The three-in-one panel: a cladding, insulation and lining solution

With the price of building so high in New Zealand, time, more than ever, is money. It’s this issue that Metalcraft Insulated Panel Systems are addressing with their three-in-one product - a complete system that is a ceiling, insulation and a roofing panel.

With an ever increasing demand for housing and the high cost of building in New Zealand, the need to build more efficiently is more important than ever. Being able to specify products that significantly increase the speed - and decrease the cost - of building is part of the solution to the housing crisis. “That’s where our thermopanel system is so important,” Metalcraft Insulated Panel Systems’ Peter Zeeman says. “The insulated panels roofing panels are a finished system. When they are installed, they become the roofing, the ceiling, and the insulation in the one panel.”

Metalcraft’s insulated panels are available in both roofing panels and wall panels, and are all CodeMark certified as an acceptable solution for use throughout New Zealand.

“The wall panels are the same as the roofing panels in that once installed they become the house’s insulation, internal walls and exterior cladding,” Peter says. “That means there’s no need for lining or stopping, and if you’re using the roofing panel, once they are installed, work can quickly move on in the interior.”

While in most cases the thermopanels are not lined, they can be depending on the architectural intention of the design. “In a recent project in Kinloch, the architect chose to line some while using others without additional lining to create a variety of different finishes in the interior of the home,” Peter says.

Metalcraft offers a range of insulated wall and roofing panels. “The first are the EPS panels. These have a Colorsteel skin on both sides and an EPS core, which provides the insulation,” Peter says. “They are available in any Colorsteel colour, and we manufacture all the EPS panels at our facility in Manukau, Auckland.”

The other option - for both roofing and wall panels - is the Metecnospan and Metecnopanel. These are the same as the EPS panels but have a polyisocyanurate (PIR) core providing the insulation. “PIR provides an insulation value that is almost double that of EPS, and it also has a higher fire resistance than EPS.”

While insulated panels have been around for some years, in New Zealand their uptake as a residential building material is still in its infancy. “It’s a concept that is still relatively new in terms of its use and people’s understanding of it in New Zealand,” Peter says. “However, the potential for this system is huge. If specified correctly, it can become the entire envelope of the house, as well as the insulation and internal ceiling or walls.”

The insulated panels can also be used structurally, and Metalcraft works closely with a Tauranga-based engineering firm to provide the best structural solutions on an individual project basis.

Have a look at some of Metalcraft’s latest work and products on ArchiPro here.