Insulation in commercial exterior walls is key to a building's energy efficiency, longevity, and comfort. Choosing the right type of insulation can save money and result in a better overall building. Keep reading to learn more about the best types of insulation for commercial exterior walls.
The Importance of Insulation
Insulation has a multitude of benefits for a building including higher energy efficiency. While proper insulation reduces a building’s heating and cooling loads (and therefore the energy bill), insulation also makes a building more durable and occupants happier.
Building Reliability
Proper insulation installation results in a wall structure with little leakage and low thermal conductivity. Inferior insulation not only wastes energy but can reduce the reliability of the entire wall assembly.
Condensation can form inside the wall of exterior commercial walls with insufficient or improperly installed insulation. This condensation can lead to rot or deterioration that reduces the life of the building and can be costly to repair. This damage is often hard to detect too, making repairs more expensive when the problem is finally discovered.
Well-installed insulation also helps to keep critters and pests out. When wall assemblies are properly installed with insulation, it is much harder for pests to make their way through holes and openings into the building. Pests in walls can do as much or more damage than condensation.
Occupant Comfort
Keeping a building's occupants comfortable is key to keeping them happy and productive. Insulation not only reduces the amount of energy a building uses to control the temperature, but also keeps the temperature consistent throughout the building. Reducing hot and cold spots makes the entire building more pleasant to occupy and reduces the load on the building’s HVAC system.
Another benefit of commercial exterior insulation is the reduction in noise. External noise has a harder time passing through exterior walls with Insulation. Sounds from inside the building are also dampened due to the insulation.
Energy Efficiency
The primary reason for insulation in commercial exterior walls is to reduce the amount of energy a building consumes. Keeping the interior of a building at a different temperature than the outside requires energy to move that heat around. Without insulation, the heat will flow right back into or out of the building. Insulation helps to slow this flow of heat and reduce the amount of energy the HVAC system consumes.
What Are the Most Common Types of Insulation?
Many different types of insulation are available on the market. Choosing the right insulation for a commercial exterior wall depends on price, desired performance, and the type of building where the insulation will be used. Some of the most common types of insulation are:
Spray Foam
Different from many of the other types of insulation available, spray foam uses specialized equipment to spray a layer of high-performance foam directly onto the building’s interior surfaces. The foam is very sticky and expands on contact with the walls and roof surfaces. As the foam expands and hardens, a high R-value foam is left behind. The foam is waterproof, mold-resistant, and great at filling air gaps as it expands and hardens.
Fiberglass Board
One of the most popular options for commercial buildings, fiberglass boards are made by stacking together many layers of fiberglass and compressing them into a board shape. These boards are installed in wall cavities and provide a decent level of thermal performance.
Fiberglass Blanket
Instead of coming as a rigid board, fiberglass is also available in blanket or batt insulation. Often sandwiched between pieces of cardboard, the blanket is made from many layers of fiberglass. The fiberglass does not provide much structural support, so installation can be more difficult, but it is a very economical choice. Because fiberglass blankets tend to droop, one potential concern is that over time the blankets will shift and the R-value of the building’s walls will decrease over time.
Rock Wool
Made from high-density mineral wool, rock wool insulation is routinely used to insulate small spaces and high-temperature pipes. Rock wool is often added to boost insulation in certain areas. Another benefit of rock wool is that it helps to dampen sounds acoustically, and makes spaces more enjoyable to occupy.
Loose-Fill Insulation
For covering a large area with insulation in a short amount of time, blown-in or loose-fill insulation is hard to beat. Specialized equipment is used to blow the insulation into the space. The insulation is made from cellulose or fiberglass and can cover hard-to-reach areas quickly and effectively.
Rmax Polyiso, the Superior Choice
While many of the insulation types discussed have unique features, Rmax polyiso is an industry leader for a reason. Rmax polyiso boasts an impressive R-value per inch over 6, meaning less insulation is needed for a commercial building to hit the required R-value. Rmax polyiso is strong, lightweight, and easy to use making it an easy choice for commercial exterior walls.
To learn more about Rmax polyiso, reach out to our team today.