台湾SWAG

Top 3 reasons you should be using continuous (outbound) insulation on your residential projects

As with most industries, trends tend to come and go in construction. But one that started growing a decade ago and is now rapidly gaining steam is the use of continuous (or outbound) insulation.

The formally defines continuous insulation (also known as outbound insulation) as 鈥渋nsulation that is continuous across all structural members without thermal bridges other than fasteners and service openings.鈥� However, we find it easier to describe it as a building鈥檚 鈥渃oat.鈥� When you zip up your coat before heading outdoors, that layer of protection keeps body heat in. But if you unzip that coat (or don鈥檛 put one on at all), you lose much of that warmth.

Because continuous insulation does the same thing for a building as a coat does for your body, it鈥檚 not surprising that customers who want to avoid wasting money and energy choose continuous insulation materials for their projects. What is surprising? The vast majority of people who choose continuous insulation are working on commercial projects, with few using it on residential ones.

Residential customers and their builders can also benefit from putting 鈥渃oats鈥� on single-family and multifamily dwellings. In fact, these days, they have even more to gain. Here are the top three reasons you should be recommending continuous insulation for your residential projects:

1. Complies with energy codes today and tomorrow
   Energy codes get updated every three years, and the most recent one () has been adopted in Connecticut, Louisiana, Montana, Nevada and New Jersey. This code requires new builds in these states to have continuous insulation from climate zones 4-8 in the United States on wood frame structures.
   Don鈥檛 live or work in one of these states? Don鈥檛 get lulled into a false sense of security. Codes are moving toward tighter energy standards that favor continuous insulation, and that requirement is expected to spread to the rest of the country sooner rather than later. In fact, the 14 states that are currently adhering to the 2018 codes will likely be requiring continuous insulation with the next energy code review and adoption. This includes Alaska, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Maryland.
2. Pads your pocketbook with Inflation Reduction Act financial incentives
   When the was signed into law in August 2022, it included a key incentive for builders to construct greener buildings.
   The 45L tax credit, which has historically been a year-to-year program, was extended through 2032. Even better, new provisions were added to increase the federal tax credit:
   • Single-family builders: Receive when they meet the new energy standards 鈥� which require continuous insulation. If the home is built to requirements, the tax credit goes .
   • Multifamily facility builders: Receive for meeting new energy standards and up to $1,000 per unit when certified by the DOE鈥檚 Zero Energy Ready Home program. (Builders who construct qualified multifamily homes may be eligible for a $5,000 per unit credit if they also meet .)
   The tax credit applies to聽every builder聽in聽every state, no matter the state鈥檚 code status.
   When the 45L tax credit was renewed on an annual basis, few builders took advantage of it because it was difficult to justify the added expense of materials and labor if the program was going to end. Now that it has a 10-year commitment, builders can plan more effectively and implement more of the credit requirements 鈥� such as continuous insulation.
3. Helps your residential customers conserve energy 鈥� and money
   You have probably heard the saying, 鈥淏uild it right, build it tight.鈥� That鈥檚 just a catchy way of saying that the best structures prevent air leakage and heat loss.
   Continuous insulation goes a long way in creating an energy-efficient home. Homeowners who are initially reluctant to spend the extra dollars on continuous insulation may change their minds when they learn those extra inches of insulation save both energy and money.
   That鈥檚 especially good news to the increasing number of residential customers who want to minimize their impact on the environment and want the places they live in to be sustainably constructed.