Facings Steel Building
If you’ve decided to place insulation in your pre engineered steel building, then that part of the insulation that faces the building’s insides is called the facing. Aside from the fact that they serve as decorative protection barriers, facings also act as vapor barriers. In addition, they also provide light reflectivity and structural strength.
Since the facings double as inner wall material, they are typically reinforced with a layer of fiberglass scrim or nylon mesh. This increases their durability and serves as protection from punctures and scratches.
The color of the facings is also important because it determines its ability to reflect light. If you want to brighten the insides of the steel building, choose reflective foil facing. Black colored facings are preferred for a darker ambience.
Facings as Vapor Barriers
As stated above, facings serve as vapor barriers. They may not actually prevent the flow of water vapor. However, they do a good job of minimizing the rate and volume of the flow, preventing moisture from accumulating within the insulation and the metal structure as a whole. Therefore, thermal efficiency is achieved which lowers heating and cooling costs.
The effectiveness of facings as vapor barriers depend on three primary factors:
Location. Facings should be placed on the inner, heated surface of the insulation material where vapor pressure is at the highest. This prevents vapor from reaching the cooler air and condensing.
Permeance. To minimize the transfer of condensation into a steel building, facings with low permeance must be chosen. Permeance or perm rating measures the amount of water that passes through one square foot of material per hour. This means, that the lower the perm rating, the more effective the facing. A perm rating of 0.1 or less will provide protection against condensation for most steel buildings applications.
Proper installation and selection. A facing should be carefully installed to ensure its effectiveness. When facings are torn or punctured during installation, they must be immediately patched or if possible, do not use them anymore because they may eventually do more harm than good.
Select facings that provide reflective quality because they reduce the need for electricity to brighten the interiors of the steel building. This way, you can save a lot on your electricity bills.
Unlike fiberglass insulation, facings are affected by cold temperatures. During cold weather, facings may become brittle and crack when handled. This situation is called cold crack. It is recommended that vinyl faced fiberglass products for steel buildings are never installed in places where temperatures are below 40 degrees.