At a time when building energy conservation standards are becoming increasingly stringent, glass wool has become one of the preferred materials for high-rise curtain walls and exterior wall insulation due to its Class A non-combustibility, low thermal conductivity (≤0.035W/(m·K)), and good construction adaptability. However, in actual applications, insulation failure, mildew, and even structural safety problems caused by insufficient hydrophobicity have always been a pain point in the industry. This article will examine the comprehensive protection system of glass wool exterior wall insulation from four key dimensions: materials, process, node, and monitoring, and reveal the innovative application logic of design parameters.
1. Differentiated density selection for different parts: Breaking the traditional perception of "one size fits all"
| Application Scenario | Recommended density range | Innovative design logic |
| Curtain wall interlayer in cold regions | 48–64 kg/m³ | Increase density by 16 kg/m³, improving wind and compressive resistance by 30%; with closer anchoring distance (250 mm × 250 mm), it can resist ultra-high wind load of 55 m/s (refer to “Load Code for the Design of Building Structures” GB 50009-2012). |
| Curtain wall interlayer in cold regions | 24–32 kg/m³ | Adopt "low density + double anchoring with adhesive" technique, adding thermal resistance with an air layer (ΔR = 0.15 m²·K/W), improving thermal insulation performance by 18% and reducing material cost by 12%. |
| Renovation of the old house base | ≥40 kg/m³ | Use expansion screw + steel bracket + composite anchor system, wall embedding depth ≥100 mm to ensure firm anchoring of brittle walls (solves traditional issue of 40% reduced tensile strength in pull-out tests). |
Density selection needs to be linked to the “life cycle cost of the building” – increasing the density by 8kg/m³ in high wind pressure areas will increase initial costs by 5%, but it can reduce maintenance and renovation by three times over 20 years, reducing overall costs by 22%.
2. "Three-dimensional control model" of construction technology
Innovation in anchor depth: In aerated concrete walls, the "drilling-glue injection-implantation" process is adopted, and the effective anchoring depth of anchors is increased from the traditional 60mm to 80mm, and the pull-out strength reaches 0.6MPa (GB 50210 requires ≥0.3MPa).
Revolution in seam treatment: Introducing the "hot-melt welding" board seam process, using a special hot-melt gun to melt and bond the edge fibers of the glass wool board, replacing traditional tape sealing, reducing water vapor permeability by 75%.
1. Material layer: from "passive waterproofing" to "active water repellency"
Application of the third generation of water repellent: using nano-scale silane modifier (particle size ≤ 50nm), the adhesion of the water repellent film is increased by 2 times compared with traditional calcium stearate.
Innovation of composite structure: development of "glass wool-micro airbag-polymer coil" sandwich board, the micro airbag layer (thickness 0.5mm) can block 90% of the capillary water migration path, and the thermal resistance is increased by 0.2m²·K/W.
2. Interface layer: building a "zero-gap" waterproof barrier
| Treatment Section | Shortcomings of the Traditional Solution | Innovative Technology | Performance Improvement |
| Panel–Wall Interface | The cement interface is prone to cracking | Epoxy resin base + chopped carbon fiber interface agent | Bonding strength increased from 0.15 MPa to 0.4 MPa |
| Anchor Hole Sealing | Foam glue shrinkage rate > 10% | Water-swellable sealing adhesive compound | Water leakage rate reduced from 25% to 3% |
3. Structural layer: "Drainage-waterproof-breathable" integrated design
Curtain wall cavity innovation: set up "Z-shaped aluminum alloy drainage groove", the slope is increased to 8%, and with the breathable membrane (air permeability ≥ 0.2kg/(m²·h)), the dynamic balance of "drainage speed > water seepage speed" is achieved.
Hazard wall node: adopts "stainless steel eagle beak + built-in drainage groove" structure, compared with traditional mortar slope leveling, the hidden danger of water accumulation is reduced by 90%, and the risk of freeze-thaw damage is reduced to zero.
1. Exceeding national standards: breakthrough indicators of enterprise internal control standards
| Item | National Standard Requirement | Advanced Enterprise Internal Standard | Innovative Test Method |
| Long-term Water Absorption (180 days) | ≤1.0 kg/m² | ≤0.3 kg/m² | Cyclic immersion–drying test (simulating 5 years of weather exposure) |
| Weather Resistance (Artificial Aging) | 80 cycles of hot rain + 5 cold-hot cycles | 120 cycles of hot rain + 10 cold-hot cycles | UV + humidity composite aging chamber (wavelength 300–400 nm) |
2. On-site rapid detection technology
Infrared thermal imager scanning: Detection within 72 hours after construction is completed to accurately locate potential water seepage points (the traditional water spray test has a 15% missed detection rate).
Humidity sensor pre-embedded: Wireless sensors are buried in the insulation layer to monitor the moisture content in real time (the warning threshold is set at 15%), and the data is synchronized to the BIM management platform.
Construction in high humidity areas: adopt the "prefabrication and assembly" process, complete the composite processing of glass wool board, aluminum foil and mesh cloth in the factory, increase the efficiency of on-site splicing by 40%, and reduce the risk of joint leakage by 85%.
Seismic fortification areas: develop "elastic node" technology, use spring gaskets (compression amount 5mm) for anchor bolts, and use basalt fiber for mesh cloth, which improves the crack resistance by 3 times (GB 50011-2010 requires interlayer displacement angle ≤1/550).
The systematic protection of glass wool exterior wall insulation requires "material performance-structural design-construction technology-intelligent monitoring" as the four pillars:
Material side: hydrophobicity ≥ 98% + nano-modified coating;
Structural side: drainage slope ≥ 5% + cavity decompression design;
Technical side: hot melt welding + three-dimensional anchoring;
Monitoring side: humidity sensor + infrared inspection.
Through this system, the service life of the insulation system can be extended from the traditional 15 years to more than 25 years, and the full life cycle cost can be reduced by 30%. The ultimate goal of building energy conservation is not only to meet the parameters, but also to protect the whole process from "millimeter-level" construction control to "decades" of performance maintenance.
If you have high-quality glass wool felt purchase needs or want to learn more about the product, you are welcome to contact us IKING GROUP.
IKING GROUP glass wool factory locates in Hebei Province. International Department based Tianjin, nearest to the Port.
