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Discussing Insulation and Efficient Building Technology

Bob and Mark continue their tour of an unit under construction at the Cobb Hill Co-Housing project. Mark explains to Bob that the moisture barrier on the wall is reinforced polyethylene with a dense packed cellulose blown behind it. The insulation provides an R-Factor of R-25. The wall is a 2" by 8" using studs manufactured in Canada. These "open web studs", which are finger jointed spruce on the side with an OSB web in the middle, provide a very efficient use of materials at a cost comparable to an eastern 2" x 8" stud.

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Discussing Insulation and Efficient Building Technology

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Clip Transcript For:

Discussing Insulation and Efficient Building Technology

computer-generated transcript - may not be 100% accurate

" Now what kind of moisture barrier does----"

" Different than the other wall. This is a reinforced polyethylene with a dense-packed cellulose blown behind it."

" So why does it has to have the reinforcing?"

" It's just a strengthening mechanism and it gives a little more purchase to the staples that are stapled in on the side of a stud here."

" Why are they stapled on the side instead of just on a space of a stud?"

" Well, if you were stapling them into the space and blowing the cellulose behind them it would have a tendency to bridge over the face of the stud and make the sheetrock application----"

" Bumpy. Bumpy."

" Okay. So what's the R factor that you get here?"

" This will give you about an R25."

" R25?"

" Uh huh."

" What size wall is it?"

" It's a 2 x 8 wall."

" 2 x 8. Okay. That's a lot of---- Is it this system here?"

" This is it. This is a stud that we use. It's manufactured in Canada. It's a finger jointed spruce on the sides and an OSB web in the middle."

" So that the weight is not much."

" No. it's a very efficient use of material as well."

" Uh huh. The cost is probably affordable?-It's comparable to an eastern 2 x 8 stud."

" Tell me again what it's called."

" It's an open-web stud."

" Open-web stud. Great. Alright. So then, we're in the kitchen here. The rest of the space is all open-planned great room?"

" Uh huh."

" Fabulous."

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