Showing posts with label custom home. Show all posts
Showing posts with label custom home. Show all posts

Wednesday, October 26, 2016

Q&A on Icynene and Wine Rooms

Below is a back and forth between Therma Seal and one of our customers becoming educated on the effective use of Icynene Proseal to optimize temperature control in wine rooms.

I do like the spray insulation and believe it will offer a superior product but have a few questions. If you want I can speak directly to the rep if you want to provide the contact info to save you the time.

1)     What about credits for the 3” and 1” specified AP foiled polyiscoyanurate foam sheating?  Yes…I forgot to mention that…we also have to get a credit for the insulation that presently shows on the plans.
2)     I assumed the installed ceiling clips served two purposes to hold in the 1” sheating and to attach the 5/8” greenboard. Can we leave the clips, spray on ceiling insulation and still screw 5/8” to clips (not sure we get R-value but it must be better than the 1” proposed board.)  They have a problem using anything less than a 2-1/2” stud on a ceiling installation becasu they have to make sure that they leave a minimum ¼” air gap from the back of the drywall to their spray insulation and it difficult to get their insulation dead flat when it’s applied horizontally and it’s difficult if not imposible to carve it back because it gets so hard…they can explain this in more detail.  Correct, however if a ceiling grid is created below the concrete floor with a 2.5” gap we can apply above the grid directly to the concrete
3)     Would like more detail on how the product hardens before we can consider eliminating mesh. Regardless, I still think the studs on the framed wine wall should be 12” OC.   They’re goin to prepare a sample so you can see how hard it is and they insist that with their product in the wall the wall becomes tremendously impenetrable…plus I think the elimination of having twice the amount of screws to deal with could be some sort of a moisture benefit in the long run.  I would prefer to state table top hard, such that an electric saw would be required to cut through, and/or sledge hammer.
4)     What is the R-Value of the Icynene Classic Max at the various thicknesses
a.      block walls at 3-1/2” (perhaps we can reduce to 2-1/2” here to net the same designed wall thickness)  They said they need to get 3 inches of their product on the block walls to get the same overall R factor that we get with the current system…they need the 3-1/2” studs so they can maintain the air gap between the back of the drywall and their foam.  There is synergy of benefit when utilizing spray foam is that it provides the benefit of an “Air Seal” with “R Value”.  Consequently, once an air seal achieved no additional benefit received in that department with additional foam.  Since, R-Value is only the measure of conduction, the foam efficiency has diminishing returns beyond the R13 (1.875”) level.  Thus the effectiveness of say R13 Icynene exceeds the effectiveness R21 conventional products.  The primary reason for the Icynene Closed Cell is to eliminate all air gaps and kee the indoor temperature form mixing with warmer air, eliminate chance for mold or mildew.  This wine room will be adequately sealed with a minimum 2” of Icynene.   The Icynene registers at an R7/inch of aged application.
b.      ceiling at 2-1/2” (we have plenty of room here) or ceiling at 1” if we leave clips. If we go to 2-1/2” ceiling studs maybe we just leave clips anyway as they will be completely covered.  That’s a possibility but we’re not talking any great cost to remove them…I suggest we get rid of them so we don’t have to put the 2-1/2” studs between them.  Yes, preferred or as mentioned above no clips just 2” air space above grid.

c.      interior walls I assume at 4-1/2” thick of spray insulation?  I thought we have all 3-1/2” studs…which they can get 3 ibches of insulation in…how would we get 4-1/2”  Correct 3.5” studs will be adequate.

Thursday, November 19, 2015

How Icynene Performs Vs. Other Insulation

Learn how Icynene spray foam insulation compares to other types of insulation. See how ICYNENE stops air leaks in homes and other building types. Improve the energy-efficiency and comfort of your home all year round. 

Thursday, April 17, 2014

Icynene Synopsis

Simply put, installing Icynene to your home or business is not just insulation but a complete Insulation System.  Batt and Blown In Fiber Insulation products offer an R-Value (R is an indication of heat conduction) benefit only.  The thicker the application the higher the R-Value. The negative effects of these products are that they compress over time and they allow airflow, both of which reduce its R-Value and effectiveness as insulation.

Therma Seal Insulation Systems creates an “unvented attic” assembly, which prohibits the intrusion of heat, humidity or pollen into the attic space.  More importantly, the cool air you produce; which in the past seeps through the conventional insulation and dispersed out into the environment, is now retained in the attic space.  The result is a home, which cools quickly and then retains this temperature significantly longer

The benefits you gain by adding this system include air quality and sound absorption and improved energy efficiency. 

As indicated, Icynene is an insulation system that beyond its thermal attributes (R Value) is an Air Barrier system.  This envelope over the conditioned space, is also known as “Unvented Attic System” (http://www.thermaseal.net/images/stories/design-notes/benefits-of-unvented-attic.pdf)

The system provided by Therma Seal retains this cooler air inside the attic envelope.  The ducts and handlers now work in a comfortable environment without a dew point (preventing mold/mildew).   Visit www.thermaseal.net to meet the Therma Seal Team and a complete viewing of the application, case studies and more.


561.775.9703

Monday, February 17, 2014

Fire Safe Attic System and Icynene Classic Max



Introducing Icynene Classic Max and the safest attic available.  From protecting your loved ones to creating the most energy efficient insulation system on the market, you can rely on Therma Seal for your energy solutions!

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Richard Branson Thinks He's Found A Better Way To Pay For Energy Efficiency

The billionaire entrepreneur talks to us about his very unsexy, but very important new project: How to make it affordable for property owners to retrofit their houses to make them more efficient.
Even people who don't believe in climate change would probably acknowledge that improving the world's energy efficiency makes sense. Using less power saves money and reduces pollution--and, in many cases, the investments are easy. Years of upgrades show that property owners usually make their money back within a few years.
report last year by Deutsche Bank Climate Change Advisors and the Rockefeller Foundation found that investing $279 billion in energy-efficiency retrofits across the country would produce a return of more than $1 trillion. The problem is unlocking the investment in the first place. What's needed, the report said, is new types of finance models that knock down the initial barriers.
According to Richard Branson, the British entrepreneur, that model is something called Property Assessed Clean Energy. PACE allows property owners to get funding for retrofits and not pay a cent upfront. They can put in energy-efficiency upgrades (or anti-hurricane measures and renewable energy systems) and then pay back the sum through their property tax bill over 20 years. The amount they save hopefully will be more than what they must pay over that time.
"Energy-efficiency upgrades haven't been taken up more widely because the property owner has had to bear the full burden of upfront cost and associated financial risk," Branson told Co.Exist in an email. "The PACE model turns all this upside down. By providing 100% financing, no upfront costs, and long-term, nonrecourse pay-back, it creates immediate financial incentives for property owners to upgrade their building today."
Currently, 32 states and the District of Columbia have legislation allowing PACE financing for energy efficiency, with another five or six looking at it (the idea originated in California eight years ago, though other types of public projects have been financed this way for up to 40 years). Importantly, the agreement stays with the property, passing from one owner to the next. That means the owner can sell, and not get left with the upgrade cost before seeing any benefits.
Branson is championing PACE through his environmental nonprofit, the Carbon War Room, which is helping to bring the financing together through a partnership with Ygrene Energy Fund. Ygrene strikes exclusive arrangements with municipalities to do energy-efficiency upgrade work in their area. It then markets the improvements to commercial and residential owners, and arranges short-term funding for the projects. Those loans are then bundled into a municipal bond, and sold on as low-risk investments. The government pays the money back through tax receipts.
Ygrene recently launched projects with the cities of Miami, Cutler Bay, Miami Shores, Palmetto Bay, Pinecrest, Coral Gables, and South Miami (its "Clean Energy Green Corridor") to offer retrofits in those areas. Under Florida law, owners can also get financing for hurricane resilience (like tougher windows and water barriers), though the emphasis is on efficiency and renewables, like solar panels.
"In Florida, the state is the insurer of last resort, so the public benefit of not having buildings blow off their foundations is really high," says Stacey Lawson, Ygrene's CEO. "For the owner, it allows them to reinvest the money in a way that doesn't keep them out of pocket. It opens up a whole new vein of capital for them that is only related to energy efficiency."
Ygrene is also working with Sacramento, California. In August, it agreed a $3.16 million retrofit of the city's Metro Center Corporate Park--the biggest energy-efficiency deal to date. The investment, which will pay for things like a new building management system and better lighting, is expected to produce savings of $140,000 a year--which is a 27% decrease in costs for the owner, Metzler Real Estate. Lawson says rates between 25% and 30% are "very typical."
PACE is not the only energy-efficiency financial fix. On-bill financing, in which owners and tenants repay through their utility bills, is also growing popularity. But PACE does seem to have momentum, particularly among commercial projects. Ygrene is only one of at least 10 funds using a similar model.
As usual, Branson has no doubt: "The implications of PACE for the scaled retrofitting of buildings across USA are huge, and couldn't come at a better time for everyone--tenants, owners, financiers, and the planet."
-fastcoexist.com

Tuesday, August 13, 2013

Custom home builders: Educating new homeowners of energy efficient building methods.

Understand the advantages of Spray Foam Insulation in Custom Built Homes

While your clients may have heard about spray foam, they may not realize the advantages of spray foam insulation in custom built homes. When building a new home, it’s the best time to have spray foam installed. Homeowners are typically ahead of the curve in pursing energy efficient solutions for their home. Spray foam not only addresses a key concern for homeowners but can noticeably reduce their monthly heating and cooling costs. The many advantages of spray foam insulation in custom built homes versus traditional insulation types includes:
  • Significant savings on heating and cooling bills every month
  • Design flexibility
  • Reduced amount of pollutants and allergens entering the home
  • Quieter indoor living environments
  • Greater comfort
With spray foam, you can insulate hard-to-regulate temperature zones such as basements, crawl spaces, bonus rooms and attics. Your clients will never have to experience cold floors again! Exceed your client’s expectations on comfort by building them the home of their dreams with a comfort level beyond their imagination, only delivered with spray foam.
Therma Seal's team of experts can help you with a whole home analysis. The analysis will evaluate your homes building envelope and identify cost savings from products or materials that are downsized or eliminated with spray foam insulation. This is an important step as it significantly reduces the price gap between spray foam insulation and conventional insulation.
So, why use spray foam insulation in custom built homes? To provide your clients with continual comfort, energy efficiency and significant monthly savings. The comfort they will experience will reinforce to homeowners the quality their builder has put into their home and the excellence of the builder they have chosen.