RAINSCREEN FAÇADE SYSTEMS

Quantock House

FOR EVERY RAINSCREEN. FOR THE REAL WORLD.

HIGH PERFORMANCE NON-COMBUSTIBLE INSULATION FOR high rise buildings.

Rainscreen façade systems feature on the external wall of many high-rise commercial buildings. They are lightweight in comparison to brick and masonry solutions and can provide the design freedom to choose from a wide range of aesthetic options. 

In addition to thermal performance, ensuring real-world fire safety of insulation is crucial, particularly when designing buildings which are over 11m in height, buildings that will have high occupancy levels or those that will be used by vulnerable occupants. Our mineral wool insulation solutions provide the required thermal, fire safety, and acoustic performance and can be installed on buildings of any height. 

Rocksilk® RainScreen Slab has an Agrément certificate by the BBA for the broadest range of build-ups and the widest range of thicknesses of any rainscreen solution on the market. 

You can use Rocksilk® RainScreen Slab in the following applications: 

  • Framed Cladding Systems 

  • Behind Masonry Walls 

  • Partially Filled Masonry Cavities 

See our Rocksilk® RainScreen products  Technical application information OmniFit® Slab 32

ROCKSILK® RAINSCREEN SLAB

  • Has an Agrément certificate by the BBA for the broadest range of build-ups
  • 3D U-value calculations as standard
  • Wind load testing
  • Water repellent additive
  • Made using ECOSE® Technology 
  • Widest range of thicknesses on the market
  • Made In Britain – Queensferry, North Wales 

ARE YOU MINIMISING FIRE RISK?

In 2018, Part B of the Building Regulations for England banned the use of combustible materials in the external walls of relevant residential buildings over 18m tall. As of December 2022, the legislation covers residential buildings between 11m and 18m and the list of relevant buildings has broadened. n 2018, Part B of the Building Regulations for England banned the use of combustible materials in the external walls of relevant residential buildings over 18m tall. As of December 2022, the legislation covers residential buildings between 11m and 18m and the list of relevant buildings has broadened.

Non-combustible materials must now be used in the external walls of relevant buildings between 11m and 18m unless a full-scale fire test to BS 8414-1 or BS 8414-2 has been undertaken.

Passive fire safety measures, like insulation, should be failsafe. But too often, they rely on complex system interactions to perform correctly. With safety at stake and regulations tightening, the ambiguity and risk introduced by combustible materials is simply unacceptable.

Specifying non-combustible products in rainscreen applications addresses this by minimising the risk of fire spread. Rocksilk® RainScreen Slab has the best possible Euroclass A1 reaction to fire classification, meaning it will not contribute to the development of a fire or its spread should it occur. This in turn can help to maximise the structure’s stability under fire load. In all cases, the whole wall system should be considered.

Book a Reaction to Fire CPD Book a RainScreen Façades CPD

Knauf Insulation Fire Protection
Rocksilk RainScreen FFCB

ARE YOUR CAVITY BARRIERS COMPROMISING PERFORMANCE?

Traditional cavity barriers are installed in a way that requires insulation to be cut post-installation, which can cause air gaps and affect performance.

Rocksilk® RainScreen FFCB (Face-fixed Cavity Barrier) is the first cavity barrier on the market which can be fixed to the face of the insulation during construction, so the insulation doesn’t need to be cut post-installation. This makes it quicker and easier for brickwork contractors to install and means performance won’t be compromised by unintentional air gaps. It also reduces waste on site.

Rocksilk® RainScreen FFCB is part of a certified system, comprising Rocksilk® RainScreen Slab sheathing insulation for behind masonry façades and the fixings. The system provides fire resistance for up to 90 minutes insulation and integrity (EI90) in the residual cavities of buildings with masonry façades.

Learn more

CAN BUILDING OCCUPANTS HEAR THEMSELVES THINK? ­­

Acoustic performance is becoming an increasingly important consideration when designing a building, due to growing urbanisation and the accompanying rise in noise levels.

The effects are many; noise causes fatigue, irritation, reduced efficiency, and permanent damage to hearing.

In low mass structures such as rainscreen façade systems, noise absorption is critical. The random orientation of the fibres in Rocksilk® RainScreen Slab allows for more sound waves to be absorbed. This gives it excellent acoustic properties, which contribute towards the acoustic performance of the structure onto which it is mounted.

Knauf Insulation Rainscreen Slab U-value

HOW ACCURATE ARE YOUR THERMAL CALCULATIONS?

There are different options for calculating the thermal performance of rainscreen façade systems, so it’s crucial to choose the right method. If the calculation is even marginally inaccurate, it can have a negative impact on the real-world thermal performance of a building.

Knauf Insulation offers FREE 3D U-value calculations to BS EN 10211 as standard - the most accurate method for calculating U-values of rainscreen façade systems – ensuring the thermal requirements specified during the design stage are achieved.

Request a 3D U-value calculation

A SUSTAINABLE SOLUTION IN RAINSCREEN FAÇADE SYSTEMS COMBINING GLASS AND ROCK MINERAL WOOL 

By using a combination of Knauf Insulation Rocksilk® RainScreen Slab and OmniFit® Slab 32, it is possible to achieve lower embodied carbon in your rainscreen façade system than if you were to use a rock mineral wool alternative between the light steel frame studwork and in the sheathing zone.  

Not only does glass mineral wool offer lower embodied carbon, but our entire glass mineral wool range, and our unfaced rock mineral wool slabs made with ECOSE® Technology, have been awarded the DECLARE 'Red List Free' label. Through our participation in the DECLARE label scheme, architects, house builders and installers can verify their own sustainability and health and safety credentials.  

But we don’t stop there…  

ECOSE® Technology is our unique bio-based binder which is used in the manufacture of all of our glass mineral wool products, and the majority of our rock mineral wool products, including Rocksilk® RainScreen Slab. 

Our products made with ECOSE® Technology contain no added formaldehyde or phenol. This means our insulation generates very low levels of dust, increasing the comfort of those handling it. ECOSE® Technology makes our insulation soft to touch and easy to handle. 

It is made from natural raw materials that are rapidly renewable and is 70% less energy intensive to manufacture than traditional binders, so it is kinder to the environment too. 

NEED BREEAM CREDITS?

Rocksilk® RainScreen Slab helps to contribute towards obtaining BREEAM credits and delivering high performing green buildings which are healthier, more environmentally responsible and are more cost-effective across their full lives.