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GuidesPrice, thickness, PIRIs a PUF panel better than brick for a cold room?
For most cold rooms, yes. Brick and AAC insulate far less than PUF: matching a 100 mm PUF panel would take about 820 mm of AAC or over 2 metres of brick (calculated). So masonry rooms still need insulation added inside. Panels go up faster, stay hygienic and can be moved.
- 100 mm PUF, U (calculated)
- ≈ 0.21 W/m²K
- 230 mm brick, U (calculated)
- ≈ 2.01 W/m²K
- 200 mm AAC, U (calculated)
- ≈ 0.78 W/m²K
- k values (typical)
- PUF 0.022 · AAC 0.16–0.20 · brick 0.6–0.8
How do brick, AAC and PUF compare as insulation?
Insulation is measured by thermal conductivity, k (W/m·K): the lower it is, the less heat passes through. Fired clay brick is a structural material, not an insulator. AAC (autoclaved aerated concrete) blocks are much better than brick, but still several times worse than rigid PUF foam.
| Material | k (typical) | Same U as 80 mm PUF | Same U as 100 mm PUF | Same U as 150 mm PUF |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rigid PUF panel | 0.022 W/m·K | 80 mm | 100 mm | 150 mm |
| AAC block | 0.16–0.20 W/m·K | ≈ 580–730 mm | ≈ 730–910 mm | ≈ 1,090–1,360 mm |
| Fired clay brick | 0.6–0.8 W/m·K | ≈ 2,180–2,910 mm | ≈ 2,730–3,640 mm | ≈ 4,090–5,460 mm |
A standard 230 mm brick wall has a calculated U-value of about 2.01 W/m²K, and a 200 mm AAC wall about 0.78 W/m²K. A 100 mm PUF panel is about 0.21 W/m²K. No one builds metre-thick walls, so a masonry cold room always needs an insulation layer, which brings it back to foam or panels anyway.
How are brick cold rooms usually insulated?
Older and larger stores are often built as a brick or concrete shell with insulation fixed inside: foam slabs or sprayed foam on the walls, with a vapour barrier on the warm side and a protective lining or plaster over it. This works, but it adds trades and time, and its performance depends on site workmanship.
- Vapour barrier. Moisture moves from warm outside air towards the cold room. Without a continuous barrier on the warm side, it condenses inside the insulation and, below zero, freezes. IS 661 covers this for cold stores.
- Gaps and joints. Slabs and spray must be continuous at corners, ceilings and floors, or heat and moisture take the short way through.
- Inner finish. Insulation behind plaster is hard to clean and can crack; food rooms need a washable, non-porous surface.
A PUF panel combines the shell, insulation, vapour barrier (the steel skins) and the washable finish in one factory-made product. The joints are the only site-made detail, which is why sealed or cam-lock joints matter. See continuous vs cam-lock.
Build time, hygiene and flexibility
| Factor | PUF panel room | Brick / AAC room + insulation |
|---|---|---|
| Build time on site | Days to a few weeks once panels arrive | Weeks to months (masonry, curing, insulation, finish) |
| Wall thickness for good insulation | 80–150 mm | Masonry plus an insulation layer |
| Vapour barrier | Built in (steel skins), joints sealed | Separate layer, site-made |
| Inside finish | Smooth coated steel, washable | Plaster or lining over insulation |
| Weight on floor and foundation | Light | Heavy |
| Expand or relocate | Cam-lock rooms can be dismantled and extended | Demolish and rebuild |
| Fire behaviour | Combustible core unless PIR or mineral wool | Masonry non-combustible; insulation layer still matters |
| Security and impact | Thin skins dent; add kerbs and guards | Masonry resists impact |
Masonry still has a place: as an outer security or fire wall around a panel room, for large stores where a structural shell is built anyway, or where local rules ask for it. Many projects combine the two: a shed or masonry building outside and a panel cold room inside.
Which costs less: brick or PUF panel?
Compared like for like, the masonry route has to include the wall, the insulation, the vapour barrier, the inner finish and the extra weeks of building and labour. A panel room’s cost is mainly the panels, doors, flashing and installation. For small and medium cold rooms the panel route is usually quicker and simpler to price; for very large stores the comparison depends on the building design.
Wall and roof panel rates for every thickness are on our price board, for example the 100 mm wall panel. They are ex-works; GST and transport are extra, and flashing is made as per your requirement. For the thickness your room needs, see thickness by temperature.
Transport extraFlashing as per your requirement
