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IN DEPTH: Insulation and Housewrap

Continuous Insulation Coming
Many see that code changes will require continuous insulation on the home’s exterior in the near future, at least in colder climates. “We’ve seen a fair amount of change in energy-code requirements in the past few years, and many more will be coming,” says Huber’s Sealock. “The goal is to lead us to net-zero homes in the future. Those changes create more anxiety for builders around how to construct homes efficiently yet economically.”

Fortifiber’s Yount agrees. “The energy codes are pushing people in that direction. Builders have run out of space between the studs to provide efficiency, and they have to find new ways to meet the energy requirements and decrease air movement.”

Adds DuPont’s Pyle, “Builders know they can make the walls only so thick inside. They’re looking at how best to add insulation to the outside. Builders are interested in putting a blanket around the home today, and they want to be able to roll the product out and install it quickly.”

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Dow is trying to spread the word. “We promote using continuous insulation at every opportunity,” says Parsons. “Building science is being used more often, and it says that the exterior is the best place to put insulation. You get the most for your money when you put the bulk of the insulation protection outbound of the house’s walls.”

Air Barrier Important
Continuous insulation also helps achieve the air control that aids efficiency. “There’s definitely more focus on air sealing and the products that will help that,” says CertainTeed’s Winslow. “A lot of attention needs to be paid to details, and with the labor shortage in many markets, that makes it more challenging to get it done correctly and quickly, especially if they’re using exterior insulation.”

Platinum graphite polystyrene insulationInsulfoam has introduced Platinum graphite polystyrene insulation, a new class of insulation made with BASF’s Neopor, a rigid foam that integrates high-purity graphite into the polymer matrix. This process results in insulation with R-values that increase as the temperature decreases. It comes in both faced and unfaced options for a variety of insulating needs.

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