The Freudenberg Politex Group

Breathable underslating

stable at operating temperatures

vapour permeable
waterproof
rot-proof
anti-allergenic
good mechanical resistance
versatile and easy to use

Breathable underslating
CONSTRUCTION SYSTEM LAYERS
Wood or clay-block cover (front page image)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

Matchboarding/concrete slab
ACQUAPAR waterproofing and vapour barrier
ECOZERO thermal insulator between laths
Counter-roof lathing
breathable underslating
Laths
Counter-roof lathing
Tiles

METHOD OF APPLICATION
Lay

working in parallel to the gutter.

Stretch the material and then nail it to the counter-roof lathing, above the thermal insulator.
To protect screw heads or large nail heads use an acrylic double-sided adhesive
tape when joining the
sheets.
Breathable
Laths laid to support
tiles
help
to
maintain
under
tension,
thus
guaranteeing
the
stability
of
the
system.
Breathable
Overlap the sheets by at least 10 cm.

Although offering waterproofing protection, the

underslating material must be used in addition to the
specifically designed cover materials, such as tiles etc.

Breathable

Applications characteristics

ble

The Freudenberg Politex Group

INTRODUCTION
The protection of the roofing system against environmental factors represents one of the main challenges for the
design of roof structures: to make them functional, it is necessary to guarantee protection against rainwater whilst at
the same time the necessary breathability.
This is the only way to maintain the functionality of each element of a satisfactory and durable roofing system.
Freudenberg Politex created
in the ST version, consisting of two polypropylene spunbonded nonwoven
Breathable
layers that incorporate a microporous polyethylene film.
Similarly the
PLUS version comprises polyester spunbonded nonwoven combined with a polyurethane film.
These products:
create a protective barrier, mainly against water penetration should the covering tiles break or move;
due to their permeability, allow the natural circulation of air whilst ensuring that the overlaying tiles and
thermal insulation remain dry.

DOUBLE VENTILATION
Sophisticated research has lead to new construction techniques called ventilated systems, namely structures where
the air can circulate naturally within the pitched roof area.
The advantages of this design are well known:

during the summer months, ventilation of the roof area allows the heat to dissipate naturally, thus avoiding transfer
into the house;
during the cold and wettest months, the circulating air allows the insulating material together with the roof tiles to
remain dry, thus preventing the occurrence of deterioration.

The presence of the

breathable membrane
allows the regulation of the air flow created within the
primary ventilation P (between the thermal insulator and
underslating) and the secondary ventilation S
(micro-aeration between
and the tiles above).
Breathable
See side diagram.

Breathable

ble

Technical literature is available to provide information

in order to establish appropriate measurements of
ventilated roofs realized with waterproof-vapour
control layers, thermal insulator and breathable
underslating
.

Bearing structure

wood

Covering

Tiles

% contribution to ventilation by tiles

60%

VentilationBreathable
thickness between tiles and
Ventilation thickness between

Breathable

Breathable

brick

(S)

3 - 4 cm

and thermal insulator (P) Between 6 and 12 cm

Between 7 and 15 cm

Applications characteristics
BREATHABILITY

thable

It is well known that in older houses, the loft (the non-habitable roof space) guarantees a partially ventilated area,
preserving the roof for many years.
In recent years, the conversion of these lofts into additional accommodation and the environmental laws covering
energy saving measures have strengthened the importance of an appropriate ventilation of the roofing area.
The regulation of humidity on the roof and within the lofts are now more and more linked to the performance of the
underslating membrane.
In particular during winter
, thanks to its perfect breathability, when laid above the thermal insulator prevents
Breathable
the formation of dew drops within the same insulating layer, that would otherwise be ineffective.
Thanks to
, humid stagnant air is able to permeate through the membrane, where it evaporates or, if
condensing, flows into the gutter.
3
1

Breathable

1. ACQUAPAR
2. ECOZERO
3.

SINGLE VENTILATION
The roofing systemcan be realized without the use
of thermal insulation. The underslating is laid directly
on to the wooden decking or on to the clay block
floor.
thable

In this way
offers its outstanding resistance
to water penetration and furthermore, thanks to its
breathability, regulates the dispersion of flow of
vapour coming from the inside, thus preventing the
wooden basis from rotting.

sheets are nailed down parallel to the gutter line; using a double sided waterproof acrylic tape it is possible to
seal screw or nail heads and join overlapped sheets of the breathable membrane.
The laths and the counter-roof lathing can be located in order to provide the structure with the necessary air circulation.

Breathable

Applications characteristics

The Freudenberg Politex Group

TEARING RESISTANCE
is nailed on beams without continuous underlying support. This makes it subject to mechanical stress, in particular
during completion of works.
These stresses are balanced by the values of nail tearing resistance of the underslating.
The technical literature identifies three classes that, according to the values mentioned below, determine the distance between
the beams:

Nail tearing resistance

Class

Distance between
beams

between 50 and 100 N

45
Breathable

cm

ST 100

between 100 and 150 N

60
Breathable

cm

ST 110-C

> 150 N

Breathable

Breathable

ST 150

Breathable

PLUS

90 cm

athable

Accessories
DOUBLE SIDED ADHESIVE TAPE
For joining
sheets and protecting from possible water infiltration the areas where nails or screws have been
applied. Freudenberg Politex recommends the use of a double sided adhesive tape, comprising a transparent polyester film
with an acrylic adhesive, providing a high resistance to water on both sides.

U.o.M.
Total thickness (adhesive + support)

0,1

mm

Temperature resistance

170

from 80 to 100
from 80 to 100

N/mm2

from 25 to 45
from 25 to 45

Tensile strength at break

ASTM D 882

Elongation at break

ASTM D 882

Breathable

MD
CD
MD
CD

Technical datasheet

ST

Breathable

Weight

Composition

Thickness

100

150

110-C

110

U.o.M.

EN ISO 9073.1

100

150

110

110

g/m2

Polypropylene (PP)

50

80

70

Polyethylene (PE)

30

30

20

Polypropylene (PP)

20

40

20

Polyurethane (PU)

20

EN ISO 9073.2

0,5

0,9

0,5

0,5

MD

120

200

140

160

CD

70

130

90

100

MD

120

150

100

45

CD

120

140

70

70

MD

80

160

141

195

CD

80

160

114

200

Tensile strength at break

EN 12311 - 1

Elongation at break

EN 12311 - 1

Nail tearing resistance

EN 12310 - 1

Water resistance
(water column)
Vapour transmission
properties
(vapour transmission
speed)
Vapour transmission
properties (Sd)
Xenotest

Feb. 2007 edition

Polyester (PET)

90
g/m2

mm
N/5cm
%
N

EN 20811

5260

1000

12.810

mm

EN 12572

5282

1813

504

g/m2x24h

EN 12572

0,02

0,06

0,20

mt

UNI EN ISO 4892 - 2A

600

600

Hours of exposure to
the xenon arc lamp*

months

600/1000

2000/2400

Hours of exposure
to the lamp

*comparable to
(ATLAS society studies)
Stability to UV rays

PLUS

Breathable

EN 1297
EN 1850 - 1

The Freudenberg Politex Group

www.freudenbergpolitex.com

Supply characteristics

ST

Breathable

Weight

PLUS

Breathable

100

150

100

150

110 - C

110

U.o.M.

110

110

g/m2

Lenght

50

mt

Height

150

cm

Surface

75

m2

Diameter

20

24

20

20

cm

Roll weight

7,5

11,5

8,5

8,5

kg

Pallet

35

24

36

36

n of
rolls

Supply: loose rolls or pallets

SPECIFICATION ITEM
Underslating sheet, type
, waterproof and highly breathable, with a weight of ...g/m2, a waterproofing
capacity of ...mm and an equivalent air thickness Sd equal to ...mt and a nail tearing resistance of ...N.

Breathable

The Freudenberg Politex Group

www.freudenbergpolitex.com