Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/1295215
Thermafiber RainBarrier High Compressive Insulation. O C T O B E R 2 0 2 0 | 21 Insulation Also, contractors who have used the foam say it handles better than the HFC- blown version; it has less of a tendency to stick in the gun, thus reducing the number of times a gun must be cleaned during the day. In a similar vein, the Canadian Urethane Foam Contractors Association (CUFCA) recently announced that CUSE, one of its supplier members, intro- duced a new closed cell two-pound spray polyurethane foam (SPF) system. This new foam is made in Canada and is a fourth generation product with the Honeywell Solstice Blowing Agent. It has an Industry Leading LTTR of R-6 per inch and is available to CUFCA Contractors. CUFCA promotes the use of SPF insulation in all applications, while providing the end user with a level of comfort that the installation will be done safely and properly. Perhaps ironically, the COVID-19 pandemic has not slowed this initiative at all and in fact has provided opportunities to further the cause. Andrew Cole, CUFCA's executive director, explains, "Undoubtedly our members are still struggling to oper- ate in the so-called 'new normal' that will endure during the length of the pandemic, but on the other hand a lot of people are redefining their homes as sanctuaries both for living and for work, and they're willing to throw a lot of money into upgrades and renovations – which in turn benefits our members. As a result, we're glad to report that everyone is very busy in 2020, and we hope that projects requiring spray polyurethane foam will continue at this pace or greater." The SPF Quality Assurance Program used by CUFCA provides manufacturers with a program that helps them install spray polyurethane foam in accordance with instructions and the CAN/ULC S705.2 Installation Standard. "That's how we build confidence," says Cole, adding that the long-term quality the program provides is of paramount importance to the energy management programs of electric/gas utilities and federal and provincial energy conservation program designers in general. Owens Corning is renowned not only for its high quality insulation products and systems but also the development of complete enclosure solutions and design guides that help architects and contractors design and build high- performing, durable buildings meeting the new energy efficiency requirements across Canada. In 2020, Salvatore Ciarlo, technical services and codes and standards direc- tor at Owens Corning, was particularly focused on provinces having to adopt new requirements of the National Energy Code for buildings, and he regards his company's Thermal Bridging Guide as essential reading for architects and building developers. He says, "To meet new energy efficiency requirements you essentially have to rethink your enclosure systems from a holistic perspective, and therefore it's important to understand the concept of thermal bridging, how thermal bridg- ing is addressed in codes, and how to account for them." The essence of this 100-page guide is that the impact of thermal bridging is not always obvious for multi-dimensional construction, especially when components that penetrate the building envelope and have intricate heat flow paths are incorporated. The guide details two types of wall assemblies that can help comply with the new Code requirements for buildings. One can insulate the wall assembly completely from the exterior, outboard of the gypsum or wood sheathing, using continuous insulation and thermally isolated cladding attachments. The other is a split insulated wall assembly where the stud cavities are filled with fibreglass batt insulation, and then continuous Thermafiber mineral wool insulating is used as sheathing on the exterior coupled with thermally isolated clips and efficient junctions and transition details. One significant advantage of a split insulated wall assembly is the thermal resistance contribution of the batt insulation to the overall assembly value, thus requiring less thermal resistance for the continuous insulation on the exterior and providing a thinner, more cost-effective overall assembly. Ciarlo says, "Very simply put, a split insulated wall assembly with insulation in the stud cavities and non-conductive attachments will yield significant cost savings, and our Thermafiber RainBarrier High Compressive Insulation is designed to be used in continuous insulation applications, where the cladding and cladding attachments are fastened outboard of the mineral wool insulation." Building Products of Canada's (BP Canada) products may be a utilitarian staple of residential construction, but they nonetheless enjoyed a high degree of visibility in 2019 when they garnered recognition for being among the compo- nents that enabled several custom homebuilders with the lowest HERS index to win awards at the Cross Border Builder Challenge. BP's insulating wall panels consist of the R-1.3, a 7⁄16 inch wall sheathing panel produced from non-toxic organic materials and natural wood fibres. The panels are asphalt coated on both sides for greater weather resistance, and they have excellent water vapour permeance, meaning interior water vapour escapes to the exterior instead of being trapped within the wall cavity. The R-1.5 and R-40 panels offer similar performance attributes, the latter having the added insulat- ing properties of polystyrene in addition to wood fibre. BP's latest insulation offering, the R-5 panels, combine the mechanical prop- erties of BP's wood fibre panels and the insulation properties of Dow Chemical's Heatlok Soya HFO with a Solstice liquid blowing agent from Honeywell. P H OTO G R A P H Y CO U RT E SY H U N T S M A N B U I L D I N G S O LU T I O N S; OW EN S CO R N I N G