Why Continuous Insulation ... and Why Now?
Downloads – Product Samples, Guide Specification and Wall Assembly Details
Case Studies
For many years, Dow insulation experts have worked to educate the industry about the value of continuous insulation in blocking thermal bridging and helping improve thermal performance of the wall assembly. But now, in six out of eight U.S. climate zones, continuous insulation is no longer simply a value-added option. It's required, according to ASHRAE 90.1-2007.
Steel is a very good conductor of heat. The R-value of steel varies with its precise makeup, but a representative value is about R-0.003 per inch according to the ASHRAE Fundamentals Handbook. (That's up to 300 times faster than wood studs.) This attribute allows steel studs to conduct heat around batt cavity insulation, reducing the effective R-value of the wall to less than half of the rated R-value of the batt insulation.
The ASHRAE prescriptive continuous insulation requirements for steel-framed, above-grade walls recognize this phenomenon, and in most U.S. climate zones, call for a layer of continuous insulation to be added to the assembly to help stop the steel thermal shorts that can decrease the energy efficiency of the wall system.
A Systematic Approach to Achieving Continuous Insulation and More
A system in itself – providing excellent insulation value, fire resistance and an integral drainage plane – THERMAX™ (ci) Exterior Insulation is the key component of the THERMAX™ Wall System. This new addition to the THERMAX™ family of insulation products was developed specifically in response to new requirements for continuous insulation.
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