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What is an R-value?
An R-value is a measure of resistance to heat transfer through a material or composite structure. It is measured in terms of m2.K/W (one square metre times the absolute temperature difference divided by energy in watts).
What is a Total R-Value?
A structure will be composed of a number of different materials at specified thicknesses, internal air spaces and will also have surface air films on either side of the structure. Each component of the structure will have its own R-values, and the Total R-value of the structure (RT) is the sum of all component R-values, including the internal air spaces and the surface air films on either side of the structure.
What is U-factor?
The reciprocal of the Total R-value (1/R) of a structure is referred to as the Overall Co-efficient of Heat Transfer, or simply 'U-factor' and is a measure of the heat energy transfer per square metre of the material or structure, for a 1K temperature difference from one side to the other.
How does AIR-CELL® Insulation work?
AIR-CELL® Insulation combines the physics of reflective air space with the conductional resistance of an encapsulated air cell structure. AIR-CELL® Insulation’s highly reflective foil first reflects up to 97% of radiant heat away from its surface. The small amount of heat absorbed is then further reduced by the conductional resistance of the polymer air cell structure, while the low emittance foil on the cool side of the product resists radiating any remaining heat transmitted through the first two barriers.
Why are summer and winter R-Values different for AIR-CELL® Insulation in roofs and floors?
Heat flow by radiation and conduction is unaffected by the heat flow direction, and AIR-CELL® is just as effective against these forms of heat flow in any orientation. However, in any air space, if the heat flow is in the upward direction, it will always be partially assisted by natural convection. Natural convection is the occurrence of air movement due to the warmer lighter air tending to rise and cooler heavier air tending to fall to replace the warm air, thus heat transfer by natural convection is always in the upward direction. Therefore, when considering the Total R-value for a system with a horizontal air space such as a roof space or sub-floor space, the system will always have a higher resistance to heat flow in the downward direction. Therefore, typically the resistance will always be higher for summer conditions. In walls, as the heat transfer by convection will be equivalent for heat flow into or out of the building, there is no difference in Total R-values for walls for summer and winter.
Why are there different Total R-Values for different applications?
Different applications will have different Total R-Values because they take into consideration the R-values of each of the building elements (tiles, metal roof, bricks, timber, etc.) as well as the installed conditions of AIR-CELL® Insulation such as width of air spaces. For example, AIR-CELL® Insulation installed into a double brick wall will have a higher Total R-Value than AIR-CELL® Insulation installed into a brick veneer wall because the two layers of bricks in a double brick cavity wall will have a greater thermal mass and higher material R-values than the single layer of brick installed with a stud frame in a brick veneer wall application. The different widths of the air spaces will also provide different R-values.
Why do I need to allow for an air space when installing AIR-CELL® Insulation?
AIR-CELL® Insulation works with the physics of reflective air spaces. An air space alone does not have much thermal resistance. However an air space coupled with a reflective surface such as AIR-CELL® Insulation’s will have significant resistance to the transfer of heat. Generally, the bigger the air space, the better the performance AIR-CELL® Insulation for heat flow down. If a building element such as a metal roof or wall cladding was installed directly onto AIR-CELL® Insulation with no air spaces, the thermal performance of the system would be reduced as there would be no reflective air spaces between the building element and AIR-CELL® Insulation to create additional resistance to the transfer of heat. It is important to ensure a minimum 20mm air space (or the air space recommended for your system) on both sides of AIR-CELL® Insulation to maximise its thermal performance. In walls, air spaces of 30-40mm width provide optimum R-values.
What is AIR-CELL® Insulation's fire rating?
AIR-CELL® Insulation is tested to AS 1530.2, AS 1530.3 and AS/NZS 3837. In many building applications in Australia, thermo cellular reflective materials must achieve a Flammability Index of not more than 5 when tested to AS 1530.2. All of AIR-CELL® Insulation’s Australian building insulation materials meet this target. Additionally, when tested to AS/NZS 3837 AIR-CELL® Insulation products are classified as Group 1 under BCA Specification A2.4, and are safe to use as a wall or ceiling lining in buildings fitted with BCA compliant sprinkler systems (eg. Showroom or warehouse-type appcliations).
Is AIR-CELL® Insulation affected by moisture?
No. AIR-CELL® is not affected by moisture. AIR-CELL® Insulation's structure is completely water resistant and can act as a waterproof membrane and water vapour barrier. The foil surfaces have been tested to be resistant to surface corrosion.
If I puncture the AIR-CELL® Insulation will it stop working?
Puncturing AIR-CELL® will not have a significant effect on its thermal performance. Most of AIR-CELL® Insulation's thermal performance is derived from its reflective surface and this will not be affected. If a bubble is punctured the product will still hold its form and air is still encapsulated between the outer layers of foil. In any case one bubble amongst thousands won't be missed!
Can the thermal performance of a building be improved by doubling up AIR-CELL® Insulation?
Doubling up AIR-CELL® will improve the thermal performance, but only marginally remembering that if there is not an air space between the reflective surfaces then you will not achieve its maximum thermal potential. Placing one layer on top of another will only double up on the resistance of the bubble, while providing an air space between them will still double the resistance of the bubble, but will also introduce an additional reflective air space, with reflective foil on both sides of that air space.
What is AIR-CELL® Insulation made from?
AIR-CELL® Insulation is made from 99.45% pure aluminium foil and a specialised polyethylene blend. Two opposing layers of the highly reflective foil surfaces are hot laminated (no glues) during the manufacturing process to the polyethylene cell structure in between. AIR-CELL® Insulation is extremely durable, rated Extra Heavy Duty, and carries a minimum 10 year warranty against delamination and product failure.
What is the difference between AIR-CELL Glareshield® and AIR-CELL Retroshield®?
AIR-CELL Glareshield® has an anti-glare surface on one side while AIR-CELL Retroshield® does not.
Why do some AIR-CELL® products have an orange surface on one side?
Some new line AIR-CELL® products have an orange surface on one side to act as an anti-glare coating. This protects the installers' eyes from potentially damaging reflections from the sun when installing the material outdoors in bright and sunny conditions.
Where can I buy AIR-CELL® Insulation?
AIR-CELL® Insulation is available from over 400 hardware and building supply stores around Australia. AIR-CELL® Insulation does not sell direct to the public. For you nearest AIR-CELL® stockist please call 1300 135 625.
Material
AIR-CELL® Insulation is a fibre-free, non-allergenic, non-itchy insulation material. Glass wool, the most common form of bulk insulation, irritates and itches the skin upon contact and irritates the respiratory system immediately upon exposure, which is an important consideration for people who have asthma or any other respiratory condition.
Many bulk insulation products carry Occupational Health & Safety warnings and recommend protective clothing when handling or installing the material. Because AIR-CELL® Insulation is fibre-free, there are no associated health warnings and no protective equipment is required.
Unlike some conventional bulk insulation, AIR-CELL® does not contain toxic chemicals such as formaldehyde or any other volatile organic compounds (VOC).
Performance
Like a sponge, bulk insulation works by absorbing heat into the material itself. AIR-CELL® works by reflecting radiant heat, which is the most dominant form of heat gain and loss, away from its surface.
In the summer when the temperature starts to cool down outside, bulk insulation still carries much of the heat absorbed throughout the day, and continues to dissipate that heat into the building even though the outside temperature has started to cool. Because AIR-CELL® reflects heat rather than absorbing it, when it starts to cool down outside, it starts to cool down inside as well.
AIR-CELL® is also unaffected by moisture, unlike bulk insulation. As an absorbent material, bulk insulation not only absorbs heat, but can also absorb moisture which reduces its performance significantly. Leaky roofs and tiles or high humidity can deteriorate the performance of bulk insulation.
How is AIR-CELL® Insulation different from similar imitation thermo cellular reflective insulation products?
As the first thermo reflective insulation product in Australia, AIR-CELL® Insulation has been tried and tested since 1997. AIR-CELL® Insulation is the only thermo cellular reflective insulation product in Australia that has CodeMark certification to the relevant insulation standards required under the Building Code of Australia. CodeMark is considered the building industry's highest level of product conformance, which means you can trust that AIR-CELL® Insulation will perform to expectation and that it complies fully with the required standards.
What is the difference between AIR-CELL® and sarking?
While sarking is just a vapour barrier, AIR-CELL® is both a vapour barrier and an insulation material in one application. AIR-CELL® includes the encapsulated air cell structure with foil surfaces on either side, whereas sarking is only a single layer of foil. Because of this structure AIR-CELL® has significant conductional resistance properties while sarking does not have any resistance to conductional heat transfer. Designed primarily as vapour barriers, most sarkings do not have highly reflective foil surfaces which greatly limits their ability to reflect radiant heat. AIR-CELL® Insulation's plain foil surfaces reflect up to 97% of radiant heat.
Which way does the orange surface face (AIR-CELL Glareshield® and Insulbreak®)?
The orange, or anti-glare, surface on AIR-CELL Glareshield® and Insulbreak® always faces towards the installer - typically facing up on a roof or underfloor application and facing outwards in a wall installation. This protects the installers' eyes from potentially damaging reflections from the sun when installing the material outdoors in bright and sunny conditions.
Who installs AIR-CELL® Insulation when building a home?
Typically AIR-CELL® Insulation is installed by the builder or the tradesperson in charge of the application in which AIR-CELL® Insulation is being installed (roof, wall, underfloor). AIR-CELL® Insulation is easy to install and if desired can be installed by yourself as long as local site safety requirements are met particularly when working at heights on roofs.
How do I install AIR-CELL® Insulation to my walls/ceiling/roof/underfloor, etc?
AIR-CELL® Insulation is easily installed using nails, screws, or a staple gun. For detailed installation instructions for a range of applications refer to the Installation Instructions page.
Why do I need to allow for an air space?
AIR-CELL® Insulation works with the physics of reflective air spaces. An air space alone does not have much thermal resistance. However an air space coupled with a reflective surface such as AIR-CELL® Insulation's will have significant resistance to the transfer of heat. Generally, the bigger the air space, the better the performance of AIR-CELL® Insulation. If a building element such as a metal roof or wall cladding was installed directly onto AIR-CELL® Insulation with no air spaces, the thermal performance of the system would be reduced as there would be no reflective air spaces between the building element and AIR-CELL® Insulation to create additional resistance to the transfer of heat. It is important to ensure a minimum 20mm air space (or the air space recommended for your system) on both sides of AIR-CELL® Insulation to maximise it's thermal performance.
Do I need to tape the joins?
In most AIR-CELL® Insulation applications you will need to tape the joins, some by overlapping by 50mm some by butt joining. The only applications where no taping is an option is on tiled or metal roofs where AIR-CELL® Insulation is to be installed by overlapping by 150mm (the alternative is overlapping by 50mm and taping). For comprehensive details on overlapping and joining refer to the AIR-CELL® Joining Methods table.
How much should I overlap the product?
Depending on the application, AIR-CELL® Insulation should be overlapped by either 50mm or 150mm. In some applications, AIR-CELL® Insulation can be butt joined and taped. In other applications, a 50mm overlap plus taping will be required. For comprehensive details on overlapping and joining refer to the AIR-CELL® Joining Methods table.
Does AIR-CELL® Insulation need support mesh?
In a typical roof or floor application AIR-CELL® Insulation does not need support mesh. AIR-CELL® products can span up to 2.4m without support mesh.
Can AIR-CELL® Insulation be retrofitted (sheds, roofs, ceilings, etc.)?
Yes, in most buildings AIR-CELL® Insulation can be retrofitted easily. In sheds, AIR-CELL® would be fixed to the underside of the purlins using tech screws. In an attic space of a home, AIR-CELL® can be fixed either on the pitch to the underside of the rafters or battens, or over the ceiling joists.
