The team at Firebrand Insulation was stoked to provide some window frame insulation recently for one of our Calgary customers. Doors and windows are a natural fit for our skills and precision-cut insulation.
Historically, window frames have been insulated with high-density mineral wool, also called rock wool, which is made from rock fibres similar to fibreglass.
However, mineral wool insulation presents some disadvantages. First, there are health risks in the manufacturing process. Specifically, handling mineral wool creates slivers in the skin, and air particles that can be inhaled into lung alveoli, creating a risk of lung disease.
Now, while the greatest health risk is primarily to those working in rock wool manufacturing plants, if a contractor needs to remove the rock wool from a window or door, i.e. to service a leak, handling and replacing this kind of insulation is still risky.
Another issue is that, once the servicing is complete, the original mineral wool insulation will not likely go back in smoothly. That means buying more mineral wool insulation and figuring out how to get it seated into the window or door frame.
Rigid Polyurethane Insulation
Enter a better solution: polyurethane insulation. At Firebrand, our insulation starts as a liquid, which is then poured, hardened, and cut into an exact shape.
The insulation can easily be produced in 7 feet sections – so it can insulate the frames around large windows or full-sized doors prior to installation. It fits into its position precisely, allowing a margin of flexibility for seasonal contraction and expansion of doors and windows. It can later be removed for servicing, and put right back into position without needing replacement.
Most importantly, there is almost zero risk to handling it because it doesn’t produce shards.
Other Applications
As long as polyurethane is not subjected to a lot of heat (maximum 85°C), it performs beautifully and at a higher R-Value; superior to other materials of the same volume. Some of our other insulation supply projects have included piping, door cores, and customer-designed special shapes.
This makes it perhaps the most versatile, healthy and effective kind of insulation on the market.
Send us Your Specs
Because polyurethane is rigid, precision sizing is everything.
At Firebrand, we would be very happy to have a look at your windows, doors or other product applications.
After all, you want to keep your customers happy and warm, right? Contact us today.