Insulation is key to keeping a metal building energy-efficient, reliable, and comfortable. Not all insulation panels, however, are made the same and some work better for metal buildings than others. Knowing your options will help you make an informed decision about your metal building’s insulation.
Benefits of Insulating Metal Buildings
Insulation is more than just a requirement to meet building codes. Proper insulation leads to a building's greater energy efficiency, more comfortable interior, and increased reliability.
Energy Efficiency
The most common reason to insulate a commercial building is for increased energy efficiency. Insulation in a building's exterior walls slows the flow of heat into or out of the building. Slowing the flow of heat means the building's HVAC system does not have to work as hard to keep the temperature in the building comfortable.
With metal buildings, insulation is incredibly important because of metal’s great ability to conduct heat. Without insulation, it is very hard to keep a metal building’s interior at a different temperature from its exterior. Continuous insulation panels on a metal building’s exterior provide the ideal setup for metal building insulation by essentially wrapping the metal building in a blanket of insulation.
Increased Occupant Comfort
Insulation makes a building more comfortable to occupy in two main ways: more uniform temperatures and decreased noise. Having superior insulation in a building's exterior walls keeps the temperature consistent throughout the building and minimizes hot and cold spots. This uniformity in temperature keeps the HVAC system from having to work as hard too.
In addition to better thermal comfort, metal buildings have less noise when properly insulated. Without insulation, metal buildings can be notoriously noisy, with loud sounds echoing throughout. Insulation in a metal building’s exterior walls both muffles sounds from outside and dampens sounds from inside. Overall, building occupants are more comfortable inside well-insulated metal buildings.
Lower Maintenance
Moisture damage can wreak havoc on a metal building’s walls, slowly deteriorating them over time. Without insulation, water vapor inside a metal building can condense on the metal building’s interior walls. As that water condenses and pools, it can cause corrosion and deterioration to parts of the metal wall. Over time, this deterioration can become quite serious and expensive. Insulation prevents this type of condensation from occurring by keeping the metal building’s interior walls from getting too cold.
Rigid Panels vs. Blown-In Insulation
Two of the most common types of insulation are rigid panels and blown-in insulation. Both types are meant to slow down the flow of heat into or out of a building, and each style has its own pros and cons.
Rigid Panels
Rigid insulation panels are produced in sheets or boards that are strong and sturdy. The boards or panels can support their own weight and are easily installed into a wall or roof assembly. Rigid panels often also have built-in facers on one or both sides of the panel. These facers provide added benefits like increased insulation effectiveness, air barriers, and vapor barriers.
Blown-In Insulation
Unlike rigid panels, blown-in insulation is loose and is blown into walls or ceilings using special machinery. The operator must be careful to ensure insulation is spread evenly and areas are not missed. The insulation is loose, and it cannot be faced, so components like vapor barriers have to be installed before blowing in the insulation. One of the benefits of blown-in insulation is that it can be easier to get insulation into hard-to-reach areas.
Insulation Panel Types
For metal buildings, rigid panels are the way to go. Three of the main rigid insulation panel types on the market are: EPS, XPS, and Polyiso.
Expanded Polystyrene (EPS)
EPS has the lowest R-value of the three main types of rigid panels but is also the least expensive, typically. EPS is unfaced and can be fragile to handle. EPS is commonly used with structural insulated panels and insulated concrete forms, but not typically in metal buildings.
Extruded Polystyrene (XPS)
XPS has a similar chemical makeup to EPS but is produced in a different way. With a slightly higher R-value, XPS is a better insulator than EPS. XPS is stronger than EPS and also comes in faced varieties. While XPS is better suited for metal buildings than EPS, XPS is made from a blowing agent with a very high global warming potential making it more impactful to the environment.
Polyisocyanurate (Polyiso)
Often the best choice for metal buildings, polyiso has a superior R-value of over R-6 per inch. It is durable, lightweight, and easy to work with. Polyiso is a better insulator, a stronger material, and has less harmful impacts on the environment. When insulating a metal building, it is hard to beat the benefits of polyiso.
Choose Rmax Polyiso for Metal Buildings
Rmax polyiso keeps metal buildings energy efficient, occupants comfortable, and structures reliable for years to come. When selecting the most effective insulation panels for a metal building, choose Rmax polyiso.
To learn more about why Rmax polyiso is the best choice for metal buildings, reach out to our insulation experts today.