Denver, Colorado (3/9/2000) --- Johns Manville (JM), a leading manufacturer of fiber glass insulation, has just introduced a commercial version of its popular ComfortTherm™ fiber glass batt insulation. Commercial ComfortTherm™ , like its residential predecessor, is polyencapsulated and meets a variety of thermal and acoustical needs in new commercial constructions and renovation/retrofit projects.The product is UL classified FHC 25/50 per UL 723, and has flame spread 25 or less, and smoke developed 50 or less when tested in accordance with ASTM E 84. The poly facing and triple-reinforced flanges are significantly tougher and more tear-resistant than kraft-faced insulation.
Compared to non-encapsulated insulation, ComfortTherm batts significantly reduce the presence of fiber glass particulates in the plenums above ceiling panels. Installers also experience less dust and itch compared to ordinary insulation.
The pre-cut, poly-wrapped batts allow for a more efficient, installer-friendly installation. Produced in widths specific to commercial construction and designed for friction-fit installation between 16-inch and 24-inch steel framing members in walls, the batts can be used as a backfill above panels in suspended ceiling systems.
Johns Manville first developed its residential ComfortTherm insulation in 1994, expanding the product line throughout the 1990s. The increasing popularity of the product among professional installers and do-it-yourselfers alike encouraged the company to create the product for commercial applications.
“Many of our commercial customers asked for a poly-wrapped insulation, so we responded,” explained Mark Smith, Johns Manville’s Commercial and Metal Building Business Manager. “We’re glad we can now offer architects, specifiers, builders, contractors and installers the same ComfortTherm advantages that we offer our residential customers.”
Commercial ComfortTherm batts are flexible, lightweight and made of long, resilient glass fibers bonded with a thermosetting resin.
The product is versatile, simultaneously offering a variety of thermal efficiency, acoustic, and durability benefits.
Commercial ComfortTherm’s thermal performance is illustrated by its resistance to heat transfer, with R-values from R-11 to R-30. The sound-absorbing qualities of this product help reduce noise transmission through walls and ceilings, isolating bothersome machinery and equipment noise.
Commercial ComfortTherm’s bonded glass fibers intertwine to give it high tensile strength. It won’t pull apart during normal applications and won’t sag when properly installed. Because glass fibers are non-cellular and non-hygroscopic, they resist effects from moisture; are unaffected by oil, grease and most acids; and provide no sustenance for fungi or vermin.
Commercial ComfortTherm™ is available in the following R-values and dimensions: R-11 (3 5/8”x16”x96”), R-13 (3 1/2”x16”x96”), R-19 (6 1/2”x24”x48”) and R-30 (10 1/4” x 24” x 48”).
Johns Manville (NYSE:JM) is a leading manufacturer and marketer of premium-quality building products. The 142-year-old Denver-based company had sales of $2.2 billion in 1999. Johns Manville produces and markets insulation products for buildings and equipment; commercial/industrial roofing systems; and engineered products including high-efficiency filtration media, fibers, fabric and nonwoven mats used as reinforcements in building and industrial applications. The company employs approximately 9,700 people and operates 58 manufacturing facilities in North America, Europe and China. Click on www.jm.com for additional information.
