Tag: Exterior insulation

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Winnie Pretty Good House-Working with Huber’s Zip-R Sheathing

As builders and designers, we have so many ways we can improve the performance of a wall assembly.  Deeper wall cavities will allow for more insulation, double wall construction gains you the ability to move the air and/or vapor control to the middle of the wall leaving the inner framing cavity free for mechanical/electrical/plumbing (MEP) equipment.  Then there’s Building Science Corporation and Dr. Joe Lstiburek’s perfect wall, with the right ratio of continuous exterior insulation to interior cavity insulation that lessens the worries of vapor control.  Continuous exterior insulation can be designed in several ways, foam-based products, ridged mineral wool, wood fiber insulation, or nail base products.  And then there’s Huber’s Zip System R-sheathing, what we call on the jobsite, Zip-R.

Zip-R isn’t new, I first became aware of the product back in 2014.  What makes this product unique is that the continuous insulation layer is located between the exterior wall sheathing and framing.  This location simplifies the installation of CI and wall sheathing compared to the traditional location of the insulation, which is exterior of the wall sheathing.  And to add to the advantages of the product, in most applications, it is still a structural sheathing product when installed per Huber’s manufacturer’s instructions.  (Consult a structural engineer if there are any questions or concerns on a specific design or building location.)

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Where to Locate the WRB when using Continuous Insulation-Inside or Out?

This post first appeared on the Green Building Advisor Website.

Right now, there’s a lot of interest in the residential construction market around continuous insulation (CI) strategies.  CI adds a layer of complexity to a build, and with it, questions.  How much insulation do I need?  How to fasten the insulation?  How to fasten the cladding?  How to integrate windows and doors?  What about vapor control?  And, this question, should the water resistive barrier (WRB) be at the sheathing layer or outboard the insulation?  The answer, it depends, but you have a lot of choices.

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The Thermal Bridge

Thermal imaging is an awesome tool, it can be used to find areas of missing insulation and other temperature anomalies in the building shell.  It can help us find issues with electrical, plumbing and heating systems.  And when used in conjunction with a blower door, we can often “see” the air leaks.  The photo below was taken without the assistance of a blower door, I was at this new home to conduct a blower door, but the test hadn’t begun at the time this photo was taken, can you say thermal bridge!

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Construction Design-The Effect of Windows on Wall R-Values

I’m about to start a remodel project of the family room in my home.  Not your normal fresh paint and new floor covering update, but a complete gut down to the stud renovation.  New electrical, new drywall and no more popcorn ceiling.  I’m curious as to what my effective R-value of the exterior walls will be when I’m done with the space.  This includes the windows.  I figured I’d share my calculations with you.  This post is math heavy, if you’d like to skip the math, read the final five paragraphs.

Progress picture of the exterior work on my small cape from 2019.

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Construction Design-Closed Cell Spray Foam Below a Slab

This post originally appeared on GreenBuildingAdvisor – Green Building Advisor is the one-stop source for builders, remodelers, architects & homeowners looking for expert advice on green products, strategies & proven construction details.

I was introduced to using closed cell spray foam (CCSF) below a slab a few years ago by New England contractor Wade Paquin of WKP Construction. He was insulating the below grade slabs of his new homes by spraying a couple inches over a bed of stone, then pouring the concrete. I have now had the opportunity to try this insulation method over a couple projects, Continue reading “Construction Design-Closed Cell Spray Foam Below a Slab”

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Building Science-A Benefit of Exterior Insulation

I’m a big fan of exterior insulation.  It’s rarely used in my area, mostly because the State of Minnesota has eliminated that code requirement.  It has to to with our wide use of polyethylene sheeting as a vapor retarder on the warm in winter side of a wall assembly and then adding a low permeance plastic insulation product as exterior insulation.  These plastic foams would be the choice for most contractors, lower cost and easy to source.  Very slow vapor movement in either direction when a wall assembly becomes wet.  This posting isn’t going to get into the foam insulations, but more into what exterior insulation can do for a home. Continue reading “Building Science-A Benefit of Exterior Insulation”