Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/1408886
S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 1 | 13 Building Envelope 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; B U I L D I N G P RO DU C T S O F C A N A DA CO R P. Maxime Duzyk, director of building science and engineering for Huntsman, says, "We're seeing a lot of continuous insulation in projects, as well as more requests for air barrier systems. "Concerns about radon have been increasing for retrofits and new construction. Closed-cell spray polyurethane foam is one of the most effective ways to stop radon, the number one cause of lung can- cer in non-smokers, from entering buildings. The product acts as the insulation with one of the high- est R-values per inch, and also as the air and vapour barrier. Foam expands through every void and crack and self seals to most common construction materi- als making it easy to apply a strong seal." Duzyk describes a wall assembly using the new Heatlok Soya HFO closed cell insulation that elimi- nates the need for exterior insulation, full-surface membranes, and fibreglass insulation. "The D-Max Wall assembly is a new way of building," he says. "This application is composed of regular steel studs, but instead of installing the exterior sheet- ing directly on the steel studs, a Z girt is installed horizontally on the studs and then the sheeting is installed on top of the Z girts. This creates a space between the studs and the sheeting, which allows the Heatlok foam to insulate between the two and remove the thermal bridge. It's like the insulation is on the exterior of the building, but applied from the interior." Heatlok Soya HFO has helped earn Huntsman the distinction of being the only spray foam man- ufacturer to have a certified EPD (Environmental Product Declaration), showing a significant reduction in six environmental impact categories compared to other insulations, including a major GWP (Global Warming Impact) reduction. Marie-Helene Roussel, manager, merchandis- ing and advertising at Building Products of Canada Corp., notes that her company's R-5 XP panels "recently got a bit of a makeover. As the name indi- cates, R-5 XP Insul-Sheathing panels are structural insulation panels. They've been around for a few years now and have been garnering more and more attention because they provide a continuous ther- mal resistance of R-5, do not require any additional bracing, feature an integrated air barrier, and are lightweight and easy to install." So what did BP do to change the panels? Roussel says, "R-5XP are made with Dupont Styrofoam Brand XPS insulation, which recently transitioned to a reduced global warming potential formula in Canada and across select U.S. states. To indicate the transition, the brand also switched its signature colour from blue to grey. This means that our R-5 XP panels are now grey, and greener than ever." Andrew Rogers, principal at Sound Solutions (an Ontario-based distributor of innovative interior and exterior architectural products), says of business in 2021: "It's very strong, and what was popular last year has only intensified. We're shipping a lot of our NBK Terracotta cladding to condominium projects, and R-5 XP Insul-Sheathing structural insulation panels. Heatlok Soya HFO closed cell insulation. Prairie Architects.indd 1 2021-05-31 11:31 AM