metal roofing & walls  For your metal roofing and wall insulation requirements, Insulco recommends the use of either Insulco Vapa-Chek – Australia’s most popular metal deck roof insulation, or a selection of foil and blanket options, from the range of products manufactured. Insulco Vapa-Chek is glasswool insulation building blanket faced on one side with a reflective foil laminate. It comes in a variety of thicknesses, including 55mm, 75mm and 100mm to provide the thermal insulation performance you require, as the insulation effect of the foil will depend on the application. Click here for information on the R-values attributed to each product for different building systems. Vapa-Chek is also available in two roll widths – 1200mm and 1400mm – and a range of foil facings to suit any application, so you can choose the best product for your project. hints & tips If the foil is to provide an aesthetically pleasing finish where no ceiling lining is installed (i.e. retail warehouse, indoor swimming pool, etc), Insulco suggests that the foil and blanket be laid separately so as to minimise creasing of the foil. Where a vapour barrier is required, ensure that all joints in the foil are sealed with a foil tape, double sided tape or appropriate adhesive. Where a decorative finish is required, consider Insulco’s white coated foil laminated product. In tropical areas where the building is air-conditioned, it is recommended that the foil vapour barrier is applied above the glasswool blanket. Alternatively, a “sandwich” system can be used where foil laminates are installed both above and below the glasswool blanket. Contact Insulco’s Technical Sales for more information. advice on some common applications Warehouse & factories Indoor swimming pools (high humidity environments) Roof acoustic treatments Sports complexes Insulating walls 1. warehouses & factories  There are many reasons why Vapa-Chek should be installed under every warehouse and factory roof, some of which include: If the premises are heated or cooled, you can achieve large cost savings through reduced running and maintenance costs. This will also reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Increased worker productivity through greater thermal comfort, particularly during summer months where large amounts of radiant heat would otherwise emit down from the bare metal roof. Increased efficiency of lighting as the reflective foil surface reflects light back to the working environment below. Reduced rain/hail noise levels within the factory or warehouse, due to the insulation absorbing much of the noise that hits its surface. Vapa-Chek also helps reduce reverberation noise. Top 2. indoor swimming pools (high humidity environments)  Due to the high humidity found in swimming pool areas, the utmost care must be made to the control of condensation. In this application, insulation with high R-values is required with a sealed vapour barrier on the internal surface. Additionally, Deckmate spacers should be considered. These Styrofoam strips are placed on top of the insulation at the purlins/battens to prevent thermal bridging through the structure. In this application, Insulco recommends the use of a white coated foil vapour barrier as the chloride ions in the atmosphere can corrode the surface of conventional aluminium foils. The white coated surface is made from polypropylene, which is resistant to chemical attack and provides light reflection and an aesthetically pleasing finish. Top   3. roof acoustic treatment  Two types of Acoustic treatment may be required in the roof of commercial buildings: Reduction of rain/hail and noise transfer Using Insulco Vapa-Chek will vastly reduce the noise level experienced from rain and hail. In fact, when compared to an uninsulated roof, 75mm Vapa-Chek reduces rain noise by up to 18 dB(A) when installed under a metal roof. Vapa-Chek Under a metal roof will also provide an STC (Sound Transmission Class) or Rw of approximately 25 to 30. Where higher noise reductions are required, a ceiling structure of loaded vinyl materials should be considered. Internal Noise Reduction This is achieved by adding insulation to the roof and/or walls to absorb noise. The standard 75mm Vapa-Chek with light duty foil has reasonably good noise absorption properties, absorbing approximately 75% of noise that hits its surface. However, for greater levels of noise absorption, particularly at high frequencies, Vapa-Chek can be supplied with a special acoustic perforated foil finish. In this instance you will need to note that the perforated foil surface will not provide a vapour barrier. Top   4. sports complexes  Insulco Vapa-Chek is generally used in these applications due to its high thermal, acoustic and light reflecting properties. Playing indoor sport in an uninsulated complex in the summer months would be unbearable for the competitors. Installing Vapa-Chek in the roof will greatly reduce the amount of radiant heat that enters the building. Vapa-Chek will help provide a reduction in rain and hail noise. This means players and spectators can hear what is happening more clearly. Vapa-Chek will also help the internal environment from getting too noisy as it absorbs much of the noise that hits its surface. High levels of humidity can also be a problem within sports complexes. To control condensation, it is important that the foil joints on Vapa-Chek are sealed using foil tape, double sided tape or an appropriate adhesive to provide a complete vapour barrier. Top   5. insulating walls  Installing Vapa-Chek under metal deck roofing is common for most types of buildings. However, increasing numbers of architects and specifiers are also considering insulating the metal sidings in buildings to improve thermal comfort for occupants and reduce heating and cooling costs. Vapa-Chek is a cost effective option for this application and will also help by absorbing internal noise. Even if you only insulate the east and west facing walls (which receive greatest heat band in summer), the improvement on internal comfort can be significant. Top