Exterior walls are the outer skin of the building, whether it be a single storey residential home, a high-rise office, apartment block or anything in between. The outer skin or cladding provides a layer that can be for waterproofing, structure or just appearance to give the building an identity or individuality.
Brick, timber, lightweight, heavyweight, façade or rainscreen are all terms used to describe the materials used here.
Depending on the type of cladding, the finished height and use of the building, this will determine the choice of insulation to suit.
Pitched Roofs like exterior walls can have a range of coverings depending on the pitch of the roof and the amount of water to be moved off it.
Traditionally, these roofs are designed as "cold" areas with the insulation at the ceiling. By moving the insulation to the rafters, we form a "warm roof" concept, similar to the more familiar flat roof approach.
In turn, this moves the condensation or dew point to the outside, onto the Building Envelope, improving the buildings performance.
Pitched Roof
The Metal insulated roof is often found on large commercial warehouses, where long runs of metal roofing provide a major benefit over other coverings.
The "Warm Roof" principle is used here provide high thermal performance while also adding aesthetics to the building design. Curved roofs and complex shapes can be formed using a range of insulation types.
Where a high level of thermal ('R' Value) or acoustic performance is required, we can advise on the right insulation choice for your project.
metal insulated roof
soffit
The soffit is an often forgotten part of the Building Envelope. When an office or apartment building is designed with a basement areas, this may be below ground and used for storage, plant and machinery or a car park areas. This utilises the same footprint as the building above to save space.
It could be a concrete, steel or timber construction and a perfect place for cold to get in and warm to escape the building.
Insulating this space, can add greatly to the thermal performance of the building as a whole without the need to use costly frameworks and structure to secure the insulation.
floor
Insulation is used under a floor to provide thermal performance, in a similar way to the Soffit application. But when that insulation forms part of the foundations, it is impossible to add additional insulation to, without increasing the size dramatically ands adding complexity in the design.
When a heated or "Warm Floor" is required, the insulation needs to have a very high R value for its thickness, and the compressive strength to stand up to the heavy layers put over it, without deforming or breaking.