Most people in the remodeling or building industry can tell you their own personal horror story about termites. Termites destroy wood in foundations, walls, and roofs of houses, and treating?them and the damage they leave behind can be an expensive and difficult task. Most people?aren’t aware of the damage caused by termites until it is too late to eliminate them.

Since the introduction of Fullback?V Siding Insulation for vinyl siding, we have incorporated a termite?inhibitor in our insulating foam for several reasons:

1.) We know that a termite will tunnel through?ordinary foam insulation for shelter.

2.) The foam conceals the insects, leaving?them undetected so they can have easy access to the wooden parts of the home structure.

3.) The tunnels?that termites leave behind damage the insulating value of the foam, and termite excretions?compromise the strength of the foam.

In 2008, we began using a different brand of termite inhibitor called Preventol?TM EPS, which we believe is a superior product for the war on termites. ?Preventol? TM EPS is not a repellant, but a systemic insecticide which?protects the foam from termite damage. In testing, Preventol?TM EPS outperformed all other similar?or related products by a wide margin.

Preventol? TM is used at very low concentrations, which have?been shown to be safe for installers and homeowners. The active ingredient in Preventol? TM is?also commonly used for crop protection as well as in collars and topical treatments for flea and?tick control on pets, and at much higher concentrations than what is present in our products.

Every product we make at Progressive Foam contains this termite inhibitor, so you can rest assured that your insulation will not become a home to thousands of unwanted guests.

 

In our previous blog post?Can Siding Insulation Be Recycled??we explained that products made of expanded polystyrene (EPS) can be recycled rather than thrown in the landfill after their life. The EPS Industry Alliance (EPS-IA) recently published a report showing that over 93 million pounds of EPS were recycled during the 2012 calendar year.

For the full report from EPS-IA, click here>

Prior to 1988, there was essentially no recovery of post-consumer polystyrene for recycling. Although the availability of recycling programs today varies by community, in 2012 more than 36.7 million pounds of post-consumer polystyrene was recycled.

There are two types of EPS material outlined in the report, post-commercial and post industrial:

• Post commercial= Any material that is recycled after its intended end use. Ex: Old siding insulation that is removed from a home during a remodel and returned for recycling.
• Post-industrial= EPS manufacturing facility scrap that is recycled but never served its intended end use. Ex: scrap from the manufacturing process that is then recycled at the same facility.

EPS post consumer recycling represents 50% of all post-use polystyrene recycled in the US, and is one of the highest among the plastics family.

To find out of EPS recycling is available in your area, visit the EPS-IA website at www.epsindustry.org. For consumers that do not have access to a local drop-off center, the EPS-IA sponsors a National Take-Back Program intended for smaller quantities of EPS, which can be mailed via U.S. Postal Service or UPS to more than thirty locations nationwide. Full instructions and a list of Take-Back locations are available on the EPS-IA website.

ASTM International, a globally recognized leader in the development and delivery of international voluntary consensus standards, has recently published ASTM D7793-12 Standard Specification for Insulated Vinyl Siding. This comes after years of hard work by the Vinyl Siding Institute (VSI), Progressive Foam, and others.

You may wonder, ?why do we need standards?? Today, over 12,000 ASTM standards are used around the world to protect consumers, assuring that products have been thoroughly evaluated for safety, quality, functionality, and value. Establishing a standard for insulated vinyl siding is a huge step towards maintaining a high performance level for insulated vinyl siding products and protecting the consumers that purchase them.

What is the Insulated Vinyl Siding Standard?

The industry standard for insulated vinyl siding performance is ASTM D7793. Products in this category must meet all the requirements of the standard, which is accompanied by ongoing quality control. Any changes made to the standard must go through a group consensus.

What is the VSI Certified Insulated Vinyl Siding Program?

Insulated vinyl siding products that bear the Vinyl Siding Institute’s (VSI) Certified Insulated Vinyl Siding Label have been independently certified by a third-party, accredited quality control agency to meet or exceed ASTM D7793. All insulated vinyl siding certified through the VSI Product Certification Program also:

• Demonstrate a minimum thermal resistance, or R-value, of at least R-2.0, as verified by an independent quality control agency.
• Withstand the impacts of recommended installation procedures
• Lie straight on a flat wall and does not buckle under normal conditions
• Weather the effects of sunshine, rain and heavy winds of at least 110mph
• Meet manufacturers’ advertised specifications for length, width, thickness and gloss.
• Can be certified for color retention, as long as it meets or exceeds ASTM D7793
• Can be identified by a VSI Program logo or label that includes the words ?INSULATED VINYL SIDING?

For additional questions on the new insulated vinyl siding standard, please contact our customer service team at 330-756-3200.

 

Updated LCA Report Proves Vinyl Siding Is Still One of the Most
Environmentally-Friendly Siding Products

A recent life cycle assessment (LCA) released by the Vinyl Siding Institute (VSI) confirms that vinyl still ranks as one of the most environmentally friendly exterior claddings.

The full LCA report (found here), extensively covers the impact that siding products have on the environment, including global warming potential, criteria air pollutants, ecological toxicity and so much more. The siding products included in the report are fiber cement, brick, stucco, EIFS, cedar siding, insulated vinyl siding and vinyl siding.

If you’re like us, you need data to back up the claim that vinyl is still one of the most environmentally friendly siding products available. Since you probably don’t have time to read through the full report, below are some of the key points from the LCA that combat some misconceptions about vinyl.

MANUFACTURING ENERGY

As illustrated in Figure 1.4 below, approximately five times more energy is required to?manufacture brick and mortar than vinyl siding or insulated siding. The manufacture of?fiber cement siding requires almost twice as much energy than the manufacture of vinyl?siding and nearly one and a half times more energy than insulated siding.

ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE

Vinyl siding has excellent environmental performance when compared to other exterior
cladding options. The chart in Figure 1.1 was produced using BEES software and shows
overall environmental impact by life cycle stage.

Brick has nearly five times the environmental impact of vinyl siding and nearly four times the impact of insulated siding. Fiber cement has nearly three times the environmental impact of vinyl siding and more than double the environmental impact of insulated siding.

ECOLOGICAL TOXICITY

Ecological toxicity measures the potential of a chemical released into the environment?to harm terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Compared to many other siding options, vinyl siding is responsible for the emission of significantly lower levels of toxic chemicals, including mercury and silver, into the environment. This is clearly illustrated in Figure 1.7. Vinyl siding and insulated siding have very low ecological toxicity impacts. Fiber cement has approximately 10 times the ecological toxicity impact of vinyl siding and insulated siding while brick has more than five times the ecological toxicity.

For more information, visit the website of the Vinyl Siding Institute here>

Today’s post comes from guest blogger Steve Parton of Spectrum Inspection Group. Steve is one of our go-to experts in home and commercial building inspection, including thermal imaging, radon and mold testing.
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They say that seeing is believing. When it comes to energy-saving home improvements, many people believe they are making the right decision for their family and their home when they see a benefit to their pocketbook or the comfort level of their home. Another way that you can literally see the benefit of energy-saving improvements is through the use of infrared technology, or “thermal imaging”.

Thermal imaging is the leading form of inspection technology available today. In the hands of a skilled technician (formally known as a “thermographer”), defects, flaws and potential problems in a home can easily be identified. After repairs are made, thermal imaging also allows you to see how the improvement is actually performing.

How does it work?
In some ways, infrared cameras used for thermal imaging are similar to a digital cameras; they use a lens and software to convert colors into an image displayed on a screen. With an infrared camera, the lens and software capture the energy (or temperature) emitted from the subject, assigns that energy a color, and converts it into a visual image on a screen.

The most common applications for thermal imaging is finding issues such as uncontrolled moisture and air, and missing insulation in buildings. More intense inspections such as finding electrical faults, subsurface moisture in a?flat roof?and problems with rotating equipment are other common commercial applications.

Thermal imaging is also a great tool for proving the effectiveness of insulation products.?Many times, traditionally-constructed homes do not have continuous insulation on the exterior. This lack of insulation can contribute to tremendous energy loss, as well as comfort issues for the residents when inside the home.

When you don’t have continuous insulation in the walls of your home, heat can by-pass the insulation in the wall cavity and transfer right across the connected building components, such as wood or metal studs, drywall, fasterns and sheathing. This process is ?thermal bridging?. Thermal imaging can actually reveal spots where thermal bridging is a problem.

As you can see in these thermal images, adding continuous insulation to the home’s exterior makes a tremendous difference, both in reducing energy transferred through thermal bridging, as well as reducing airflow.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you are interested in seeing your home through the lens of an infrared camera, make sure that the contractor has at least a Level 1 certification from either an accredited training center or camera manufacturer such as FLIR, Fluke or Testo. This certification ensures that the user understands the basics of building science and how to properly interpret thermal images. Because of the expense that goes along with a good infrared camera and training, it also shows that the contractor is serious about their craft.

When MY GUYS Remodeling chose to install new FullbackFC siding insulation on a large residential job in Raleigh, North Carolina, they became the first company in the state to offer this new, innovative product. We sat down with MY GUYS co-owner Joe Bass to learn about their experience with the product.

Q: Why did you decide to use FullbackFC?

I knew it was a Progressive Foam product, and I was excited to use it. We want to make sure we keep up with the newest technology and offer our customers something that’s new and innovative.

We wanted something to give us separation from the remaining competition; they had five contractors coming out to bid the job. Some of the things we were offering, including the insulation, set us aside from the competition and we were able to win the project.

Q: How did you overcome the additional cost of using insulation??

Adding another material and another step, it’s going to be more expensive, but I have found in the long run that people will pay for quality. You can build value in the product based on how you’re benefitting from the product. Now with FullbackFC, we’re able to provide a product that adds insulation with the fiber cement siding, so that’s going to be very popular.

Q: Will you use FullbackFC again?

We will definitely use the product again. It is a well thought out product, it worked out really well. I’m thoroughly impressed. We will be offering it because we feel it gives us separation in the industry.

Q: Did you initially have concerns about using a new siding insulation product:

Being that it’s a new product and it’s the first time you’re using it, it’s going to be a little more difficult up front.

The issues we were concerned with were the thickness of the insulation, the substrate behind the siding, and getting that to hold the Hardie plank on the wall with the proper nail set. It was a well thought out product, it worked out really well. I’m thoroughly impressed with the product.

In a previous post, we introduced our new Premium Series siding insulation products, made of graphite enhanced material to provide superior energy efficiency and a dark gray color. However, many people have wondered how graphite enhanced insulation actually works, and what makes it more energy-efficient.

The high-purity graphite particles integrated within the insulation beads reflects radiant heat and significantly improves insulation capability, providing up to 20% greater r-value than traditional white EPS of the same thickness.

The compelling advantage of graphite:
Higher insulation r-values than traditional EPS with the same amount of material

How Traditional EPS Insulation Works:

Warm air always moves towards cold air. Insulation does not completely stop this movement of warmth, it simply slows it down. The more insulation can slow down this transfer, the more energy efficient it is and the higher r-value it has.

Any rigid foam, closed-cell insulation works because it creates small air pockets within each bead when formed.
Air trapped in these pockets is a poor conductor of heat,
and therefore slows down its transfer towards cooler air.

?R-value is the recognized numerical measure of the ability of an insulation product to restrict the flow of heat, and, therefore, to reduce energy costs.?

How Graphite Enhanced Insulation is Different

Graphite enhanced insulation works in the very same way as traditional insulation, with one major difference — high-purity graphite particles infused into the cell structure give it a reflective property and a distinctive dark gray color.

As radiant heat moves through graphite insulation, it reflects it hundreds of times, significantly slowing down the transfer of heat and making it more energy efficient!

Think of the heat transfer as a person walking on a path from point A to point B. Walking in a straight line (like traditional insulation) would be much faster than if the path took many twists and turns along the way (like graphite insulation).

For more information about our premium series siding insulation products, visit www.progressivefoam.com.

 

 

From 2002 to 2006, Progressive Foam experienced a period of exponential growth and expansion of operations. Our flagship product, insulated vinyl siding, was becoming accepted in the marketplace as a superior siding product that not only insulated the home, but also improved the performance of traditional vinyl siding.

As insulated vinyl siding began to rapidly gain market share, we quickly expanded our manufacturing facilities to keep up with demand.

2002:

We added a 30,000 square foot facility in Dover, Ohio to our current operation in Beach City, Ohio, and immediately began running two shifts at that facility.

2003:

We installed the largest shape mold machine of its kind in North America at our Beach City facility, which required a $1.4 million investment in equipment.

2004:

Once again we expanded our square footage by adding a 40,000 square foot addition to our Beach City facility. In the same year, we purchased new, bigger equipment to mold EPS blocks.

2005:

In order to better service our vinyl siding customers that had manufacturing operations in the southern region, we opened a 95,000 square foot operation in Conway, Arkansas. This location had duplicate capabilities of our home plant in Beach City, Ohio.

2006:

Installed our second shape mold machine, identical to the first from 2003, now duplicating our previous capacity.

The improvements that were made between 2002 and 2006 allowed Progressive Foam to maintain a dominant position in the market as a supplier of premium siding insulation products and insulated vinyl siding.

HalfbackH20 Premium Siding Insulation Installed Under Fiber Cement During Mold Remediation Remodel

?We believe that HalfbackH20 Premium is the perfect product for us to add insulation to these remodeled homes while resting easy knowing it will help effectively manage moisture from day one.” -Joe Yurick, General Manager

Atlantic Remediation and Restoration Contractors (ARRC) in Pennsylvania specializes in correcting moisture damage in homes. They recently had a job in Wilmington, DE where faulty installation of stucco exterior covering had caused severe damage to the home.

The project in Wilmington, Delaware began when the homeowner found water leaking through the chimney and most wall areas of the stucco house.

?Stucco is widely recognized as a strong exterior covering for homes throughout the United States? says Joe Yurick, General Manager for ARRC.

?If stucco is applied incorrectly, or if window and door openings fail due to poor manufacture or improper installation, moisture can seep in and become trapped inside the walls? says Yurick.?This can result in mold and rot that devours sheathing and structural wood, which is exactly what happened with this house.?
To correct the damage, ARRC replaced all the wood-framed windows, restructured and supported the window and chimney areas, and replaced all damaged wood framing members.

HalfbackH20 Premium siding insulation was then installed on top of new wood sheathing and housewrap, with fiber cement siding finishing the job.

“When we correct moisture and mold damage, we do it right so the homeowner never has to experience something like that again” says Joe Yurick, General Manager for ARRC.

“We believe that HalfbackH20 Premium is the perfect product for us to add insulation to these remodeled homes while resting easy knowing it will help effectively manage moisture from day one.”

Click here for the full case study>

 

With the passing of March, we mark the 15 year anniversary of insulated vinyl siding being launched into the marketplace. For this milestone blog post, we will take a look back at how insulated vinyl siding got its start and came to be a well-known siding option for homeowners looking to beautify their homes while adding insulation, increasing durability, and much more!

In a previous post we explained how Progressive Foam was started by co-founder Pat Culpepper in 1992 with the idea for insulated vinyl siding in hand. Although insulation had previously been contoured to fit the exact shape of the siding panel it was paired with during installation, insulated vinyl siding was different in that it would actually be adhered to the panel. Instead of the insulation being installed behind the siding on the job site, insulated vinyl siding would come with the insulation already attached, creating one combination product. (Click here to learn about the advantages of IVS)

In 1993 we built the first machine to start laminating insulated vinyl siding for the test market phase, with the first product being installed on homes in the state of Georgia. In 1994, trial jobs were extended into Ohio as well. As testing, trials and production continued, Progressive Foam officially filed a patent for insulated vinyl siding in 1997, which would later issue in year 2000.

Ready to commercialize the product in 1998, we partnered with Vipco, a subsidiary of Crane Plastics, to release the first insulated vinyl siding panel brand under the name?TechWall. From there forward, other vinyl siding manufacturers entered the marketplace one by one with their own insulated vinyl siding offerings.