For the production of our FiberTherm wood fiber panels, we use exclusively coniferous wood from FSC certified forests, managed with permanently sustainable methods.
The raw material, wood, is cut into smaller and smaller pieces, which are thermally and mechanically sfibrated as semi-finished products through a machinery called "sfibrator". The fibers are then mixed with water to create an aqueous suspension. This suspension is overheated and taken to the drainage system; here a carpet of fibers is formed, that is the base of the new panel. The panels subjected to drainage are finally subjected to a drying process in order to reach the final degree of humidity.
No. This type of processing is a wet process, during it, through the water and heat effect, the natural materials present in the wood fiber are reactivated (lignin and hemicellulose), which will subsequently ensure a strong ligature.
The difference consist in the fact that during the production of wood fiber panels with dry procedure it is necessary to add adhesives (mostly polyurethane), while in the wet procedure it is not necessary.
Only the base panels with a thickness of 20 mm can be produced wet. The greater thicknesses (up to 120 mm) are produced by overlaying different layers of the base panels. For their binding an ecological glue based on modified natural starch is used.
Yes, from several points of view, starting from the raw material up to the possibility of recycling. The wood used for production is a matter that grows and comes from forests managed through permanently sustainable development systems. The production processes themselves are respectful of all the elements of the environment. Fibertherm® insulation panels are totally recyclable, can be composted or burned without danger.
The Fibertherm® wood fiber products are exclusively made of natural materials that have no influence on health. The main component is made of wood fiber (up to 98%). To improve the characteristics are added some exclusively natural materials, such as paraffin and natural native starch. Unlike most fiber insulation materials, our panels do not contain any percentage of formaldehyde (which are among the carcinogens).
During the wet production phase, all the aromatic substances of Fibertherm wood fiber panels, which are appreciated by insects and woodworms, are dispersed and come out of the wood. On the other hand, the final product has a degree of humidity of about 7-8%. From the biological point of view insects that affect the wood love coniferous timber if humidity is above 15%.
Thanks to their high density Fibertherm® panels enjoy perfect shape resistance and do not degrade even over several years. These assumptions are confirmed by experiences that testify to the use of wood fiber panels even after 40 years.
In some panels (Fibertherm®, Protect®, Protect dry®, ed Isorel®), in order to increase the water tightness, natural hydrophobic material is added. It is not just a surface finish, but the hydrophobic matter is inserted into the process itself of forming the fibrous suspension; therefore the materials have a high water tightness for the whole thickness on both sides.
The thermal insulation must ensure the building's protection from heat loss during the winter months (winter thermal protection) and at the same time must protect the interior rooms from overheating in the summer months (summer thermal protection). The thermal insulation should work well even in conditions of humidity from the air and with water vapor.
Thermal conductivity is the main feature of thermal insulation from the point of view of protection of buildings from heat loss. It represents the ability of the substance to conduct heat and is expressed with the coefficient of thermal conductivity λ. The lower the value, the more effective the isolation is. Most insulation materials have a thermal conductivity coefficient of approximately 0,039 W/(m·K).
It is the coefficient according to which the thermal insulation characteristics of the building structures are evaluated. Indicates the thermal flow passing through such structures and is; expressed in units W/m²·K; and is strictly related to the thermal conductivity of the materials used in the building structures. The lower the value, the less heat losses caused by the building structures will be.
In accordance with the harmonized European standard EN 13 501-1 Fibertherm® wood fiber panels are among the highly flammable materials, with class E as regards reaction to fire. The flame retardant resistance is equivalent to the resistance of the other commonly used insulating materials, including polystyrene, polyurethane, etc.
The diffused resistance factor μ indicates how many times the resistance of a material is greater in passing water vapor than a layer of air with the same thickness and with the same temperature. Furthermore, another common indicator of the diffusion of water vapor is also constituted by the equivalent thickness diffused d; this thickness is calculated by multiplying the diffused resistance and the thickness of the material; indicates the air thickness in meters, with a diffused resistance equivalent to that of the building material. Materials with a diffusion factor of less than 10 are considered materials with very high diffusion capacity.
The thermal and accumulation capacity of the insulation strongly contributes to the formation of an excellent climate inside the buildings, especially in the summer months, when there is usually a considerable overheating of the premises. If the materials present in the building structures are equipped with a high capacity of accumulation, they can more effectively mitigate the temperature changes.
The thermal displacement is strictly related to the accumulation capacity of building materials; represents the temporal deviation of extreme temperatures; for example, the most extreme outdoor afternoon temperatures are transferred inside the following hours and at the same time their value is attenuated.
The capacity of the material to pass the water vapor (diffusion capacity) is a very important capacity of the insulating materials as inside the buildings a large quantity of water vapor is formed. The passage of water vapor through the structure is a very important phenomenon in order to avoid the subsequent formation of condensation; the presence of condensation inside the structures represents a danger for their useful life.
Based on the principle of sufficient humidity output from internal rooms; their outer layer hinders the penetration of humidity in the external environment. These facilities are open (no vapor barriers apply). For these structures it is necessary to use materials with a decreasing value of the resistance spread from the inside towards the outside.
Thermal bridges arise in places where the thermal insulation layer is interrupted due to materials with worse thermal conductivity (eg in the middle of beams on a sloping roof). On the roof, the proportion of beams over the entire roof area can be 20%, where the conductivity of the wood is four times lower than that of the Fibertherm® panels. Our Joist product has just been improved with beam insulation, thermal bridges can be limited by using an additional amount of insulation, either below or above the beams.
They can be used on almost all building structures - roofs, perimeter walls, floors, floors. What is more convenient: isolate from the outside or from the inside? It is more convenient to isolate from the outside. It is also safer from the point of view of any condensation attributable to water vapor. Insulation from the inside is recommended only in cases where it is not possible to isolate from the outside. In this case it is necessary to resort to the assistance of a specialist.
The advantage consists in the limitation of the thermal bridges that arise in the area of the beams; a further advantage of this insulation mode and the aesthetic appearance of the roof structure from the inside, with the use of the wooden roof.
The Fibertherm® Protect® and Protect dry® panels are anchored by counter-strips through an insulation layer, up to the beams; anchoring is achieved by using screws or special nails.
The vapor barrier has the function of preventing the infiltration of water vapor into the building structure (it is mainly applied on the roofs). Under certain circumstances it is possible to design the building structure with Fibertherm® panels even without using vapor barriers. These possibilities must be subjected to respective calculations for each individual structure, taking into consideration the actual conditions.
Overall, Fibertherm® products do not have good compression properties in space. If you intend to use them in precisely defined structures (eg in the middle of beams or in a wooden frame), they must be cut to size. To facilitate the work, however, the flexible and compressible Fibertherm Flex® product exists.
Fibertherm Protect® panels are widespread and open; therefore they are equipped with a high water resistance. They are applied as a waterproof insulation with no need to use diffuse membranes. Unlike the membrane, Fibertherm Protect® panels are also equipped with additional thermal insulation and are able to limit the thermal bridges that arise on the beams.
Along all their perimeter FiberthermProtect® panels can be provided with the male / female system, thus ensuring a perfect joint without any need to resort to glues. For roofs with <20% pitch, the joints are glued with butyl-rubber or polyethylene tape.
As external formwork can be exposed to weather conditions up to 3 months. In winter, however, the panels can not be under the weight of snow.
They can be used on an aerated and contact façade as an insulation of the perimeter wall for a frame with wooden frame, and also on solid wood or Xlam bases.
On the ventilated façades, the panels are fixed using strips fitted with screws according to the base material (wood, brick, porous concrete, etc.). Afterwards, the wooden façade is applied to the strips. On the contact surfaces, the panels are fixed firstly to the perimeter wall and then the plaster is applied according to the manufacturer's instructions. In both cases the panels are laid from below, at a minimum of 30 cm above the ground level. A complete Fibertherm® thermal insulation composite system is available.
Yes. All Fibertherm® panels are equipped with high resistance to pressure (min 30 kPa); therefore they are particularly suitable as thermal and acoustic insulation on dry floors and on wet screeds. For wet screeds it is necessary to separate the panels by means of a waterproof insulation.
They are laid on a dry base perpendicular to the floor covering. The individual rows are laid on the mutual binding with a space between the panels equal to 2 mm. For walls and other resistant elements, an expansion space of 10 mm must be maintained.
The lower thicknesses (up to 10 mm) must be cut with a knife. To cut the thicknesses of greater magnitude, the electrical equipment usually used for cuts of woody material is used (circular saws, band saws, rectilinear saws). It is necessary to ensure a sufficient suction system.