party distributer and supplied to contractors involved in the refurbishment. It impressed that, “It appears that Kooltherm K15 has been used without our knowledge, as part of a combination for which it was not designed, and which Kingspan would never recommend.”
The majority of the insulation purchased for use in the building refurbishment was Celotex’s RS5000 polyisocyanurate foam (PIR) insulation board. This product has been stopped for use in rainscreen cladding systems for buildings over 18m tall whilst the investigation into the Grenfell fire continues.
France: Lafarge France and Euromac 2 have signed a national partnership contract to bring to market insulating concrete form products. The deal will see Euromac 2 use Agilia concrete from Lafarge to fill its expanded polystyrene blocks. The two companies will then approve a network of companies to bring the product to the market.
Celotex stops supply of polyisocyanurate foam product for high-rise buildings following London tower fire
26 June 2017UK: Celotex has stopped supplying its RS5000 polyisocyanurate foam (PIR) insulation board product in rainscreen cladding systems for buildings over 18m tall. The decision is a temporary one whilst an investigation into the Grenfell Tower fire continues. The subsidiary of Saint-Gobain previously confirmed that its product was purchased for use in a refurbishment project at the building. The fire is believed to have killed 79 people.
The insulation producer said that safety testing had been undertaken on its RS5000 product as part of a ‘particular’ rainscreen cladding system. It added that, “…any changes to components of the cladding system or construction methods used need to be considered by the relevant building designer.”
The decision by Celotex follows an announcement by the Metropolitan Police that insulation samples collected from Grenfell Tower combusted quickly in tests. The authorities are examining aluminium composite tiles, the insulation behind it and how these tiles were fixed to the building as well as how they were installed. The aluminium composite tiles have also failed initial safety tests.
BASF updates Elastospray LWP spray foam insulation
13 June 2017Germany: BASF has launched an updated version of its Elastospray LWP spray foam insulation. The product has been changed to respond to European Union (EU) plans to reduce fluorinated gas emission by two-thirds by 2030. Hydrofluorocarbon blowing agents in the product have been replaced with more environmentally friendly alternatives.
UK: The British Board of Agrément (BBA) has given its approval to Rockwool’s Rainscreen Duo Slab façade insulation product. It is the first stone wool product to gain this for use in ventilated rainscreen systems. As part of the certification process the product was tested for factors such as thermal performance, condensation risk, behaviour in relation to fire, and durability in order to meet national regulations. Rainscreen Duo Slab has achieved certification status for use as a Hybrid frame system and Rainscreen system.
“It is incredibly important to us to put our products through the BBA process, as the certification provides architects with peace of mind when specifying our products” comments Paul Barrett, Product Manager at Rockwool.
Rainscreen Duo Slab is a dual density insulation board that offers weather resistance on its outer surface whilst being installed and an inner surface that is designed to accommodate the substrate to which it is being applied. It is fire resilient and complies with Approved Document B, achieving the Euroclass classification: A1. It also complies with BR135: Fire Performance of External Insulation for Walls of Multi-Storey Buildings.
US: Lapolla Industries has launched a new version of its Foam-Lok 500 spray polyurethane foam insulation product. The updated version has passed the AC 377 End Use Configuration Criteria and the producer says it meets the building code requirements for use with no additional ignition barrier required. The open cell insulation is being marketed for use in sealing the building envelope in both residential and commercial applications.
Johns Manville open cell spray foam product meets requirements for application without an ignition barrier in attics
06 March 2017US: Johns Manville’s Corbond open cell spray foam (oc SPF) has met the requirements for application without a prescriptive ignition barrier in sealed unoccupied attics for commercial and residential projects. The approval eliminates the need to apply a separate fire protective coating. The achievement is detailed in a code compliant research report, CCRR-1079, from Intertek.
“We are committed to providing the highest quality service and products to our customers, which is why we are constantly improving upon our broad range of insulation solutions,” said Bob Wamboldt, senior vice president and general manager of Insulation Systems at Johns Manville. “By optimising JM Corbond oc SPF to achieve new code compliance, we are helping our customers achieve performance goals in less time and with fewer materials.”
JM Corbond oc SPF is a two-component, low-density, non-structural insulation system designed for commercial, residential and industrial applications.
Paroc launches Extra Light stone wool insulation product in Russia
13 February 2017Russia: Finland’s Paroc has launched its Extra Light stone wool insulation product. The release is part of a strategy to diversify its offering to the Russian insulation and construction market. The insulation producer operates an insulation plant at Tverskaya Oblast.
US: Owens Corning has received asthma and allergy friendly certification for its Pure Safety insulation product. It says it is the first such product to earn the certification from the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA). The product has less dust than comparable products and is mould and mildew resistant.
"We saw an opportunity to address the needs of over 70 million people with asthma and allergies. Caring about indoor air quality is just one way Owens Corning is committed to leveraging our building science expertise and insulation systems to create better, more sustainable and more comfortable homes," said Julian Francis, president of insulation, Owens Corning.
The Asthma and Allergy Friendly Certification Program was created in 2016. It is administered by the AAFA and Allergy Standards Limited. The program independently tests and identifies consumer products that are more suitable for those living with asthma and allergies using the Synthetic Home Insulation Products Standard, which addresses a product's effect on indoor air quality and capacity to resist mould growth.