Builders Merchants Journal – BMJ Publishing to Builders Merchants and the UK merchanting industry for more than 95 years
Knauf Insulation’s Rocksilk® RainScreen Slab has been awarded the industry’s first BBA certification for double layering and for use below the damp proof course, making it certified for the broadest range of build-ups of any rainscreen solution on the market.
Rocksilk® RainScreen Slab is a non-combustible Rock Mineral Wool slab with Euroclass A1 reaction to fire classification, which means it complies with the strictest requirements of Approved Document B for dwelling buildings over 18m tall. It is available in the widest range of thicknesses up to 250mm, with a thermal conductivity of 0.034W/mK. It can be used in situations where it bridges the DPCs of the inner and outer leaf because it does not absorb water by capillary action. It is manufactured with a water repellent additive which also preserves its integrity while exposed during construction, and it has been wind load tested by the Building Research Establishment to a maximum design pressure of 3,600Pa or 76m/s – the equivalent of a category 5 hurricane. The BBA certification also covers timber frame applications with a masonry outer leaf, and on reinforced concrete substrates.
The improved robustness of the product makes it easy to manoeuvre in place, while still being able to adapt to minor imperfections in the substrate. The product is supported with extensive installation guides, which cover the double layering and below DPC applications.
Rocksilk® RainScreen Slab is manufactured using ECOSE® Technology, Knauf Insulation’s unique bio-based binder, which contains no added formaldehyde or phenol. Mineral Wool insulation made with ECOSE® Technology is more environmentally friendly than insulation made using traditional oil-based binders. It is also soft to touch, easy to handle, and it generates low levels of dust and VOCs.
