Twin-Therm^® is a site assembled roof and wall cladding system, and has proved itself to be a consistently reliable building envelope system since 1995. When finally installed the system is fully walkable and provides a tested Non-Fragile assembly, guaranteed U-values to 0.14W/m²K, air permeability tested as low as 1.03 m³/hr/m² and up to a 40 year full system guarantee.

Twin-Therm^® is available with a great range of profiles to create the most visually compelling elevations and features possible. To find out more about our profiles, click here

The Twin-Therm^® System

The beauty of Twin-Therm^® is in its simplicity.

The system's design and installation method allows for the insulation to be installed continuously, minimising thermal bridging. The sealed liner panel acts as the vapour control layer, so there is no need to install a separate vapour control layer or breather membrane unless a Class 5 humidity construction is required.

Introduced in 2010, the latest spacer system allows for deeper insulation and flexibility in design. All of the values with the original spacer have been maintained and the comprehensive testing regime at CERAM proved the structural value of Matrix.

Structural performance was one key aspect of the Matrix Spacer System. Practicality was also a key issue.

The original Thermabar started life with a 35mm top flange but due to many requests from installers this was increased to 50mm allowing them to virtually eliminate the number of misdrills that had been occurring. The Matrix Bar has a 50mm top flange.

Twin-Therm^® has allowed the ability to install the insulation below the bar without the need for cutting and tucking. This feature has been retained and the ability to install the brackets at typical 1200mm centres using 1200mm wide Man Made Mineral Fibre (MMMF) insulation makes this feature simple to apply.

Click Here to read more about our Matrix Spacer System

Twin-Therm^® offers developers, specifiers and architects a cost effective roof and wall solution with a high degree of flexibility enabling the building designer to choose a profile that caters for their architectural need.

Twin-Therm^® is available in a number of trapezoidal, shadowline, arc and sinusoidal wall profiles, helping you take on any number of complex aesthetical design challenges. The Twin-Therm^® system is available in the full range of pre-finished steel products including Colorcoat HPS200 Ultra^® and Colorcoat Prisma^® from Tata Steel (formerly Corus).

Programme is critical. Reducing the site programme saves money. The ability to supply profiled sheets packed sequentially enables the roofing contractor to save an immense amount of time, reduces damage and improves efficiency.

The ability to line the building out using lightweight materials eliminates manual handling risks, creates a watertight, air tight platform that allows the main contractor to begin their internal work such as floor slab at the earliest opportunity. No cranes are required to lift panels into final position and this ensures that air tightness levels are significantly better than anything else available.

The challenges faced by building designers and the construction teams to meet the aspirations of the latest changes in Part L are simplified by extremely low air leakage performance.

The Twin-Therm^® system is simple to install. No heavy individual components, eliminating risks of manual handling, both on the ground and at height. With many roofing products and components being well in excess of 20kg/m² the architect and building owner both have a responsibility for this issue. The Twin-Therm^® liner panel is installed quickly and simply due to its low weight and provides a watertight and airtight barrier. The CA LT 17 1000S 0.4mm thick steel liner panel is classed as Non-Fragile (in accordance with ACR[M]001: 2005 'Tert for Non-Fragility of Profiled Sheeted Roofing Assemblies' third edition) but not walkable. In most applications this is the ideal solution as the thickness provides extreme flexibility to pick up where the secondary steel has settled. The CA 32 1000RL 0.7mm thick steel liner panel is both Non- Fragile and walkable. These two solutions in comparison to the ever increasing thicker sandwich panel options, which due to their rigidity are unable to pick up on the settled steel, provide superior air permeability results.

The insulation can be installed below the spacer, avoiding the need to cut and tuck, reducing the risk of any gaps in the insulation itself.

BBC Media City: Using Twin-Therm^® as a backing to the Rainscreen.
To find out more about this project, click here

Tested at CERAM the architect and structural engineers can have total confidence in the independent tested data available. Tested not only as a standalone system, but also as a complete roof cladding system validated by the BBA as a part of the Agrément Certification.

Furthermore, all of CA Building Products profiles are CE marked and confirm the thickness specified, in accordance with BS EN 14782:2006. The problems associated with under tolerance steel are not an issue for CA Building Products.

Testing the Matrix Spacer System at CERAM

Royal Mail | Swan Valley. Click here to read more about this project.

Air Permeability, has been widely identified as the major source of heat loss from a building's interior. Heat loss not only contributes to higher building running costs but also increases unnecessary CO₂ emissions, due to the additional heating load required to replace it.

The critical element to achieve good air tightness is the flexibility of the cladding system in accommodating variances in steelwork tolerances.

Inadequately designed or poorly installed steelwork can deflect under its own weight or under the weight of the gutters and the cladding system connected to it. It is vital when considering a building's design to take into account the air tightness performance of the cladding system and its ability to accommodate a degree of flexibility. Reducing air permeability is a major factor in demonstrating compliance with the latest changes to Part L.

Without doubt poor air tightness will equal Part L failure. Good air permeability aids in delivering EPC ratings in Band A, providing high asset values and strong yields.

Part L 2010 states a minimum 10.0m³/hr/m² at 50Pa. The NCM (National Calculation Methodology) advises a minimum of 5.0m³/hr/m² at 50Pa but as we are finding out anything above 2.5m³/hr/m² is at risk of under performing.

Click here or on the icon to the left to download our guide to Part L 2010 and find out more on the impact of air permeability.

Generally built up systems cut and tuck the insulation at the spacer bar allowing sound to be transmitted easily at and around the gaps. With this type of construction, typically a SRI weighted sound reduction (R_W) of approximately 32dB can be expected. Soft insulation such as Therma-quilt used in the CA Building Products roof and wall cladding systems acts to dampen airborne vibration. Foam filled sandwich panels on the other hand perform differently. They allow sound to bridge through the construction. This is a serious weakness, which results in a typical sound reduction index of around 26-28dB.

Fixings also act as transmitters of sound and systems requiring fasteners from outside to inside perform badly. CA Building Products have spent considerable time laboratory testing Twin-Therm^® roof and wall cladding systems, with various constructions depths to establish a reasonable range of acoustic performance criteria to work with specifiers, clients, etc and acoustic consultants. For example the weight sound reduction (R_W) performance for Twin-Therm^® roof and wall cladding in the table to the right.

For further information on different systems contact CA Group Technical Department.

The liner panel provides an extremely efficient air barrier. This greatly reduces the transfer of heat from inside to out and to further support the durability of the systems Therma-quilt insulation has every fibre coated with silicone to ensure that any moisture in the cavity is not absorbed but shed to the liner where it is either dissipated or taken out into the gutter.

With over 15 million m2 of Twin-Therm^® installed there are very few reported issues of the roof itself causing problems. Coating the fibres with silicone negates the need for a separate breather paper (except in humidity Class 5 (BS 5250:2002).

If we are to offer meaningful 40 year guarantees for systems they have to be meaningful in their durability. Twin-Therm^® is supported by a number of reputable, recognised third party organisations such as the LPCB and Warrington Fire. Many people have BBA Agrément certification for individual components but Twin-Therm^® is supported by a BBA Agrément certification for the entire system.

Princess Yachts, The world'd first Confidex^® Sustain CarbonNeutral building envelope. Click here to read more about this project.

We know that when choosing a cladding system, confidence in its lifespan is a major factor. Unlike most suppliers of twin skin cladding, CA Group offer full system guarantees for up to 40 years on Twin-Therm^®. The CA guarantee covers the manufacture and design of the whole system including all components supplied by CA Group, such as, screws, sealants, insulation, spacers, etc.This delivery is offered alongside the Tata Steel Confidex^® Guarantee when specified using Colorcoat HPS200 Ultra^® and Colorcoat Prisma^® for peace of mind for up to 40 years.

All Therma-quilt glass fiber insulation supplied as part of the Twin-Therm^® roof and wall cladding system has every fibre coated with silicone to prevent moisture retention, is CE Marked, complies with the Lambda _90/90 whilst achieving zero ODP and zero GWP. Glass fibre and rock fibre insulation trap air and it is this action which delivers the thermal performance. Air can move in, air can move out but the thermal performance cannot change unlike other insulations that trap gasses in the structure of the insulation which over time may leach, reducing the thermal performance during the life of the building or equally as bad keeping these gasses within the structure of the insulation, causing major disposal issues at the end of the life of the building. Another reason why Twin Therm^® is future proof.

Twin-Therm^®with Therma-quilt

For years this debate has raged and recently the market has recognised that using man made mineral fibre is the only logical solution to providing a truly non-combustible solution.

Twin-Therm^® has been tested by Loss Prevention Certification Board to LPS1181 and the insulation in its own right to BS 476 and is classified as non-combustible, delivering confidence to all and in particular to the tenant that in the event of a fire the insulation in their roof and wall will not contribute to the fire load. Many clients today are insisting that the roof, wall and internal gutters are all insulated in this manner to eliminate this critical risk.

Many wall cladding systems sold in the UK claim that they can protect a building from fire, but the majority of buildings are far from safe. Twin-Therm^®, on the other hand, is made from non-combustible materials. A standard Twin- Therm^® wall provides 60 minutes structural integrity achieving LPS1181 EXT-B. This has been independently confirmed by Exova warringtonfire.

CA Building Products also offers dedicated FireWall solutions, the Twin-Therm^® FW15 and FW30, which provides 240 minutes structural integrity & 15 minutes insulation (LPS1181 EXT-A15) / 30 minutes insulation (LPS1181 EXT-A30) respectively.

For more information on our Twin-Therm^®FW, click here

We all know the future lies in green technology, but we appreciate that not everyone is ready for it yet. One of the benefits of Twin-Therm^® is that it's PV ready when you are.

HyperionSolar PV panels can be secured directly to the Twin-Therm^® external sheet and connected up in the usual manner. With both Twin-Therm^® and River-Therm^® systems the PV's can be retrofitted to an existing building, helping you meet new and upcoming government legislation.

HyperionSolar PV

CA Group, take responsibility for the environment seriously without any gimmicks or tokenism. All materials within the Twin-Therm^® system are fully recyclable to enable low 'cradle to cradle' carbon footprint, with a net commercial benefit on scrap values at end of life. The Therma-quilt non-combustible insulation is supplied with zero Global Warming Potential and zero Ozone Depletion Potential that never utilises CFC's, HCFC's or VOC's in the production process. The system has a minimal environmental impact when being transported to site due to the amount of profiled material which can be transported in each load, this also reduces fuel costs. The sustainable credentials of Twin-Therm^® has been assessed as part of Tata Steel Confidex Sustain^® when using Colorcoat Prisma^® and Colorcoat HPS200 Ultra^®. In addition to guaranteeing the performance of the prefinished steel for up to 40 years, with no maintenance and inspection required to maintain its validity, Confidex Sustain^®, provides a cradle to cradle CarbonNeutral building envelope.

Transportation has to consider not only delivery requirements at the beginning of a project but also at disposal.

It is at this stage as legislation has toughened that building running costs are recognised as punitive. The majority of systems supplied by CA Group are either reused ie. farm buildings etc, or sent back to the steel mill for recycling, the residue ie. insulation and fixings can either be reused as cavity wall insulation or sent to landfill at minimal cost.

A study by Tata Steel recognised the need to consider the disposability of early generation CFC blown foam filled panels. They have to be removed carefully from the building, cut into manageable sizes and shipped to the nearest refrigeration recycling facility for safe disposal and capture of potentially hazardous blowing agents. The end result is; costs to remove the panels from the building, costs to cut to size, costs to transport to the recycling centre and costs of the recycling centre itself. As pension funds and building owners begin to feel this pain and the impact it has on their return on investment they will begin to find a solution to these financial burdens.

CA Group understand the implications of the entire process from 'cradle to cradle' through production of Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs available as part of its assessment for Tata Steel Confidex Sustain^®).

Our Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) are available by clicking here.

Colorcoat, Colorcoat HPS200 Ultra, Confidex, Confidex Sustain, Prisma are trademarks of Tata Steel UK Limited

Twin-Therm^® Brochure

CA Building Products offer two versions of the latest literature. There is a standard printable edition, alternatively, our new interactive PDF includes a full screen presentation mode, High Definition video and links to other useful content from CA Building Products. Click on the appropriate version, shown right, to download your up to date copy

To get the best experience from our literature, please ensure you have the latest version of Adobe Acrobat installed ( Click here to download the latest version )

Limitless Applications

Twin-Them^® is widely utilised. Click on the images below to view some of these projects:

Click on the links below to for more information regarding Twin-Therm^®:

• BBA Agrément certification (07/4428) providing independent confirmation of all technical attributes.
• Loss Prevention Certification Board (LPCB) rated systems LPS 1181, EXT-B roof and wall systems, EXT-A15 and EXT-A30 Firewall systems.
• Loss Prevention Certification Board (LPCB) certified non-combustible Therma-quilt insulation.
• Manufactured to BS EN ISO 9001.
• Twin-Therm^® Detail Drawings
• Twin-Therm^® Specification Drawings