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laminated directly to Firestone's ISO 95+ GL polyiso insulation. "The newer system eliminates the need for adhesive between the layer of standard insula- tion and the cover board. The standard insulation increases in thickness in 0.1- inch increments. By cutting out just one step, you're seeing tremendous savings," Cooper says. Thermal performance is one of the priorities of a new st andard that the exterior insulation finish systems ( EIFS) sector has introduced. "The standard is now being adopted by the 2015 National Building Code. It can be broken out into three basic parts – materials and systems, installation and design. It identifies where the respon- sibilities are. The codes have increased thermal performance requirements," says Gary Osmond, technical manager at Durabond Products Ltd. The new standard should improve lifecycle costing and reduce energy- related consumption for buildings, he says. "It's good for our sector as it means more exterior insulation being used in future. The building owner and the consumer both become winners in this. Another value of the standard is that it covers all buildings," adds Osmond. He expects energy demand to con- tinue to grow with little likelihood of prices dropping. He notes that Ontario's code, as it relates to thermal performance in some sectors, has tight- ened considerably in the last decade. "The requirement now is R-24 for all res- idential, as an example of the way codes have changed. As recently as a few years ago, R-12 was the requirement," he says. The effects of new standards from other sources are also rippling through the insulation sector. The 2010 edition of ASHRAE 90.1 involved many changes and these are being adopted in Canada and incorporated into new building codes on a province-by-province basis. But meeting the requirements of some aspect s of the resulting new codes can involve some innovation and creativity if builders and owners are to avoid some sharp spikes in costs. "There are many prescriptive solutions in the ASHRAE that are not always fea- sible, so it allows us to have alternate tested assemblies that we feel are more affordable and constructable," says John Trapp, president of Total-R Inc. The impact of the new ASHR AE has been greater on labour costs than materials. The application of alternate tested assemblies for meeting the new requirements in these two sectors can be relatively easy and straightforward. "We're selling these alternate solutions to general contractors," he says. B.C., along with Alberta, is the main market for Total-R's services, and the West Coast province was an early adopter of the new ASHRAE. The result was that most of the enquiries origi- nated in B.C. architects and engineers offices, before being filtered by Total-R's general contractor clients. "We give the contractor a solution that he passes on to the specifier," Trapp says. The new code requirements are likely spurring further success of a product from Cascadia Windows and Doors. The company's Cascadia Clip, made of fibre- glass, is a thermally-broken cladding support system for exterior insulated wall systems – but not EIFS. The origi- nal dimensions of the clip ranged from 3.5 to six inches, based on the thickness of the insulation. "We've responded to demand for smaller clips as well. Now, we have sizes of two and three inches, Above: This warehouse facility in southern Ontario features metal structural insulated panels (SIP) that have a brick-like facade. Photo courtesy Structural Panel Inc. october 2014 /23 Insulation

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