SynC · Topic
These are the standards in the SynC Standards library that cover Insulation. Each one is a complete, plain-language specification: the scope it applies to, the requirements that govern it, and a structured equipment datasheet listing the values a project has to decide — ratings, materials, setpoints, and the standards each is verified against. All of it is free to read without an account and published under CC BY-SA 4.0.
A standard usually carries several topics, so most of the entries below also appear under neighbouring subjects. The topics each one carries are listed on its own page.
Sound-attenuation cavity fill installed in the concealed cavities of interior partitions, in floor-ceiling assemblies, and above suspended ceilings as plenum attenuation, where the purpose of the fill is to raise the airborne sound transmission loss of the host assembly. Covers mineral wool, glass fiber, polyester fiber, and cotton fiber batts, blankets, and boards in that service; the tested-assembly basis that governs what goes in each partition type; fiber family, facing, surface burning, and noncombustibility as project-wide policy; minimum density and fill thickness; retention in vertical and horizontal cavities; plenum attenuation blankets and plenum barriers; installation, inspection before concealment, mock-ups, and field acoustic testing.
Thermal insulation installed in the opaque building envelope of commercial, institutional, multifamily, and residential buildings, covering above-grade wall cavity and continuous insulation, low-slope and steep-slope roof and attic insulation, floors and ceilings over unconditioned space, crawl space enclosures, below-grade foundation walls, and under-slab and slab-edge insulation. Covers all principal insulation forms sold in the North American market: mineral fiber batt, blanket, and board; loose-fill and dense-packed cellulose, fiberglass, and mineral wool; extruded, expanded, and graphite-enhanced polystyrene board; polyisocyanurate board; cellular glass; wood fiber and cellulosic board; spray-applied polyurethane foam; and reflective insulation and radiant barriers. Also covers the thermal resistance basis used to demonstrate energy code compliance, surface burning and foam plastic fire requirements, vapor retarder classification and placement, air barrier coordination, thermal bridge mitigation, and field verification before assemblies are concealed.
Class PB exterior insulation and finish systems installed as the above-grade exterior wall cladding of commercial, institutional, and multifamily buildings. Covers the full layered assembly and both water management classes the building code recognizes: EIFS with drainage, in which a water-resistive barrier on the sheathing and a drained cavity behind the insulation manage incidental water, and barrier EIFS, in which the insulation is adhered directly to the substrate and the finish face carries the water management. Addresses the sheathing substrate the system is applied over, the water-resistive barrier and its relationship to the wall air barrier, the drainage means and drainage efficiency, the expanded polystyrene insulation board and its adhesive or mechanical attachment, the reinforced base coat and the reinforcing mesh impact classes, the finish coat with its type, texture, color, and light reflectance limits, aesthetic reveals, expansion joints, back-wrapping and terminations, the interfaces to flashing and joint sealants, wind load and thermal performance, the surface burning and exterior wall flame propagation requirements that govern a combustible foam plastic cladding, and the mockup, inspection, water testing, and moisture survey that verify the installed wall.
Metal and flexible ductwork for low-pressure, medium-pressure, and high-pressure HVAC air distribution systems in commercial, institutional, and industrial buildings. Covers rectangular, round, flat-oval, and flexible duct; pressure and seal classifications; gauge and reinforcement; fittings and turning vanes; duct liner and external insulation; sealants; fire and smoke dampers; access doors; hangers and supports; leakage testing; and field verification. Applies to new construction and major renovation of supply, return, exhaust, and outside-air distribution systems.
Closed-loop hydronic distribution piping for heating hot water (HHW), chilled water (CHW), dual-temperature water (DTW), and condenser water (CW) in commercial, institutional, and industrial buildings, within the ASME B31.9 building-services envelope (up to 160 psig and 250°F). Covers pipe material and wall selection by service and size band, joining methods, fittings and flanges, dissimilar-metal isolation, delivery and storage, piping installation and routing discipline, the interfaces to supports, expansion compensation, valves, specialties, insulation, identification, and system cleaning, and the structural pressure test that proves the installed system.
Field-applied thermal insulation for mechanical piping, ductwork, and equipment in commercial, institutional, and light-industrial buildings. Covers insulation of heating hot water, steam, steam condensate, and other hot service piping; chilled water, dual-temperature, and other below-ambient service piping that requires a continuous vapor barrier; HVAC supply, return, outside-air, and exhaust ductwork (concealed and exposed, indoor and outdoor); and mechanical equipment such as tanks, breechings, pumps, and heat exchangers. Includes selection of insulation material by service (mineral or glass fiber, closed-cell elastomeric, rigid cellular phenolic, cellular glass, and calcium silicate for high temperature), insulation thickness by the adopted edition of ASHRAE 90.1, jacketing and vapor retarders (all-service jacket indoors, PVC fitting covers, metal jacket outdoors and in mechanical rooms), insulated pipe supports and protection shields, penetration coordination, and the condensation-control provisions that govern cold-service work.
Roof systems in which a flexible sheet membrane forms the primary weather barrier, together with the insulation, cover board, vapor retarder, attachment, flashings, and terminations that make the membrane work. Covers thermoplastic sheet (TPO, PVC, KEE), thermoset sheet (EPDM), and polymer-modified bitumen sheet (SBS, APP) membranes; mechanically attached, induction-welded, adhered, self-adhered, torch-applied, hot-mopped, cold-adhesive, and ballasted attachment; new construction, tear-off replacement, recover, and partial replacement; wind uplift and fire design basis, field seaming, flashing and termination detailing, field testing, and warranty.
Thermal insulation, jacketing, vapor retarders, and ADA protective covers for plumbing piping inside buildings — domestic hot water and recirculation (energy conservation), domestic cold water (condensation control), and storm and roof-drainage bodies and overflow piping (condensation on cold rainwater). Covers material selection by service (mineral/glass fiber with all-service jacket for hot lines, closed-cell elastomeric for cold and condensation control, phenolic where space is limited), insulation thickness by the adopted energy code, continuous vapor-retarder construction on cold and storm piping, jacketing by exposure (all-service jacket concealed, PVC fitting covers, metal jacket in mechanical rooms and outdoors), insulation inserts and shields at hangers, and molded protective covers on the hot, cold, and waste/trap piping below accessible lavatories and sinks.
Field-installed refrigerant piping that interconnects the components of split-system air conditioners and heat pumps, variable refrigerant flow systems, direct-expansion coils, computer room units, and packaged equipment supplied with a field-piped condensing section. Covers tube material and temper, joining methods and brazing filler metal, braze purge, field-installed specialties, line routing, oil return, insulation and its vapor seal, supports and seismic restraint, penetrations and firestopping, refrigerant concentration limits and the detection and mitigation provisions that go with mildly flammable refrigerants, piping identification, and the pressure test, evacuation, decay test, and charging sequence that puts the system into service.