Insulation Institute Blog

Posts Categorized: Insulation

The Air Sealing Learning Curve

When newer editions of the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) are introduced in states, often there’s a learning curve for home builders, especially when it comes to verification of a home’s air tightness with a blower door test. Some builders are having a tough go of meeting the new requirements.  Increasingly, they’re relying on energy efficiency professionals, like HERS raters to help them achieve the target. Insulation Institute spoke with Jonathan Lang, Manager of Training & Certifications for Knauf Insulation who is a BPI Certified Building Analyst, Building Performance Specialist, and ICC Residential Energy Inspector (whew!). We spoke about the challenges builders face in meeting air tightness requirements and why communication and education are so critical to meeting the targets.

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The Air Sealing Learning Curve

Reduce Costs with This Sprinklers Alternative

According to the Fire Protection Research Foundation, the median cost of a residential sprinkler system is $5,000, but the maximum cost of a system averages $21,000. Those are huge numbers that contribute to the builder’s total cost of construction. Builders may be able to cut their overall costs for sprinklers by using fiberglass and mineral wool insulation as an effective, affordable passive fire protection solution in concealed spaces and ceiling cavities in low-rise buildings and one and two-family dwellings. NAIMA has released a new publication detailing the new provisions of the 2019 National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Standard 13 on when sprinklers may be omitted.

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Reduce Costs with This Sprinklers Alternative

Report Gives Guidance on Specifying Healthier Insulation

Energy Efficiency for All recently released a new report, “Guidance for Specifying Healthier Insulation and Air-Sealing Materials.” The new report is a supplement to a publication produced last fall, “Making Affordable Housing More Energy Efficient: A Guide to Healthier Upgrade Materials,” which ranked insulation materials used in multifamily residential insulation retrofits from least to most hazardous. According to the report, fiberglass insulations are among “the best insulation materials from a health perspective…and we recommend their use whenever possible” in residential multifamily housing stock.

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Report Gives Guidance on Specifying Healthier Insulation

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!

Our Top Five Blog Posts of 2018

With 2018 coming to a close, we reviewed the most read blog posts of the year. Air sealing was our most popular topic. With more states adopting stronger energy codes, readers were very interested in how to use high-performance building practices and proper air sealing to achieve new air tightness targets.

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Our Top Five Blog Posts of 2018

Master the Training, Witness the Test

In the quest to meet new energy code requirements of the 2012/15 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), some builders are finding that passing that all-important blower door test is their biggest challenge. As we’ve reported earlier this year, only 40 to 50 percent of new construction homes that must now meet the 3 ACH50 blower door target will pass the first test, but builders can increase the initial pass rate, according to Cosco Jones, owner of Jones Sustainable Solutions Group. Jones is a HERS rater who’s worked with more than a dozen builders to improve the energy performance of their new construction homes. He offered his advice to builders on how to not only increase the pass rate for blower door testing but also reduce their costs in the process.

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Master the Training, Witness the Test

Future-Proof Home Construction

In his more than 30 years as a residential building contractor, Jim Iredale focused much of his career on constructing code-built custom homes. That changed in 2012 when he had the opportunity to work on a very high-end project that was designed to meet passive haus (house) standards, and a devotee was born.

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Future-Proof Home Construction

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

5 Priority Air Sealing Locations for New Homes

Achieving an energy efficient, durable and comfortable home starts with framing and includes air sealing and insulation. Regardless of the type of insulation used, whole-home air sealing is a must to minimize air leakage and maximize thermal performance. It’s also an essential part of meeting new home airtightness requirements. As states adopt new, more stringent home energy efficiency codes, builders must redouble their efforts to ensure that new homes are properly air sealed. But where are the areas within the building that are leakier than others?

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5 Priority Air Sealing Locations for New Homes