Owens Corning adds Spray Foam

At IDI, we like to push the envelope, do the unthinkable, achieve the impossible. With this podcast, we’re doing just that by welcoming Mike Swift, VP and General Manager, and Kurt Walters the National Account Sales Manager for Owens Corning. You read that right, Owens Corning, one of the world’s largest insulation manufacturers, is on the podcast and they are talking all about their recent acquisition of Natural Polymers and what that means for contractors across the United States.

Mike and Kurt take us through the history of Owens Corning’s relationship with spray foam, why they are embracing it now and how Natural Polymers became their manufacturer of choice.

Owens Corning is building a sustainable future through material innovation and now one of those materials is spray foam.

In this podcast…

3:24 – Why Owens Corning is getting into spray foam now

5:41 – Installing spray foam the right way is the key to safety and customer satisfaction

8:36 – How spray foam is helping Owens Corning deliver the best R-Value solution to customers

13:30 – “If it wasn’t Natural Polymers, we probably wouldn’t be in the spray foam business right now.”

17:54 – The million dollar question…will we see pink spray foam soon?

20:38 – How this shift will not only mean new products but also new building practices and philosophies

Right Sizing Equipment and Down Sizing Moisture Problems with Dr. Allison Bailes

This episode’s guest has a PHD in physics and he knows how to use it. Dr. Allison Bailes is the founder of Energy Vanguard, a company that focuses on teaching, HVAC design services, and consulting. Dr. Bailes works on the forefront of change in the way people see and use energy in homes.

Understanding the science behind the decisions you make and equipment you use is vital in today’s hypercompetitive environment. Dr. Bailes breaks down a lot of the calculations that contractors should be making to save money, ensure customers are happy and houses stay energy efficient.

In this podcast…

2:15 – What’s the right calculation to use when right-sizing equipment?

7:14 – How the load calculation…is actually calculated.

11:35 – Are we going to keep lowering loads?

14:04 – How air tightness regulations have improved over the years

21:36 – Dr. Allison reveals his perfect insulation contractor that he would hire on any job

24:37 – Different climates call for different solutions

The New Big Holes & Air Leakage In Spray Foam Projects with Jamie Kaye of Elm Energy Group

When it comes to keeping moisture from destroying a home, it’s all in the details, and that’s what Jamie Kaye is focused on. Jamie’s a Building Science Practitioner and Healthy Home Professional at Elm Energy Group and he joins us today to discuss how to prevent moisture intrusion and increase energy efficiency at every step of the build process.

In this podcast…

1:38 – How Jamie became interested in the building science behind mold

3:41 – “The New Big Holes”

10:50 – “You can always improve even a great job.”

13:20 – The 3/4″ hole that ruined an entire set of stairs

15:40 – Yeti vs. Igloo: the small difference that makes a huge impact

17:30 – Can you ever build a house “too tight”?

22:20 – The top violations and places missed in a build