We are proud to announce the publication of a new energy efficiency resource that will make it seamless for home builders to install continuous insulation on new home projects.
"Polymeric Cladding over Continuous Insulation: Construction Details for Energy Code Compliance" is a user-friendly guide for installing insulated vinyl siding, polypropylene siding and all vinyl siding products to achieve continuous insulation code requirements.
“There are major changes to the energy code calling for continuous outside insulation,” said Matt Dobson, PEPA Vice President. “This will drive different construction methods, so we want to ensure that our contractors get it right by using these details.”
In addition to the latest energy code developments, there are the incentives provided by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) in which homeowners can gain up to $3,200 in tax credits for energy-efficient improvements. Under the IRA provisions, home builders who construct, reconstruct or rehabilitate energy-efficient homes can earn a tax credit of up to $5,000 per home. Having this construction details document for continuous insulation, therefore, will be invaluable for home builders motivated by these tax benefits.
This guide initiative was driven by PEPA's member-manufacturers who felt strongly that creating construction details would help the market better understand both the installation process and the benefits of continuous insulation. It’s a construction details document developed by PEPA's Energy Efficiency Work Group, led by PEPA member Andy Breuer of Ply Gem/Cornerstone Building Brands.
“We listened as contractors, the industry and other professionals were looking for more clarity with how to integrate polymeric siding products into the new energy code,” Breuer said. “The PEPA members combined hundreds of years of experience and knowledge to develop this comprehensive solution and fill that need.”
“The status quo was ‘cavity insulation’ in which fiberglass was only installed in between framing members,” Matt remarked. “These installers know from living in their own homes that this approach has the weakness of thermal bridging, causing a certain reduction in the structure’s energy efficiency.”
Continuous insulation, on the other hand, is like a blanket around the house. It covers the studs and helps to take the next step in energy-efficient construction.
“Continuous insulation (or ‘CI’) significantly cuts down on airflow and thermal bridging,” he explained. “CI also completes the home’s R-value.”
Continuous insulation, including insulated vinyl siding, provides superior performance, and it will help home builders and remodelers meet new energy requirements pushed by the federal government and by state adoptions of the energy efficiency code.
According to Matt, PEPA members’ products are well-suited for constructing building envelopes incorporating CI. “Our products can play a leading role in this application,” Matt said. “They are designed to help our installers efficiently construct to meet the demand for more energy-efficient housing plans. An installer can select a rigid insulation blanket like foam sheathing or insulated vinyl siding to meet the energy needs of these new projects.”
Polymeric siding and exterior products are also lighter and easier to install than the competition.
The construction details guide will be valuable for contractors to utilize various methods to achieve continuous insulation. While constructing a home with continuous insulation is more challenging than with cavity insulation, the guide provides user-friendly details.
“Anything new in construction makes people cautious,” Matt noted. “Our new guide will make builders’ lives easier. It is organized by climate zones, so the colder the climate, the thicker the product required, and vice versa. It shows the installer how to construct using thicker wall configurations with the proper fastener lengths, to ensure resilient performance.”
The new guide also offers fastener recommendations on various substrates for each climate zone, as well as helpful information on wild zone variations and thicker continuous insulation panels like windows and doors installed under sheathing.
To download your copy, go to www.vinylsiding.org/ciguide.
[1] https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/energy-efficient-home-improvement-credit
