SUMMER HEAT & YOUR INSULATION

Most people don't think about attic insulation, when they think about the hot temperatures of summer.  This is the kind of thing that insulation contractors in Calgary think about, but not home owners.  People ask me, because we advertise "warmer winters & cooler summers", how can insulation help keep my home cool?  The first answer, is obvious, if you have air conditioning, better insulation will keep the cold air in, and your air conditioner won't need to run as often, and will be more likely to achieve your desired temperature.  More importantly, the second answer is not as obvious, but can be just as important.

During the hot day, your home will heat up (as well all know, as we sweat our way through the day) and that heat will rise into your attic.  That heat is stored up there, along with the heat penetrating downwards onto your roofing material.  When the sun begins to set, and things cool down outside, if your attic is improperly insulated, this heat will sink back down into your home, keeping it insanely hot, hotter than outside, in fact.  Anyone that has experienced this, will know what I am talking about.

Another advantage of upgrading your insulation, is the fact that we will give you an assessment of your ventilation situation.  This is very important in the heat of summer, as you need your attic ventilation to be venting as much of that hot air outside as possible.  You wan't to reduce how much can sink back into you home, and you wan't to reduce the potential damage it may cause to your roof sheathing, and shingles.

If you would like some more information on the cost of upgrading your attic insulation, or would like us to schedule an appointment to come by and give you an assessment, don't hesitate to call, or use our Grab-A-Quote interface.  Summer is a good time to upgrade your insulation, for your sweat glands, and your pocket book.

Think About INSULATION When Renovating

home blueprints

Think about insulation when planning out your summer home renovation projectRenovation season is here !  It's spring, and its time for all of us to get going on our own home renovation projects.  For some, this may be a simple flower bed upgrade, and for others, it may mean the addition of a kitchen expansion, the addition of a second floor on a bungalow, or finally devloping that basement  you never use.

Insulation is not a cosmetic aspect of your home, so it's often overlooked when planning a renovation.  It's not as beautiful as new kitchen countertops, but it can help pay for those new countertops by saving you up to 40% off your current heating and cooling costs.  When planning your renovation, here are a few areas you should consider improving, while you are making a mess in your home.  

• Upgrade your attic. It gives you the best return on your investment, it's simple, and doesn't really affect any other areas of your home. If you have a home that is more than 15 years old, you can probably save significant money on energy costs, especially during our bitter winter season, in Calgary.

• Inspect and upgrade your ventilation in the attic. If you are planning on a new roof, there is nothing more important than ensuring that your roof is protected from below, from searing heat that may build up in the summer, and frozen moisture that may build up in the winter. Ensure that you have air intake at your soffits, and make sure that you have adequate outflow of air, via roof vents and turbines.

• Basement insulation. The second leading cause of heat loss in an older home is typically poor, or no, insulation in the basement, particularly in the "header" and "joist end" areas at the top of your concrete frost wall. This is an service that we offer, that is often overlooked. Even if you are not developing your basement, please make sure that you have adequate exterior frost wall insuation, and that you have no drafts or cold air penetration through your joist end spaces. We offer a full line of fiberglass, spray foam, and even reflective insulation to combat heat loss.

• Draft proof other areas of your home, on the exterior walls. This is a great DIY project. You can buy outlet gaskets at your local home improvement store, and add caulking around those drafty window and door casings. This is also a great time to ensure that you have good weatherstripping on your exterior doors as well.

• Don't forget about your garage attic. Many modern homes have an attached garage and they often have a shared attic space. Most new homes have less or even zero, attic insulation in the garage portion. This can lead to significan cold infiltration into your home, and causes a convective effect, drawing heat out of your common garage wall.

• Be kind to your electrician. If you are doing major electrical work up in your attic, or you are adding a second floor onto your bungalow, please remember that we offer full insulation removal services. Trust me, this is something you don't want to tackle yourself. We often get calls from frantic homeowners who start removing their insulation with shop vacs, and shovels, and garbage bags. When we empty our five ton truck at the dump, and it contains 2 tons of material that we just vaccumed out of someones attic, I often wonder "who does this by hand ?"

Pleae remember that this is a great time of the year to get some insulation work done because the cost of labour is lower, and everyone is not stressed out about cold winter days.  Give us a call, and get a free onsite estimate, to see what areas we can improve, and save some money this winter !

Why Upgrade My Attic In The Summer?

Roof shingles that have been damaged by excessive heat in attic and other damaging factors.Ultimately, there is no "bad" time to upgrade your attic insulation, but there are several key reasons why the summer is a very good time to get the job done.

First, most people wait until the first big cold snap of winter, before they start thinking about upgrading their attics.  It's a bit like snow tires, except, its probably a bad idea to put snow tires on in the summer, but you could probably do without the high prices, and long waits, to get them on when the snow does start to fly.  The smart people, book their snow tires, and pay for them in the summer or fall. Unlike snow tires, attic insulation is easilly installed during the summer, and because it's not the rush season, the prices are more competitive, and the booking timelines are shorter.

A second reason to upgrade during the summer, is simply beating the heat.  Insulation serves a dual function, in that it will keep your home warmer in the winter, and cooler in the summer.   If you have air conditioning, it will keep the cool air in, and reduce how often your air conditioning has to work.  With electricity being a growing commodity cost, this will definitely save you money.  

Even if you don't have air conditioning, the added insulation will reduce how the heat in your attic, drops back down into your home, in the evenings when the hot summer sun finally recedes.  If you don't have adequate insulation, that heat will drop down into your home more evidently, and can cause sweltering discomfort.

A third reason, associated with the heat, is the improved air flow you get with additional insulation, and an the evaluation of your attic ventillation that comes with it.  Many of Calgary's homes lack adequate ventillation in their attics, and are at risk of shingle damage from overheated roof sheathing.  This can significantly reduce the live of your roofing materials, and cause heat damage to the framing members below.

A fourth reason, is the added conveinence of having the work done during the summer months.  You don't have your front door open when it's 30 degrees below zero, and you don't have the likelyhood of tracking dirty snow into your home.  It's simply a more comfortable, and stress free environment for our workers, and the home owner.

If you are renovating your home, even in the interior, you may wish to have your attic done at the same time, while you are in renovation tolerance mode, that brief time period where you are willing to tolerate people coming into your home all day long, and making a bit of a mess, and making a little noise.  You might as well get the attic done at the same time, never have to worry about it again.

Save, Improve, and Upgrade

Do you want to make your home more energy efficient and at the same time make it more attractive to prospective buyers? With the high cost of electricity, natural gas and propane, prospective buyers are looking for energy-efficient homes. If you can take our advice and upgrade a few of the items in our list, you will make sure that your house stands out from the crowd and you will see a reduction in your monthly utility bills while you wait for it to be sold.  Here are the top 5 ways to increase the value and efficiency of your home.

Replace the Hot Water Heater with a Tankless Model

A tankless water heater supplies on-demand, continuous hot water. Buyers see them as a luxury item. You will quickly see that they save energy and money. A standard tank water heater will heat the water and then the water will immediately start cooling down, most times needing to be heated again before you use any of it! Thats called standby heat loss and it wastes money all year long. Choose a gas-powered whole-house tankless heateror electricity-powered single application models and you’ll cut your energy costs significantly. The buyer will be attracted to the fact they can take a shower while the laundry is running and someone is washing dishes and never run out of hot water.

Upgrade your Heating and Air Conditioning Components to Increase the Efficiency of the Unit

Real estate experts say that you might get as much as 80% of the cost of the system back in the sale of the house. In other words, if you invest $10,000 in a new, energy-efficient heat pump and air handler, it might increase the sale price by $8,000. You’ll cut your heating and cooling costs by up to 50% every month while awaiting a sale and that new, energy efficient HVAC system will definitely grab the attention of the cost-conscious buyer.

Add Insulation

Losing heated air through your attic can account for upwards of 15% waste on the average heating and air conditioning system in a regular house. Bringing your attic insulation up to a factor of R-40 to R-50, minimum, will save you money all year long because it also keeps energy-wasting hot air out of your living space in summer. List the upgrade in your marketing material and potential buyers will take notice.

Replace Old Windows

If you hope to sell your home in the next year, this might not be a cost-effective move. But if the sale is 3-5 years off, this is a good time to take this step especially if your windows are more than 20 years old. New, tight-fitting, low-E, energy-efficient windows really can make a significant difference. Not only will they look much better, but they will help in saving energy and also make it easy to sell your house.

Adding Solar Panels

With more emerging technologies and reasearch the price of solar panels is really beginning to decrease as we find new and more resourceful ways to use the sun for heating. Some HVAC systems are solar-ready, meaning the addition of a small PV solar panel can provide all the electricity needed to run a heat pump or central air conditioner. A potential buyer would really like hearing that they will not have any additional cost for their heating and cooling system usage!

You should take time to evaluate each of these and decide if any of them are the correct choice in your situation? An energy-wise investment in your home will cut your utility bills for as long as you live there and also make the home more attractive to potential buyers. These top 5 ways to increase the value and efficiency of your home might turn out to be an important investment with wonderful ROI.

Watch Out For Ice Damming !

Diagram of the causes of ice damming and the potential for damage to shingles and other roofing componentsIce damming is a condition whereby a mass of ice builds up on the lower surface of the roofing substrate, predominantly during the freeze thaw cycle of extreme cold temperatures, and warmer temperatures.  It is a problem inherent to Calgary, with our Chinook warm spells.

The most likely cause is a lack of insulation along the outside edges of the attic, and an uneven gradient distribution of insulation between the center and outside perimeter. The problem is accelerated by an under insulated attic, with a poor vapor barrier, because warm air is allowed to freely leave the home, and penetrate into the attic, creating a warmth to the underside of the shingles.

When a large mass of snow is dumped on the roof, it is warmed by the warmer center of the attic, and runs down the roof, until it encounters a colder lower edge where there is little or no heat. 

The water freezes along this lower edge, getting under the shingles, and repeats over and over, until a dam of ice holds water on the roof for further freezing.  It is generally worst, where there are unheated overhangs larger than 8”.  When an extreme warm spell occurs, or spring temperatures, this ice will melt, occasionally penetrating the damaged shingles, and occasionally penetrating into the attic cavity itself. 

There is great potential for damage to the wall cavity below, if this occurs.  It is incumbent on every home owner to observe their roof during all seasons, and keep up with maintenance and the prevention of this condition.  Neglect of such circumstances can lead to water penetration and ice buildup in the attic, and possibly the wall cavity.

The best way to prevent ice damming, is to upgrade your attic insulation, and observe how snow melts on your roof after a snowfall.  With more insulation, both in the center mass, and the outside edges, you reduce the flow of heat from the home, into the attic, thus reducing the likely hood that snow will melt quickly, and then freeze into a dam at the lower edge.  Ice damming is a cumulative effect that damages the shingles over many years, until there is a failure and a roof leak.  It is not a condition that can occur in one season, or several months.

Should You Wait on EcoEnergy Announcement ?

Fortunately for the economy, it looks like the Harper government has decided to renew the EcoEnergy program in some form, and put up to 400 million in grant dollars back into the long running program.  Construction and renovation are Canada's primary economic driving force, and this kind of stimulus has two beneficial effects.  It helps homeowners save money on their energy consumption, and reduces our environmental footprint, as well as provides vital stimulus to the recovering Canadian economy.

Most studies show that for every dollar spent in the construction sector, there are 10 more dollars spent in associated industries.  Take a look around at your family and friends.  How many people do you know who are contractors, or sell carpet, furniture, architects, interior designers, or simply work at Home Depot or Rona ?

While the details have not been announced yet, many people ask us if they should wait until they are announced before upgrading their attic insulation ?  There are two ways to look at the answer with regards to attic insulation.  If you are simply considering an attic insulation upgrade, then the answer is a definite NO.  Because it will cost you several hundred dollars for the required audit, and follow up audit, you could be putting that money into your attic upgrade, which average less than  $1000.

Our on site estimator will do an analysis of your attic, and tell you everything you need to know about how much you have, and how much you need.  Also, we are specialists in this industry, where as auditors provide a valuable service, but they do not "specialize" in insulation and ventillation of your attic.  Even if you decide to go with an energy evaluation, you can get the pre-evaluation now, get the work done, and get the follow up evaluation after the grant is formally announced, and still get the benefit of the upgrades, plus some possible grant money.  Please contact your local authorized auditor for details on this.  There are three authorized auditors in Calgary: VerdaTech Energy, AmeriSpec Canada, and Atco Gas.

A second issue, is the inflation of pricing that will occur when the program is finally formalized.  Right now, prices are relatively stable, and we are offering some very competitive packages on attic upgrades.  If you wait until the fur hits the fan in the fall, when it's getting cold, labor and material prices will invariably climb, as well as extended and less reliable booking times.  As the weather starts to get cold in the fall, it will become more difficult to book an audit, and an insulation contractor, and it will probably cost you more.

Please take the time to contact the authorized auditors and discuss the ins and outs of the grant program system, they are the professionals in that area.

VerdaTech Energy, AmeriSpec Canada, and Atco Gas.

10 Ways to Save on Monthly Bills

The idea of watching the needle on your electric meter turn backward instead of forward is a wondrous concept for any homeowner.

Unfortunately, the materials needed to make this dream a reality -- solar panels, wind turbines, geothermal heating, a solar-powered water heater, recaptured rain water -- can total in the tens of thousands.

But you don't have to invest your life savings in green technology to save money on your heating and cooling bills. In fact, the first step in making your home more green doesn't cost any money at all.  Read on to learn the 11 simple projects that can be done over the course of a weekend to decrease your carbon footprint -- and keep your home from leaking money out the window.

1.Change Your Thinking

One of the biggest impacts you can make on the efficiency of your home and the cost of your utilities is to be more conscious about the amount of energy your home consumes. Basically, if it's not in use, turn it off.

Take a stroll through your house and take notice of the simple things that are costing you money. Turn off lights that are not in use; repair leaky faucets; turn up the fridge and the freezer; lower the temperature of your water heater; adjust your thermostat. These simple actions -- and the heightened awareness behind them -- are the first steps in making your home a well-tuned machine of energy efficiency.

Other eco-conscious tips for the future include upgrading to energy-efficient appliances and low-flow shower heads, taking shorter showers, air-drying your clothes and running the dishwasher and washing machine with full capacities.

You don't necessarily have to do with less to make a difference in your home's efficiency. You just need to be conscious and take action on the changes that can be made.

2. Audit Your Home

Many utility companies and climate-control specialists offer blower-door tests for pinpointing air leaks in your home. While these tests can cost upwards of $300, a little assistance from Mother Nature can also work in determining unwanted leaks. On the next windy day, burn a stick of incense or light a candle and carry it through your house looking for air movement. Take note of the questionable areas and move in closer to pinpoint the exact culprits. Mark the areas with a Post-It note or painter's tape for reference in step two.

While every home is unique, there are a few areas where infiltration shows up repeatedly in such tests: check the seam between the top of the foundation wall and the wood framing that runs around doors and windows; also check along baseboards, electrical outlets and switches mounted on exterior walls; and around fireplaces, laundry vents, attic hatchway doors and pull-down stairways, attic fans and pipe and wire chases.

The next step is to seal these leaks with caulk or insulating foam. A few minutes spent pinpointing and eliminating air leaks is an essential foundation to maintaining a comfortable and efficient home.

3. Do Windows

Upgrading all of the windows in your home to double-paned casings is a bold step in making your home more energy efficient, albeit a costly one. Adding storm windows, an extra pane of glass or plexi-glass to the exterior can offer almost as much efficiency for a fraction of the investment.

Both methods help to create a heat-trapping buffer that decreases energy loss and maintains interior comfort. As an even cheaper measure, consider applying a light- and heat-controlling film to your windows. 100-foot rolls typically sell for $150, and effectively block up to 60% of the sun's heat and 99% of UV rays.

4. Switch to LEDs

Compact fluorescent (LED) light bulbs use 70% less energy and last six- to 10-times longer than incandescent bulbs. According to a recent Consumer Reports study, by replacing a 60-watt incandescent bulb with a 13-watt compact fluorescent that offers the same amount of light, you could save more than $57 over the life of the LED.

This simple switch can make a dramatic impact in your monthly energy bill. Also, the price of LEDs has greatly decreased in recent years, making your start-up costs more bearable. Start by replacing the bulbs in your kitchen and bathroom -- two of the most-used rooms in your home, which also require lots of light. And don't forget about lamps that may be left on overnight or exterior lights that might escape your attention.

5. Insulate

Depending on when it was built, chances are your home is insufficiently insulated. Building codes for home insulation have changed greatly in the last 10 years, even more since the 1920s. Lucky for you, great strides have also been made in insulation technology.

Attic insulation can be added in easy-to-apply rolls or blown-in cellulose insulation made from recycled newspapers. For older home owners (pre-1950), you will probably need to add insulation to your walls as well. For this project, you might want to hire out the job, which requires drilling into each section between studs and blowing in insulation. The project can be time-consuming and tedious, but well worth the investment.

One thing to keep in mind: The better the insulation, the more the savings. Going 10% to 20% beyond the minimum insulation requirements in your area will only help increase your savings in the long run.

6. Replace Your Filters

A dirty air filter can reduce the efficiency of your central heating and cooling system by as much as 20%. Regularly changing or cleaning your air filters will help reduce your carbon footprint and can also help with your allergies or asthma. Either way, you'll certainly sleep better at night from a project that can take as little as five minutes.

7. Install a Programmable Thermostat

Almost half of the energy we use in our homes goes to heating and cooling. The best way to reduce this number is to follow this simple mantra: "68 in winter, 78 in summer." Programmable thermostats can help achieve this goal by not only regulating the temperature while you're at home, but also limiting usage when you are away.

Programmable units range from simple, timer-like devices to elaborate, multi-function units that provide special instructions to your climate control system based on the day of the week and time of day. Once programmed, these thermostats work behind the scenes, saving you money and anticipating climate control needs.

8. Baby Your Water Heater

Aside from lowering the temperature of your water heater, you can significantly help retain heat and decrease the amount of energy needed to heat water by simply wrapping insulation around the unit. Inexpensive insulating blankets are readily available at your local hardware store. Additionally, wrapping the piping that runs from the unit with pre-formed pipe insulation sleeves can lessen heat loss when carrying hot water to your faucets.

If you're ready for a new water heater, consider an upgrade to a tankless system that offers instant, on-demand hot water. Many states also offer rebates for upgrading to a solar-heated water system, the total cost for which runs around $10,000 or so -- an investment that will pay itself off in 10 to 15 years worth of savings.

9.Eliminate Ghost Usage

Even when turned off, electronics such as alarm clocks, microwave ovens, televisions, computers and cell phone chargers are sipping energy. The energy used to keep display clocks and memory chips working accounts for 5% of total domestic energy consumption.

The best way to eliminate this silent cost is to introduce a circuit breaker or power strip that can be completely turned off when electronics are not in use. Simply plug your entertainment center, computer or phone chargers into an inexpensive power strip that can easily stop the power flow with the flick of a switch. This ensures these electronics aren't adding to the ghost usage effect and hiking up your energy bill when they're not being used.

10. Plant a Tree

Shade provided by trees can reduce your air conditioning bill by as much as 10 to 15%. In winter, trees offer a wind break that can translate into a 25% reduction in heating fuel consumption. While it can take many years for a tree to reach full maturity and offer maximum benefits to your home, there are fast-growing varieties that can offer relief in the short term.

Evergreens, willows, magnolias and hybrid poplars can be strategically placed to start offering home-cooling shade in as little as three to five years. While an extra cost, purchasing mature trees can jump-start the process, and offer a return on your investment in dramatically less time. Additionally, crepe myrtles, oleander varieties and bamboo can offer shade over the course of a season.

11. Pull the Blinds

Curtains and blinds offer exceptional insulation properties in winter, and can help reflect the sun's energy in the summer to maintain a desirable temperature in your home. The trick is to take the extra step to make the free energy of the sun work in your favor.

In the summer, keep drapes and curtains closed on the sunny side of the house. In the winter, open those drapes and curtains to take advantage of the sun's heating power. Close all drapes, blinds or shades at night during winter months to make use of their insulating properties.

These 11 simple projects will make your home more energy efficient and save you money on your utility bills -- all with an affordable price tag and a quick turnaround. After all, it is the simple things in life that make people happy.

Heating Bills To Increase

Heating bills to increase for Calgary households

Regulated rate option customers to see a 21 per cent jump in natural gas bills

CALGARY - Calgarians will be paying 21 per cent more to stay warm this month, as Direct Energy Regulated Services ups its natural gas rates. Consumers not locked into a long-term contract will pay $3.900 per gigajoule of natural gas in December, up from $3.212 the previous month. A typical household will see the gas bill go up to an average of $154, an eight per cent increase from a year ago, Direct Energy said. The December rate reflects an average December market price of $3.648 per GJ, plus a 25.5-cent per GJ adjustment for November and prior months, the distributor said.

Source: Calgary Herald

Owens Corning Insulation Awarded GREENGUARD Certification

Owens Corning announced today that the company has been awarded GREENGUARD Certification, by the GREENGUARD Environmental Institute, for Owens Corning insulating products including: PINK fiber glass batts and rolls, all blowing wools. This certification demonstrates that the products contribute minimal emissions to indoor environments. With GREENGUARD Certification, building professionals, homeowners and others concerned about the products they use and live with, can be fully assured by an independent third party that certified Owens Corning products help maintain better, cleaner indoor air quality.

Owens Corning is the first manufacturer to receive GREENGUARD Certification for its extruded foam board products. Additionally, many of Owens Corning's insulating products available in Canada, including PINK fiber glass and rigid foam insulation, have also been awarded GREENGUARD Certification.

Being acknowledged by the GREENGUARD Environmental Institute is an honour and an affirmation of the all-around quality of our insulating products. And we're thrilled to be the first manufacturer to have certified extruded foam products, said George Kiemle, president of Owens Corning's Insulating Systems Business.

Receiving GREENGUARD Certification is beneficial for our customers, because indoor air quality and green building are of growing interest among construction professionals, Kiemle continued. Now, in addition to the assurance our customers get from the Owens Corning brand, this high-caliber third-party certification gives them added confidence that using our products results in structures that have few emissions a confidence they can share with customers who are concerned about the air quality of their indoor environments.

The only program of its kind, the GREENGUARD Certification and labelling program subjects interior products and building materials to rigorous emissions tests. The certification process involves the testing of products in dynamic environmental chambers for emissions of formaldehyde, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), respirable particles and other pollutants. The GREENGUARD Certification for indoor air quality complies with criteria set forth by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the U.S. Green Building Council?s LEED? program, and other notable organizations.

Both the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the EPA recently cited indoor air quality as a critical environmental problem in the U.S. today. Only low-emitting products that do not compromise the air quality of indoor environments are awarded GREENGUARD Certification and labeling.

Formaldehyde, as mentioned above, is one of several substances measured during the GREENGUARD testing process. All products awarded GREENGUARD Certification including certified Owens Corning fiber glass insulating products have been found to emit minimal amounts of formaldehyde, thereby supporting the conclusions of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and the EPA that fiber glass insulation is not a significant source of formaldehyde in the home.

We're pleased to award GREENGUARD certification to Owens Corning, said Henning Bloech, director of communications for GREENGUARD. Granting certification to such a recognized insulation brand helps our organization spread the message about the importance of indoor air quality to building professionals and homeowners everywhere.

Since we invented fiber glass insulation in the 1930s, Owens Corning has been committed to the development of environmentally friendly, safe, high-quality products. We applaud the GREENGUARD Environmental Institute for urging more and more manufacturers to do the same, said Kiemle. This certification goes hand in hand with our continued dedication to promote energy efficiency, an issue that is also critical to the environment and the sustainability of our natural resources.

Owens Corning is a world leader in building materials systems and composite systems. Founded in 1938, the company had sales of $4.9 billion in 2002. Additional information is available on Owens Corning's Web site at www.owenscorning.com or by calling the company?s toll-free General Information line 1-800-GETPINK.

The GREENGUARD Environmental Institute, founded in 2001, is a global, Washington D.C.-based, non-profit organization with a scientific, third-party board to establish indoor air quality standards for interior products and building materials. An independent organization, the GREENGUARD Environmental Institute is not affiliated with or sponsored by any manufacturer or industry. The Institute?s goal is to improve public health and quality of life by encouraging and helping manufacturers to build better, safer products and uphold environmental practices in product development, manufacturing and distribution. For more information, please visit www.greenguard.org.

Owens Corning Increases Recycled Content

At the Greenbuild International Conference and Expo in Boston, Mass., Owens Corning announced it has increased the certified recycled content in its flagship PINK Fiberglas(TM) insulation to a minimum of 40 percent.

At this level of recycled content, the amount of waste glass diverted from landfills could form a two-lane glass highway that extends 1.3 times around the world(1). The certification, supplied by leading, independent third-party certifier Scientific Certification Systems (SCS), demonstrates a five percent increase over its prior level and maintains the product line's status as the fiberglass insulation with the highest level of certified recycled content in North America.

Made with 40 percent recycled glass, Owens Corning's PINK Fiberglas(TM) insulation contains the highest level of certified recycled content for fiberglass insulation in North America. Owens Corning is one of the largest users of recycled glass in the world. In addition to the environmental benefits of utilizing post-industrial and post-consumer waste, the use of recycled content in PINK Fiberglas(TM) insulation also helps reduce Owens Corning's energy use and C02 emissions by nearly 13 percent. Manufacturing fibreglass with recycled glass requires significantly less energy.

"Glass takes over a million years to break down and for every piece kept out of a landfill, we not only reduce waste, but put the glass to work as insulation to help increase energy efficiency in the built environment," said Frank O'Brien-Bernini, chief sustainability officer for Owens Corning. "Increasing the recycled content of our products also enables us to reduce the energy intensity of our manufacturing process, which fulfills our company's commitment to greening its products and processes."

As a result of these efforts, Owens Corning is one of the largest users of recycled glass in the world. To continue to help the market find additional sources of recycled glass, Owens Corning is leading initiatives with regional recyclers and processors to invest in technologies that will reduce the amount of glass sent to landfills, either because no local recycling programs exist or due to technical limitations in recycling different types and colors of glass. One such program involves Strategic Materials Inc., a Texas-based processor of scrap glass collected from a diverse range of sources including new curbside recycling programs. Once construction is completed, the glass the company will recycle at plants in Texas and Georgia will keep approximately 12,500 tons of glass per month from going to a landfill, and be reused in products including Owens Corning insulation.

"The leadership demonstrated by companies such as Owens Corning to continually increase the content of recycled material in their products is actually driving the creation of local and regional recycling programs," said Curt Bucey, president of Strategic Materials Inc. "Glass recycling is very effective in reducing the need for natural resources and minimizing landfill waste. It's also key to reducing energy use and decreasing harmful emissions, and should be a part of our nation's energy policy."

SCS approved the certification of PINK Fiberglas(TM) insulation, as well as the company's commercial fiberglass products, after a rigorous four-step process that included a comprehensive audit of the company's claims, including visits to manufacturing facilities to see the process and interview plant personnel. This recognition by SCS assures building professionals using Owens Corning fiberglass insulation of the recycled content in order to help achieve LEED(R) certification and meet other green building guidelines.