Masterwall insulation efficiency - polystyrene comes on board

As owners and builders become more conscious of the rising financial and environmental costs of energy (carbon emissions), thermal efficiency is becoming increasingly important. Victoria's 5 Star standard for residential homes is an example of the initiatives that are driving the way we build and renovate.

The fact that private companies, such as MasterWall in Victoria, are spearheading the introduction of standards for External Insulation and Finish Systems (EIFS) is another example of how the industry is responding to calls for more environmentally responsible building practices.

While a building's overall energy rating incorporates many different factors, core considerations are thermal efficiency of the walls, ceilings and floors. While design can certainly affect the thermal efficiency, the choice of materials is perhaps one of the simplest and most cost effective options.

Wall construction for example can deliver minimal or significant benefits - without the installation of additional insulation materials.

Figures show the thermal advantages of polystyrene, They are due both to the nature of the material and the construction methods. In a well designed polystyrene cladding system such as MasterWall, (or a similar system that also complies with the EIFS standards applicable in Europe and North America) urethane sealed butt joining of panels eliminates thermal transfer, or heat leakage. This typically occurs at places such as the studs in a batt insulated stud wall or similar locations in other wall types. Thermal transfer can also occur in poorly installed polystyrene clad walls so its very important that it is installed correctly by qualified tradespeople / installers.

Polystyrene also offers the potential to vary thermal insulation up or down, depending on the thermal requirements of a particular wall. For example, the R factor of a 100mm MasterWall polystyrene wall will be further increased to 3.0 by the addition of a stud wall and 10mm plaster sheeting. Similarly, reducing the thickness of the polystyrene panel lowers the R factor.

As one of Australia's few EIFS compliant systems, MasterWall ensures you end up with a completely weatherproof and highly insulating product even BEFORE the render is applied.