CAMBRIDGE, ONTARIO – Arriscraft, manufacturer of naturally–made products that emulate quarried stone, and parent company General Shale, have reached an agreement with T–Clear Corporation for the exclusive North American distribution rights to ProGUARD®DP Insulated Concrete Board panels. This game–changing wall system meets today's rigid building codes in terms of energy performance and installs in a fraction of the time of traditional wall systems. “When the North American Building Codes started adopting new energy code requirements (such as ASHRAE 90.1 SB–10 and IECC) with advanced requirements for insulation on outer wall assemblies, the thin adhered masonry industry was caught without a good solution,” says Craig Swirzon, Thin–Clad Product Manager at Arriscraft. “We are excited to provide the extraordinary ProGUARD®DP system as a solution to this challenge and to give the market what it's been asking for. ProGUARD®DP not only meets energy code requirements – it replaces three to four manual steps with one.” Arriscraft and General Shale will supply the ProGUARD®DP system from its current combined dealer network of nearly 400 locations across North America. In addition to use with Arriscraft Thin–Clad and General Shale Thin Brick and Thin Rock products, ProGUARD®DP panels can be used for thin brick, thin natural stone, thin porcelain tile, thin manufactured stone, stucco, and synthetic stucco. These fully engineered panels offer superior thermal protection with ship lapped edges that eliminate thermal breaks, to meet energy code (ASHRAE 90.1, SB–10, IECC) Continuous Insulation requirements. ProGUARD®DP Insulated Concrete Board is a combined system that eliminates the separate steps of the drainage plane, insulation, wire lathe and mortar bed. Because the concrete board and insulation board are laminated together, ProGUARD®DP features ¼" concrete board (rather than ½") for a lighter weight assembly versus traditional systems. The cost of the ProGUARD®DP system is more than offset by the reduction in installation labour; it generally requires one third of the labour time and cost. The Ontario Association of Architects and the Architectural Institute of British Columbia will not provide architects with liability insurance for wall systems without a drainage plane assembly. ProGUARD®DP is the only system to provide two options for drainage planes. The 3/8" drainage grooves are incorporated into the insulation layer and can be positioned at the back or the front (or both), so designers, architects or installers can choose the correct drainage set–up for the climate and weather conditions. ABOUT ARRISCRAFT Arriscraft manufactures a vast range of premium stone for commercial and residential projects, including full–bed Renaissance® Masonry Units and Building Stone, Thin/Clad adhered and clipped veneers, Adair® Limestone, and cast accessories. Designers can select from a truly comprehensive line of styles – from old–world to contemporary – in natural colours, with custom applications available. Headquartered in Cambridge, Ontario (62 miles/100 km west of Toronto), Arriscraft is the stone products group of General Shale, North America's largest brick, stone and concrete block manufacturer, supplying a wide variety of masonry materials for residential, commercial and specialty architectural projects. Throughout the U.S. and Canada, General Shale operates manufacturing facilities in nine states and provinces, in addition to a network of 31 distribution centers across the United States. General Shale was founded in 1928 and is headquartered in Johnson City, Tennessee. For more information about General Shale, visit www.generalshale.com. For more information about Arriscraft, visit www.arriscraft.com or contact Arriscraft at 800-265-8123 or send us a request at solutions@arriscraft.com
