Insulation Institute Blog

Posts Categorized: Installation

Mineral Wool: A Solution to Thermal Bridging

Thermal bridging or the escape of heat through low-performing areas in a building envelope presents a huge problem for builders interested in energy-efficient buildings. One of the reasons that modern buildings are now more energy efficient than ever is that newer building energy codes, like the 2015 IECC and ASHRAE 90.1 prescriptively include the use of continuous insulation in most climates to reduce thermal bridging. While there are many different continuous insulation products and applications, mineral wool is gaining in popularity as an effective solution in minimizing thermal bridging.

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Mineral Wool: A Solution to Thermal Bridging

Premium Construction With A Cost-Effective Product

Thrive Home Builders is one of the most respected production builders in the country with a multitude of awards and accolades to prove it. The Denver-area company is well-known nationwide for its sustainable, energy-efficient construction, with 100 percent of its homes meeting a minimum of Net Zero Energy Ready status. Thrive commands a 10 to 25 percent price premium for its high-performance new construction homes, so one could assume that every product used in its builds would also come at a price premium. Yet, Thrive CEO and Founder Gene Myers told Insulation Institute that cost-effective blown-in fiberglass insulation is a preferred product in his company’s homes.

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Premium Construction With A Cost-Effective Product

Matt Risinger Might’ve Made Our Day!

We at Insulation Institute spend a good deal of our time talking up the benefits of using fiberglass and mineral wool insulation. As much of the content of our blog is geared toward new residential construction, we value connecting with builders who use these products to achieve high-performance new home construction. So, we were thrilled to catch up with Matt Risinger, a Texas home builder and building science enthusiast (and a rock star) who specializes in high-performance, architect-driven home building during the International Builders Show. We’ve heard Matt speak at the International Builders Show in the past and we know his time is a valuable commodity, so we only asked him one question during our brief chat. His answer didn’t disappoint.

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Matt Risinger Might’ve Made Our Day!

3 Common Problems Found in New Home Inspections

Home Builders take pride in the quality construction and workmanship of new homes. But even the best builder will occasionally be challenged with flaws in new construction that must be corrected. The complexity of new home construction, buyers’ lack of understanding about new home warranties, and internet savvy consumers raise the stakes for new home purchases and argue for independent home inspections.

Insulation Institute spoke with Frank Lesh, past president of the American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI) and Mike Chamberlain, owner of MC2 Home Inspections, a certified national home inspector. We discussed the prevalence of inspections for new homes, the three most common issues Chamberlain has encountered during those inspections, and what builders can do to ensure consistent quality construction.

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3 Common Problems Found in New Home Inspections

Our Insulation Field Trip

The Insulation Institute is committed to addressing and educating the market on quality installation, conducting training sessions and developing an extensive guide on how to get Grade I installation. Since we represent the insulation industry, we like to get out in the field from time-to-time and see how the products our members manufacture are installed. 

So, when we had an opportunity to visit two Maryland homes currently under construction just after the insulation had been installed we jumped at the chance.

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Our Insulation Field Trip

Free Grade I Training Coming to Four States

According to U.S. Department of Energy 20 percent home’s energy is wasted because the home is under insulated and improperly air sealed.[1] For builders, this can wreak havoc on productivity, resulting in call backs, jeopardizing code compliance, reducing HERS scores, and resulting in homes that are less energy efficient and comfortable for consumers.

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Free Grade I Training Coming to Four States

70 Seconds on Why Quality Installs Matter

The housing industry is changing, and quality insulation installation matter more than ever before. Poor quality insulation installation can reduce energy efficiency, lower a home’s HERS score, prevent qualification for certification and incentive programs even endanger code compliance. In this new video, Insulation Institute lays out the business case for builders on quality insulation installation.

70 Seconds on Why Quality Installs Matter

What is “Proper” Insulation Installation?

Even the title of this blog adds confusion to a subject that, on the surface, doesn’t seem like it should be that complex. To say there is “proper” installation implies there is also “improper,” in other words just plain wrong. However, some think the assessment of insulation installation quality is in fact much more nuanced than that. Others prefer the more black and white approach. In the face of differences of opinion, where would most in the building industry turn for the final word? To the building code, of course. However, code language may only add to the ambiguity around this subject, and inconsistent code enforcement certainly does. In this blog, we explore the different definitions and terminology related to insulation installation, what code says about it (and what it doesn’t) and why all this matters for home construction, whether it’s code built homes or those meeting more stringent high performance targets.

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What is “Proper” Insulation Installation?

Do Quality Insulation Installations Cost More?

We talk a lot about the importance of quality insulation installation, especially for batts. If the home is getting a HERS rating, Grade III installation means 5% of your insulated area is modeled as uninsulated. For those in California, failing to meet their definition of quality, a Quality Insulation Installation (QII), means wall cavity R-value is discounted 30% when modeled to determine energy code compliance. For Energy Star or DOE Zero Energy Ready homes it’s simple: get Grade I or you can’t be certified[1]. So, there appears to be market value for quality installation, but does that actually manifest itself in installer compensation? If so, how much is it worth?

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Do Quality Insulation Installations Cost More?