Industry News

>>Dodge Momentum Index Moves Higher in June
construction.com
The Dodge Momentum Index took another step forward in June, increasing 1.1 percent to 141.1 (2000=100) from its revised May reading of 139.6. The Momentum Index is a monthly measure of the first (or initial) report for nonresidential building projects in planning, which have been shown to lead construction spending for nonresidential buildings by a full year. June’s lift was due to a 4.8 percent advance by the institutional component of the Momentum Index, while the commercial component fell 1.3 percent.

>>Foam Supplies, Inc. Celebrates 45 Years of Success Through Innovation
Source: cbs8.com
Foam Supplies, Inc. – the industry leader in environmentally responsible polyurethane products – is proud to celebrate 45 years serving a wide range of industries with rigid, flexible and spray foams, as well as dispensing equipment and many other products.

>>Closed-Cell Foam Between Studs Is a Waste
Source: finehomebuilding.com
Open-cell spray foam has an R-value of about R-3.7 per inch, while closed-cell spray foam has an R-value that may be as high as R-6.5 per inch. If you want to install spray foam in a stud wall, and price is no object, then it would seem to make sense to specify closed-cell spray foam, right? Well, not necessarily.

>>Installed Building Products: Expectations Seem Too High

Source: seekingalpha.com
Installed Building Products (IBP) estimates that it is the second largest new residential insulation installer domestically, with a national platform consisting of over 125 locations "serving" all of the lower 48 states (note that the company does not have a physical location in roughly 25 percent of states, such as Montana or Nevada).

Replace your home’s existing insulation with a high-performance spray foam insulation like Icynene, which can help to reduce air leakage, thereby reducing the amount of work your HVAC unit has to do to keep your home heated or cooled. Spray foam insulation is a wise investment for cottage owners who want to make energy-efficient improvements and extend the livability of the cottage beyond just summer.

Davin Hong, the designer of the tiny house model for Civic Works and architect at the Living Design Lab in Baltimore, eventually plans to keep the houses between $50,000 and $60,000, a price within reach of many lower-income households. By using materials like pine tongue-and-groove panels inside, spray foam as insulation, and cedar siding on the exterior, he says the houses would be self-sufficient during extreme weather. During the winter, for instance, a small propane tank could heat the space.