NBT Pavadentro Woodfibre Insulation Board from Natural Building Technologies

Natural Building Technologies' Pavadentro woodfibre insulation board has been created to effectively insulate external walls on the inside, while greatly reducing the risk of condensation build up within the fabric of the building. Targeted specifically at the repair and refurbishment markets, the Pavadentro boards are ideal for use in refurbishment projects which cannot be insulated externally, such as listed or heritage buildings, where the external appearance must remain untouched.

By insulating an existing exterior wall with standard insulation on the inside, the dew point is on the cold side of the insulation, in the existing wall structure. In this scenario, moisture damage and degradation are common symptoms, both at wall surfaces and in areas of flooring and partition walling.

In Pavadentro, the inclusion of a mineral-based layer, comprising sodium silica, within the boards provides essential protection for the building fabric. This mineral/woodfibre combination, together with capillary action and hygroscopicity, regulates the passage of moisture travelling to the external wall to avoid the risk of condensation occurring in the original wall structure. Interstitial condensation occurs only within the insulation layer, as intended.

This condensation is absorbed within the material and, via capillary action, is released back into the room as water vapour, ensuring that no structural elements are damaged.

The natural hygroscopicity of the wood fibres also helps to moderate high relative humidities that naturally occur in an occupied building, thereby maintaining a healthy living environment.

In addition to protecting against the impact of condensation, the Pavadentro boards provide the highest levels of thermal and acoustic insulation and have excellent environmental credentials.

The natural, renewable raw material for Pavadentro boards consists of softwood splinters and wood chips from sawmill waste sourced from local FSC certified forestry. In using this waste wood, Pavadentro locks up over 1.2 tonnes of CO2 for every tonne of product used.