CENTRIA’s MetalWrap Series back-up panels are an all-in-one system
Finding an effective back-up wall system that keeps moisture out and the heat in is a problem that many architects and contractors face on a daily basis. While a traditional multiple component backup system consists of layers of batt or board insulation, exterior gypsum board, air barriers, vapor retarders or building wraps, Moon Township, Pa.-based CENTRIA offers its all-in-one MetalWrap Series insulated composite back-up panel (ICBP), which consists of a single thermal, air and moisture barrier backup system. The panels can be used with either single element exterior or mixedmedium buildings featuring metal, brick and terra cotta exteriors.
“Today’s building teams demand a product that provides a high level of performance as well as ease of installation,” says Greg Lusty, MetalWrap Series product manager at CENTRIA. “Metal-Wrap Series delivers that just by positioning the insulation outboard of the studs, but in a singlepanel component instead of several separate building materials.”
“We’re removing a lot of the possible problem areas by providing a single component,” Lusty explains. “It gives us the ability to provide a continuous air and thermal barrier for the envelope.”
Failure in any of the individual layers of a traditional multiple component back-up system can lead to moisture build-up and entrapment within the building’s wall cavity, resulting in corroded studs, poor insulation performance and mold. CENTRIA’s MetalWrap Series panels include the air, vapor, water and thermal barriers all in one piece and limit the amount of risk for failure by combining all barriers into a single-component.
“Another benefit is that the system actually simplifies and speeds up construction,” Lusty says. Traditional systems require multiple work crews, more job-site deliveries, and coordination of scheduling and sequencing, but with its onestep installation, the MetalWrap Series panels allow for faster close-in and dry-in, and minimal construction waste.
The MetalWrap Series features CENTRIA’s signature Advanced Thermal and Moisture Protection technology that controls moisture without sacrificing thermal efficiency. The system works by combining an insulating foam core with a durable metal rainscreen, air/moisture barrier and unique clips, anchors and supports that meet the specific requirements of each exterior building material.
“When an architect has a combination brick and metal façade on a building, that architect doesn’t have to worry about what they’re putting behind it and the various details that it’s going to take to transfer from one exterior material to the other,” Lusty explains. “This system would be able to be used on that entire elevation.”
Available in 2- to 4-inch thick panels with up to an R-27 value, the panels can be installed either horizontally or vertically. “By providing a tested thermal value in this back-up panel system, we’re actually providing up to a real R-27. There are no reductions in the R-value when placed on the wall, and when you compare that to some multi-component systems, you do see thermal loss in those systems if you’re using insulation within the metal stud cavity,” says Lusty.
Manufactured with a high volume of recycled content, the panels are Cradle to Cradle Certified at the Silver Level and also may aid in earning LEED points in categories, such as Energy and Atmosphere, Materials and Resources and Indoor Environmental Quality. Additionally, the panels’ continuous insulated barrier meets thermal and fire code requirements.
“Architects are always looking for the easiest way to detail the weather barrier systems and the MetalWrap Series certainly does that for them. It provides them a high-performance solution that is easy to detail with various exterior cladding systems,” says Lusty.
For more information on CENTRIA’s MetalWrap Series panels, visit www.buildbetterwalls.com.
