More BS* + Beer
This episode of the BS* + Beer Show features some of the principal folks behind TimberHP giving us an update on production and availability of their wood fiber insulation line. We get a brief photojournalistic tour of their 11-acre site and hydro-powered facility in Madison, Maine, filled with what Ben Bogie describes as “formidable machinery that is kind of terrifying . . . ASMR for construction nerds.” Travis shares his experience installing the company’s loose-fill product, TimberFill, which he likens to “frolicking in the woods of Maine.” And there’s talk of pricing compared to heritage products, comparative R-values, and “Lstiburek-approved” details, among other tangents.
Enjoy the show!
Bios
Jessica Vigneault, operations manager, brings over a decade of experience in the paper industry to her role at TimberHP. Most recently, she spent five years working on the Number Two Paper Machine at Sappi Somerset in Skowhegan. She also worked in pulping and bleaching operations inside the mill. At TimberHP, Jessica oversees the manufacturing process from arrival of chips to packaging and shipping.
Dan Edelman, business development manager, has been working in the built environment sector for over 20 years, 13 of which were spent in the high-performance building community. With a strong building science knowledge base, Dan educates and collaborates with architects, builders, insulation contractors, and the supply chain to better the industry with vapor-permeable natural products.
Jason Todd, director of building science, comes to the company with over 20 years of experience in the built environment. His passion around building science, energy efficiency and sustainability evolved early on in his career as a contractor, then energy auditor and insulation installer.
The BS* + Beer Show schedule
The next show is on February 1, 2023, from 6-7 p.m. ET.
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Kiley Jacques is senior editor at Green Building Advisor.
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5 Comments
I spoke to my cellulose insulation installer about using this product on an upcoming job. He told me that he tried to use it and he would never do it again. I saw pictures of bundles that appeared to be hard chunks. Has anyone personally installed this that liked it from an instalation standpoint?
They only started shipping the blown-in product in September. I wonder if he got a bad batch or some testing product? Gutex has been making this stuff in Europe for over a decade now so I'm sure these guys will work out the kinks.
I toured the factory in late November along with Emily, Ben and other BS experts. The TimberHP reps freely admitted to still having a few kinks to work out, including determining which types of wood fiber worked best, as our local species have different properties than European species, but that they were very close to having it all dialed in. Their loose-fill line was running and the sample bin had consistent texture.
I'd encourage your installer to give them another chance.
Michael, I value your opinion and will try to use it again. Having said that, It looks like TimberHP may have put this out a little to early. If they don't get the early adopters on board and happy, the long term growth and adoption may be a bit slower. I will attempt to use this again, just not right away.
@conwaynh85 I appreciate your comments and your early adoption. I'd like to hear more about your experience. As mentioned earlier regarding European fiber, it does have a long track record of success overseas, but it is a different fiber than many of us are used to installing. We actually find some European products to be incredibly dusty, others with very robust tangly fiber demanding different install techniques. We have had a steep and fast learning curve around raw materials, process, equipment and education, information from installers is invaluable. From the beginning, we have taken feedback from the field and responded, always striving for continuous improvement. It's quite likely your installers got a batch that was less than ideal, and date codes can help track that, ideally in conjunction with your distributor/retailer so we all are on the same page. Machines, machines settings, techniques all come into play as well. I hope you do try it again, I'm a veteran cellulose guy myself and the material we are producing now is some of the best so far! you can reach us via contact info found on our website: https://www.timberhp.com/contact
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