AU2003250594A1 - Improvements in and relating to insulating sheet materials - Google Patents

Description

WO 2004/016427 PCT/AU2003/001042 Title: Improvements in and relating to insulating sheet materials FIELD OF INVENTION The present invention relates to sheet materials used to line internal walls or framing in domestic and commercial buildings to improve the environmental integrity of the buildings and in particular insulation and energy efficiencies and waterproofing. BACKGROUND ART The efficiency of installation systems is dependent upon the make-up of the insulating material and subsequent 'R' values (insulation rating), the direction of air flows (summer or winter), the circumstances of installation, and the tightness of air spaces. It is also known that there is a diminishing economic return in terms of energy savings from additional insulation. Installation should be chosen for minimum life-cycle cost with evaluations being dependent upon local climate, insulation and energy costs. Insulations and installations which give R-values significantly above those required at increased costs are not a rational economic choice. There are generally two types of insulations available on the Australian market, which are described as 'bulk' insulations or 'reflective' insulations (RFL's). Bulk insulations such as fibreglass or wool are criticised as being toxic, moisture absorbent, and are said to promote the presence of vermin. RFL's are cleaner, user friendly, and are capable of providing a vapour barrier. Some foil laminates however have the major disadvantage of being electrically conductive and in addition have contoured outer surfaces, which attract dust, and moisture, which, over time, will diminish insulation values. In an effort to reduce energy costs and pollution as a result of low insulation efficiencies in buildings governments worldwide are now moving to regulate and establish minimum standards of insulation.

WO 2004/016427 PCT/AU2003/001042 2 In Australia new regulations are coming into effect during 2003 which will establish minimum standards of insulation depending on the location and altitude of a building. The concern among designers, builder's and developers is that meeting the new requirements will add considerably to the cost of new structures, in some cases adding many thousands of dollars to a project. It is an object of the present invention to provide and insulation material which will provide the required insulation and other benefits for buildings of all types at a minimal reasonable cost. Building papers or sarkings have been used in the past to provide draft and dust protection without insulation. The papers are not particularly strong and provide minimal water protection and are of little or no insulation value. It is a further object of the present invention to provide an insulating water proofing and sarking material in one. In some construction situations there have been problems reported that timber framing has been water damaged because of material failures and this is particularly the case for rendered wall situations and in other situations where the outer wall linings are based on expanded foams or other external sheet materials. The problem is exacerbated if the timber framing has been treated to improve resistance to borer, ants and the like because the treatment process can make the timber more vulnerable to moisture damage. It is a further object of the present invention to provide an insulation material which can be installed in a manner which provides backup protection against water damage to timber framing. DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION According to the present invention there is provided an insulating and barrier sheet material comprising: a) a core layer of paper, WO 2004/016427 PCT/AU2003/001042 3 b) a first outer layer of a reflective polyester material, bonded to one major surface of the core layer, and c) a second outer layer of polyester material bonded to a second major surface of the core layer, characterised in the combination of layers is less than two millimetres thick and sufficiently pliable to be formed into a compact roll. The core layer can be lined on both sides with a sheet material including a metallised plastics film. The core layer can be lined on one side with a breathable plastics film. The metallised plastics film can be metallised on one side and corona treated on the other side. The metallised plastics film can be metallised one side and chemically treated on the other side. The paper core layer can be a kraft paper or a synthetic paper. According to the present invention there is provided a method of insulating and providing vapour control for a structure comprising the steps of interposing a sheet material as aforesaid between an outer or inner cladding of the structure material in a ventilated or unventilated space. The sheet material can have its metallised side innermost. The sheet material can have its metallised side outermost. The sheet material can be applied on the inner or outer surfaces of timber or metal framing. The sheet material can be applied to the inner or outer surface of a block, concrete or brick wall. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Aspects of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which; Figures 1 to 4 are cross - sectional drawings of sheet materials in accordance with the present invention, and WO 2004/016427 PCT/AU2003/001042 4 Figure 5 is a plan or side view of a framing structure showing the method of application of the sheet materials of figures 1 to 3, and Figure 6 is a diagrammatic sectional drawing illustrating types of structures to which the sheet material can be applied, and Figures 7,8 and 9 are sectional illustrations of the sheet material used in conjunction with other materials to provide an enhanced insulation benefit, and Figure 10 is a graph showing a comparison of energy savings as insulation values increase. With respect to figures 1 to 3 of the drawings a sheet material according to the present invention comprises a core layer of paper 1, a first outer layer of reflective plastics material 2 bonded to one major surface of the core layer 1 and a second outer layer of plastics material 3 bonded to the other major surface of the core layer 1. The combination of layers is selected to provide a laminate which is less than 2mm thick and sufficiently pliable to be able to be formed into compact rolls of approximately 160millimeters in diameter with a core void of approximately 90millimeters diameter In the figure 1 embodiment the laminate comprises a paper core layer 1 and outer layers 2 and 3 of metallised plastics material and a non - metallised plastics layer 3. In the figure 2 embodiment the laminate comprises the core layer 1 of paper and outer layers 2, 3 of metallised plastics film. In the figure 3 embodiment the laminate comprises the core layer of paper 1 outermost layer 2 of metallised plastics, an outer layer 4 of metallised plastics and an intermediate layer of high tensile strength plastic film. With respect to figure 4 of the drawings the sheet material may comprise a laminate of a core layer 1 of paper outer layers 2, 3 of polyester material on one or both sides of the core layer which may be metallised polyester and can include a reinforcing lath 2a, of plastics material such as that commonly WO 2004/016427 PCT/AU2003/001042 5 known as scrim to increase the tensile, impact and tearing resistance of the material. The metallised plastics films can be a metallised polyester film which is metallised on one side and corona or chemically treated on the other side. In some instances where the application of the laminate is in areas where temperature differences tend to be large film layer 3 maybe be partially breathable to ameliorate condensation build up and allow the paper core to temporarily absorb moisture. The sheet material can thus be in engineered to suit applications and systems. The sheet material provides smooth planar outer surfaces to reduce the dust building up on the surfaces. The paper core layer may include one white or other coloured major surface which depending on the method or system of insulation can be outwardly or inwardly facing. With respect to figure 4 of the drawings the sheet material of the present invention can be applied to framing members 5 of a structure in horizontal overlapping layers 6 within over lap S from top to bottom of say 100 to150mm. The overlapped portions 7 of the sheet material can be taped to prevent air and moisture infiltrations. The sheet materials can be fixed to the structure by clouts, screws, adhesive tapes dots or the like. The thickness of the sheet material may vary between .5mm and 2.0mm. Because the sheet material is a laminate any thickness above this level will create problems in terms of ability to present the material in compact rolls without creasing. Figure 5 of the drawings illustrates typical building installation situations for the sheet material of the present invention.

WO 2004/016427 PCT/AU2003/001042 6 In situation A the sheet material is applied to roof trusses beneath roofing materials (tiles or metal) 9 with battens 10 being interposed between the roofing and the sheet material. In situation B is applied beneath the trusses 8 to create an unventilated situation. In situations C and D the sheet material is applied to one or both sides of the framing in a cavity wall situation creating optionally a ventilated or unventilated cavity situation in conjunction with in inner wall lining 11 and external cladding such as bricks or blocks 12. In situations E and F the sheet material is applied to one or both sides of roof joists 13 to provide an unventilated cavity situation. In situations G and H the sheet material is applied optionally to the inner and outer sides of framing 14 between a rendered cladding 15 and an internal lining 16. In situation I the sheet material is applied directly beneath floor joists 17. In situation J the sheet material is applied to battens beneath a concrete slab 19. With respect to figures 7 to 10 of the drawings use of sheet material in insulation systems substantially enhances insulation efficiencies. In figure 7 the sheet material 20 is applied to create a 40mm reflective cavity inside 21 a metal roofing sheet 22 joined with an expanded foam 23. In figure 8 the sheet material 24 is applied to a fluted polystyrene sheet 25 creating entrapped air spaces 25a beneath a concrete floor slab 26. A suspended ceiling 27 is positioned below the polystyrene sheet creating an air gap 28. In figure 9 the sheet material 29 is positioned inside a metal cladding 30 within a framework cavity 31 includes a bulk insulation blanket 32 against a wall lining 33. Insulation materials of the type described are given "R-values" or insulation ratings being thermal resistance in the units' mk/w (S.I.units). The higher the WO 2004/016427 PCT/AU2003/001042 7 value the better the insulation. Thermal efficiencies can also be looked at in terms of heating costs. Figure 10 of the drawings shows relative total heating energy consumption lowers as R-values increase. What is also apparent from the diagram is how there is a diminishing return for additional insulation with an R2-3 value being the optimum in this respect. In all of the systems illustrated utilising the sheet material of the present invention provide or assist to provide ratings close to or over the optimum rating. The invention has a number of substantive advantages over existing products including: - It combines the benefits of sarking, insulation, and water proofing in a single product. - It can be produced at a low cost, substantially lower than currently available bulk or aluminium foil RFL products and meets the new Australian minimum insulation requirements. - It is relatively light weight and can be supplied to users in compact and lightweight sized rolls. " It can be engineered to provide substantive tensile strength providing additional safety for roofing installers. - The product can be engineered to suit different environments, for example it may be desirable to provide a breathable flim on one side of the laminate where condensation is seen as a potential problem. - In some situations it will provide a barrier to the passage of termites and other insects. - The sheet material is non - toxic. - The sheet material provides back up water proofing protection in rendered wall situations. = The sheet material has substantial smooth planar outer surfaces less likely to accumulate dust and to trap moisture, which reduce insulation values.

WO 2004/016427 PCT/AU2003/001042 8 Aspects of the present invention have been described by way of example only and modification and additions thereto may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims (10)

1. An insulating and barrier sheet material comprising: a) a core layer of paper, b) a first outer layer of a reflective polyester material, bonded to one major surface of the core layer, and c) a second outer layer of polyester material bonded to a second major surface of the core layer, characterised in the combination of layers is less than two millimetres thick and sufficiently pliable to be formed into a compact roll.

2. A sheet material as claimed in claim 1 wherein the core layer is lined on both sides with a sheet material including a metallised plastics film.

3. A sheet material as claimed in claim 1 wherein the core layer is lined on one side with a breathable film.

4. A sheet material as claimed in 1 wherein the metallised plastics film is metallised on one side and corona treated on the other side.

5. A sheet material as claimed in claim I wherein the metallised plastics film is metallised one side and chemically treated on the other side.

6. A method of insulating and providing vapour control for a structure comprising interposing a sheet material as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5 between an outer and an inner cladding of a structure.

7. A method as claimed in claim 6 wherein the sheet material is applied in a system in a manner which creates an unventilated cavity.

8. A method as claimed in claim or claim 7 wherein the sheet material is combined with a fluted rigid material to provide entrapped air spaces.

9. An insulating and barrier sheet material substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

10. A method of insulating and providing vapour control within a structure substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.