WO2009098360A1

WO2009098360A1 - Mineral wool element, method for its manufacture and installation

Info

Publication number: WO2009098360A1
Application number: PCT/FI2009/050097
Authority: WO
Inventors: Pasi Turpeenniemi; Johanna Fagerlund
Original assignee: Paroc Oy Ab
Priority date: 2008-02-07
Filing date: 2009-02-06
Publication date: 2009-08-13
Also published as: FI20085106A0; FI20085106L

Abstract

The invention relates to a mineral wool element, its fabrication and installation method. The mineral wool element comprises a mineral wool layer (2) in the form of a mineral wool mat or slab (8) with two main surfaces, one of which carries a wind-protective coating (1). The mineral wool element has at least one edge of its said one main surface provided with a freely protruding and foldable flap (10 formed by the wind-protective coating. Each mineral wool element (8), coated with the wind-protective coating (1), is installed on top of an actual insulation layer (6) of mineral wool in such a way that the wind-protective coating (1), provided on one main surface of the mineral wool element (8), is captured between the actual insulation layer (6) and a mineral wool layer (2) of the mineral wool element (8) coated with the wind-protective coating (1), and each flap (1', 3), formed by the wind-protective coating, is applied in its unfolded condition against the actual insulation layer (6), whereby each flap (1', 3) is captured between the wind-protective coating (1) of another mineral wool element (8) coated with the wind-protective coating (1), to be installed alongside the discussed mineral wool element, and the actual insulation layer (6).

Description

MINERAL WOOL ELEMENT, METHOD FOR US MANUFACTURE AND INSTALLATION

Object of the invention

One object of the invention is a mineral wool element, comprising a mineral wool layer in the form of a mineral wool mat or slab with two main surfaces, one of which is provided with a wind-protective coating.

A second object of the invention is a method for the fabrication of a type of mineral wool element that comprises a mineral wool layer in the form of a mineral wool mat or slab with two main surfaces, one of which carries a wind-protective coating, which method comprises the use of a bonding agent for attaching the wind-protective coating (1) to one main surface of the mineral wool layer.

Still another object of the invention is a method for the installation of mineral wool elements as set forth in any of claims 1-6.

Prior art

It is prior known to use mineral wool slabs, having a so-called wind- protective coating glued to one of its surfaces. Such wind protection slabs, with a wind-protective coating facing outward, have been used in the prior art as a form of wind protection for exterior walls. In the joint areas of such adjoining wind protection slabs, the tightness of wind protection has been traditionally ensured by applying separate tape on the joints after the installation of wind protection slabs.

Disclosure of the invention If, for reasons of costs, it is desirable to make the wind protection slabs by using a per se inflammable material as a wind-protective coating, it will be necessary, for reasons of fire safety, to turn these wind protection slabs for bringing the skin side to face the wall, whereby the slabs have a mineral wool section thereof remaining exposed outwards to protect the skin from fire. Hence, the joints cannot be sufficiently sealed with tape after the installation of wind protection slabs, because, in order to provide an adequate tightness, the tape should attach directly to the wind-protective coating, not to the exposed mineral wool section. Furthermore, unless the tape is made of a non-inflammable material, this is another reason why it cannot be attached to the exposed side.

Consequently, one problem to be worked out is how to produce tight and wind-resistant joints between wind protection slabs whenever the wind- protective coating of a wind protection slab must be installed to face the wall or, in other words, must be installed between the actual mineral wool insulation layer of an outer building surface, such as typically the exterior wall of a building, and the mineral layer of an element provided with a wind- protective coating.

In order to solve this problem, the mineral wool element constituting an object of the invention is characterized in that at least one edge of said one main surface includes a freely protruding and foldable flap formed by the wind-protective coating.

The fabrication method according to the invention is in turn characterized in that the mineral wool element is provided, at least along one edge of said one main surface, with a freely protruding and foldable flap formed by the wind-protective coating.

The installation method according to the invention for the installation of mineral wool elements as set forth in any of claims 1-8 involves the following operations: each mineral wool element, equipped with a wind-protective coating, is installed on top of an actual mineral wool insulation layer in such a way that the wind-protective coating, provided on one main surface of the mineral wool element, is captured between the actual insulation layer and a mineral wool layer of the mineral wool element coated with the wind- protective coating, and each flap, formed by the wind-protective coating, is applied in its unfolded condition against the actual insulation layer, whereby each flap is captured between the wind-protective coating of another mineral wool element equipped with the wind-protective coating, to be installed alongside the discussed mineral wool element, and the actual insulation layer, thus resulting in a wind-protected and tightly sealed joint at the abutting edges of two mineral wool elements installed alongside each other and coated with the wind-protective coating.

The expression "a flap formed by a wind-protective coating" may refer in this application to a flap, which can be made from a wind-protective coating material which is either the same as or different from the wind-protective coating covering one of the main surfaces of a mineral wool element.

In a first preferred embodiment for a mineral wool element of the invention equipped with a wind-protective coating, wherein the mineral wool element's mineral wool layer comprises a mineral wool mat or slab with its two main surfaces essentially in the shape of a quadrangle or rectangle, said flap formed by the wind-protective coating, and the wind-protective coating provided on said one main surface, are made up by a single integral wind- protective coating structure.

In a second alternative preferred embodiment for a mineral wool element of the invention equipped with a wind-protective coating, wherein the mineral wool element's mineral wool layer comprises a mineral wool mat or slab with its two main surfaces essentially in the shape of a quadrangle or rectangle, said flap, formed by the wind-protective coating, is bonded, as a separate member, to an outer face of the wind-protective coating provided on the one main surface, along a marginal zone bordered by the discussed edge. It is further beneficial in this second preferred embodiment that said flap be bonded to the marginal zone of the wind-protective coating by an adhesive, a tape or by means of a stripe of adhesive pre-existing on the other side of said flap.

In a mineral wool element according to the invention, coated with a wind- protective coating, and in the foregoing preferred embodiments, wherein the mineral wool element's mineral wool layer comprises a mineral wool mat or slab with its two main surfaces essentially in the shape of a quadrangle or¹ rectangle, it is also beneficial that the mineral wool element be provided , along its two adjoining edges, with two adjacent and foldable flaps, formed by the wind-protective coating, which flaps are substantially perpendicular to each other in the longitudinal directions thereof. These two adjacent and foldable flaps constitute thereby jointly a substantially L-shaped foldable flap assembly as the mineral wool element's main surfaces are substantially rectangular in shape.

In one particularly preferred embodiment for a mineral wool element of the invention, at least a second one of the flaps is bonded, as a separate member, to the wind-protective coating provided on the one main surface, along a marginal zone of the discussed edge of its outer face, by an adhesive, a tape or by means of a stripe of adhesive pre-existing on the other side of said second flap, and in that the very same second flap attaches also to an outer face of the other flap, covering the same over a substantially rectangular-shaped corner zone defined by said flaps.

In a mineral wool element of the invention or in any of its foregoing preferred embodiments, the wind-protective coating has its water vapor resistance Z_p preferably not higher than 2,7 x 10⁹ (m²sPa)/kg. Examples of a wind-protective coating with such a water vapor resistance include a polypropylene-based material, a high-density polyethylene (HDPE) based material, a low-density polyethylene (LDPE) based material, a polyethylene (PE) based material or a paper-based material. In a mineral wool element of the invention or in any of its foregoing preferred embodiments, the mineral wool in an especially advantageous form consists of rockwool known for its excellent fire protection properties.

In a first preferred embodiment for a fabrication method of the invention, the flap formed by the wind-protective coating, and the wind-protective coating provided on said one main surface, are made up by a single integral wind- protective coating structure, whereby the integral wind-protective coating structure, which, at least in a first direction, is dimensioned to be larger than the mineral wool layer's one main surface, and the mineral wool layer are engaged with each other through the intermediary of a bonding agent by placing the wind-protective coating structure and the mineral wool layer against each other in such a way that, along at least one edge of said one main surface of the mineral wool layer, develops a foldable flap which protrudes freely therefrom and is formed by the wind-protective coating. In this context, it is further preferred that the integral wind-protective coating structure and the mineral wool layer be placed against each other in such a way that, along two co-directional edges of said one main surface of the mineral wool layer, develop foldable flaps protruding freely therefrom and formed by the wind-protective coating, whereafter the resulting element is split in two by cutting co-directionally with the flaps relative to the longitudinal direction thereof, thus producing two mineral wool elements, each of which includes a foldable flap protruding freely from one edge and formed by the wind-protective coating.

In a second alternative preferred embodiment for a fabrication method of the invention, the flap, formed by the wind-protective coating, is bonded as a separate member, along a marginal zone bordered by the discussed edge, to an outer face of the wind-protective coating attachable to one main surface, before said wind-protective coating is bonded to said one main surface. Said flap is preferably bonded to the outer face of the wind-protective coating by an adhesive, a tape or by means of a stripe of adhesive pre-existing on the other side of the flap.

In a fabrication method of the invention and in its foregoing preferred embodiments, it is further beneficial that the wind-protective coating be unrolled in a continuous form onto a continuously extending mineral wool mat or slab, its adherence to the latter being achieved by heating the adhesive, pre-existing on the skin, by means of a hot roll, and thereafter the thereby skin-coated mineral wool mat or slab is cut for wool elements of a desired length. In other words, the skin is not cut to an appropriate length prior to the bonding process, but its cutting takes place at the same time as the entire wool element is being cut.

In the above-described method solutions, the mineral wool element can also provided with two freely protruding and foldable flaps, formed by the wind- protective coating, along two co-directional edges of said one main surface, and the resulting element can then be split in two by cutting co-directionally with the flaps in the longitudinal direction thereof, thus producing two mineral wool elements, each of which includes a foldable flap protruding freely from one edge and formed by the wind-protective coating.

In a fabrication method of the invention and in its foregoing preferred embodiments, it is further beneficial that the mineral wool element, coated with a wind-protective coating which includes two co-directional flaps, be cut in two down the middle co-directionally with these flaps relative to the longitudinal direction thereof, thus producing two equal-size mineral wool elements, which are coated with a wind-protective coating and which have one edge thereof provided with a foldable flap. In one preferred embodiment for an installation method of the invention, wherein, as the mineral wool element, coated with the wind-protective coating, is provided, along one first edge, with a first flap protruding therefrom and being freely foldable and formed by the wind-protective coating, a second edge, adjacent to said first edge, is provided, prior to the installation of a mineral wool element, with a second flap protruding therefrom onto the actual insulation layer and being freely foldable and formed by the wind-protective coating, such that said second flap attaches by an adhesive, a tape or by means of a stripe of adhesive pre-existing on its other side to a marginal zone bordered by said second edge of the wind- protective coating in such a way that said second flap becomes likewise attached on top of said first flap to its outer face within a substantially rectangular-shaped corner zone defined by the flaps.

Drawings

The invention will be described below in .more detail by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which

Fig. 1 is a perspective view, showing one preferred embodiment for a mineral wool element of the invention coated with a wind- protective coating,

Rg. 2 is a perspective view, showing one preferred embodiment for an installation method of the invention shown in fig. 1,

Fig. 3a is a perspective view, showing a wind-protective coating in its rolled-up condition,

Fig. 3b is perspective view, showing one option of using a wind- protective coating depicted in fig. 3a for the fabrication of a mineral wool element depicted in fig. 1 and coated with a wind- protective coating,

Fig. 3c is a cross-sectional view, showing a mineral wool element, coated with a wind-protective coating and provided with two co- directional flaps, wherein the flaps are adhesive-bonded as separate members to the actual wind-protective coating, and

Rg. 4 shows one preferred installation method.

Example

Described in this example is a wind protection slab 8 for e.g. the exterior wall of an apartment building, which consists of a rockwool slab 2, which has a thickness of about 20 mm and a fair stiffness, and to whose surface is glued at the factory a film-like material based on polypropylene (PP) for a so-called wind-protective coating. In this specific example, the rockwool slab is 1200 mm x 600 mm in size. The PP-based skin material is inflammable as such, but it can be used as long as it is installed in a fire protected manner e.g. between two rockwool layers. As a result, the PP-based material has a water vapor resistance Zp not higher than 2,7 x 10⁹ (m²sPa)/kg and an air transmission coefficient not higher than 10 x 10^"5 m³/(m²sPa).

Rg. 1 depicts a wind protection slab 8 coated with a PP-based skin. In this solution, a PP-based skin 1 covering one main surface of the rockwool slab 2 extends in a continuous form beyond one long edge of said main surface, thus producing along this edge a freely protruding and foldable/bendable flap 1' (may also be referred to as a skirt or a lap) formed by the wind-protective coating.

In an alternative, said flap V can also be a separate flap of the same PP- based skin material, which is adhesive-bonded as a separate member to the engagement with a PP-based skin 1 to be applied to one main surface of the rockwool slab. The separate flap V is advisably glued to the engagement with the skin 1 before gluing the skin 1 itself to the engagement with one main surface of the rockwool slab 2. The gluing process of a flap 1' to the skin is subsequently described more precisely with reference to figs. 3a and 3b.

Aside from a PP-based skin material, other suitable skin coating materials are also available, such as e.g. HDPE, LDPE, PE or paper. The sizes of rockwool slabs 8 or mats may of course vary, but notable examples are the following sizes: 1200 mm x 900 mm and 1800 mm x 1200 mm. By all means, the product can also be quadrangular in shape. The product itself could just as well have a thickness of e.g. 30-50 mm as required. The flap 1' should preferably be not less than about 20 mm in width, preferably about 50-150 mm in width. In this specific example, the flap has a width of 100 mm.

Depicted in figs. 3a and 3b is an option, whereby the size of 1200 mm x 600 mm wind protection slab 8, shown in fig. 1, can be fabricated by cutting a twice wider, i.e. the size of 1200 mm x 1200 mm slab down the middle for two halves. According to fig. 3a, the PP-based film-like skin coating is provided in a roll 9 for the fabrication of a wind protection slab in the size of 1200 mm x 1200 mm. The roll width or, in other words, a width b of the skin film section covering one main surface of a rockwool slab the size of 1200 mm x 1200 mm, is in this example 1200 mm. The previously folded flaps V, existing along both long sides of the skin film 1 in the roll 9, have a width of 100 mm.

In figs. 3a and 3b, the flaps 1' are continuous with the skin coating film 1, i.e. the entire skin assembly l'+l+r is made up by a single continuous skin film, along the long edges of which the marginal zones 100 mm in width or, in other words, said flaps 1', are folded inward on top of the skin film 1 itself. As already noted in reference to fig. 1, the flaps can also be provided by gluing flaps Y of the same PP-based skin, as separate members, to the outer edges of a skin section 1 covering one of the main surfaces of a rockwool slab 2. In this case, the flaps 1' can be glued to the skin 1 e.g. as follows: -applying adhesive to both long edges of a 1200 mm wide skin film 1 over the breadth of about 10 mm

-placing each 100 mm wide flap Y in its entirety on top of the skin 1 along its outer edge zones, such that one of the long edges of each flap Y and the outer edge of the skin are on top of and flush with each other and the other long edge is positioned further inward in an area defined by the surface of the skin. After this, the skin film provided this way with two edge flaps can be directly rolled up for a roll in which both flaps are in an inward folded position on top of the skin film. A rockwool element 2, provided this way with a skin 1 and two flaps Y₁ is presented in fig. 3c. The flaps 1' have adhesive layers thereon indicated by reference numeral 12.

The fabrication of a skin-coated rockwool slab may optionally proceed also in such a way that a skin film 1, provided bilaterally in any of the foregoing ways with edge flaps Y₁ be driven out of a roll in a continuous form (see fig. 3a) onto a single-piece continuous wool mat, adhering thereto as the adhesive pre-existing on the skin film is heated by a hot roll. This gluing process is followed by cutting wool elements of a desired length from the thus obtained Yockwool-skin' mat. In other words, the skin undergoes cutting at the same time as the entire wool element is being cut. Specifically, the cutting proceeds in such a way that the continuous Yockwool-skin' mat is first split for two halves co-directionally with the flaps Y in the longitudinal direction thereof, the Yockwool-skin' mat not being cut until after this process. This results in wind protection slabs in the size of 1200 mm x 600 mm. Hence, each resulting wind protection slab 8 carries a single flap 1' along one of the 1200 mm long edges. Several examples of the thus obtained slabs 8 can then be laid on top of each other with the flaps folded, followed by wrapping the same in plastic for a single parcel ready for shipping to the worksite. When the parcel of wind protection slabs 8 is unwrapped for an installation process, the skin flap 1' is thus in a single folded lap against the slabs' main surface coated with a wind protection film 1, and in the installation process that once-folded flap 1' is then opened. Because, in this example, there is just one flap 1' made at the factory along one long edge of the rockwool slab's 2 one main surface, along one of the short sides of a slab 8 is added in the installation process a tape, made from the same skin material (a PP- based film material) and having a width of 100 mm (some other width is of course possible). Thus, the result is an at least substantially L-shaped flap r+3. This is depicted in fig. 2. Hence, the slab has its rockwool component provided, along one of its short and one of its long edges, with flaps 3 and V, which become interleaved in the installation process with subsequent wind protection slabs 8 (see fig. 4). The 100 mm wide tape, used for the end joints of slabs 8, carry a 'stripe of adhesive' about 20 mm in width for enabling its bonding to the surface of a wind protection slab 8 (wind- protective coating 1) in the installation process. Thus, the shorter flap 3 has a width of about 80 mm and does not have adhesive thereon.

The wind protection slab 8, provided this way with a tape, is employed by installing it e.g. on the exterior wall of an apartment building on top of (outside) an actual thermal insulation layer 6 with the wind-protective coating 1 facing the exterior wall's actual thermal insulation layer, whereby a wool component 2 of the wind protection slab 8 remains exposed outward for protecting the skin 1 from fire. Of course, the wool layer 2 provides protection for the skin 1 in other aspects as well, including mechanical or the like failures, among others.

According to fig. 4, each rockwool slab 8, coated with a wind-protective coating, is installed on top of the actual insulation layer 6 of mineral wool in such a way that each skin flap 3 and 1' is positioned in an unfolded condition against the actual insulation layer 6, whereby each skin flap 3 and 1' is captured between the skin 1 of another rockwool slab 8 coated with a wind- protective coating, to be installed alongside the discussed rockwool slab 8, and the exterior wall's actual insulation layer 6, thus resulting in a wind- protected and tightly sealed joint at the abutting edges of two mineral wool elements installed alongside each other and coated with the wind-protective coating. The tightness of joints between wind protection slabs 8 is based on a compression of the flaps 3 and 1' between two rockwool layers, i.e. the actual insulation layer 6 and the rockwool layer of a slab. The wind protection slabs 8 are secured in this example to a load-bearing timber frame 7 of the exterior wall, for example by screws and washers 5. Provided this way is a wind and fire protecting insulation assembly established by the actual insulation layer 6 of an apartment building's exterior wall and by one or more wind protection slabs 8 mounted thereon, said assembly further having a water vapor transmission capacity compliant with the regulations.

Optionally, in addition to the foregoing example and according to the invention, there is also a possibility of using and fabricating such wind protection slabs or mats, to which there is no need to attach, prior to the installation process, a tape 3 of skin material for a flap (or flaps). As opposed to attaching a tape in the installation process along one of the edges for a flap, this particular edge can be provided with a factory-made flap either by gluing a separate tape of skin material for a preformed flap as early as in the factory or by milling or sawing the wool slab away, for example over the distance of 100 mm from an end of the slab. Examples of this type of wind protection slabs and mats are such wind protection slabs and mats, wherein the factory-made flaps are positioned:

-along one long edge of a wind protection slab or mat's one main surface -along both long edges of a wind protection slab or mat's one main surface -along one edge and along one short edge of a wind protection slab or mat's one main surface

-along one short edge of a wind protection slab or mat's one main surface -along both short edges of a wind protection slab or mat's one main surface -along all edges of a wind protection slab or mat's one main surface

Depending on the number of factory-made products, the tape can be used as required. It is also conceivable that there are no factory-made flaps at all. but this would also have a respective slowing effect on the installation of wind protection slabs.

Claims

1. A mineral wool element, comprising a mineral wool layer (2) in the form of a mineral wool mat or slab (8) with two main surfaces, one of which carries a wind-protective coating (1), characterized in that at least one edge of said one main surface is provided with a freely protruding and foldable flap (10 formed by the wind-protective coating.

2. A mineral wool element as set forth in claim 1, characterized in that said flap (l¹) formed by the wind-protective coating, and the wind-protective coating (1) provided on said one main surface, are made up by a single integral wind-protective coating structure (1 and I⁷).

3. A mineral wool element as set forth in claim 1, characterized in that said flap (10, formed by the wind-protective coating, is bonded, as a separate member, to an outer face of the wind-protective coating (1) provided on the one main surface, along a marginal zone bordered by the discussed edge.

4. A mineral wool element as set forth in claim 1, characterized in that said flap (I¹) is bonded to the marginal zone of the wind-protective coating (1) by an adhesive, a tape or by means of a stripe of adhesive pre-existing on the other side of said flap (1', 3).

5. A mineral wool element as set forth in any of claims 1-4, characterized in that, along two adjoining edges, it includes two adjacent and foldable flaps

(1', 3), formed by the wind-protective coating, which flaps are substantially perpendicular to each other in the longitudinal directions thereof.

6. A mineral wool element as set forth in claim 5, characterized in that at least a second one (3) of the flaps is bonded, as a separate member, to the wind-protective coating (1) provided on the one main surface, along a marginal zone of the discussed edge of its outer face, by an adhesive, a tape or by means of a stripe of adhesive pre-existing on the other side of said second flap (3), and in that the very same second flap (3) attaches a)so to an outer face of the other flap (10, covering the same over a substantially rectangular-shaped corner zone defined by said flaps.

7. A method for the fabrication of a type of mineral wool element that comprises a mineral wool layer (2) in the form of a mineral wool mat or slab (8) with two main surfaces, one of which carries a wind-protective coating (1), which method comprises the use of a bonding agent for attaching the wind-protective coating (1) to one main surface of the mineral wool layer (2), characterized in that the mineral wool element is provided, at least along one edge of said one main surface, with a freely protruding and foldable flap (10 formed by the wind-protective coating.

8. A fabrication method as set forth in claim 7, characterized in that the flap (10 formed by the wind-protective coating, and the wind-protective coating (1) provided on said one main surface, are made up by a single integral wind-protective coating structure (1 and IQ, whereby the integral wind-protective coating structure, which, at least in a first direction, is dimensioned to be larger than the mineral wool layer's (2) one main surface, and the mineral wool layer (2) are engaged with each other through the intermediary of a bonding agent by placing the wind-protective coating structure (1 and 10 and the mineral wool layer (2) against each other in such a way that, along at (east one edge of said one main surface of the mineral wool layer (2), develops a foldable flap (10 which protrudes freely therefrom and is formed by the wind-protective coating.

9. A fabrication method as set forth in claim 8, characterized in that the integral wind-protective coating structure (1 and 10 and the mineral wool layer (2) are placed against each other in such a way that, along two co- directional edges of said one main surface of the mineral wool layer (2), develop foldable flaps (10 protruding freely therefrom and formed by the wind-protective coating, whereafter the resulting element is split in two by cutting co-directionally with the flaps (I⁷) relative to the longitudinal direction thereof, thus producing two mineral wool elements, each of which includes a, foldable flap (10 protruding freely from one edge and formed by the wind- protective coating.

10. A fabrication method as set forth in claim I₁ characterized in that the flap (I⁷), formed by the wind-protective coating, is bonded as a separate member, along a marginal zone bordered by the discussed edge, to an outer face of the wind-protective coating (1) attachable to one main surface, before said wind-protective coating (1) is bonded to said one main surface.

11. A fabrication method as set forth in claim 10, characterized in that the flap (V) is bonded to the outer face of the wind-protective coating (1) by an adhesive, a tape or by means of a stripe of adhesive pre-existing on the other side of the flap (1', 3).

12. A fabrication method as set forth in any of claims 7-11, characterized in that the wind-protective coating (1) is unrolled in a continuous form onto a continuously extending mineral wool mat or slab, its adherence to the latter being achieved by heating the adhesive, pre-existing on the skin, by nieans of a hot roll, and thereafter the thereby skin-coated mineral wool mat or slab is cut for wool elements of a desired length.

13. A fabrication method as set forth in any of claims 7-12, characterized in that the mineral wool element is provided with two freely protruding and foldable flaps (I⁷), formed by the wind-protective coating,, along two co- directional edges of said one main surface, and that the resulting element is split in two by cutting co-directionally with the flaps (I⁷) in the longitudinal direction thereof, thus producing two mineral wool elements, each of which includes a foldable flap (I⁷) protruding freely from one edge and formed by the wind-protective coating.

14. A method for the installation of mineral wool elements as set forth in any of claims 1-6, in which method each mineral wool element (8), coated with a wind-protective coating (1), is installed on top of an actual mineral wool insulation layer (6) in such a way that the wind-protective coating (1), provided on one main surface of the mineral wool element (8), is captured between the actual insulation layer (6) and a mineral wool layer (2) of the mineral wool element (8) coated with the wind-protective coating (1), and each flap (1', 3), formed by the wind-protective coating, is applied in its unfolded condition against the actual insulation layer (6), whereby each flap (1', 3) is captured between the wind-protective coating (1) of another mineral wool element (8) coated with the wind-protective coating (1), to be installed alongside the discussed mineral wool element, and the actual insulation layer (6), thus resulting in a wind-protected and tightly sealed joint at the abutting edges of two mineral wool elements (8) installed alongside each other and coated with the wind-protective coating (1).

15. An installation method as set forth in claim 14, wherein, as the mineral wool element (8), coated with the wind-protective coating (1), is provided, along one first edge, with a first flap (10 protruding therefrom and being freely foldable and formed by the wind-protective coating, a second edge, adjacent to said first edge, is provided, prior to the installation of a mineral wool element, with a second flap (3) protruding therefrom onto the actual insulation layer and being freely foldable and formed by the wind-protective coating, such that said second flap (3) attaches by an adhesive, a tape or by means of a stripe of adhesive pre-existing on its other side to a marginal zone bordered by said second edge of the wind-protective coating (1) in such a way that said second flap (3) becomes likewise attached on top of said first flap (10 to its outer face within a substantially rectangular-shaped corner zone defined by the flaps (I' and 3).