ROCKWOOL Cavityrock® Black offers aesthetics, performance and potential installation savings for open-joint cladding systems

MILTON, ON, March 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ - Architects, designers, specifiers, contractors and building owners now have a new, innovative and high-performance option when it comes to insulation for open-joint cladding systems.  ROCKWOOL, North America's largest stone wool manufacturer, has launched Cavityrock® Black—a dual-density insulation board designed to mask the insulation layer with a bonded fleece facing to create a crisp, dark aesthetic in open-joint facades.  Cavityrock® Black also offers the same excellent thermal performance, fire resistance, and moisture control of ROCKWOOL Cavityrock® insulation.    

"Cavityrock® Black is an innovative solution," says Garrett Feehrer, Marketing Manager - USA, ROCKWOOL (North America).  "It eliminates the need for a separate masking layer that can add extra time, materials and cost to an installation, yet it achieves the same crisp look.  In architecture, quite simply, aesthetics matter.  Cavityrock® Black insulation addresses the need for a dark reveal behind open-jointed cladding systems, while still providing a diverse array of performance advantages in exterior wall and rainscreen applications." 

The fleece material on Cavityrock® Black has been strategically designed for exposure to the elements (weather, heat, UV), while maintaining the fire performance expected of ROCKWOOL stone wool and contributing to a durable, resilient exterior wall assembly.  Tested in accordance with ASTM E84, ROCKWOOL Cavityrock® Black achieves a flame spread index and smoke development index of 10 and 25 respectively—lower than some commonly used black scrim materials. 

A key differentiator that gives Cavityrock® Black an edge in quality and durability is how the facing material is applied.  Rather than relying on adhesives like many insulations with facing, the fleece on Cavityrock® Black is bonded to the insulation as part of the manufacturing process, essentially joining the two materials into one. This offers better mechanical properties and superior long-term performance.

As with ROCKWOOL Cavityrock®, the dual-density composition of Cavityrock® Black (a high-density top layer and lower density bottom later), unique to ROCKWOOL in North America, provides an array of benefits not offered by traditional mono-density mineral wool boards.  In a rainscreen application, the hard, outer layer acts as a resilient surface to weather exposure, while the lower density layer reduces the overall weight of the board, making it easier to handle.  As a ROCKWOOL stone wool insulation product, Cavityrock® Black provides a number of performance advantages including passive fire protection, sound absorbency and excellent moisture management (ROCKWOOL stone wool is hydrophobic and vapor permeable, with high drying potential).  Resistant to mold and mildew, it also contributes to a durable, resilient wall assembly.  Cavityrock® Black achieves an R-value of 4.3/inch) and is available in standard 16" x 48" and 24" x 48" widths, with thickness ranging from 2" to 6". 

Visit www.ROCKWOOL.com for technical data sheets or to order samples. ROCKWOOL Building Science is also available to help achieve your building's performance objectives, offering the following services free-of-charge: Thermal Bridging Modelling (2D and 3d thermal modelling – THERM/HEAT3), including U-value analysis and insulation detailing review; Heat, Air and Moisture Transfer modelling (1D transient hygrothermal analysis – WUFI, and dew point calculations), Full Building Energy Modelling (Design Builder) including building envelope sensitivity analysis; and R-value Calculations, including codes & standards compliance evaluations and heat transfer modelling.

About ROCKWOOL
With five manufacturing facilities and over 1,000 employees, ROCKWOOL is North America's largest stone wool producer, offering advanced building insulation, industrial and technical solutions. 

At the ROCKWOOL Group, we are committed to enriching the lives of everyone who experiences our solutions.  Our expertise is perfectly suited to tackling many of today's biggest sustainability and development challenges, from energy consumption and noise pollution to fire resilience, water scarcity and flooding.  Our range of products reflects the diversity of the world's needs, supporting our stakeholders in reducing their own carbon footprint along the way. 

Stone wool is a versatile material and forms the basis for all our businesses.  With more than 11,700 passionate colleagues in 39 countries, we are the world leader in stone wool solutions, from building insulation to acoustic ceilings, external cladding systems to horticultural solutions, engineered fibers for industrial use to insulation for the process industry, marine and offshore.  For more information, visit: www.rockwoolgroup.com (global site) or www.rockwool.com (North America).

SOURCE ROCKWOOL (North America)