FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
General
Cavity wall
Pitched roof
Flat roof
General
1 What is the maximum temperature resistance of Eurothane PUR and PIR building insulation?
Polyurethane (PUR) for building applications has a maximum service temperature of +100°C. Polyisocyanurate (PIR) foam insulation on the other hand resists to up to +150°C.
The foam can briefly resist higher temperatures during application, for instance when bonding the roof insulation board Bi-3 with hot bitumen.
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Does Eurothane insulation absorb water?
All Eurothane products have a product approval (ATG/H) and generally also BBA system approval. Under these approvals the product characteristics are continuously inspected. PUR insulation is composed of over 90% closed cell structure, allowing only a very small possibility of water absorption. This water absorption is limited to 2% or 3% measured after complete immersion of the foam for 24 hours. The presence of an aluminium or bituminous facing on the Eurothane insulation boards offers an additional protection against moisture and humidity.
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How does PUR insulation distinguish itself from other synthetic foams such as polystyrene?
Eurothane PUR insulation products are produced using a continuous lay down system based on liquid raw materials. As part of the production process a facing or carrier is used in order to carry the fluid mixture. The facing also contributes to the stability and functionality of the product. In other words, the nature of the facing can differ according to the application. PUR insulation for building applications is always provided with a facing on either side of the board and the foam generally has a light yellow colour.
Polystyrene on the other hand is unfaced and either white or coloured.
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Why are some insulation materials thicker than others?
An insulation material is characterised by an inherent physical quality, thermal conductivity (or λ-value). The lower this value, the better the material insulates thermally. The 'thermal resistance' of a material is dependant upon both its thickness and its thermal conductivity. Therefore insulation materials with a higher λ-value will need to be of a greater thickness if the same thermal resistance is to be achieved as an insulation layer with a low thermal conductivity.
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Is it not the case that thick layers of insulation insulate better than thin layers?
The answer to this question is actually shown above. A correct comparison can only be made after having determined the thermal resistance of each type of insulation and its thickness. The thickness only cannot be used an assessment criterion for the insulation capacity of different types of insulation and thicknesses.
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What materials are Powerline, Powerdeck and Eurothane made of?
Eurothane insulation boards are synthetic insulation boards based on polyurethane foam, PUR. They are obtained by means of a chemical reaction between polyols and isocyanates in equal chemical quantities and by adding a blowing agent.
Powerdeck and Powerline are insulation materials based on Taufoam by Recticel, a very specific polyisocyanurate (PIR) foam formulation. They are achieved by the simultaneous chemical reactions (on one hand between polyol and isocyanate and between isocyanate and isocyanate on the other) and a physical reaction, the expansion of a blowing agent.
Eurothane, Powerdeck and Powerline products are produced by a continuous extrusion system and always have a facing on both sides.
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To what extent is the production of Eurothane boards environmentally friendly and what about the environmental friendliness of the boards themselves?
During the production of Eurothane no CFCs, HCFCs or HFCs are used. Recticel has actively development the means to produce CFC & HCFC-free PUR insulation boards. For our efforts we received the first prize in the environmental award for industry in 1994 for the production of CFC-free boards.
Being environmentally friendly goes beyond not using CFCs and HCFCs. Eurothane insulation boards have a very high insulation value (very low λ-value) and this contributes to an important energy saving. As a consequence the emissions from the heating system and power generating plant are lowered considerably, thus contributing to the improvement of the environment and reducing global warming.
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To what extent are the Powerdeck and Powerline boards fire resistant?
Powerdeck and Powerline are products based on Taufoam by Recticel, which is a very specific PIR foam with excellent fire behaviour properties. Not only do these products obtain good fire reactions in small-scale tests A1 and M1; they also distinguish themselves from other synthetic foams in large-scale tests (A1 according to NBN 521-203; M1 according to NFP 92-501).
The renowned Factory Mutual Institute in America tested Powerdeck in actual roof constructions. Their findings were extraordinary, Powerdeck has accordingly gained the FM Approval Class 1 (best classification for fire behaviour) in a range roof constructions.
The excellent fire behaviour of Powerdeck and Powerline in these large-scale tests assures the fire safety of these boards: they provide no contribution to fire growth and they completely distinguish themselves from other synthetic foams in that they also achieved an A1 fire reaction in small-scale tests.
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Are there Eurothane boards with sound insulating qualities?
All insulation boards in the Eurothane and Powerdeck range belong to the family of rigid foam insulation boards based on PUR or PIR.
These are excellent thermal insulating boards but are not intended for acoustic problems. Recticel however produce soft foams as well as rigid foams normally for use in the comfort sector. Some derived products such as Recfoam and Recphone have been developed for construction. Recphone is used as the acoustic underlay for loose laid parquet floors whereas Recfoam is an acoustic absorbing material for floors and walls.
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What is the difference between 'U-value' and 'λ-value'?
The λ-value is the coefficient of thermal conductivity of material. It is an inherent physical property of that material and is a measure of the material's ability to conduct heat. The U-value, or thermal transmittance, is a measure of the rate of heat flow through a complete floor, wall or roof element (which may contain many layers of different materials with different λ-values).
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What are the crucial points when installing Eurothane products?
- Use the right Eurothane board for your application: the right type and size.
- Stack the boards clear of the ground. Keep dry by storing undercover or covering with a tarpaulin.
- Look out for damage and handle the boards with care. Do not throw them and do kick the boards into place.
- Make sure the base is clean, sound, dry and even.
- If necessary, especially for flat roofs, install a vapour control layer or a waterproofing layer.
- Position the boards firmly against one another.
- Always ensure the boards are made watertight at the end of each working day and in case of rain.
- Always follow the installation instructions on the packaging or in our technical brochures.
- Always use the correct fastener.
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How do Eurothane boards react to damp surroundings?
The water absorption of Eurothane is minimal. Eurothane products are tested for moisture absorption as part of the ATG control. After complete immersion under water for 24 hours the water absorption is restricted to only a few percent.
In practice this situation does not occur and all Eurothane products have a facing (for example aluminium foil) on either side which further protects the board from moisture and high humidity.
As a consequence Eurothane products can be used in less favourable weather conditions without adding to any moisture entrapped in the construction.
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What about 'overinsulation'?
Generally the term building insulation is used not only for thermal insulation but also for the sealing of cracks and gaps in the building fabric. 'Overinsulation' thus means the complete hermetic sealing of a construction without taking the requirement for ventilation into account. To preserve a healthy climate indoors ventilation is required even with thermally well insulated constructions. 'Build tight - ventilate right'.
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Cavity wall
Why partial cavity filling with EUROWALL?
Rigid insulation boards such as EUROWALL insulate better than mineral wool or polystyrene. With EUROWALL the required U-value can be achieved with a minimal thickness. The air cavity between the insulation and external brick or block is maintained adding to the thermal performance and reducing the risk of penetrating dampness due to wind driven rain. The usual dimensions of the exterior wall are maintained. As a consequence the functions of the cavity wall are completely retained.
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Why EUROWALL instead of XPS ?
EUROWALL has a very low λ-value and a bright, low emissivity, foil face. Therefore a thinner board can be used with EUROWALL to obtain the same insulation value.
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Pitched roof
How is Eurosarking used to create a warm roof?
Firstly we must define a warm roof construction and a warm roof space. To be classed as a warm roof construction, flat or pitched, the insulation must be positioned above the roof timbers or deck. A warm roof space is where the insulation follows the slope of the roof to give a habitable roof space however the insulation is slotted entirely between the rafters. Eurosarking boards are fixed above the rafters, secured using softwood counterbattens, before installing a breather type sarking membrane and the battens and tiles. If required further insulation may be added between the rafters.
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What are the benefits of the Eurosarking warm pitched roof system?
Warm pitched roofs have the following advantages:
- Increased habitable accommodation with no increase in the building foot print
- Inherently condensation safe
- No need to insulated water services in the roof space
- No requirement for roof space ventilation and associated ventilation system
- Generally no requirement for a vapour control layer
- Recommended for high humidity applications (swimming pools, commercial laundries, bakeries etc).
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Why is condensation not a problem in warm pitched roofs?
The foil face of the Eurosarking board give it a high resistance to the passage of moisture vapour. This along with the use of a breather type sarking membrane ensures that any small amount of moisture vapour that may travel through the roof is able to escape to the outside air. A vapour control layer is not required in most buildings but is recommended in high humidity applications.
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Flat roof
A flat roof needs renovation. We wish to insulate thermally but also to improve the drainage of rain water. Can this be achieved with Eurothane?
Eurothane Bi-3A is a flat roof insulation board tapered along is longer dimension. This allows upgrading of the thermal insulation and creation of the falls in one operation.
Recticel offers a design service, drawing up plans that shows not only the working method but also the correct amount of boards needed.
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Is tapered insulation Eurothane Bi-3A an economical system?
Eurothane Bi-3A is a lightweight but extremely thermally efficient board. This allows you to achieve a high insulation level combined with a 'dry' tapered system. This makes the board extremely fit for the renovation of roofs where additional imposed load needs to be limited and moisture entrapment needs to be prevented.
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