Working with Wall Assemblies, Now Easier than Ever

When designing a building one decision to make is how to insulate the structure, taking into account each layer of each wall and how it contributes to the overall R value and balancing that against the cost of materials. It is a tricky problem to find the right layer assembly that meets project requirements.

The Problem

Say you are working on a project with a client and have chosen a cellulose insulation that has worked for you in the past to meet IECC 2009 requirements. Just as you think your client is ready to give you the green light while going over the plans with them, they suddenly decide to avoid the use of cellulose insulation and want fiberglass instead for their own reasons. Whether they are right or wrong does not matter, you have to change the insulation for a price comparable fiberglass alternative. This would not be too bad on its own, despite not having a tried and tested choice for fiberglass. However, what if the town the building is to be built in decides to enforce the new IECC 2012 requirements? Now you need to find an even better performing alternative. Your client will be unhappy since that will likely be more expensive, but cutting corners is not an option because failing to get an occupancy permit by falling short of energy code can cost tens of thousands to rectify.

What if you could quickly examine each layer of the wall and see how it contributes to energy performance and price? What if you could tweak and test your stud sizing and spacing in combination with interior and exterior facing choices? With the ability to be creative and get feedback fast you can design a wall assembly that meets the IECC 2012 requirements, pleases your client, and saves money all at once. Ekotrope’s new wall assembly calculator is a free tool designed to facilitate just that.

Our Solution

We have developed this new tool, completely free, to help building designers make these decisions and save money. Ekotrope’s wall assembly calculator is an interactive way to find R value and costing information for nearly any wall design you can throw at it. The calculator provides accurate results, even when considering thermal bridging between wall layers by leveraging the area weighted average U-factor method.

Ekotrope’s wall assembly calculator has you covered from siding to drywall. Its easy to learn, interactive interface lets you experiment and explore possible assemblies to find the solution that works for your project. The calculator provides a variety of layer presets for both stud and cavity or continuous insulation as well as interior and exterior facing. Plus you can enter your own details to further refine the results.

Take a few minutes and try it out below:

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