Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/175815
Protection From Within THE INSULATION SECTOR TAKES STEPS TO PROVIDE CONTINUOUS INSULATION AND STOP THERMAL BRIDGING by Godfrey Budd O One of the dominant themes across the insulation sector involves a concept that was barely on the radar until recently. It is covered by the term 'continuous insulation,' which refers to insulation that runs continuously over structural members and is free of signi icant thermal bridging, according to a de inition on the U.S.-based Building Energy Codes Resource Center website. The concept began to attract interest from building envelope experts a few years ago when it was found that the reduction in building energy ef iciency resulting from thermal bridging was considerably greater than had been previously realized. Overall, the focus today is on better energy ef iciency for buildings that is re lected in recent changes in provincial building codes, in Ontario and B.C., for example. It is prompting renewed interest in insulation, says Laverne Dalgleish, a principal at Building Professionals Inc., a consulting irm, which also provides management services to the Canadian Urethane Foam Contractors Association (CUFCA). "Owners want better energy ef iciency, and the reduced operating costs that go with it. Also, owners recognize that an energy ef icient building is more durable. A qualityinsulated building will likely have reduced mold, degradation and rot," he says. He notes that a key requirement in the revised National Building Code is for continuous or high-performance insulation, and points to bene its of products like foam insulation. "It's a monolithic sheath of insulation with no breach for liquid or moisture to get in. It seals and sticks to absolutely everything except polyethylene. The temperature of the stud cavities is always higher than the dew point." Insulation p.20-23Insulation.indd 21 As Dalgleish also notes, foam can be applied between studs with the advantage of having double the R value of ibreglass. It expands dramatically as it is sprayed – by a factor of 30 – and ills every nook and cranny, thus reducing air leakage. It also makes for a quieter building. As the ozone issue has been addressed, with companies now starting to offer zero ozonedepleting foam insulation, price still remains somewhat of a barrier. But the price differential between foam and ibreglass may be less than many people think. "With foam, no vapour bar- Photos this page: Terry Scott White Photography, courtesy Polyurethane rier needs to be installed. So, maybe overall, this Foam Systems. Project: Royal Victoria Hospital, Barrie, Ontario. Spray kind of insulation costs only about 50 per cent insulation applied by Kappeler Masonry, Waterloo, Ontario. Product: more, if you properly cost it," says Dalgleish. Canadian-made Polarfoam™ PF-7300-0 Soya consists of recycled Another recently developed product was plastics and renewable vegetable oil, resulting in zero ozone depletion. speci ically designed to help achieve continu- The CCMC-certified (Canadian Construction Materials Centre) foam and ous insulation. The Cascadia Clip™ is a ibre- installers are also certified by the Canadian Urethane Foam Contractors glass thermal spacer that separates steel girts Association (CUFCA). from the back-up wall, allowing the thermal value of the insulation to be more fully realized. There's substantial interest from Europe in the The low-conductivity ibreglass reduces the thermal Cascadia Clip," he says. bridging associated with conventional steel girts and In part, the emphasis on more effective insulation clips. "By doing this, the Cascadia Clip increases the re lects a demand for more insulation, overall. Insulaeffective R value by about 100 per cent," says Mike tion with R values in the 22 to 30 range are becoming Battistel, VP operations Cascadia Windows and Doors. more common, says Gary Brown, VP marketing and The system can be used with any kind of cladding. technical services at Amvic ICF. "It doesn't add to the cost, as it reduces the amount of The company is an Ontario-based manufacturer of steel used. So, it's roughly cost neutral," says Battistel. insulated concrete forms (ICF) and other insulation Various sectors in the design and construction products. Brown points to growing ICF use in the provindustries are interested in the system, including ince. ICF, he says, began as a foundation system before ASHRAE. "It is very particular about achieving effec- being used for entire exterior wall systems. It is now used in an increasingly broad spectrum of projects tive, not the nominal or theoretical, R value," he says. He says that as the implica- from single-family units to the institutional sector and tions of some aspects of recent other owner-occupied buildings. The ICF concept has also found a niche market in the building code changes are better understood, architects, hotel sector. Amvic ICF has done a number of projects engineers and designers are for the U.S.-based Drury Inn hotel chain, including a looking for systems that will seven-storey lodging in Indianapolis that used more help them meet energy code than 6,000 cubic yards of concrete. One of the attrirequirements. (Battistel says butes of ICF that Drury appreciated was the shorter the codes now tend to refer- construction time, says Brown. Durability, better ence effective, rather than energy ef iciency, sound attenuation and reduced nominal, R value.) He says that maintenance were added attractions. Holiday Inn, the improved thermal insula- Grand Crowne Resorts, Comfort Inn and Hilton Gartion that the new clip system den Inn are other ICF clients in the hospitality sector. makes possible means that Multiple-storey and highrise ICF buildings are also owners don't have to spend being built for affordable and student housing projmore on additional materi- ects, says Lyle Hamilton, VP sales for Logix ICF. als or thicker insulation. "At Beside thermal mass, well-designed ICFs are being present, there's no direct com- touted for their continuous insulation and low thermal petition. We hope to expand conductivity – sought-after attributes as codes tighten the market for this product. and demand for energy ef iciency increases. In light of OCTOBER 2012 /21 9/11/12 11:37 AM