100 Best New Products of 2014: Structural, Insulation & Housewrap

Fomo Handi-Flow

Handi-Flow Channel Fill, a product featuring Fomo’s High Flow Technology, has the ability to completely fill voids and cavities of all shapes and sizes with minimal fill points. Channel Fill offers one of the highest aged R-values in polyurethane foam, reaching an R-7.2 per-inch aged rating. This product will not settle, shrink, or expand over time, ensuring a long-lasting air seal. Channel Fill is available in both disposable and refillable sizes.

 

Owens Corning R-20 EcoTouch Insulation

The latest addition to Owens Corning’s ProPink EcoTouch insulation line boasts a designated R-value of 20 for a 5-½-foot wall cavity, in compliance with the most up-to-date building codes. It is made of 99-percent natural materials, including a minimum of 58-percent recycled content. ProPink EcoTouch is GreenGuard Gold-certified for indoor air quality, contributing to numerous green certifications. Each piece can be cut and split to fit small cavities.

 

 

Icynene ProSeal Eco

This closed-cell spray foam insulation product from Icynene is a 100-percent water-blown insulation. This eliminates the ozone-depleting side effects of typical chemical blowing agents and also makes it an eco-friendly option. EcoSeal Pro offers a high R-value for insulation and has been comprehensively tested in a range of ASTM E119-approved wall assemblies, giving it wide commercial applications as well.

 

 

 

 

JM AP Foil-Faced Foam Sheathing

This rigid insulation from Johns Manville AP boasts an R-value of 6.5 at 1 inch, ranging up to a total R-value of 22.8. Two foil facers sit around a uniform, closed-cell, polyisocyanurate foam core that provides protection against thermal bridging and water, vapor, and air infiltration. Insulation pieces are non-corrosive and lightweight; installers can cut them with a utility knife or saw.

 

 

PFT’s LineBacker Siding Insulation

This plank-style siding insulation from Progressive Foam Technologies improves siding appearance and performance. Designed to combat thermal bridging, LineBacker features parallel guide lines that create a perfect ledge for each plank to stop up against for nailing, resulting in a consistent, straight appearance. Foam panel backing levels out the wall beneath, smoothing out the finish. The R-value is up to 20-percent higher than conventional EPS.

 

 

 

 

GAF EnergyGuard Insulated Sheathing

This high-performance building envelope insulation from GAF eliminates thermal bridging, reduces air filtration, and acts as a vapor retarder for new-construction and retrofit applications. All boards are manufactured without CFCs or HCFCs, giving them zero ozone-depletion potential and making them environmentally friendly. The boards measure 4 x 8 feet; available thicknesses are ½, ¾, and 2 inches.

HardieWrap Weather Barrier

Created to work alongside James Hardie’s fiber cement siding, this weather barrier pushes moisture out of the house, keeping spaces inside the walls dry while adding an extra layer of protection. James Hardie offers two separate product lines, each engineered to work on homes in a specific climate. HZ5 products are best suited for geographical areas that experience large temperature swings, snow, and ice. HZ10 products are for areas where heat, humidity, sun, and rain are prevalent.

DuPont Tyvek ThermaWrap R5.0

This building wrap from Tyvek offers builders another option to meet the higher wall R-values required by the most recent versions of the International Energy Conservation Code. It acts as a breathable air and water barrier while providing continuous exterior insulation. Installation is achieved in shingle fashion—unlike rigid, exterior foam insulation—which reduces the potential for bulk water infiltration into the wall assembly.

Benjamin Obdyke HydroGap Housewrap

The 1-mm spacers in this housewrap product from Benjamin Obdyke allow 100 times more bulk water to drain from a wall than standard housewraps, protecting against mold and rot; this also means it drains twice as fast. Usable with nearly any building materials, HydroGap can be installed in any direction without affecting drainability. Rolls are 5-feet wide and 100-feet long. A single role covers an area of 500 square feet.

 

Huber ZIP System Radiant Barrier

Huber Engineered Woods has added its ZIP System sheathing to radiant barrier roof panels for superior strength, stiffness, moisture resistance, and heat protection. The panels block up to 97 percent of radiant heat transfer, which can lower attic temperatures by as much as 30 degrees. Installation is quick and easy, with an instant 180-day rough dry-in. Sizes include ½-inch, 5/8-inch, and 7/16-inch thicknesses.