Don't Skimp on Insulation

On February 5, Martin Holladay from Green Building Advisor.com posted a Blog entitled “It’s OK to Skimp On Insulation, Icynene Says.” This was in response to open-cell spray foam manufacturer, Icyene’s position advising builders to install less insulation than the code requires and for building officials to approve insulation that doesn’t meet minimum R-value requirements.

Martin makes some very good points regarding the flaws in this thinking. Icynene’s position is that air-tightening a home will have a significant impact on the energy consumption of the home–which is absolutely true, but they are also saying that by doing this you can accept lower R-values. There is no reason to accept lower R-values. Builders should be able to do both: air-tighten a home and have the R-values that the code requires.

To read more, visit the CertainTeed blog