Green Me Now

Few siding and roofing contactors are proficient at installing the thick layer of rigid foam to building exteriors required of a deep energy retrofit. The reason: few homeowners ask for it.

According to Green Building Advisor, homeowners who want exterior foam retrofits have their work cut out for them when it comes to finding qualified help.

A general refrain from contractors is that most customers are unable or unwilling to spend the extra money required for deep energy insulation. Many believe that the easier-to-install 3/8 inch of foam is enough. Even a window and siding company executive says his installers won’t do it because of the extra work involved in building out the windows to accommodate the increased wall depth created.

And for roofing, many contractors will opt for Ice & Water Shield rather than do the extra roof-deck work required of foam insulation projects.

But some folks are not deterred by the lack of knowledgeable contractors or the price.

In Somerville, MA, Cador Pricejones, a project manager with sustainable home renovation contractor Byggmeister, wanted a deep energy retrofit for his own home. His target was 75% to 80% efficiency. Getting to that level required the application of four inches of closed-cell polyurethane foam insulation (as opposed to rigid foam) on top of the old siding and trim, according to a Boston Globe article.

So Pricejones then had to apply new wood siding and trim over the foam. And in an effort to retain the original sash and rippled glass of his old windows while simultaneously cutting down on air leaks, Pricejones installed new $400 dual-glazed windows over the old, yielding in essence a triple-glazed window. The windows also helped fill the space of the increased wall depth.

Demand for projects requiring foam and other types of insulation will likely begin to rise, given carbon reduction goals and government initiatives to increase home energy efficiency. And industry attention to the subject is likely to give contractors an added incentive to get into the business.

For example, UL Environment Inc., the subsidiary of Underwriters Laboratories, is developing sustainability standards for thermal insulation and roof covering materials. The standards are expected to establish environmental requirements for products and associated parts based on life-cycle assessment of raw materials, production, distribution, use and disposal. Such standards will make it easier for contractors to make the case for such products in their estimates to homeowners.

"Our sustainability standards will establish guidelines for the development of more environmentally friendly roofing and insulation products and help builders and consumers identify sustainable options for these key building components,” says Steve Wenc, president at ULE, in an announcement.

The standards will be developed in conjunction with the UL Environment Standard Technical Panels (STPs) comprising manufacturers, installers, distributors, users, consumer interest groups, government entities and testing organizations. These standards will set minimum environmental requirements and create a progressive and tiered approach allowing sustainability leaders to highlight their achievements.

ULE expects initial drafts of its sustainability standards to be completed in 2010.