Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/178323
can also be used on both interior and exterior substrates," says Nick Petrakis, national sales and marketing manager at Durabond. The two products are similar except that Gemstone has mica flakes. Petrakis says architects are starting to use them more as "a way of giving a client something special." The biggest use for them so far has been in the commercial sector, but the condo market is also showing potential for these products. They have the look of decorative precast but cost much less. But neither Stonetex nor Gemstone are low-cost options, so rather than being applied to an entire wall or building, they are often used as accents to break up the monotony of a solid acrylic finish. (Gemstone has, on occasion, been used to clad an entire building. One project involved a 15-storey retrofit using EIFS, with Gemstone as the exterior coating). Another product that's seeing a steady growth in demand is the fibre-reinforced concrete panel cladding systems from Synstone. Sterling Halliday, director of marketing at Synstone, says that it is the only thin-walled cladding system of its kind made in Canada, and adds that there are at present only two such plants in North America. "Our exterior cladding products are being mostly used in new construction. We used to focus more on retrofit, but it's more new construction now, although we're seeing demand for retrofits," he says. The concrete cladding system is available in a range of colours — 42 standard ones — and finishes. Also, cladding panels are customized to each project, a common aspect in precast applications, so there are no off-cuts at the site. "This is different from some European systems, which can have standard sizes," says Halliday. Like EIFS, foam insulation also encountered some bumps in the road in its earlier incarnations. Ozone-depleting ingredients contained in the dispersal system or 'blowing' agent, flammability, carcinogenic fire retardants and toxic off-gassing all helped trash its reputation in the minds of many. Slapdash application by unqualified contractors was also an occasional issue. "Regarding flammability, the industry is now using non-cancer-causing fire retardant," says Laverne Dalgleish, a principal at Building Professionals Inc., a consulting firm, which also provides management services to the Canadian Urethane Foam Contractors Association (CUFCA). CUFCA recommends the use of products that meet the national standard CAN ULC s705.1. The CUFCA website notes that the national building code references this standard and adds that, where there is no building code in effect, many insurance companies require material that meets this standard or their coverage or rates may change for the building. The standard was developed in Canada and forms the basis for ISO 8873-1. "The standard has addressed all these issues — flammability, dimensional stability and offgassing. The ISO standard means that testing has been done," says Dalgleish. Also, beginning with the 1987 Montreal Protocol, the ozonedepleting content of insulation foams has been steadily dropping and companies are starting to introduce products that are zero ozonedepleting. There is also a standard for the installation of this type of insulation — CAN ULC s705.2. Enforcement of these standards is a concern, says Dalgleish. "It's the best standard in the world, but some don't know it's there. Sub-standard stuff is being imported, and some contractors don't know it's not approved. Design professionals should stipulate that a spray insulation product meets the standard and show proof of that." He adds that confirmation of a product's status in Canada can be obtained from the Canadian Construction Materials Centre (CCMC), which has replaced the CMHC approval process. Left: Atelier R. Maishofen. Öko Skin in Terra colour. Cladding and terrace floor by Reider. Photo courtesy Sound Solutions. AUGUST 2012 p.12-19Building Envelope.indd 15 /15 7/13/12 9:55 AM