There are two simple things a home builder/renovator can do to make any dwelling super efficient. Insulate with Spray Foam and install a Geo Thermal HVAC system.
The problem is when you tell the customer that Spray Foam at 3" / per sq/ft costs approx $3 dollars (approx 16-20k to insulate a 3000 sq/ft home)they look at you like you raped their sister and killed their mother. Yet when you quote them a kitchen for 40k they smile and have no problems paying $140 a linear ft for counter tops or $10 a sq/ft for carpeting. Cosmetic items can be replaced at anytime (hardwood floors, tiles, kitchens, etc) but try to rip off all the drywall in your home to re-insulate or dig/drill up your property to install geo thermal.
People need to invest more into the mechanical structure of the home instead of the cosmetic details if they are serious about building an efficient dwelling. The building code at all levels needs to reflect a higher level of efficiency and government programs in the form of tax credits should be used to promote these upgrades and it would go a long way in helping reduce emissions.
I keep telling people that Spray Foam and Geo Thermal is free. It pays for itself rather quickly while providing a comfortable environment to live in.
Spray foam products are excellent for a variety of reasons, but their effects can be overstated concerning air sealing (one of the techniques in the original article - I know you aren't directly addressing air sealing in your comment). Spray foam provides excellent air sealing immediately after install in as little as 1.5 inches[0].
However, spray foam also doesn't address wood-to-wood contact areas where air leakage can occur. The best air-sealing results are typically achieved with a taped exterior sheathing layer, or a taped sheet membrane (located on the interior, exterior, or mid-wall). The most common air-sealing method that works is the use of Huber Zip panels with Zip taped seams (or another quality acrylic tape). One caveat - I say most common because it is a very common material, but that doesn't mean the correct air-sealing methods are always used.
When most houses are built the mechanical is typically an after thought. If you look at commercial buildings they typically design the building around the Mechanical. I have seen Schools, Grocery Stores, etc, spray-foamed from the outside to prevent the hot/cold air from even entering the building. The basically spray the inner substrate and of course you still have brick ties so you can brick the outside of the building. You just need to leave some extra room on the footings to allow for 3-4 inches of spray-foam.
A modern day house when built and finished has approx 2000 ft of linear cracks in it. It is the equivalent of keeping your front door open all year around. There have been test cases done where two homes are built exactly the same but the insulation in one of them is spray-foam. They then do a blown door test and the results speak for themselves. The spray-foamed house has almost no leakage.
Here is a couple great sites for anyone in NA to learn more about spray-foam. Demelic is based in Grand Prairie TX and in my opinion makes excellent foam. BASF is another great foam also.
Make sure that your builder knows how to protect spray foam. Otherwise you're putting a massive fire hazard in the walls.
The reason I advocate against spray foam is that contractors are terrible on the whole. They do the bare minimum. So I don't expect them to treat the foam. Take hardi siding. You're supposed to flash behind ever joint. Most don't. So now you get water infiltration. Then you go to Hardi. They won't stand by the warranty because of improper installation.
>Make sure that your builder knows how to protect spray foam. Otherwise you're putting a massive fire hazard in the walls.
The drywall is the only barrier you need since it is the fire proofing for all your framing and insulation. Only when the spray foam is not protected is there a need to cover it with fireproofing. If it is in a location where there is no open flame then fire retardant is not necessary.
Please educate yourself about spray foam from the following links.
>The reason I advocate against spray foam is that contractors are terrible on the whole.
I hope your advocating against all insulation because installing Fiberglass Bat Insulation is done improperly also. How accurate is the blown in insulation in the attic? We could advocate in not building houses at all because contractors are terrible on the whole. Maybe you should advocate that the consumer educate themselves so they understand what the difference between a good job and a bad job is.
The biggest problem with contractors these days are people want to pay as little as possible. The contractor therefore has to cut corners (do the bare minimum)to make the job profitable which can lead to problems down the road where you might not have the R-Value you expected. When you nickle and dime people trying to make a living the results can be less than optimal and that goes for any industry.
The benefits of spray foam are many, it can increase the structural integrity of a framed wall %200, mold and mildew free, not a food source for bugs or animals, better R-Value than traditional batting insulation or blown in and best of all it pays for itself and can significantly reduce your energy bill from DAY 1.
I do most of my own work for this reason. Again, if you want it, you have to be there to supervise the contractor. You have to know what to look for. You have to keep them accountable. Essentially you are your own general contractor. Tuck into the Internet a lot.
One thing people can do (but again .. expensive) is have a conditioned attic space. Which means put the spray-foam insulation under the roof, not on the ceiling. This is because typically you've got the ductwork up there, and the insulation on them is maybe R-4 (if they're insulated at all).
So in a typical house you've got a temperature of 68F in the duct, surrounded by 150-160F temps. R-4 insulation doesn't help much in that situation. But if they roof were insulated the attic space temperature would be in the 80's, so you'd only have about a 20 degree difference and R-4 could handle that.
The problem is when you tell the customer that Spray Foam at 3" / per sq/ft costs approx $3 dollars (approx 16-20k to insulate a 3000 sq/ft home)they look at you like you raped their sister and killed their mother. Yet when you quote them a kitchen for 40k they smile and have no problems paying $140 a linear ft for counter tops or $10 a sq/ft for carpeting. Cosmetic items can be replaced at anytime (hardwood floors, tiles, kitchens, etc) but try to rip off all the drywall in your home to re-insulate or dig/drill up your property to install geo thermal.
People need to invest more into the mechanical structure of the home instead of the cosmetic details if they are serious about building an efficient dwelling. The building code at all levels needs to reflect a higher level of efficiency and government programs in the form of tax credits should be used to promote these upgrades and it would go a long way in helping reduce emissions.
I keep telling people that Spray Foam and Geo Thermal is free. It pays for itself rather quickly while providing a comfortable environment to live in.