Insulation Institute Blog

Meet America’s Best Installer

Gerardo Macias, an insulation installer with Northern Insulation in Wauconda, IL, is the winner of the 2019 “America’s Best Installer” competition, held Nov. 7-9 in Denver, CO, and won the event’s top prize of $10,000. The annual competition, hosted by Insulate America and Johns Manville, saw Macias compete against contenders for the title in the competition, now in its sixteenth year. Insulation Institute staff witnessed the final competition and talked with several of the attendees, judges, and contractors about what it takes to walk away with the title and more importantly, deliver top quality insulation installation in the field, where proper installation is essential to achieving peak home energy efficiency and comfort.

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Meet America’s Best Installer

The Housing Guy Talks Zero Energy’s Expansion

In the past three months, Sam Rashkin, chief architect of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Building Technologies Office, has been traveling non-stop, speaking at meetings and conferences about the expansion of zero energy buildings in the United States. While accustomed to an exacting traveling and speaking schedule, the demands on his time likely accelerated with word that Rashkin will retire from the DOE and his role as chief housing-efficiency advocate at the end of the year. Insulation Institute recently caught up with Rashkin for an assessment on zero energy building today and where it’s headed in the future.

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The Housing Guy Talks Zero Energy’s Expansion

3 Things to Stop Doing with Batts

Strong new home starts and an uptick in hiring in the construction industry means that new insulation contractors are added to company payrolls every day. With the rise of high-efficiency construction driven by certification programs such as HERS, ENERGY STAR, and LEED, quality installation is more important than ever. To combat common insulation installation issues, we look at three typical missteps made by insulation contractors when installing batts and review ways to avoid them.

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3 Things to Stop Doing with Batts

Builder Spotlight: Insight’s Innovation Win

DOE’s Housing Innovation Awards recognize the best in home building innovation on the path toward Net Zero. Among this year’s winners in the production home category is Insight Homes, a Delaware builder and previous innovation award winner. Insight’s ability to evolve its construction practices to take advantage of the latest in building science developments and energy-efficient construction techniques are among the characteristics that set this exceptional builder apart from the competition.

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Builder Spotlight: Insight’s Innovation Win

Desire for Healthier Homes Boosts IAQ Solutions

A study commissioned by Second Nature, the nation’s largest home wellness subscription service, revealed that 99 percent of Americans want a healthy home, yet 62 percent say they could do a better job of obtaining one. One of the major ways that homeowners can ensure a healthy home is maintaining good indoor air quality (IAQ). The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates[1] that indoor air is up to five times more polluted than outdoor air, an alarming fact that is likely to heighten consumer concerns.

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Desire for Healthier Homes Boosts IAQ Solutions

You Still Get What You Inspect

We don’t get out to jobsites often. Much of our time here at Insulation Institute is spent developing resources for building industry professionals on how to safely use and properly install fiberglass and mineral wool insulation products, and that keeps us in the office most days. But occasionally, we’re invited to a job site to observe the insulation installation. We relish these opportunities. 

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You Still Get What You Inspect

Energy Efficiency Workforce Grows to 2.3 Million

E4TheFuture’s recently released 2019 report, “Energy Efficiency Jobs in America,” demonstrates the impressive growth of the energy efficiency workforce, which now numbers more than 2.3 million people. The annual report is based on data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and is a comprehensive survey of thousands of businesses, using a methodology developed for the U.S. Department of Energy.

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Energy Efficiency Workforce Grows to 2.3 Million

Bentley’s 4 Rules for High-Performance Homes

Jeff Bentley is a fifth-generation home builder who’s built more than 4,000 houses and sold more than 2,000 homes in more than 45 years in residential construction. He’s also a HERS rater, LEED Green Builder and REALTOR® whose counsel on energy-efficient home building is highly sought after.  Insulation Institute reached out to Bentley to find out what practices can help builders meet more stringent energy efficiency code requirements and dramatically improve the way homes are built in America. Here are Bentley’s four rules for High-performance Homes.

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Bentley’s 4 Rules for High-Performance Homes

Award-Winning Builds…Even at the Low End

For the second time in three years, North Carolina Builder Shawn Jessup has won a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Housing Innovation Award. While Jessup’s scale may be small, at two to three builds per year, he is in high demand. S.D. Jessup Construction fields constant requests from potential customers in Raleigh, NC and other areas more than two hours away from their Pilot Mountain, NC base. Insulation Institute reached out to Jessup to get the scoop on his formula for constructing award-winning homes.

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Award-Winning Builds…Even at the Low End

Builder-to-Buyer Flood Risk Education

An astonishing 98 percent of U.S. counties have been impacted by a flood event, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and floods are the number one natural disaster in the United States. Moreover, the increasing weather risks associated with global climate change means that homebuyers should consider flood insurance, even if they don’t live in a floodplain.

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Builder-to-Buyer Flood Risk Education