Building Assembly Comparisons


We are often asked “what is the best type of wall or roof assembly to use to get the best bang for the buck?” In other words how can you get the best thermal performance at the least up-front cost. This is a very reasonable question which, unfortunately does not have a simple answer.

Comparing construction assemblies requires looking at the Thermal Performance, Durability, Buildability, Cost, and Resource Consumption (at least). And for every project the priorities might be different. So the cost considerations might outweigh the Energy Performance goals. We area available and eager to assist with this decision making process.  In order to help inform your decision we have assembled the following list of resources.

Building Science Corporation – “Building America Research Project: High-R Walls Case Study Anaylsis” This is a very comprehensive study of 15 different high performance wall assemblies which looks closely at energy performance, moisture movement, ease of construction, material use, and costs. Click on the link above to visit their web-site and click on their link to “get the file”.

Cold Climate Housing Research Center – Remote Wall System Study. This study compares standard wall construction and the “Remote Wall System” in terms of energy performance, condensation potential, ease of construction, and cost. Click on the link above to visit the CCRHC website and download the report.

Building Science Corporation – “Insulations, Sheathings, and Vapor Retarders” This is a comprehensive study moisture issues in building assemblies. Click on the link above to visit their web-site and click on their link to “get the file”.

Energetechs – “Wall Assembly Cost Comparison” This is a quick spreadsheet that we put together to compare the cost and performance of some different wall assemblies. Click on the link above to view the spreadsheet. Analysis of each wall type can be found below the initial chart.