Procheck® Adapt is a high performance variable-permeability vapour control layer for use in a variety of commercial and residential applications. It is designed to protect the building fabric from potential risks of condensation and it will also act as an airtight barrier. Its variable permeability adapts to changes in humidity levels becoming more resistant in Winter and more permeable in Summer. This means the building fabric is protected from damaging moisture levels during cold, wet months of the year and it will allow the fabric to dry out effectively in warmer, drier months. Procheck Adapts’ translucent structure eases fixing to structural frames and in conjunction with its integral tape allows for a fast installation time.
- Variable permeability adapts to changes in humidity
- Wide Sd range guarantees performance in demanding climatic conditions
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New vapour control layer offers higher protection for buildings
Procheck Adapt is designed to protect the building fabric from the potential risks of condensation whilst providing the added benefit of serving as an effective airtight barrier. Thanks to its unique design the new membrane offers variable resistance which adapts to changes in humidity levels, becoming increasingly more resistant in Winter and more permeable in Summer. This ensures that the building fabric is protected from damaging moisture levels during cold, wet winter months, and allowing the fabric to dry out effectively in warmer, drier months. Procheck Adapt has a translucent structure which eases fixing to structural frames and in combination with its integral tape allows for a fast installation time. It has long been recognised that the correct management of moisture vapour within buildings is important not only in ensuring the longevity of the building fabric, but also in the health of the occupants. As today’s structures become increasingly better insulated, more airtight, and more energy efficient, management of moisture at the design stage becomes critical.The introduction of Procheck Adapt will ensure that it provides a high level of protection throughout the building’s lifespan.
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Material Properties
Procheck Adapt
| Property | Test Method | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Roll Size | - | 1.5 x 50 m |
| Weight | ISO 536 | 110 gsm |
| Nail Tear Resistance - MD | EN 12310-1 | 350 N |
| Nail Tear Resistance - CD | EN 12310-1 | 375 N |
| Tensile Strength - MD | EN 12311-1 | 350 N/50mm |
| Tensile Strength - CD | EN 12311-1 | 315 N/50mm |
| Elongation - MD | EN 12311-1 | 20 % |
| Elongation - CD | EN 12311-1 | 20 % |
| Water Vapour Resistance Sd | EN 12572 | 0.4 - 90 m |
| Reaction to Fire | EN 13501-1 | E Class |
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Procheck A2, Procheck FR200 & Procheck Adapt FAQs
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What are the advantages of Procheck A2 over Procheck FR200?
While both of these membranes exceed the requirement for a class B-s3,d0 vapour control layer, FR200 is designed for applications with a low vapour risk, while Procheck A2 has a much higher vapour resistance, making it ideal for situations with a higher vapour load. Procheck A2 additionally has a class A2 fire rating, and a low emissivity surface to gain some thermal benefit from adjacent service cavities.
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Do vapour control layers need to be fire rated?
Yes, as they are membranes used within the warm side of the external wall, and per the 2018 amendments to part B of the building regulations, need to achieve at least B-s3,d0.
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How many minutes of fire resistance do these membranes grant?
Fire resistance is a term used to describe the amount of time that a material will provide resistance to fire, both in terms of heat isolation and physical isolation of spaces. While these membranes are airtight, and therefore would provide some physical separation of spaces, membranes cannot provide significant heat isolation, and are not usually tested for fire resistance. Fire resistance is usually applied to systems, rather than individual products.
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Can this be used on buildings over 18m?
Yes, both of these membranes achieve a fire performance of B-s1,d0 or better.
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Will these improve my u-value?
Generally, no, but you are able to use the Procheck A2 with an adjacent cavity for services, and as it has a low emissivity surface, you will gain some thermal performance from that.
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Are these airtight?
They are airtight, as all AVCLs are.
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What do the classifications mean?
The European standard 13501 defines a series of tests that materials have to undergo to determine their contribution to the spread of flame. These are ranked from F, which is a fail, up to A1, which is non-combustible. A classification of B means that the material performs very well on a single flame source test, and also that it needs to perform pass a single burning item test as well. An A class material needs to pass the same single burning item test, and also needs to release no more than a certain amount of energy in a calorific test. The s and d parts of the classification refer to smoke and flaming droplets respectively, and range from 0-2 for smoke and 1-3 for droplets, with lower numbers representing better performance.
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Is it a VCL or a Breather Membrane?
Procheck Adapt is a vapour control layer, but one with a variable vapour resistance. This means that it’s vapour resistance when the climate is warmer and less humid, allows some breathability. With this, materials inside of the VCL are more able to dry out. In all cases, its vapour resistance is greater than 0.06MNs/g, so it can never be classed as a breather membrane. Its function is to allow some breathability from the wall when it is needed, but it is always a vapour control layer
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Does it work in only one direction?
No, Procheck Adapt has the same vapour resistance from either side. It is easiest to apply it by unrolling it onto the wall. It is also transparent, which makes it easier to see where to fix through.
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How airtight is it?
The membrane is fully airtight, achieving an air permeability of 0.00 m³/m²h at 50 pascals. It is also certified as a Passivehouse Airtight component. To ensure airtightness, it is used with Wraptite Tape, which is a vapour permeable, airtight tape.
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Can it be used in retrofits?
Yes, if used on solid stone constructions, which many properties are, it allows the masonry some permeability while protecting it from the vapour pressure generated in winter months (when the vapour drive is greatest). This means that the masonry is still able to dry, if the VCL is paired with a vapour permeable insulation. Using a vapour impermeable strategy to insulate solid masonry walls could lead to moisture accumulation, for example if moisture is pushed into the wall by driving precipitation and solar radiation. With no insulation strategy, it would simply pass into the room and be redistributed by natural ventilation. If the insulation is impermeable or if a standard vapour control layer is used, this could cause a build-up of moisture on the internal surface of the masonry. If the insulation is vapour permeable, this moisture would instead permeate through to condense on the back of the VCL. The entire construction would need to offer some permeability to offset this. Procheck Adapt would offer this permeability, while also preventing most of the water vapour from inside from permeating into the wall.
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Does it offer any advantage on framed buildings?
It does. Procheck Adapt serves as a regular vapour control layer, but also allows any moisture (for example, from the construction process, or to reduce damage from leaks) which may have infiltrated the construction to move back into the room.
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Is it difficult to work with on site?
It is no more difficult than a standard reinforced polythene membrane. It can be cut with a knife or scissors, and is installed using a temporary double sided tape such as our Probond tape, through which fixings appropriate to the substrate hold it in place. Wraptite Tape is then applied over laps and around edges.
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What is WUFI?
Addressing moisture movement
Heat, air and moisture movement (HAMM) through the building envelope is a naturally occurring process that affects the integrity of building components and the health of building occupants. As an understanding of HAMM grows in the industry, designing for moisture management in all areas of the building envelope has quickly become standard practice.
Construction professionals in the UK consider BS5250:2011 ‘Code of practice for control of condensation in buildings’ the authoritative resource on this topic. As astarting point, the Standard specifies the industry must be aware of both the internal and external factors contributing to condensation control and building health, where it states:
“In order to avoid the occurrence of excess condensation, which can result in mould growth and damage to the building fabric, designers should assess the amount of water vapour likely to be generated within the building ... and consider the effects of the external climate.”
This statement seems perfectly reasonable in theory, but how in practice can a designer deal with internal humidity levels that can change with building function, use and occupancy adaptations, as well as external conditions like weather and topography that are clearly beyond their control?
Risk assessment methods
Construction professionals have traditionally utilised the Glaser method to assesscondensation risk. Glaser is a ‘steady state’ calculator that uses average monthlytemperatures, vapour pressure and heat conduction to determine if condensationoccurs at critical points over the span of 12 months. While this method correctly looks at vapour diffusion, or the passage of water vapour through the building fabric, it only considers this movement in a single direction. There are other limitations with the Glaser method: the calculations do not account for additionalsources of moisture such as damp soil, seasonal wet and dry cycles, or the porosity of materials used in the construction. The Glaser method is suitable for very simple, lightweight construction types, however, it is broadly considered to be inappropriate for the vast majority of projects particularly any that use materials with the potential for absorbing water like porous brick or fibrous insulations, as well as any retrofitted buildings with solid masonry walls.
WUFI® software, developed by the Fraunhofer Institute for Building Physics in Germany, was a huge step forward for the industry in terms of condensation risk assessment. In contrast to the Glaser method, WUFI calculations are ‘non-steady state’ simulations that constantly plots the movement of heat, air and moisture in a state of constant change relative to building usage, project aspect, and seasonality. WUFI goes much further than Glaser by including other sources of moisture such as ingress from the ground, worst-case scenario precipitation events, and the natural variation in moisture content within individual building materials over time. As the designer is able to simulate an hour-by hour condensation risk analysis over an infinite amount of time, projects can be optimised for longevity and for the health and wellbeing of occupants.
Advanced assessments | Advanced materials
The profession’s growing understanding of the complexities of HAMM has led to ashift in the industry in two ways. First, modeling software like WUFI is becoming increasingly sophisticated to better model and assess the subtleties of building physics, and second, a new generation of construction materials are being developed to work with HAMM thereby supporting the long-term health and durability of a building.
One example of these advanced materials are “intelligent” vapour control layers (VCLs) which have been designed to adapt to changing humidity circumstances. These variable permeability VCLs can change their permeability, becoming more vapour resistant during winter and more vapour permeable in the summer. Variable permeable membranes help to regulate the natural moisture-loading and drying out cycle of the building envelope by protecting the building fabric in the colder, wetter months, and allowing it to dry out effectively in warmer, drier months.
The A. Proctor Group is the proud supplier of the intelligent membrane, Procheck® Adapt, a high-performance variable permeability vapour control layer for use in commercial and residential applications. Need a WUFI calculation? Contact the A. Proctor Group’s Technical Department.
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