Insulated Metal Panels

Insulated metal panels

Metal transfers heat and cold quickly. In a building without good insulation, that means uneven temperatures, long AC run times, and condensation on the steel, which can corrode the framing and damage the insulation. Metal buildings also tend to be loud.

An insulated metal panel has a foam core between two steel skins. One factory-made panel provides the insulation, the weather barrier, and the finished wall surface, and one crew installs it.

We install IMP wall and roof systems on new construction and retrofits, including warehouses, manufacturing plants, cold storage shells, and office buildings. Our crews have installed everything from 2 inch liner panels to 8 inch fire-rated panels, on jobs in Dallas, Detroit, and Missouri as well as in Florida. Panel selection, fastening schedules, and details follow the manufacturer's engineering, which the warranty depends on.

How the panels interlock

Each panel has a tongue along one long edge and a groove along the other. We set a panel, fasten its leading edge to the girts with a concealed clip, and slide the next panel on, tongue into groove. The next panel covers the clip. Sealant in the joint stops air and water, and the core of one panel meets the core of the next.

PermaTherm, one of the manufacturers we install, says most panel leaks and energy loss come from avoidable installation mistakes, and it lists joint alignment and sealant first. We seat each joint and run the sealant the manufacturer specifies before the next panel goes on.

Choosing a panel

Core thickness sets the R-value. A warehouse wall and a freezer wall can use the same type of panel with very different cores. After that you choose the exterior profile and finish: flat, ribbed, or striated, run vertically or horizontally, in the color the building calls for.

Roof panels are a separate product with side joints made to shed water. We work from the project's energy targets, wind loads, and the architect's drawings.