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ACM
Aluminium Composite Material (ACM), a.k.a. Metal Composite Material (MCM).
Industry term for the resulting panel made by laminating two sheets of aluminium to
a substrate/core.


Acrylic Urethane
Type of finish offered on exterior metal panel systems.  A two component, cross-linked
architectural paint system that provides excellent gloss retention and weather ability.
This coating is applied using electrostatic or conventional spray equipment.


Anodised
Type of finish offered on exterior metal panel systems.  The finish is created by
using a combination of electricity and chemicals to develop the natural oxidation
process.  The result is a durable, transparent surface that is integral with
the aluminium sheet.

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Barrier Wall
Cladding system designed to be completely sealed against moisture intrusion.
Protects the substructure of the wall and sheathing.


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Cavity Wall
Type of wall system in which a small gap is created between the exterior cladding
and the substructure of the building.  This small 'cavity' allows for the escape of
any incidental moisture which may enter the system.  Use of this type system
requires a moisture barrier.


Cleanroom
A type of controlled environment where air and contaminants (i.e. dust, dirt) are
highly monitored.  Most often manufacturing facilities in the pharmaceutical,
medical, or communications industries.


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Factory Curved
A process in which panels (or moldings) are moved through a system of rollers,
staggered to create a slight curve with each pass.  Tight curves may require
several passes through the setup.


Floor Insulation
FLOORMATE is a floor insulation board. It can be used in many floor projects, to check if this product is right for you, please visit our detailed product information section.

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Foam
FLOORMATE is from the Styrofoam family. It is an XPS foam. The various types supplied differ in U Value achieved and compression strength.


Insulation
Any material used to reduce or “slow down” or “resist” the flow of energy. There are several different types of insulators: FLOORMATE is a Thermal insulator.

• Thermal insulators reduce the flow of heat.
• Electrical insulators reduce the flow of electricity.
• Acoustical insulators reduce the flow of sound.

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Kerf Loss
Refers to the amount of material (equal to the thickness of the saw blade) that is
lost when the panel is cut (i.e. if the thickness of the blade is 1/8", the resulting
pieces from a 48" wide panel cut in half will measure approximately 23-15/16").


Non-Progressive
Refers to the type of installation sequence.  A non-progressive installation may
be started and stopped at any point making the replacement and/or removal
of individual panels more accessible.

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Parapet
Top section of the wall that extends past the roof line.  The cladding is typically
'wrapped' around the wall section or terminated at the top with flashing installed
as a cap.


Polyester
Type of finish offered on exterior metal panel systems.  A thermosetting paint
applied using similar techniques as those used for PVDF (polyvinylidene fluoride)
creating a hard, durable surface that is available in a wide range of colours.

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Polypropylene
Type of plastic formed into sheets and generally used as a lightweight substrate
or core for laminated panels.  Sheets have a 'fluted' design to provide the appropriate
thickness while minimizing the weight of the material.


Porcelain Enamel
Type of finish available on select products.  A vitreous or glassy inorganic coating
bonded to metal by fusion at extremely high temperatures.


Progressive
Refers to the type of installation sequence.  A progressive installation builds from
one step to the next to move across the elevation.  Each step must be completed
before moving on to the next.

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PVC
Polyvinylidene Chloride is a rigid copolymer that is highly impermeable to water
vapour and is used for various types of molding extrusions.


Rainscreen Principle
Type of wall system, a.k.a. 'cavity wall', which allows incidental moisture to enter
the system, but then be drained away from the substructure.  Use of this type
of cladding system requires that the substrate be covered with a moisture barrier.


Styrofoam
An XPS Insulation foam produce by the DOW chemical company.

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Thermal Value
If you've ever produce been shopping for a window, you've no doubt encountered a term that you're probably not all that familiar with – U-value. U-values are a rating of energy efficiency, and they are used to rate and compare windows, exterior doors, skylights and certain other exterior building components, including exterior walls. U-values are also the standard used in the building codes for specifying the minimum energy efficiency values for all of these components. Most people are much more familiar with R-values, which are used to rate how well a material such as insulation resists the flow of heat through it. The higher an R-value is, the more heat loss it resists, and therefore the more energy efficient it is. U-values differ from R-values in two important ways, and when you're shopping for energy-efficient components for your house, it helps to understand the difference. First of all, where the R-value is used to rate the energy efficiency of a single component – a batt of insulation for example – U-values rate the energy efficiency of the combined materials in a building component or section. For example, in a typical insulated window you have the two panes of glass, the dead air between the glass, the frame material and perhaps some weatherstripping or sealants that hold everything together. Because each of these components works together as a unit, the U-value is used to indicate the energy efficiency of this entire assembly.