Kuwait Insulating Material Manufacturing Company (KIMMCO) - Frequently Asked Qu...

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Thermal:
Q: What is an R-value?

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An R-Value (thermal resistance) indicates the insulating power of an insulation material. The
higher the R-value, the greater the insulating power i.e more energy savings.

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Fire:
Q: I need to build a wall that is rated to 1 hour. Which building insulation product will
achieve this rating?
Fire Rating of walls, floors, columns, and other building members under fire exposure
conditions are tested in accordance to ASTM E-119. The fire resistive ratings are expressed
in hours. The fire ratings of these assemblies are largely dependent upon the thickness of the
gypsum board /Steel sheet and not the insulation. The insulation is usually an optional item in
the assembly and should not have a negative impact on the hourly fire rating.

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INSULATION
grows with the
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2008
KIMMCO efforts
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Works
KIMMCO seeks
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Q: Are KIMMCO fiber glass building insulation products Non-combustible?

Yes, KIMMCOs unfaced fiber glass insulation is rated non-combustible when tested in
accordance to ASTM E 136, BS 476(Part 7) and ISO 1182.
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Acoustic:
Q: What is Reverberation time?
Reverberation time is the time taken for the sound pressure level to drop by 60 dB after the
generated noise has been stopped.
Areas with a long reverberation time are referred to as being live, e.g. cathedrals and
churches. Those with a short reverberation time are referred to as being dead, e.g. offices
with thick carpets and absorbent ceilings.
A reduction of 60 dB in the sound pressure level is equivalent to the reduction of acoustic
energy by a factor of one million. As a rough guide, the reverberation time of a room is
approximately equal to the time it takes for loud clapping to become inaudible.
Q: What is STC value?

STC (Sound Transmission Class) value is a single number rating to specify the reduction in
sound levels that the partition provides. The sound transmission loss performance of a
partition is measured using ASTM E 90 "Standard Test Method for Laboratory Measurement
of Airborne Sound Transmission Loss of Building Partitions and Elements" and calculated
according to ASTM E 413 "Classification for Rating Sound Insulation." As a general rule, the
higher the STC rating, the better the partition's acoustical performance.
Q: What is the STC rating of a fiber glass insulation?
Fiber glass insulation do not have a STC (Sound Transmission Class) rating, but the use of
fiber glass insulation within a partition assembly can increase the STC rating by up to 10
points. An STC rating indicates the reduction of sound transmission through a partition
assembly, not each individual element.
Q: What are CAC ratings?

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Ceiling Attenuation Class (CAC) ratings are used to determine the sound transmission loss
through an acoustical or dropped ceiling. A CAC rating is determined by ASTM test method E
1414 "Standard Test Method for Airborne Sound Attenuation Between Rooms Sharing a
Common Ceiling Plenum" and provides a value that is equivalent to an STC value
Q: What are IIC ratings?
An IIC (Impact Isolation Class) rating describes the impact noise that is transmitted through a
floor/ceiling assembly. The rating is determined by ASTM E 492 "Standard Test Method for
Laboratory Measurement of Impact Sound transmission Through Floor-Ceiling Assemblies
Using the Tapping Machine." High ratings indicate that impact noise is reduced substantially.
Q: Can a higher STC value be achieved if faced fiberglass insulation instead of
unfaced insulation is used in a partition?

There is no change in STC value of a partition assembly.

Q: Can STC values be added together?

STC values can not be added together. Generally, doubling of the mass of a partition
system increases STC value by 6.
Q: Can NRC values be added together?

NRC values can not be added together.

Q: Are there advantages to using steel studs over wood studs?
Twenty five gauge steel studs provide superior sound control performance to wood studs with
the same dimensions. The flexibility of the studs allows the partition to provide performance
equivalent to a wood stud construction with resilient channels.
Q: What are resilient channels and where are they sold?
Resilient channels are strips of metal with an offset that spaces the drywall approximately "
away from the framing. They are typically installed 24 inches on center perpendicular to the
studs. The use of resilient channels dramatically reduces the amount of sound that is
conducted though the structure.
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Health:
Q: Do KIMMCO products contain asbestos?

No, KIMMCO does not use Asbestos as a raw ingredient in manufacturing of any of its
products.
Q: Do KIMMCO products cause Cancer?

In October 2001, an international expert review by the International Agency for Research on
Cancer (IARC) re-evaluated the 1988 IARC assessment of glass fibers and removed glass
wools from its list of possible carcinogens by downgrading the classification of these fibers
from Group 2B (possible carcinogen) to Group 3 (not classifiable as to carcinogenicity in
humans). All fiber glass wools that are commonly used for thermal and acoustical insulation
are included in this classification.
IARC noted specifically: Epidemiologic studies published during the 15 years since the
previous IARC Monographs review of these fibers in 1988 provide no evidence of increased
risks of lung cancer or mesothelioma (cancer of the lining of the body cavities) from
occupational exposures during manufacture of these materials, and inadequate evidence
overall of any cancer risk.
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Water Vapor:
Q: What is Dew Point?

Dew Point is the temperature at which condensations forms.

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Q: What is Condensation?
Air is composed of many gases. One of these is water in a gaseous from, called water
vapor. The amount of water vapor that air can hold is a function of temperature. When the
air comes in contact with an object at a temperature where water vapor will change to a
liquid. This process is called condensation.
Q: What is perm?
Perm is a traditional unit of water vapor permeability, that is, the ability of a material to permit
the passage of water vapor. If we want to keep things dry, we wrap them in something having
low permeability. A material has a permeability of one perm if it allows transmission of one
grain of water vapor per square foot of area per inch of mercury (in Hg) of pressure difference
per hour. The value depends somewhat on temperature, however. At 0 C, one perm equals
about 5.721 x 10-11 kilograms per square meter per pascal per second (kg/(m2Pas)) or
about 0.2060 mg/(m2Pah); at room temperature the equivalent is about 5.745 x 10-11 kg/
(m2Pas). [The SI unit, kg/(m2Pas), simplifies to seconds per meter (s/m).] The lower the
perm value, the better the vapor barrier.
Q: What is perm inch?

Perm inch is a traditional unit of water vapor permeance. The perm value (see above) does
not depend on the thickness of the material used as a water barrier. The permeance is the
product of the perm value and the thickness, measured in inches. One perm inch equals
about 1.453 x 10-12 kg/(mPas) at 0 C or about 1.459 x 10-12 kg/(mPas) at room
temperature. The SI unit kg/(mPas) actually simplifies to seconds (s).
Q: What is Water Vapor Transmission?

The amount of water vapor passing through a given area of a plastic sheet or film in a given
time, when the sheet or film is maintained at a constant temperature and when its faces are
exposed to certain different relative humidities. The result is usually expressed as grams per
24 hours per square meter (g/24 hrm2).
Q: What is the difference between permeance and permeability?
Permeability is the water vapor transmission of a homogeneous material under unit vapor
pressure difference between two specific surfaces, per unit thickness. An acceptable unit of
permeability is perms-inch: grain-in/hft2inHg. Permeability is important for specifying
insulation materials.
Permeance is the water vapor transmission of a specific sample under unit vapor pressure
difference between two specific surfaces. An acceptable unit of permeance is perm:
grain/hft2inHg. Permeance is important for specifying vapor retarders.
It is important to ONLY use permeance when specifying vapor retarders. The industry
standard requirements for vapor retarder permeance in mechanical systems are typically
0.02 perms for below 32F service temperature and 0.03 to 0.05 perms for above 32F
service temperatures. When selecting a vapor retarder, make sure that permeance meets
these requirements. Saran* 540 and 560 vapor retarder films easily meet the more stringent
of these two requirements (0.02 perms). This makes them suitable for use at service
temperatures from ambient down to cryogenic temperatures.
Q: Which side do I install the vapor retarder on?
It depends on your geographical location. In cold climates, the vapor retarder should be
installed on the inside (warm in winter) of the structure. In hot and humid climates the vapor
retarder should be installed on the outside (warm side). Vapor retarders play an integral role
in moisture control. Since climates are rarely cold or hot all the time, the vapor retarder
should be placed to the side of the structure that is the predominately warm side. This is
because heat flows from warmer to cooler in attempt to reach equilibrium. The warmer air
can hold a higher amount of water vapor. As air cools, it can reach the dew point. This is the
point at which the relative humidity reaches 100% and water vapor condenses from the vapor
phase to the liquid phase. Therefore, the vapor retarder should be placed to the
predominately warm side to prevent the moisture from migrating with the heat flow to the cold
side, reaching the dew point, and creating a liquid moisture problem.
Q: Do I need to replace my building insulation if it gets wet?

Yes. In cases where the insulation has become saturated and the insulation is not allowed to

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fully dry, the insulating properties of the fiber glass will be deteriorated.
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General:
Q: Which way does the foil face (reflective side) on the AP foil faced insulation need to
face?
In most cases it doesn't matter. Both sides have the same perm rating (0.05 perms). The
reflective side will give an increased R-value when used behind an exterior brick veneer. This
is called a reflective air space. Sometimes the non-reflective side is installed towards the
outside to reduce glare from the sun or to eliminate any concerns about too much heat build
up behind vinyl siding.
Q: I need to insulate a structure that is going to be heated above ambient temperature.
What are the maximum use temperatures of KIMMCO fiberglass insulation products?
Unfaced : 230oC;
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