Technical

T
he boards are produced by using an
innovative dry method, which is much less
energy intensive than the conventional wet
method and minimizes additions of binders and
hydrophobic wax. The result is the ultimate
natural insulation material insulation with a
wood content of 94-96% that has superb
properties for interior and exterior applications.
GUTEX produce many forms of woodfibre
insulation designed with specific characteristics and
features for each element of the building fabric.
GUTEX woodfibre insulation may be applied as a
continuous insulation & weather resistant layer on
a roof or behind rain screens on walls, External
Thermal Insulation Composite Systems are also
available as well as interior insulation/plaster
systems and acoustic insulation boards for floors,
walls and roofs. In this article the application of
woodfibre as warm roof insulation systems and its
benefits and limitations will be described.
In one step Roofs are weathertight and
continuously insulated
GUTEX manufacture 2 thermal insulation systems
which may be applied on the outside of pitched
roofs, MULTIPLEX TOP (22mm-35mm thick)
and ULTRATHERM (50mm-160mm thick). The
biggest benefit of GUTEXs boards is that once
they are applied the building envelope can now
keep the elements out in one fast and simple step.
When the boards are applied the tongue and
groove (T&G) edges ensure a fast and accurate
installation. As the applicator does not need to line
the vertical edges of the boards up with the rafters
below, cutting is minimised, reducing waste and
maximising application speed. The T&Gs also
assure that the boards are waterproof and wind-
tight from the outset. The building is now
protected from the elements during the interior
construction phase. The GUTEX warm roof
insulation systems can be left exposed for up to 12
weeks. The final cladding/roofing should be added
within three months. Generally an additional
protective breather membrane is not required over
MULTIPLEX TOP or ULTRATHERM, however,
where the pitch of the roof is less than 15 degrees
an additional breather membrane such as pro clima
SOLITEX PLUS should be applied.
There are a few remaining details such as
valleys, outside corners, dormers, chimneys or
windows that need to be additionally waterproofed
with tape connections. This can be attained by
applying pro clima TESCON RP PRIMER and
TESCON VANA 150mm tape to make these
connections waterproof and windtight.
Insulation that is vapour open and
weather resistant
Compared to conventional foil faced impervious
insulation, GUTEX wood fibre boards are
extremely vapour permeable with a value of only
3. This ensures that not only will the insulation
prevent moisture penetrating the building fabric in
the first case, but unforeseen vapour/moisture
which may penetrate the roof structure can dry out
as rapidly as possible, rather than remain trapped
within the building envelope.
Optimum combination of heat storage capacity
and thermal insulation
GUTEX woodfibre boards high density, combined
with their high specific heat capacity, results in a
material that heats up slowly and has outstanding
thermal diffusivity. The boards can delay
temperature rise by 10 or more hours. This thermal
delay can help maintain a comfortable internal
temperature on warmer days, and maintain
comfortable temperatures at night. In contrast,
low density materials such as foam, mineral wool
or fiberglass heat up rapidly which may lead to
overheating of the living space. Considering the
dark surfaces predominantly used on the outside
of roofs, and the high temperatures which arise on
roofs, even in the Irish climate, the ability of the
insulation to buffer this temperature fluctuation
can be a critical component in ensuring comfort
levels within the living space is optimised.
Environmental benefits carbon sink/FSC
certified
GUTEX is made from renewable natural resources
and sourced from sustainably managed and
certified forestry. The raw materials are by-products
(post-industrial) from other timber manufacturing
processes. The untreated shavings and chips used in
the production come from local sawmills. The
boards themselves can be reused at the end of life
and are biodegradable.As wood grows it absorbs
CO2 from the atmosphere and locks it in place. By
turning these manufacturing by-products (wood
scraps) into energy-saving insulation rather than
fuel, less carbon dioxide is released into the
atmosphere from both heating/cooling savings and
carbon sequestration.
All GUTEX products are carry the CE mark
and Environmental Product Declarations are
available for every GUTEX woodfibre product.
More information regarding GUTEX products is
available from www.ecologicalbuildingsystems.com.
Ecological Building Systems also provide practical
and technical training at our Better Building:
Fabric First course. Further details are available on
our website. Ecological Building Systems provide
an RIAI accredited CPD presentation which carries
2 CPD credits. Details regarding the course are
available on the RIAI site:
http://www.riai.ie/cpd/network-courses/
Ecological Building Systems are always available to
help guide building professionals through design
detailing, products and advice on installation.
Niall Crosson, Technical Engineer,
BTech,MEngSc,MIEI Ecological Building Systems
046 94 32104;
niallcrosson@ecologicalbuildingsystems.com
www.ecologicalbuildingsystems.com
12
GUTEX wood fibre insulation boards are made with post-industrial recycled
wood chips and shavings of spruce and pine
GUTEX Wood Fibre Warm Roof
Insulation & Weather Resistant Systems
July/August 2014 www.irishconstruction.com
GUTEX MULTIPLEX TOP/ULTRATHERM
external roof insulation and weather resistant layer
GUTEX MULTIPLEX TOP external roof
insulation and weather resistant layer
Butt joints of GUTEX woodfibre boards
primed with pro clima TESCON RP
PRIMER & sealed with TESCON VANA tape
GUTEX external roof
insulation features
extremely high levels
of water resistance
and vapour
permeability
GUTEX woodfibre is sourced from sustainably
managed forests & is a by-product of other
timber manufacturing processes