PRODUCTS
THE THERMAL WALL SYSTEM
New legislation combined with soaring energy costs makes the search for new more energy efficient materials an essential aspect of design.
Modern designs, in particular for inner city living and smaller plots do not allow for more traditional designs with 'rap-round' verandas. Those designs provided protection for walls and windows from direct sun heat gain.
Advantages can be gained from roof design, window and glass selection, and structural wall materials.
It is now possible to cost effectively incorporate highly efficient wall insulation into the primary wall structure, rather than costly secondary installations. The secondary installations being installed behind the main wall structure, which if not properly installed or moves through time, its efficiency and effectiveness are permanently lost.
Themal Wall Insulation System
With a Primary system like that offered by "Unitex SA" of a complete 'Thermal Wall Insulation' package, offering exceptional Thermal Efficiency levels ('R' value). A lifetime of service and no degradation of efficiency with a very cost effective payback can be achieved.
In Europe calculations have been compared to fuel oil usage (savings) on an average house. Although the climates are different, where in most of Europe you are trying to retain energy used to heat a house from escaping, and here in Australia we are more commonly trying to retain energy used to cool, the principal of a "Thermal Barrier" is the same. In most cases the cost of cooling is more expensive than heating; therefore there is potentially greater savings to be made here in Australia. Many householders have already experienced exceptional energy savings while maintaining a more constant environment in their home.
A satisfactory indoor climate has surprisingly limited characteristics. An air temperature variation of about 3°C is all we need normally accept. Relative humidity may vary between 25% and 60%. Lower or higher variations are generally objectionable. The movement of air within the building should not be more than 1 meter per minute. At higher velocities, the occupants feel drafts, particularly if the air is cool. In addition to these conditions, the dry bulb air temperature is in the comfort zone. These conditions should be maintained during the annual extreme outside air temperature changes and for this purpose the building structure should be used as a regulator to store generated heating and cooling.
Systems like that of 'Unitex SA' can aid the elimination of internal water vapour condensation on cool inside surfaces, particularly in the case of precast panel walls.
Comfort begins outside the home. In conventional buildings comfortable interior temperatures can be achieved by using the insulation on the outside of the structure and using the structure as storage medium for excess heat and cold. The stored heat/cold not only reduces the rate of temperature changes indoors, but also tends to reduce the peak demand for heating or cooling. See diagram 'A', illustrates a 203.mm masonry wall with an outside applied finish and 50mm of insulation on the inside with 12.7mm of plaster interior finish.
It can be seen that with the insulation on the inside wall the exterior face of the applied finished block has a temperature change between summer and winter of about 59.5°C which generates considerable thermal stresses in the structure. In winter, no useable heat is stored in the wall and will add to the peak demand for heating or in the summer cooling.
When the insulation is used on the outside of the building as in Diagram 'B', the temperature changes are reduced. Under the same conditions as in diagram 'A', the temperature changes in the structure are greatly reduced to only 11.2°C and therefore reduce the stresses within the structure. Heat or cold, dependant of the time of year, is stored in the wall and it will tend to decrease the rate of temperature changes on the inside of the wall, which is required for greater comfort.
The 'Unitex SA' wall insulation system is designed to meet the comfort requirements within the building and is an effective tool in thermal design.
Systems like that offered by 'Unitex SA' are initially very cost comparative to existing building systems of brick and block work, but with the added cost savings of an efficient energy barrier incorporated in the first build. Technological advances in Renders have greatly improved the integrity of the wall structure in the Unitex SA system. The system has been fully tested and approved by CSIRO, Technical Assessment # 310 for strength and impact integrity, insulation efficiency ('R' value), and fire resistance. The system comes in 3 different packages: 75mm and 100mm insulation panels for 'New Build' projects and 50mm for retro-fitting on renovation projects. The 75mm system was tested giving an 'R values' of 2.17.
It is claimed in Europe that a 3 - 4 year payback can be achieved through energy usage savings. This gives both a long term cost benefit to the house owner and a considerable benefit to the environment through less "Greenhouse Gas" emissions.
The system can be fixed to any substrate (timber or steel frame, etc). Potentially gives considerable savings to the developer/builder as there are fewer trades involved and a quicker fix time than conventional build materials, reducing overall project time and related costs:
| Benefits | Time Saving Quick install, less trades. |
| Cost Savings | Light weight construction. Lower energy bills. |
| Improved comfort level | Less temperature variation. Reduced heat loss. |
| Environmental savings | Less Greenhouse gas emissions. |
| Greater Design Flexibility | Easily contoured. Suits a variety of designs. |
Step into the 21st Century of Energy Efficiency. For further details contact us.
UnitexSA Thermal Wall System Brochure
This brochure explains the benefits of the Unitex Thermal Wall System.
UnitexSA Thermal Wall System Manual
This goes into detail regarding components and the installation of the Unitex Thermal Wall System.
