The 2019 Annual Builder Practices Survey, which had more than 1,600 homebuilder participants this year, provides some powerful insight into the thermal products market in the U.S.
No other insulation system I am familiar with provides the real r-value that spray foam does, accomplishes the air-sealing it does, or thwarts vapor flow as well.
Spray foam can be a great material, but understanding its use is often hindered by overeager installers who emphasize the magic rather than the real properties of the products.
Chris Byers has a long history in the green building industry and currently works as a Commercial Solar Developer at Namasté Solar. Throughout his career he has assisted in the development and construction of over 24 MW of projects since 2016. Byers has designed and managed solar projects in the United States, Haiti, and Kenya. Because of this, it only seemed suitable that Byers himself take the same approach to sustainability that he has always advocated for when creating his own home.
The photos in this article provide an excellent side-by-side example of the same residential wall system, including the same windows, flashing, stud type, interior vapor barrier, and cladding system.
Builders who use natural materials in the United States have seen interest grow in "hempcrete," a renewable building material made with hemp that can take the place of traditional drywall, insulation and siding.
The energy performance of the homes I build is important to me, but it turns out there are other important reasons for focusing my air-sealing efforts on the garage wall.
Builders in New York optimize their plans to fit more houses on a development, and one way they create inexpensive square footage is to build a second-story room over an attached garage, framing the roof and the bonus room in one quick step using an attic truss.
Johns Manville (JM), a global building and specialty products manufacturer and a Berkshire Hathaway Company, announced a new Climate Pro®blowing wool production line will be built in McPherson, Kan.
