Before specifying a product, approving a building plan for permit, providing a building energy rating, or giving a “pass” on a field inspection, it is important to verify that materials providing the foundation for energy code compliance have a proper basis for any claimed or labeled R-value. Things may not actually be as they first appear. This Quick Guide provides some relevant background and important questions that can assist in ensuring that R-value data for insulation and other building products are valid.

Affordable housing and commercial building construction initiatives often grapple with how best to employ cost-effective solutions without compromising quality or sustainability. This new application page focuses on how foam plastic insulating sheathing (FPIS) can help address this challenge by offering an optimized approach to construction.

This new page was created to provide building officials with streamlined resources for efficient code compliance determination in projects using FPIS. The page includes links to a new FAQ page, as well as the CI Resource Guide.

A collection of helpful FACTS Sheets and Quick Guides for code-compliant applications of foam plastic insulating sheathing (FPIS).

This “open file” research report from Applied Building Technology Group was written to provide a comprehensive review of climate science, climate policy, the status of US energy use and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and the decarbonization of US buildings. The report discusses the importance of a “total carbon” approach when setting policy or making decisions related to insulation materials, which deliver substantial benefits for energy efficiency and the avoidance of building operational GHG emissions. It also explores the importance of building insulation to enable the energy demand reductions needed to decarbonize new and existing buildings.

This guide introduces some best practices for insulating foundations with FPIS properly installed as continuous insulation (ci). It provides details for basement walls, conditioned crawl space walls, slab-on-grade, and frost-protected shallow foundations.

This guide illustrates the integration of code-compliance requirements and best practices for moisture control of frame wall assemblies (based on 2021 IRC).

The latest addition to our FACTS Sheet library, this resource provides a valuable overview of how to identify and mitigate thermal bridges with FPIS ci.

In an article for Vinyl Siding Institute, Jay Crandell, P.E. highlights some key resources to help with code compliance when considering combined applications of vinyl siding (including insulated vinyl siding) and foam plastic insulating sheathing (FPIS) products on wood frame walls.

A new report from the American Chemistry Council reveals the sustainability benefits of foam plastics by evaluating the history of reductions in global warming potential (material embodied carbon) and the future of total operational carbon savings for buildings using modern foam plastic insulations for energy efficiency. Spoiler Alert: Carbon paybacks occur within the first year of building operation and are multiplied by a hundred-fold over the life of a building! (For a one-page fact sheet, check this out. For a deeper dive into the carbon payback analysis and findings, read more here.)

Take a deep dive into 2021 IRC Wall Bracing Provisions, steps for code compliance, and additional resources recently added to the Structural Resources application page. Note the timestamps provided to help you navigate the content of this detailed video.

A tool designed to simplify and assist in complying with the complexities of the International Residential Code’s (IRC) wall bracing provisions while making it easier to consider various code-compliant wall bracing options for an optimal wall assembly design.