Insulation Institute Blog

One Size Does Not Fit All: Climate-Specific Passive House Building Standard Announced

While the idea of a super-insulated, high-performance house began in North America in response to the 1973 energy crisis, interest in this concept declined in the United States and Canada in the following decades.[1] Subsequently, the concept picked up steam in the early 1900s and developed into Passivehaus in Germany. Passivehaus was designed to emphasize low energy use, health, comfort and resilient construction in a German climate, so when the concept regained popularity in the U.S. in the early 2000’s the German Passivehaus standards did not consider the multiple and varying climate zones of North America.

Details »
One Size Does Not Fit All: Climate-Specific Passive House Building Standard Announced

Regulatory Watch: What you need to know about insulation marketing

Insulation Marketing: Regulations That Guide Conduct

As the fall re-insulation season approaches, many companies will begin to focus more effort on marketing directly to homeowners. As this occurs, it is important to ensure that all marketing conforms to the various federal guidelines and regulations, which impact not only insulation but many consumer products.

Details »
Regulatory Watch: What you need to know about insulation marketing

Spray Foam Safety and Re-entry Times: What Has Changed and What Hasn’t

Over the past few months, Icynene has announced that it is offering new spray foam products with reduced re-occupancy and re-entry times for trades and homeowners. There is already uncertainty as to the “right” amount of time that is needed and these announcements about reductions only add to that uncertainty. It is important to understand how these new recommendations came about and what they mean for spray foam safety.

Details »
Spray Foam Safety and Re-entry Times: What Has Changed and What Hasn’t

Regulatory Watch

EPA Targets Reflective Insulation for Removal from “Seal and Insulate with ENERGY STAR” Program

In April 2015, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sent a letter to Reflective Insulation Manufacturers informing them that EPA is considering removing reflective insulation from the “Seal and Insulate with ENERGY STAR” Program and adding them to the list of Excluded Products. This was based on EPA’s concerns that to date, no reflective insulation manufacturers had met the certification requirements for the “Seal and Insulate with ENERGY STAR” Program for any of their products.

Details »
Regulatory Watch

OSHA Final Rule on Confined Spaces and Spray Foam

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recently issued its Final Rule on confined spaces – 29 C.F.R. Part 1926 Subpart AA. “Confined spaces” include any space large enough for a worker to enter it. The scope of the regulation, therefore, includes crawl spaces and attics.

Details »
OSHA Final Rule on Confined Spaces and Spray Foam

NAIMA Insulation Manufacturers at the 2015 International Builders Show

NAIMA’s insulation manufacturer will be among the more than 2,000 exhibiting brands present NAHB International Builders Show, Jan. 20 – 22 in Las Vegas. IBS is the largest light construction show in the world and will for the second year, be co-located with the Kitchen and Bath Industry Show to create Design and Construction Week, with anticipated attendance of more than 75,000 specifiers, builders, dealers and suppliers.

Details »
NAIMA Insulation Manufacturers at the 2015 International Builders Show

Loose Fill Insulation Performance and Convection

The North American Insulation Manufacturers Association (NAIMA) frequently receives questions from insulation professionals, consumers and others looking for general information on the performance of various fiber glass, rock and slag wool insulation products. One question that has been asked repeatedly over the years relates to the possible loss of R-value of loose fill (blown in) fiberglass insulation in colder temperatures, a misconception often perpetuated by competing insulation products to try and discredit the performance of loose-fill fiber glass insulation.

Details »
Loose Fill Insulation Performance and Convection

HPIP Shifts Focus to Training Insulation Installers

Properly trained insulation contractors play an important role in ensuring the energy efficiency and comfort of a home. One of the most popular insulation products available is loose fill fiber glass insulation, which can be used in all areas of a new or existing home, but is especially suited for areas that are difficult to access, such as truss attics or closed wall cavities. Because poor installation of any system can compromise the performance of the product, a new training effort from the High Performance Insulation Professionals Association (HPIP) aims to educate installers on how to optimize the performance of not just blown-in fiberglass, but a variety of other systems as well. The re-branded organization has reviewed and examined numerous systems and products nominated for inclusion as high performance, and has developed a training program that addresses the building science behind these systems.

Details »
HPIP Shifts Focus to Training Insulation Installers

Super-Efficient, Super Insulated and Sustainable: Thermal Envelope

Lucas Hamilton has more than 20 years’ experience in the building and construction industry – working with builders, designers and building product manufacturers. Over the years, he’s seen many advanced technologies employed to make a significant contribution to energy management in buildings. But, he says, insulation remains the most effective product for reducing carbon emissions while offering an immediate return on investment in terms of energy savings. And, he believes insulation will play an ever larger role in the future – as an increasing number of builders nationwide are super insulating homes to boost energy efficiency.

Details »
Super-Efficient, Super Insulated and Sustainable: Thermal Envelope

Architect La Vardera Makes the Case for Mineral Wool Insulation

Early uses of the rock wool insulation trace back to the Hawaiian Islands hundreds of years ago – where huts were blanketed with fibrous wool collected from volcanic deposits where steam had broken the molten lava into fluffy fibers. And although rock wool and slag wool insulations are commonly perceived to be solely for commercial or industrial use by many people today, in reality, they are ideal choices for residential buildings because of their thermal performance, as well as mold and fire resistance.

Details »
Architect La Vardera Makes the Case for Mineral Wool Insulation