Belgrade, Serbia -- (SBWIRE) -- 06/20/2012 -- Germany-based Knauf Insulation has recently weighed in on the debate between the use of EPS verses Rock Mineral Wool insulation in Exterior wall demit fasada construction. With nearly 40 factories throughout the U.S., Europe and Russia, Knauf Insulation manufactures insulation materials for new and existing residential, commercial and industrial buildings.
Thousands of existing homes and building throughout Europe and the U.S. are embarking on plans to retrofit their exterior fasada in order to provide greater insulation, lower heating and cooling expenses, and mitigate negative environmental effects. While the use of External Thermal Insulation Composite Systems (ETICS) have been proven to provide definitive insulation benefits to existing structures, there has been significant debate as to whether Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) or Rock Mineral Wool insulation is the superior component in these demit fasada system projects. Knauf Insulation recently weighted in on the debate with a measured comparison of the two materials looking at all factors. “As manufacturers of both materials, we wanted to provide an unbiased look at both products,” said a Knauf Insulation specialist.
The decision to utilize a demit fasada system for exterior wall thermal insulation requires looking at all pertinent factors. By laying out all of the differing factors and weighing them between the two materials at http://www.knaufinsulation.rs/sr/kontaktna-fasada, Knauf Insulation seeks to provide all parties with the facts that allow sound decisions. “Decision makers must look at cost and a building’s life expectancy as well as specific problems that the system must address such as temperature extremes and expected indoor comfort levels,” said the specialists. “However, there are a number of other considerations as these systems can provide additional benefits such as noise abatement, additional fire protection and water vapor diffusion.”
The specialist points out that equal thickness of Rock Mineral Wool or EPS insulation within otherwise similar systems provide equal thermal protection. However, Rock Mineral Wool- adapted systems also provide excellent sound insulation. As non-combustible materials, they also increase the fire retardation possibilities for the structure. “While many ETICS systems with Rock Mineral Wool are in the class A2 non-combustible systems classification, ETICS EPS cannot get this class,” explained the specialist.
While Rock Mineral Wool’s diffusion of water vapor and its effect on indoor air quality is superior to Polystyrene, this difference can be mitigated with adequate vapor barriers in the polystyrene-based demit fasada. When it comes to installation, both systems appear to be equal in terms of ease. Although mineral wool-based systems are more expensive than those with EPS, the ability of the Rock Mineral Wool to simultaneously provide thermal, acoustic and fire protection facilities offers exceptional-long term ROI. For more information, please visit http://www.knaufinsulation.rs
About Knauf Insulation
Knauf Insulation manufactures a wide range of insulation products at its nearly 40 factories throughout the U.S., Europe and Russia. Their superior products include rock wool, glass wool, extruded polystyrene Irani (stirodur) and expanded polystyrene (Styrofoam) marketed under various names. As one of the most successful companies in the area of insulation products, Knauf Insulation is committed to sustainable development and preserving the natural environment via production of recyclable materials.