Page 35 - Green Builder Homeowner's Handbook 2016

Exteriors / Roofing / Structure / Insulation / IAQ / Windows / Heating / Lighting / Appliances / Faucets & Fixtures / Finishes / Cabinets & Tops / Alternative Energy

Spray Foam Cellulose
Insulation Insulation

Interior Control
Many new homes include interior wall
insulation—in part because it makes walls
more soundproof. But it also has energy
advantages. It allows you to “zone” different
parts of the home, so that only the areas
of the home being used are fully heated or
cooled.

Rim Armor Virtues Virtues
The point were the
first floor of a home ¦¦ Fills gaps and ¦¦ High percent of
meets the second cavities completely recycled content
has historically been
tough to insulate. New ¦¦ Provides its own air barrier ¦¦ Little or no toxic offgassing
products and systems
include this part of the ¦¦ High R-value per inch ¦¦ Relatively easy to install
house in the insulated
envelope, greatly Caveats Caveats
reducing energy loss.
¦¦ More expensive than ¦¦ Must be installed carefully
IMAGE COURTESY OF OWENS CORNING competing products to fill all gaps
(WWW.OWENSCORNING.COM). THE COLOR
PINK IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF OWENS ¦¦ Requires special ¦¦ Wet products can be
CORNING: TEXT BY GREEN BUILDER STAFF equipment/skills to install problematic if not allowed
to dry properly
Rigid Foam Insulation
fill, is non-flammable, requiring no chemical flame retardants. As a
Virtues Caveats result, offgassing emissions tend to be low. Mineral wool includes
high levels of post-industrial recycled content waste (up to 90
¦¦ High R-value per ¦¦ Some brands may percent), reducing the environmental impact of its production.
inch shrink over time Rigid exterior insulation made from mineral wool is now becoming
available, as well.
¦¦ Seals against air ¦¦ Producing synthetic
infiltration foam is a resource- RIGID FOAM
intensive process Water Resistive
¦¦ Good solution for You may have seen contractors in your area putting green or blue
basement walls insulation right over the wood siding of an old house. Chances
are, they’re applying extruded expanded polystyrene (XEPS) or
www.greenbuildermedia.com polyisocyanurate closed-cell foam. Both products are dense and durable.
Some building experts suggest that foam used this way can an act as
water-resistive barriers (WRBs), negating the need for housewrap, but
we recommend playing it safe and using housewrap as well. Rigid foam
also is a good choice for insulating basement walls. GB

VISION HOUSE® AT MARIPOSA MEADOWS SPONSOR
DuPont Tyvek ThermaWrap R5.0

DuPont Tyvek ThermaWrap R5.0 offers
the air and water management benefits
of DuPont Tyvek HomeWrap and also adds
R-5 to the wall assembly. Unlike other
exterior insulation products, ThermaWrap is
breathable, allowing any moisture that finds
its way into the wall cavity to escape.
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The Homeowner’s Handbook 2016 GREEN BUILDER 33