Insulation Pre Engineered Metal Buildings
Insulation Pre Engineered Metal Buildings can have a major impact on creating a good working environment and reducing energy consumption.
With the right type of insulation, metal building systems can create low-energy, affordable and low-maintenance structures. In this article, we will introduce a number of common insulation methods to help you determine which is best for you.
Why insulate prefabricated metal buildings?
When designing and constructing metal buildings, many customers choose to insulate prefabricated metal buildings.
The reason for this is that effective insulation keeps the temperature inside the building constant and provides effective sound insulation. This provides a comfortable working environment for ongoing production and office work. It also increases the life expectancy of the building. In addition it offers numerous advantages:
- Additional insulation value
- Control of stable indoor temperatures
- Reduces heat loss and increase.
- Reduces condensation and corrosion of steel elements.
- Absorption of sound.
Purpose and benefits of insulated metal buildings
To provide a stable indoor temperature
Metal insulation safeguards the temperature of the indoor air temperature and creates a stable indoor circulation system, allowing heating and cooling systems to control indoor temperatures more reliably, creating a warm and comfortable office and production environment.
Protection of steel components
Condensation is a major culprit in the corrosion of steel components, and condensation products are mostly due to changes in the temperature difference between the interior and exterior. The insulation layer effectively insulates hot and cold air, eliminating the production of condensation.
Sound insulation
In addition to ensuring a stable room temperature, insulation also has the ability to absorb sound. Especially during the production of indoor machinery, noise can easily affect the surrounding work areas and residential areas. The use of insulation effectively prevents this from happening.
How do you insulate a metal building?
When constructing a metal building, we need to take into account the state of the weather in our area to determine the final insulation coverage. Generally speaking, if the building is located in a cold area, the insulation of the roof may not be sufficient to keep out the temperature changes inside. We therefore need to insulate the roof as well as the wall panels, which will prevent steel-to-steel contact and thus prevent condensation and rusting from occurring. Generally, the insulation is laid between the panels and the steel skeleton.
Types of structural steel insulation
There are four common types of structural steel insulation, each with its own unique advantages and characteristics. The initial cost and insulation characteristics vary from material to material, depending on the shape of the metal building, its size, its geographical location and the intended use of the building. Consult our engineers for detailed advice.
1. Glass fibre insulation
This insulation is an inexpensive and easy to install material. It has the dual benefits of fire resistance and sound insulation. It is by far the most popular type of insulation, but when choosing this type of insulation, remember to select a glass fibre and vapour retarder in combination. This is to improve its resistance to mould and mildew, as a single glass fibre board has an exceptional ability to absorb and retain water, a weakness that can be effectively improved by a vapour retarder.
2. Rigid board
This is a more expensive insulation than fibreglass board and lacks acoustic properties and loses insulation over time, but it has good thermal efficiency, vapour retardancy and dimensional stability. It is also very machinable and can be processed into any desired pattern for interior and exterior decoration.
3. Spray foam
This is an expanding foam, usually in liquid form, which is sprayed by skilled workers into any area they wish to cover when insulating a room, the foam quickly expands into a solid and fills any space that needs to be covered, providing excellent insulation. It is a relatively expensive insulation material.
4. Loose fill
This type of insulation consists of loose glass fibre or rock wool which is blown into the cavity using specialist equipment to cover it, this treatment is very air tight but is also a more expensive option. It is often used to insulate walls, floors and lofts etc.
In summary
In general, we recommend the most economical glass fibre insulation in our manufacturing process, followed by other types of insulation, depending on the customer’s specific application. We have found that 80% of the customers we have worked with in the past have included building insulation in their metal construction, as it not only provides a good indoor temperature and sound insulation, but more importantly saves on heating and cooling costs, and as a long term plan, the insulation also reduces operating costs in the future, making it an extremely economical way to build. Contact the KAFA manufacturing team today and we will advise you on the best way to build, whether it is a warehouse building, a hangar, a workshop, a metal building with living quarters or an agricultural facility, we can meet your requirements.
