FM Global

Property Loss Prevention Data Sheets 1-17

October 2014
Page 1 of 20

REFLECTIVE CEILING INSULATION

Table of Contents
Page

1.0 SCOPE ..................................................................................................................................................... 3

1.1 Changes ............................................................................................................................................ 3
2.0 LOSS PREVENTION RECOMMENDATIONS ....................................................................................... 3
2.1 Construction and Location ................................................................................................................ 3
2.1.1 FM Approved Insulation .......................................................................................................... 3
2.1.2 Existing Kraft Paper-Based Insulation .................................................................................... 3
2.1.3 Existing Foil-Faced EPS Insulation ......................................................................................... 5
2.1.4 Foil-Faced Polyethylene Bubble Wrap Insulation ................................................................... 5
2.1.5 Foil-Faced Polyester Nonwoven Insulation ............................................................................. 6
2.1.6 Foil-faced Closed Cell Polyethylene Foam Insulation ............................................................ 6
2.1.7 Cross-Linked Foil-Faced Polyolefin Foam Insulation .............................................................. 6
2.1.8 Foil-Faced Noncombustible Insulation .................................................................................... 6
2.2 Protection ........................................................................................................................................... 6
2.3 Operation and Maintenance .............................................................................................................. 6
3.0 SUPPORT FOR RECOMMENDATIONS ............................................................................................... 6
3.1 Reflective Insulations ........................................................................................................................ 6
3.1.1 FM Approvals .......................................................................................................................... 6
3.1.2 Foil-Faced Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) ............................................................................... 6
3.1.3 Foil-Faced Polyethylene Bubble Wrap .................................................................................... 7
3.1.4 Foil-Faced Polyester Nonwoven Insulation ............................................................................. 7
3.1.5 Foil-Faced Closed-Cell Polyethylene Foam Insulation ........................................................... 7
3.1.6 Cross-Linked Foil-Faced Polyolefin Foam Insulation .............................................................. 8
3.1.7 Firestopped Roof Deck Construction ...................................................................................... 8
4.0 REFERENCES ..................................................................................................................................... 16
4.1 FM Global ...................................................................................................................................... 16
4.2 Other .............................................................................................................................................. 16
APPENDIX A GLOSSARY OF TERMS ...................................................................................................... 17
APPENDIX B DOCUMENT REVISION HISTORY ..................................................................................... 18
APPENDIX C SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION ....................................................................................... 18
C.1 Insulation Types ............................................................................................................................. 18
C.1.1 Kraft Paper-Based Insulation ................................................................................................ 18
C.1.2 Foil-Faced EPS ..................................................................................................................... 19
C.1.3 Foil-Faced Polyethylene Bubble Wrap ................................................................................. 19
C.1.4 Foil-Faced Polyester Nonwoven Insulation .......................................................................... 19
C.1.5 Closed-Cell Polyethylene Foil-Faced Foam Insulation ......................................................... 19
C.1.6 Cross-Linked Foil-Faced Polyolefin Foam Insulation ........................................................... 20
C.2 Plywood Diaphragm Roofs ............................................................................................................ 20
C.3 South Africa ..................................................................................................................................... 20

List of Figures
Fig. 1. Typical firestopped plywood diaphragm roof deck (not to scale) ....................................................... 4
Fig. 2. Five-layer, kraft paper-based, reflective insulation ............................................................................. 4
Fig. 3. Single-layer, kraft paper-based, reflective insulation .......................................................................... 5
Fig. 4. Multi-layer (with single-layer cap) kraft paper-based, reflective insulation ........................................ 5
Fig. 5. Foil-faced EPS as an exposed ceiling insulation ............................................................................... 7
Fig. 6. Foil-faced EPS as an under concrete ceiling insulation ..................................................................... 8

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Fig. 7. Foil-faced polyethylene bubble wrap reflective insulation below the roof/ceiling ............................... 9
Fig. 8. Foil-faced and Unfaced Polyester Nonwoven Insulation ................................................................... 9
Fig. 9. Foil-faced polyester attached to underside of concrete ceiling ......................................................... 10
Fig. 10. Unfaced polyester nonwoven insulation loose laid on top of ceiling ............................................. 10
Fig. 11. Unfaced polyester nonwoven insulation attached to walls in service spaces ................................ 11
Fig. 12. Insulbreak® is manufactured with a patented, physically cross-linked, closed-cell polyethylene
foam structure, and sandwiched by highly reflective foil surfaces .................................................. 11
Fig. 13. Insulbreak® used as exposed reflective insulation ......................................................................... 12
Fig. 14. Insulbreak® used in a large, discount grocery store ...................................................................... 12
Fig. 15. Cross-linked polyolefin foam with factory-applied reinforced 9 um aluminum foil and G60
acrylic adhesive backing .................................................................................................................. 13
Fig. 16. Multi-layer foil and bubble pack (Alububble) insulation ................................................................... 13
Fig. 17. Alucushion FR reflective insulation installation ............................................................................... 14
Fig. 18. Factorylite reflective insulation installation ..................................................................................... 14
Fig. 19. Starlite reflective insulation installation ........................................................................................... 15
Fig. 20. Sisalation reflective insulation ......................................................................................................... 15
Fig. 21. Another Starlite reflective insulation installation ............................................................................. 16
Fig. 22. Typical reflective insulations end views .......................................................................................... 19

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FM Global Property Loss Prevention Data Sheets Page 3

1.0 SCOPE
This data sheet describes the characteristics of reflective insulation and provides recommendations for their
use and fire protection.

1.1 Changes
October 2014. This data sheet has been revised to include various materials in addition to aluminum foil/kraft
paper construction. Major changes include the following:
A. Added foil-faced expanded polystyrene; foil-faced polyethylene bubble wrap; foil-faced polyester
nonwoven; foil-faced closed-cell polyethylene foam; cross-linked foil-faced polyolefin foam; and foil-faced
noncombustible insulations.
B. Added recommendations to cover new and existing installations. Added guidance to cover new
and existing installations.
C. Added information on the use of other codes.

2.0 LOSS PREVENTION RECOMMENDATIONS

2.1 Construction and Location

2.1.1 FM Approved Insulation

2.1.1.1 Use an FM Approved exposed interior insulation as listed in the Approval Guide, an online resource
of FM Approvals.

2.1.2 Existing Kraft Paper-Based Insulation

2.1.2.1 Use kraft paper-based reflective insulations that meet the following criteria:
A. The insulation is of aluminum foil/kraft paper construction.
B. The insulation has an average or lower flame spread rating as follows:
1. A maximum flame spread rating of 25 or less ASTM E84 (North America).
2. A maximum flame spread rating of 5 or less per AS 1530.2 (Australia, New Zealand).
3. An average or lower flame spread rating per SANS 10177-10 or 10177-11 (South Africa).
4. Equivalent flame spread ratings per internationally recognized standard (other countries).
C. The kraft paper is fire retardant-treated and complies with the following:
1. ANSI/TAPPI T461 (North America)
2. Equivalent internationally recognized standard (outside North America).
D. The insulation is limited to a maximum of five layers.
E. The insulation has only noncombustible reinforcement, such as glass fiber.
F. The insulation contains no asphalt or asphalt-based adhesives.
2.1.2.2 Install the insulation only in firestopped roof deck construction (mostly plywood diaphragm roofs; see
Figure 1.). Constructions in which the purlins and/or subpurlins are continuous over their respective
supporting members are not firestopped roof decks unless firestopping is provided in accordance with Section
2.1.2.3.
Exception: Single-layer insulation is acceptable in non-firestopped construction if the recommendations in
Sections 2.1.2.1, 2.1.2.4, and 2.1.2.6 (if applicable) are met.
2.1.2.3 In non-firestopped construction, construct firestops between the purlins/subpurlins where they are
supported on larger members. The following materials provide acceptable firestopping:
• 2 in. (50 mm) × member dimension lumber toe-nailed in place between the members
• Min. ½ in. (13 mm) thick plywood

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Plywood roof deck

Subpurlin

Purlin

Glue/laminated beam

Fig. 1. Typical firestopped plywood diaphragm roof deck (not to scale)

• Noncombustible insulation (see Appendix A) such as mineral wool. This option only applies to subpurlin
firestops
2.1.2.4 Ensure beams are a minimum of 20 in. (500 mm) deeper than the subpurlins. If necessary, draft curtain
material (see Data Sheet 1-10) can be secured to the beam, extending it to the recommended depth.
Minimum ½ in. (13 mm) thick plywood can be used for wooden beams.
2.1.2.5 Install multi-layer insulation between the subpurlins. Single-layer insulation can be installed between
the subpurlins or to the bottom of the subpurlins (see Figures 2 and 3). Do not wrap the insulation under
the beams or purlins. Single-layer and multi-layer insulation can be used in combination as shown in Figure
4.

Flanges stapled to
side of subpurlin
Plywood deck
Subpurlins

Ceiling
section

Fig. 2. Five-layer, kraft paper-based, reflective insulation

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Plywood deck

Subpurlins

Ceiling Sheet stapled to

section bottom of subpurlin

Fig. 3. Single-layer, kraft paper-based, reflective insulation

Multilayer insulation
Plywood deck
Subpurlins

Ceiling Sheet stapled to

section bottom of subpurlin

Fig. 4. Multi-layer (with single-layer cap) kraft paper-based, reflective insulation

2.1.2.6 If reflective insulation is to be used in open-web joist or truss construction, install continuous draft
curtains (see DS 1-10) on the underside of the deck. Extend the draft curtains a minimum of 20 in. (508 mm)
beyond the bottom face of the insulation and space them a maximum of 24 ft (7.3 m) apart.
Where the joists or trusses are wood construction, it is acceptable to construct the draft curtains by securing
minimum ½ in. (13 mm) thick plywood to one side of the member. If the roof construction is steel deck, fill
the deck flutes above the top of the draft curtain with noncombustible material, such as mineral wool.

2.1.3 Existing Foil-Faced EPS Insulation

2.1.3.1 Regardless of whether or not adequate sprinkler protection is provided, either install a suitable thermal
barrier over the insulation (see Data Sheet 1-57, Plastics in Construction) or remove the exposed insulation.

2.1.4 Foil-Faced Polyethylene Bubble Wrap Insulation

2.1.4.1 For new construction, use an FM Approved exposed interior insulation as listed in the Approval Guide.
2.1.4.2 For existing walls and ceiling installations, do one of the following:

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A. Remove the insulation from the walls only and replace it with noncombustible (see Appendix A) or FM
Approved exposed interior insulation.
B. Provide a suitable thermal barrier over the insulation (see DS 1-57) on either the walls or the ceiling
or both.
2.1.4.3 For existing walls-only or ceiling-only installations, the insulation can remain in place.

2.1.5 Foil-Faced Polyester Nonwoven Insulation

2.1.5.1 For new construction, use an FM Approved exposed interior insulation as listed in the Approval Guide.
2.1.5.2 For existing walls and ceiling installations, the insulation can remain in place.
2.1.5.3 For existing walls-only or ceiling-only installations, the insulation can remain in place.

2.1.6 Foil-faced Closed Cell Polyethylene Foam Insulation

2.1.6.1 Treat this material the same as foil-faced polyethylene bubble wrap insulation (see Section 2.1.4).

2.1.7 Cross-Linked Foil-Faced Polyolefin Foam Insulation

2.1.7.1 For new construction, use an FM Approved exposed interior insulation as listed in the Approval Guide.
2.1.7.2 For existing walls and ceiling, walls-only, or ceiling-only installations, do one of the following:
A. Remove the insulation and replace it with noncombustible (See Appendix A) or FM Approved exposed
interior insulation.
B. Provide a suitable thermal barrier over the insulation (see DS 1-57).

2.1.8 Foil-Faced Noncombustible Insulation

2.1.8.1 Foil-faced noncombustible insulation (See Appendix A), such as foil-faced glass fiber and foil-faced
mineral wool, are acceptable for both new and existing installations.

2.2 Protection
2.2.1 Limit the use of combustible reflective insulation to insulations acceptable per Section 2.1 and installed
in buildings protected with automatic sprinklers that are adequate for the building construction and occupancy.
2.2.2 If the construction and occupancy are such that sprinklers are not needed and therefore not provided,
use only the following kinds of reflective insulation: foil-faced noncombustible insulation; FM Approved
exposed interior insulation; or a single-layer aluminum foil/kraft paper construction that complies with Section
2.1.2.1, parts A through C.

2.3 Operation and Maintenance

2.3.1 In the event that cutting, welding, or other types of hot work must be performed in buildings with reflective
insulation, follow the recommendations in Data Sheet 10-3, Hot Work Management.

3.0 SUPPORT FOR RECOMMENDATIONS

3.1 Reflective Insulations

3.1.1 FM Approvals
Some insulation facings are listed by FM Approvals for use with glass fiber insulation, and the facing may
be used alone as a reflective insulation. These facings may be found in the Building Materials section of the
Approval Guide: see “Building Insulations,” then “Facings for Exposed Interior Glass Fiber Insulations
Wall/Ceiling).”

3.1.2 Foil-Faced Expanded Polystyrene (EPS)

Typically, standard construction-grade EPS ranging in thickness from 0.4 to 2 in. (10 to 50 mm) and is faced
with 0.8 mil (20 µm) aluminum foil on one or both sides.

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FM Global Property Loss Prevention Data Sheets Page 7

Fig. 5. Foil-faced EPS as an exposed ceiling insulation

3.1.3 Foil-Faced Polyethylene Bubble Wrap

Typically, one or two layers of polyethylene bubbles with a foil-face on one or both sides. This product has
a very thin fiberglass weave in it, making it very durable (tear proof) and therefore a popular product. It can
be used as a more effective insulating sarking material, and in many cases can be found as an exposed
wall and ceiling lining in industrial and warehousing occupancies as well as the standard sarking in ceiling
voids.

3.1.4 Foil-Faced Polyester Nonwoven Insulation

FM Global has performed small-scale testing on polyester batt insulation and concluded that with adequate
sprinkler protection this construction material does not appear to present any significant concerns.

3.1.5 Foil-Faced Closed-Cell Polyethylene Foam Insulation

The insulation is manufactured in continuous roll form and created by bonding reflective reinforced aluminum
foils to an inner core of low density closed cell polyethylene foam. This product may also have pin holes
in it to allow it to breath (a requirement for cavity wall insulation).

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Fig. 6. Foil-faced EPS as an under concrete ceiling insulation

3.1.6 Cross-Linked Foil-Faced Polyolefin Foam Insulation

This product is more commonly used for duct insulation and under raised floors, but is also used as reflective
insulation below a roof or ceiling.

3.1.7 Firestopped Roof Deck Construction

The voids created by non-firestopped roof decks may allow for rapid horizontal fire spread.
The beams should be a minimum of 20 in. (508 mm) deeper than the subpurlins. This difference will reduce
the potential for fire spread under the beams.

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FM Global Property Loss Prevention Data Sheets Page 9

Fig. 7. Foil-faced polyethylene bubble wrap reflective insulation below the roof/ceiling

Fig. 8. Foil-faced and Unfaced Polyester Nonwoven Insulation

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Fig. 9. Foil-faced polyester attached to underside of concrete ceiling

Fig. 10. Unfaced polyester nonwoven insulation loose laid on top of ceiling

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FM Global Property Loss Prevention Data Sheets Page 11

Fig. 11. Unfaced polyester nonwoven insulation attached to walls in service spaces

Fig. 12. Insulbreak® is manufactured with a patented, physically cross-linked, closed-cell polyethylene foam structure,
and sandwiched by highly reflective foil surfaces

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Fig. 13. Insulbreak® used as exposed reflective insulation

Fig. 14. Insulbreak® used in a large, discount grocery store

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Fig. 15. Cross-linked polyolefin foam with factory-applied reinforced 9 um aluminum foil and G60 acrylic adhesive backing

Fig. 16. Multi-layer foil and bubble pack (Alububble) insulation

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Page 14 FM Global Property Loss Prevention Data Sheets

Fig. 17. Alucushion FR reflective insulation installation

Fig. 18. Factorylite reflective insulation installation

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FM Global Property Loss Prevention Data Sheets Page 15

Fig. 19. Starlite reflective insulation installation

Fig. 20. Sisalation reflective insulation

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Fig. 21. Another Starlite reflective insulation installation

4.0 REFERENCES

4.1 FM Global
Data Sheet 1-10, Interaction of Sprinklers, Smoke and Heat Vents, and Draft Curtains
Data Sheet 1-57, Plastics in Construction
Data Sheet 10-3, Hot Work Management

4.2 Other
American National Standards Institute (ANSI). Flame Resistance of Treated Paper and Paperboard. ANSI/
TAPPI T461.
ASTM International. American National Standard for Evaluating (A) Insulated Wall or Wall & Roof/Ceiling
Panels (B) Plastic Interior Finish Materials (C) Plastic Exterior Finish Material (D) Wall/Ceiling Coating
Systems (E) Interior or Exterior Finish Systems. ANSI/FM 4880
ASTM International. Standard Test Method for Surface Burning Characteristics of Building Materials. ASTM
E84.
Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB). Building Code of Australia.

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National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Flame Resistant Paper and Paperboard. NBS PS
46-71.
South African Bureau of Standards (SABS). Fire performance classification of thermal insulated building
envelope systems. SANS 428.
South African Bureau of Standards (SABS). Fire testing of materials, components and elements used in
buildings - Part 3: Surface fire index of finishing materials. SANS 10177-3.
South African Bureau of Standards (SABS). Fire testing of materials, components and elements used in
buildings - Part 4: Surface fire index of floor coverings. SANS 10177-4.
South African Bureau of Standards (SABS). Fire testing of materials, components and elements used in
buildings - Part 5: Noncombustibility at 750°C of building materials. SANS 10177-5.
South African Bureau of Standards (SABS). Fire testing of materials, components and elements used in
buildings - Part 10: Surface burning characteristics of building materials using the inverted channel tunnel
test. SANS 10177-10.
South African Bureau of Standards (SABS). Fire testing of materials, components and elements used in
buildings - Part 11: Large-scale fire performance evaluation of building envelope thermal insulation systems
(with or without sprinklers). SANS 10177-11.
Standards Australia. Methods for Fire Tests on Building Materials, Components and Structures, Part 2: Test
for Flammability of Materials. AS 1530 Part 2.
Standards Australia. Fire Tests: Full-Scale Room Test for Surface Products. AS ISO 9705.
Thermal Insulation Association of Southern Africa (TIASA), Fire Performance Classification Register.
Universal Building Code (UBC). Room Fire Test Standard for Interior of Foam Plastic Systems. UBC 26-3.
Underwriters Laboratories (UL). Fire Test of Interior Finish Material. UL 1715.

APPENDIX A GLOSSARY OF TERMS

BCA: Building Code of Australia.
Bulk insulation: Bulk insulation includes materials such as glass fiber, slag wool, rock fiber, cellulose fiber,
polyester fiber, polystyrene, polyurethane and polyisocyanurate.
Class 1: A material or assembly that has limited combustibility such that it will not self-propagate fire.
CSIRO: The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation. Australia’s national science
agency.
EPS: Expanded polystyrene.
Fire barrier: A fire-resistance-rated assembly designed to restrict the spread of fire and the movement of
smoke in which continuity is maintained. Fire barriers are continuous fire separations with terminations at
exterior walls, fire walls, other fire barriers, or the roof in order to constitute a complete fire separation. Fire
barriers should be continuous through concealed spaces, such as the space above a suspended ceiling.
Openings are protected with fire doors having a minimum fire protection rating of 20 minutes.
Firestopped: A construction method where the subpurlins dead-end into the purlins, which dead-end into
the beams (see Figure 1). Constructions in which the purlins and/or subpurlins are continuous over their
respective supporting members are non-firestopped and thus allow for a large, contiguous space beneath the
roof deck.
FM Approved: A product or service that has satisfied the criteria for Approval by FM Approvals. Refer to the
Approval Guide for a complete list of products and services that are FM Approved.
Glu-lam beams: Wood beams made up of two or more wood laminations glued together.
Heat release rate (HRR): The rate at which combustion reactions produce heat. The HRR is measured in
kilowatts (kW) or kilowatts per unit area (kW/m2).
Listed: Listed by a reputable testing laboratory according to a widely recognized testing standard adopted
by model building codes.

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Noncombustible: A material or assembly that will not allow for a self-propagating fire and contributes a
negligible amount of fuel to a fire but is not necessarily fire resistive.
Noncombustible Insulation: Those insulations meeting the limits for noncombustible core as defined in FM
Approval Standard 4880.
Plywood diaphragm roof deck: A type of construction in which the plywood roof deck acts as a lateral
load-resisting structural element. The roof diaphragm resists lateral loads in the plane of the roof, acting as
a thin, deep beam.
Reflective insulation (reflective foil laminates, radiant barrier products): Insulation products that mainly resist
radiant heat flow due to their reflectivity, low radiant heat absorption, and low emissivity. Reflective insulation
is usually shiny aluminum foil laminated with reinforcements, or low-density polyethylene bubble encapsulated
with air and laminated to foil. It is normally supplied in rolls. Reflective insulation relies on the presence of
a defined air space next to the shiny surface. Reflective surfaces should be positioned to face the brighter side
downward.
Thermal barrier: A board stock material or coating material applied over a combustible foam insulation that
is designed to delay ignition of the insulation for 10 to 15 minutes in a sprinklered application.
XPS: Extruded polystyrene.

APPENDIX B DOCUMENT REVISION HISTORY

October 2014. This data sheet has been revised to include various materials in addition to aluminum foil/kraft
paper construction. Major changes include the following:
A. Added foil-faced expanded polystyrene; foil-faced polyethylene bubble wrap; foil-faced polyester
nonwoven; foil-faced closed-cell polyethylene foam; cross-linked foil-faced polyolefin foam; and foil-faced
noncombustible insulations.
B. Added recommendations to cover new and existing installations. Added guidance to cover new
and existing installations.
C. Added information on the use of other codes.
January 2003. Recommendation 2.2.1, item 1 was revised and section 3.2 was added to reflect the
acceptability of Approved insulation facings as a reflective insulation.
January 2000. This revision of the document was reorganized to provide a consistent format.
May 1991. The first publication of this document.

APPENDIX C SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION

Reflective insulation is commonly used where air-conditioning loads are high in comparison to heating loads.
This is generally prevalent in the western and southern United States, Australia, Southeast Asia, and Africa.
In warm climates, heat flow tends to be down, from the warm outside, through the roof, to the cooler inside.
The primary mode of heat transfer for this condition is radiation. Reflective insulation is very effective in
reducing radiative heat flow.

C.1 Insulation Types

C.1.1 Kraft Paper-Based Insulation

Kraft paper-based reflective insulations (Figure 22) can be broadly categorized into two types: single-layer
and multi-layer. The former is actually a tri-laminate consisting of a kraft paper core faced on both sides with
aluminum foil. The foil is adhered with a fire retardant-treated adhesive. The latter is typically constructed
with top and bottom layers of kraft paper and aluminum foil laminates with the aluminum foil facing outward.
Intermediate layers are alternating sheets of aluminum foil and kraft paper. Each sheet is separated by a
dead air space of approximately 1 in. (25 mm).
Multi-layer material is available with up to nine layers, although material with more than five layers is
uncommon. The fire hazard is expected to increase with additional layers.

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25 inches
(625 mm)

Single layer insulation

25 inches
(625 mm)
Stapling area

Aluminum
foil

3.25 inches
Kraft paper

(83 mm)
Cardboard

Cross sections are

exaggerated to
show construction
Stapling area
details.
Drawings are not Multi (five) layer insulation
to scale.
Fig. 22. Typical reflective insulations end views

When first introduced, reflective insulation was usually not treated with fire retardant (FR). Most, if not all,
reflective insulation manufactured since about 1980, however, is FR-treated and conforms to NBS PS 46-71.
Fire performance of the FR material is expected to be better than the non-FR material.

C.1.2 Foil-Faced EPS

Typically made of standard construction-grade EPS ranging in thickness from 0.4 to 2.0 in. (10 to 50 mm),
this product is faced with 0.8 mil (20 µm) aluminum foil on one or both sides.

C.1.3 Foil-Faced Polyethylene Bubble Wrap

Typically made of one or two layers of polyethylene bubbles with a foil face on one or both sides, this product
has a very thin fiberglass weave in it that makes it a very durable (tear proof) and popular product. It can
be used as a more-effective insulating sarking material, and can often be found as an exposed wall and ceiling
lining in industrial and warehousing occupancies, as well as the standard sarking in ceiling voids.

C.1.4 Foil-Faced Polyester Nonwoven Insulation

Risk service testing has determined this material is less of a hazard than foil-faced polyethylene bubble wrap
and foil-faced and unfaced polyester nonwoven insulation.

C.1.5 Closed-Cell Polyethylene Foil-Faced Foam Insulation

This insulation is manufactured in continuous roll form and is created by bonding reflective reinforced
aluminum foils to an inner core of low-density closed-cell polyethylene foam.

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C.1.6 Cross-Linked Foil-Faced Polyolefin Foam Insulation

This product is more commonly used for duct insulation and under raised floors, but is also used as a ceiling
lining.

C.2 Plywood Diaphragm Roofs

The most common type of roof to which kraft paper-based reflective insulation is attached is the plywood
diaphragm roof. In this type of construction, a plywood deck is supported on 2 × 4 in. (51 × 102 mm) subpurlins
spaced approximately 2 ft (0.6 m) on center. The subpurlins butt into and are supported by 4 in. x 12 to 24
in. (102 mm × 305 to 610 mm) purlins spaced approximately 8 ft (2.4 m) on center. These in turn butt into
and are supported by 7 in. × 24 to 40 in. (178 × 610 to 1020 mm) glue-laminated beams. The glu-lam beams
are usually spaced 20 to 24 ft (6 to 7 m) apart.
Member sizes and spacing may vary somewhat in individual installations. This type of construction is
considered firestopped because the smaller members are not continuous over their respective supporting
members. In some installations, the glu-lam beams run in both directions.
In some plywood deck constructions, the subpurlins and/or purlins do not butt into their respective supporting
members but are continuous over them. This type of construction is not considered firestopped because
of the voids created over and between the members. In this type of construction, a fire in the insulation could
spread over the supporting members and possibly overtax the sprinkler system.

C.3 South Africa

Reflective foil insulations mainly resist radiant heat flow due to their reflectivity, low radiant heat absorption,
and low emissivity. Reflective insulation is usually shiny aluminum foil laminated with reinforcements, or
low-density polyethylene bubbles encapsulated with air and laminated to foil. They are typically supplied in
rolls. Reflective insulation relies on the presence of a defined air space next to the shiny surface. Reflective
surfaces should be positioned so brighter side faces downward.
Composite bulk insulation and reflective materials are available that combine some features of both types.
Examples include foil bonded to bulk insulation (blankets, batts, or boards).
Information on the product label either inside the packaging or on the packaging should provide the
manufacturer’s name, and trade name or trademark (or both); the batch identification or date of manufacture;
the nominal length, width and thickness of the material; the nominal thermal resistance R-value of the
material; and the fire performance classification.
All insulation products should be in compliance with the National Building Regulations SANS 10400-T, Fire
Protection, and should be independently tested in accordance with the relevant standards and classified
in accordance with SANS 428, Fire Performance Classification of Thermal Insulated Building Envelope
Systems.
The fire performance classification of products is required in terms of SANS 10400 Part T, Fire Protection.
Refer to Section 4.5, subsection 4.5.3; Section 4.12, subsection 4.12.1.5; and Section 4.13, subsection 4.13.1,
which states:
“When any insulation, roof lining or waterproof membrane not used as a ceiling and used under a roof covering
as part of a roof assembly, is tested in accordance with SANS 10177-5 and found to be combustible, such
material shall be acceptable should it be classified, marked and installed in accordance with the requirements
of SANS 428.”

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