The cladding of the hall consists of a sandwich panel: two steel sheets and an insulating core between them. The difference between the panels is not in the sheet metal — it's in what's inside.
And that choice determines two things: how much you pay for heating and how the jacket will behave in the event of a fire.
Three types of core
PIR (polyisocyanurate) — best insulating ability per unit thickness. The most common choice for normal operations. PUR (Polyurethane) — older type, insulates a little worse than PIR and behaves worse in a fire. It is used less today. Mineral wool (MW) — non-flammable. It insulates less per unit thickness than PIR, so there must be more of it, and the panel is heavier. It is chosen where the fire solution of the building requires it.
How much insulation at what thickness
Specific values from the panels we use:
| Panel | Thickness | Heat transfer coefficient U |
|---|---|---|
| PIR roof | 120 mm | 0.172 W/m²K |
| PIR wall | 120 mm | 0.19 W/m²K |
| PIR wall | 100 mm | 0.23 W/m²K |
| PIR roof and wall | 100 mm | 0.22 W/m²K |
The difference between a hundred and a hundred and twenty is roughly 17% in heat transfer. On a facade with an area of several hundred square meters, it adds up during the heating season.
When is mineral wool chosen?
The non-flammable panel is used where the fire solution of the building requires it:
- At the border of fire sections — sometimes only in the strip where the cladding connects to the dividing fire wall, not along the entire facade
- At the walls closer to the boundary of the property or in close-knit buildings
- For buildings with a permanent residence of people — for example, a hall with an extension where there are offices or an apartment
- In agricultural areas where there are several buildings next to each other and straw or hay is stored
In one of our halls, mineral wool is used only in places where the cladding connects to the fire walls — the rest of the facade is PIR. It is a solution that fulfills the requirement and at the same time does not pay for a non-flammable panel where it is not needed.
Refrigeration panel — fourth category
In operations where a constant temperature is maintained — wine warehouses, cold boxes, food industry — a cooling panel is used. It has a more precise lock and a better tightness of the joint compared to the construction one.
The difference is not in the insulator, but in the design. A joint leak means a permanent loss in refrigerated operation that you pay for every day.
How to choose
| The situation | Recommendations |
|---|---|
| A normal production or warehouse hall | PIR 100 mm walls / 120 mm roof |
| A hall with higher heating requirements | PIR 120mm walls / 145-160mm roof |
| Fire requirement for shell parts | mineral wool in certain places, PIR elsewhere |
| Building with permanent residence of persons | mineral wool |
| Refrigerated or tempered operation | cooling panel 120-160 mm |
| Unheated object | trapezoidal plate |
What to ask in the menu
- Which core — PIR, PUR, or mineral wool?
- What thickness separately for the walls and separately for the roof?
- What heat transfer coefficient does a particular panel have?
- What is the fire rating of the panel?
When the menu only says "sandwich panel 100 mm", half the information is missing.
Advice tailored to your operation
The choice of coat is not a catalog item — it is based on what will happen in the hall. Look at steel halls, cold storage and food halls or write directly.
