Menu
In commercial occupancy facilities, mechanical systems are frequently insulated to provide energy savings, control noise, and retard condensation formation on and in plumbing and HVAC piping, duct, and equipment.
For the purposes of this article, commercial occupancy facilities are buildings meant for routine use by the general public, designed with the objective to make the building environment comfortable for the occupants, with the activities taking place in those facilities a secondary consideration (in contrast to industrial facilities, where process activities are the priority). Typical uses included in this classification of buildings are automotive retail and service, food and beverage service, multi-unit retail, animal care, health care/medical use, education, offices, religious activity, public safety, amusement, transportation, and recreation.
In these facilities, one part of the mechanical insulation system is the finishing system that serves several important functions for the entire insulation envelope. Quite often finishing systems are referred to as jacketing, as adding jackets of varying materials is possibly the most common way to provide protection of the insulation material. Protective finish systems also can take other forms. Common protective finishes for mechanical insulation systems in commercial buildings are the focus of this article. Industrial protective finish systems many times are similar, but may be more involved in installation and accessories because of the services that are expected and designed for.
In recent years, new materials and methods have been introduced to supplement more traditional finishing practices. Certain protective finishing practices have gained favor over others as the industry has evolved. Historical or traditional protective finish practices still have relevance in the industry and work well for their original intended applications. Much as one insulation material is not suitable for every use, one protective finish system does not solve all needs.
The insulation material provides the primary function of energy flow control—thermal energy or acoustical energy. The insulation material should be selected with the functions in mind that are primary to the insulation itself, with cost/performance/benefit evaluations incorporated in the process. The protective finish system provides the primary functions of protecting the insulation envelope from contamination, as well as from physical damage from impacts and compressive forces, and provides moisture resistance (in the form of vapor and liquids). Other functions provided by the protective finish are to provide cleanability, weathering resistance, fire resistance, enhanced acoustical control, and aesthetic appearance.
The insulation material provides the primary function of energy flow control—thermal energy or acoustical energy. The insulation material should be selected with the functions in mind that are primary to the insulation itself, with cost/performance/benefit evaluations incorporated in the process. The protective finish system provides the primary functions of protecting the insulation envelope from contamination, as well as from physical damage from impacts and compressive forces, and provides moisture resistance (in the form of vapor and liquids). Other functions provided by the protective finish are to provide cleanability, weathering resistance, fire resistance, enhanced acoustical control, and aesthetic appearance.
An example of a factory-applied protective finish is the facing materials applied to fibrous insulations, such as laminated vapor retarders known as Foil-Skrim-Kraft (FSK) and All-Service Jacket (ASJ). An example of a field-applied protective finish system would be a more robust jacket material, like PVC, metal, or glass reinforced plastic (GRP). An example of a common combination protective finish system is an insulation material that has a factory-applied vapor-retarder jacket plus a field-applied jacket. The most common example is fiber glass pipe insulation with a factory-applied ASJ or premium ASJ, additionally covered with PVC or metal jacket. In this instance, the ASJ or premium, polypropylene-surfaced ASJ provides initial handling and installation protection, and vapor-retarder properties, while the additional PVC or metal jacket provides added impact damage and/or moisture and weathering resistance, sanitation ability, and enhanced finished appearance.