Why continuous insulation is on the rise

By Emma Peterson. 

Learn how to determine if this popular building envelope solution is right for your project. 

As new technologies develop, there has been a consistent introduction of new products and techniques in the construction industry. One example of such developments is the rise in contractor use of continuous insulation. In this episode of Roofing Road Trips ®, Megan Ellsworth chats with JR Babineau from Johns Manville about the benefits of this popular technique and when contractors should use it. 

Continuous insulation is an alternative option to traditional cavity insulation. JR explained, “Continuous does what it sounds like, it's meant to cover all of the other structural elements that we would normally find in the building envelope. This is compared to traditional cavity insulation which fits in between parts of the envelope.”  

There are a variety of benefits to this, including improved air barrier performance, better moisture management and an overall more efficient building envelope. JR elaborated, “When we wrap our building in continuous insulation, everything that's inside of that is literally inside now. It sees less temperature variation, it sees less loads from moisture, wind, all of those things.” Subsequently, things like condensation are reduced while the interior space’s energy efficiency is improved. 

However, even though it brings a variety of benefits, it's important to consider all the options and choices before using continuous insulation in a project. JR elaborated, “The architect or a building envelope consultant needs to make the choice ahead of installation because it depends on the climate zone and the strategy for the given building is to manage heat, air and moisture that they are working with.” Because of all these factors, it’s important that contractors work with a skilled architect, an experienced consultant and/or their manufacturer’s specialized team to help make the best choice for each unique building.  

Read the transcript or Listen to the episode for more about continuous insulation and how it can help buildings be more energy efficient.