POLYISOCYANURATE (POLYISO) INSULATION

FOR COMMERCIAL EXTERIOR WALL

ASSEMBLIES

Date & Place

Carlisle, Inc. is a Registered Provider with The American Institute of Architects Continuing Education Systems. Credit earned on completion of this program will be reported to CES Records for AIA members. Certificates of Completion for non-AIA members available on request.

This program is registered with the AIA/CES for continuing professional education. As such, it does not include content that may be deemed or construed to be an approval or endorsement by the AIA of any material of construction or any method or manner of handling, using, distributing, or dealing in any material or product. Questions related to specific materials, methods, and services will be addressed at the conclusion of this presentation.

Thank you!

Energy Use in the Built Environment

U.S. ENERGY USE BY SECTOR

• The commercial real estate industry spends approximately $24 billion annually on energy.

• Energy represents the single largest controllable operating expense for office buildings - typically a third of variable expenses

• Source: www.boma.org BEEP (BOMA Energy Efficiency Program)

The Importance of Good Insulation

• Government and private initiatives call for aggressive reduction of energy consumption

• High-performance insulation is crucial for achievement of these objectives!

Today we will learn about polyiso insulation – a commercially-available, cost-effective material that easily enables construction of more energy-efficient buildings.

Learning Objectives• List the basic characteristics and important

physical properties of polyiso foam board insulation.

• Describe the track record and market adoption of polyiso insulation in building construction applications.

• Explain the benefits afforded by polyiso insulation when used in exterior wall assemblies.

• List the important elements of successful installation of polyiso insulation in exterior wall assemblies.

Learning Objective 1:List the basic characteristics and important physical properties of polyiso insulation.

• Chemistry.• How it’s made.• Properties – Polyiso Spec ASTM C 1289• R-Value

Polyiso Foam• Similar to polyurethane• Starts as pourable resin. 2-component rapid reaction causes

expansion and cure• Forms a rigid plastic, closed-cell foam• In production, reaction occurs in-line, while facers are laminated

on both sides to form boards.

Beads of mixed 2-part resin extruded onto facer

Resin expands and cures, filing space between facers

Boards are cut to size, packaged, cured and shipped

Polyiso – Green Features• No CFCs, zero ozone

depletion potential (ODP)• EPA compliant blowing

agents• Recyclable through re-use or

down-cycling• FSC-Certified wood used on

wood-faced products• Durable, long service life

material• National manufacturing

network - available regionally

Polyiso Insulation Properties• ASTM C 1289 “Standard

Specification for Faced Rigid Cellular Polyisocyanurate Thermal Insulation Board”– Classification: Facer composition,

foam core compressive strength – Physical Properties: Dimensional

stability, flexural strength, water absorption, water vapor transmission

• R-Value– Measure of heat flow through

specimen– Test methods dictated in ASTM C

1289

Polyiso Insulation Facers

• Most roofing applications use glass-reinforced organic felt facers

• Polyiso for wall assemblies has coated-glass or foil facer – Coated-glass facers improved fire resistance, moisture

resistance and dimensional stability– Foil facers improve fire resistance, UV resistance, moisture

resistance and R-Value• Polyiso can be easily laminated to plywood or OSB to form an

insulating nail base

facer

polyiso foam core

facer

Many Facer Options for Different Polyiso

Applications

R-Value – The Key Property of Insulation

Material R Value

8” concrete 2.3

3.5” brick 0.6

5/8” plywood 0.7

5/8” gypsum board 0.3

18 gauge steel stud 0.0

2” thick pine timber 1.7

0.040” bitumen membrane

0.0

1” of air 5.5

1” of water 0.2

R-value of insulation comes primarily from air or some other gas

R Value of common building materials

R value is a material property indicating resistance to heat flow though the material. Insulating materials have higher R-Value.

How Insulation Provides R-Value

• Foam: Cells are filled with air or other gas

• Fiber: Air is trapped among the fibers

FOAM FIBER

Foam vs. Fiber Insulation

• Plastic Based (combustible)

• Board foam or spray foam• Closed Cell or Open Cell• Closed cell type is an air

barrier• Closed cell type resists

water absorption

FIBER

• Mineral Based (non-combustible)

• Semi-rigid boards, batts or loose (blown-in)

• Permeable to air and moisture

FOAM

R-Value of Common Types of Insulation

Insulation R/ inch (@75°F)

20 psi Polyiso Board 5.6 to 6.7

2# CC Spray Polyurethane Foam

6.0 to 6.7

25 psi Extruded Polystyrene (XPS)

5.0 to 5.5

25 psi Expanded Polystyrene (EPS)

3.9 to 4.4

Mineral Wool 4.2

Fiber Glass 3.7

How do Foam Insulations Provide Such High R-value?

Gas R/ inch (@75°F)

Air 5.5

Argon 8.1

Pentane 10.0

Dichlorodifluoromethane 15.1

• Foam insulation consist of plastic resin and gas

• Cells in polyiso insulation are filled with a higher-R-value gas than air

CFC, banned for use in insulation production

Most common blowing agent used in polyiso and polystyrene foam insulation

How does Polyiso Compare with other Foam Board Insulations?

Polyiso XPS EPS

R/ inch

$/in

$/R*

Moisture

High temp

Vertical burn

Solvent resist

Sizes/ shapes

* Based on 2” thick board, R-14.4 foil-faced polyiso

Note: all 3 insulation types are suitable for exterior wall applications. The check mark indicates the insulation that is best in that characteristic.

Learning Objective 2:Describe the track record and market adoption of polyiso insulation in building construction applications.

Polyiso History• Derived from polyurethane

chemistry, which first appeared in the 1950s

• Polyiso foam insulation for construction first appeared on the US market in the late 1970s

• Polyisocyanurate Manufacturers Association (PIMA) established in 1988

• More than 70% of all roof insulation used in the USA is polyiso

• Growing use in exterior wall assemblies

Polyiso in a wall assembly

Polyiso directly over steel roof deck

Polyiso Use - Construction

• Polyiso has high service temp – up to 250°F• Unaffected by most solvent-based adhesives and

coatings• Thermoset plastic – performs well in roof and wall

assembly fire testing• High R-value per inch allows thinner board

Roof Wall

Polyiso Heat Resistance and

Dimensional Stability• Heat Resistance

– Polyiso service temp up to 250°F– Can be installed directly under

metal and under roofing membrane

• Dimensional Stability– Won’t shrink or warp with heat and

humidity.

Polyiso boards directly under black roof membrane

Polyiso Moisture Resistance

• ASTM C 209, 2h room-temp water immersion, <0.1% volume

• Closed cell polyiso foam resists moisture absorption from ambient humidity

• Moisture-resistant facers, such as foil and coated glass greatly enhance performance

• Polyiso is suitable for use in above-grade exterior wall assemblies and in covered roof assemblies.

Behind wall cladding

Under roof membrane

Polyiso R-Value Measurements

• Felt-Faced Roofing Insulation– CAN-ULC S770 Long-Term

Thermal Resistance (LTTR)– R-5.6 to 6.0 per inch

• Wall Insulation ASTM C 518– 75°F mean temp– ASTM C 1289 requires 180 day

aging at room temp and minimum 40°F temp difference

– R-6.0 to 6.7 per inch

Coated-glass-faced

Foil-faced

Learning Objective 3:Explain the benefits polyiso insulation affords when used in exterior wall assemblies.

• “Continuous insulation” in building code• High R-value per Inch• Heat & moisture management• Air & vapor barrier• Fire performance

The Colder the Climate, the more Insulation is Required

• USDOE Heating Zones• 8 in the USA• 1 is warmest, 8 is

coldest

Component R-Value vs. Assembly U-Value

• Building Code Gives 2 Compliance Options:– Meet a minimum R value of insulation prescribed for that

type of assembly– Meet a maximum assembly U Value designated for that type

of assembly

Material 1

R1 R2 R3 R4

RAssembly= R1+R2+R3+R4

Material 2Material 3

Material 4

UAssemblyR1+R2+R3+R4

1=

Requirements for “ci”

• Example: IECC 2012 Steel Stud Wall Requirements

• R-13 + 7.5 ci

Stud Cavity Insulation Continuous

Insulation

R-13 in the stud cavity

R-7.5 minimum “continuous insulation”

“ci” is insulation installed continuously across studs.

Energy Loss Through Insulation Discontinuity

IR camera image showing thermal bridging

Batt insulation installed between steel studs

Continuous Insulation Requirement

Nominal Stud Size (a)

Space of Framing (in)

Cavity Insulation R-Value

Correction Factor

Effective Framing/ Cavity R-Values

2 X 4 16 o.c. R-11R-13R-15

0.500.460.43

R-5.5R-6.0R-6.4

2 X 4 24 o.c. R-11R-13R-15

0.600.550.52

R-6.6R-7.2R-7.8

2 X 6 16 o.c. R-19R-21

0.370.35

R-7.1R-7.4

2 X 6 24 o.c. R-19R-21

0.450.43

R-8.6R-9.0

2 X 8 16 o.c. R-25 0.31 R-7.8

2 X 8 24 o.c. R-25 0.38 R-9.6

Insulation placed between studs loses much of its nominal R-Value

Source: ASHRAE 90.1, 90.2

Zone 5 & Marine 4

3.8

‘06

‘09

‘12

7.57.5

Zone 6‘06

‘09

‘12

3.87.57.5

Zone 7‘06

‘09

‘12

7.57.57.5

Zone 8

7.57.57.5

‘06

‘09

‘12

Zone 1‘06

‘09

‘12

5NR NR

Zone 2‘06

‘09

‘12

5NR NR

Zone 3

7.5

‘06

‘09

‘12

3.8NR

Zone 4 (Exc. Marine)

7.5

‘06

‘09

‘12

7.5NR

Example – IECC Requirements for “ci”, Non-Residential Steel Stud

walls

IECC version

Min R-value of ci required

Common Types of “ci”• Polyiso• XPS• EPS• SPF• Rockwool

R-Value of Common Types of Insulation

• Polyiso has the Highest R-Value per Inch– Use thinner board to comply with minimum code

requirements– Use same size board and put more R-value into limited

wall space

0

5

10

15

20

25

1' 2' 2.5" 3"

POLYISO

XPS

EPS

ROCKWOOL

Benefits of Thinner Insulation

• Reduced cost of insulation• Simplify and reduce cost of cladding attachment

– Shorter fasteners– Larger spacing– More cladding options

Example: Polyiso vs. XPS

• On 10,000 SQ FT of wall, what is the difference in heat loss through the wall, given a ΔT of 30°F?– XPS Wall: 16,216 BTU/h; POLYISO Wall: 12,300 BTU/h

– POLYISO wall presents a 24% improvement

135 4

2

135 4

62

2” XPSR-10

2” Foil-Faced POLYISOR-14.4

Component R-Value

XPS Wall

POLYISO Wall

1 5/8” Interior Gyp

0.5 0.5

2 R-13 w/4”SS 16” OC

6.0 6.0

3 5/8” Exterior Gyp

0.5 0.5

4 40 mil membrane

0.0 0.0

5 2” foam 10.0 14.4

6 1.5” air space 0.9 2.3

7 3.5” brick 0.6 0.6

Assembly U Val.

U-0.054 U-0.041

66

7

7

“ci” on the Exterior Keeps walls Drier during Winter

Wall is dry where insulation is installed on the exterior

Indoor moisture condenses on cold steel studs and gypsum sheathing. Vapor retarder traps this moisture.

Condensation of interior moisture on cold block

“ci” and Air/Vapor Barrier Membrane work Together

Gypsum sheathing

Steel studs and insulation

Continuous insulation (ci) installed over air/vapor barrier

Exterior cladding fastened to structure

• Air/vapor barrier prevents air and moisture transmission through wall, even seals around fasteners

• “ci” keeps steel studs, gypsum sheathing and stud cavity above dew point, preventing condensation

Fully-adhered air/vapor barrier membrane on gypsum sheathing

Polyiso Board Can be Installed as an Air and Vapor Barrier

• Vapor Barrier (ASTM E 96): – 1” board has < 1 Perm w/ coated

glass facer, <0.1 Perm with foil facer

• Air Barrier (ASTM E 2178): – 2010 ASHRAE 90.1 and 2012 IECC

qualify minimum ½” thickness foil-

faced as an “air barrier”

FOIL-FACED POLYISO, FOAM SEALANT BETWEEN BOARDS

POLYISO INSULATION AIR/VAPOR BARRIER – BRICK CAVITY WALL

Reduced cost assembly, but less redundancy than wall with membrane + “ci”

NFPA 285• 2-story wall assembly burn test

• Applicable to Type I-IV Construction

• Simulates an interior fire, with flashover effect through window opening.

• Vertical and lateral fire propagation is evaluated.

• Insulation, cladding and wall membranes can trigger Code Requirement!

NFPA 285 Test Set-Up

Burn room burner

7’ 6” min.

7’ 6” min.

10’

Window burner

Test Wall

18’

Section View – not drawn to scale

1st: burn room burner is ignited

2nd after 5 min, window burner is ignited

3rd after 30 minutes, both burners are shut off.

4th residual burning is allowed to progress for at least 10 minutes

Thermocouples here cannot reach 1,000 deg F

NFPA 285 Acceptance Criteria

• Measures lateral and vertical propagation of fire• Pass/fail determined by amount and layering of combustible

components.• Mineral wool fire stopping required in stud cavity between

floors

claddinginsulation

Air barrierSheathing

studinterior finish

EXTERIOR: Fire propagation not to occur beyond area of flame plume impingment

CORE: Fire propagation within the wall is allowed only a certain distance above window opening, indicated by thermocouples

Air space

INTERIOR: Temp not to exceed 750 F in 1st story stud cavity and flames shall not reach second story.

Assembly test includes…

•Base Wall System•Approved Exterior Finish•Insulation Material Options•Floor line Fire-stopping•Stud Cavity•Exterior Sheathing•WRB Membrane

NFPA 285 Pass – what does it mean?

Polyiso Performs well in Vertical Burn!!

NFPA 285 test, in progress and inspection after burn

• Inspection– Polyiso

stays in place

– No formation of burning drips

– Protects underlying rubberized asphalt membrane

Polyiso Passes the NFPA 285 Test with Many Types of

CladdingsProjects showing polyiso insulation and aluminum compsite (ACM) rain screen cladding

Class A Polyiso Passes NFPA 285 Even When Applied Over

Open Studs

• Install air, water, vapor and thermal barrier in one layer

• Build a high-performance wall at a reduced cost!

Polyiso Allows Simple Window Details in the

NFPA 285 Test

XPS NFPA 285 Window Detail: Specifies Mineral Wool Pinned across Window Head

• Polyiso passes NFPA 285 without any fire blocking in window opening!

Other Fire Tests• ASTM E 84

– “Tunnel Test”: horizontal burn of material

– Limited applicability to vertical wall performance.

– Standard Polyiso: flame spread 75 or less, smoke 450 or less

– “Class A” Polyiso: flame spread 25 or less and smoke 450 or less

• NFPA 286– Corner burn test– Some polyiso foam/facer

configurations can pass this test– Required if insulation will be left

exposed in interior wall and ceiling applications

ASTM E 84

NFPA 286

Learning Objective 4:List the important elements of successful installation of polyiso insulation in exterior wall assemblies.

• Details and Instructions• Qualified installer• Field quality control• Reliable supplier

Insulation Manufacturer shall Provide Standard Details• Windows

• Foundation

• Penetrations

• Wall-to-Roof

• Inter-Story

• Corners

• Expansion joints

• Termination at existing

Barriers Shown in Details Shall Align

Thermal image showing alignment of wall insulation with window’s thermal break

• Thermal barrier

• Air barrier

• Water resistive barrier

Installation Instructions

• Board pattern

• Joint treatment

• Fastening

• Bonding

• Exposure and Protection

• Installer shall be trained and approved by Insulation manufacturer

• Insulation manufacturer training can be executed through partnership with professional organizations– Trades

– Air Barrier Association of America ABAA

Installer Training

Training Mockup

• Coordination of work

• Mockups

• Air Leakage Test (ASTM E 1105)

• Water Leak Teat (ASTM E 783)

• Visual inspection of Polyiso Insulation (not limited to these things…)

– Tight at joints OR joints are sealed

– Tightly secured to wall

– Weeps and drainage in place

– Insulation aligned with window thermal break

– Penetrations detailed properly

– Termination at grade and at existing construction

Field Quality Control

• Multiple plants for nationwide service (typically within 500 miles of project)

• Financially secure and established in the business

• Dedicated sales and support personnel for WALL APPLICATIONS– Ready to assist with order fulfillment, instructions, product

knowledge training and field technical issues

Select a Reliable Polyiso Supplier

• Specify polyiso, with coated glass or foil facer, for use in the exterior wall assemblies.

• Polyiso is a conventional, commercially-available material with a long, successful track record in construction

• Polyiso provides solutions for modern commercial wall construction – delivers high R-value per inch and passes the NFPA 285 fire test in many wall assemblies

• Several large, reputable manufacturers offer polyiso insulation, produced locally and available at a competitive price.

• Partner with a polyiso insulation manufacturer who is reliable and will provide support throughout the Project for a successful installation.

Recap

QUESTIONS?

THANK YOU