Insulation method
lgl22
| Posted in Energy Efficiency and Durability on
Hi,
I am building a new home and looking for the best way to insulate. I think the spray foam is the best but also the most expensive.
My builder is researching a new foundation water proof system called Enviro-Dri. Does anyone have any experience with that, or do you have another method you like better?
Thanks.
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Replies
Lisa,
If you have no idea which insulation materials to use, you'll need to start reading a few articles. I recommend that you begin in the GBA Encyclopedia:
Insulation Overview
Insulating Roofs, Walls, and Floors
Insulation Choices
Batt and Blanket Insulation
Blown-In or Loose-Fill Insulation
Rigid Foam Insulation
Spray Foam Insulation
Enviro-Dri is a water-resistive barrier (WRB). You can read about it here:
New Green Building Products
I am not familiar with the use of Enviro-Dri below grade on basement walls. (Tremco's standard basement product is called Tuff-N-Dri.) If I were you, I would contact the manufacturer (Tremco) to ask about the use of the product below grade. I don't find any information on the manufacturer's website describing below-grade use of the product.
Here is the contact information:
Tremco Barrier Solutions
3735 Green Rd.
Beachwood, OH 44122-8067
800-562-2728
216-292-5000
http://www.guaranteeddrybasements.com
Somehow the notion that spray foam is a "green" product needs to be disabused. Foam has some real environmental foot print issues, and is best used judiciously if you care about the big picture rather than just raw thermal performance (which can always be had by other means in new construction.)
While there are many applications/location within the assembly where it's the appropriate material, it's the right product IN SPITE OF it's many environmental hits (not just the high global warming potential of some commonly used blowing agents.)
Here is a very good video that can serve as an effective primer for basement insulation background knowledge.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kwn0Vjw_ji0
I'm with Dana. Spray foam in new construction suggests a failure of imagination and planning.
I wrote the second question wrong. She was looking at using the enviro dri all over the house not on the foundation. Instead of a tyvec type material
Lisa,
In your latest post, you wrote, "She was looking at using the Enviro-Dri all over the house, not on the foundation. Instead of a Tyvek-type material."
Enviro-Dri is a water-resistive barrier, just like Tyvek. To read a review of the product, see this article: New Green Building Products.
You probably should also read these two articles:
Housewrap in a Can: Liquid-Applied WRBs
All About Water-Resistive Barriers