Five Installation Mistakes with IMPS

by Mark Robins | 1 December 2020 12:00 am

What happens if those IMPs are not properly installed?

The results can range from minor irritations (an aesthetic issue) to costly and dangerous issues (total structural or thermal failure). In each case, such errors cost time and money. Here are the top five installation mistakes with IMPs and how to avoid them on the construction site.

1. Assuming Every Application is the Same

These days, construction crews are likely accustomed to working with insulated metal panels as external cladding. In fact, they may have installed similar IMPs on another recent job. Subcontractors sometimes assume that everything they do on any given installation should be the same based on certain installation practices they followed on another project.

With IMPs, this is an oversight that can be costly. Consider the vapor barrier, one of the critical functions of an IMP. It can be applied at the factory or on-site depending upon the panel. When installing panels for a cold-storage environment, the “warm” side of the vapor barrier will always be on the exterior, whereas the vapor seal would be on the opposite side of the panel in a commercial/industrial application. Get this reversed on the job site during installation, and you have a real problem.

2. Not Reading the Product Installation Guides

Product installation guides are often shipped with the materials to the job site. They are also readily available on the websites of the manufacturers. Despite this, contractors often rely on their previous experience and assume they do not need to learn anything new. They figure they’ve been doing it properly all along. They miss out on building their knowledge base and executing a clean installation of the product by not reading the guide, which might include additional details on how to receive and unload the panels and how to properly handle them.

3. Not Having the Proper Equipment

Let’s say a construction crew is anticipating the delivery of longer-length IMPs that are to be installed in a vertical orientation. Such a delivery might require two forklifts to unload and special lifting equipment to install the panels due to their length.

If only one forklift is available at the construction site, crews are not prepared to receive the delivery. Those same crews may end up damaging the product before it is installed, which requires replacement product to be manufactured and shipped. Again, this costs time and money and may delay the overall completion timeline for the building.

4. Framing Alignment and Tolerances

This is one of the most misunderstood and overlooked issues in the field when it comes to IMP installation. The framing alignment is critical to a proper fit-up of the overall construction and to the panel’s efficiency and performance. A framing misalignment can be the catalyst for a whole host of issues. A crease or buckle on the face of a panel or a number of panels means those failing panels will need to be replaced.

If the misalignment is more systemic, it can lead to total structural failure of the panel system and require new product and a second installation of the system. This can lead to cost overruns, challenges with the building owner in terms of trust and a major interruption of the completion timeline.

5. Not Ordering Extra Panels

If a crew has only ordered enough panels to complete the job, they leave themselves vulnerable should any product get damaged prior to its arrival, on-site or during actual installation. Loss of product due to damage means waiting for new panels to be manufactured. With panels that have special components, finishes or colors, the lead time can be even longer, which means delaying the entire project. Extra panels not installed on the job can be turned over to the owner of the building so they can be used to replace damaged panels during the life of the building.

Fernando J. Diaz is a senior field technician at Metl-Span, Lewisville, Texas. To learn more, visit www.metlspan.com[1].

Source URL: https://www.metalconstructionnews.com/articles/five-installation-mistakes-with-imps/

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