We talk about the two layers of basalt board in the DeckProtect™ frame. It doesn’t look like much. It’s a fibrous board, and it is a big part of what makes our product so unique and effective. Fibers? Where do the fibers come from.? That is the cool part. They come from deep below the Earth’s crust and reach the surface of the Earth in a violent volcano.
When the magma cools, it becomes volcanic rock. Not all volcanic rock is the same. When the volcanic rock known as basalt has the right silica content it is suitable for making the fibers in our heat-proof insulating board.
The basalt rock crushed and washed, then fed into a furnace that reaches temperatures between 2,500 and 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit. When it reaches a completely molten state, it is pressed through bushings with very tiny holes to form a continuous fiber. How tiny are the holes? The resulting fiber is thinner than human hair with a diameter between 10 and 20 micrometers. 10 micrometers is double the respiratory limit of 5 micrometers. This makes basalt safe and very different from asbestos.
Unlike glass fiber, the production of basalt fiber does not require any additives or chemicals. It is just the basalt rock. This makes it more environmentally friendly that the glass fiber used in other forms of insulation.
Basalt is known for its extreme resistance to heat as well has its insulating quality. It can be spun into yarn and woven into a fabric. Pressed into fibrous boards, it is part of what makes DeckProtect a unique product.