Insultex House Wrap Pairs Water Resistance With Thermal Performance
Distributed by Pittsburgh-based manufacturer Innovative Designs, Insultex House Wrap features a vacuum cell structure design, which the company says delivers an R-6 insulation. Insultex consists of a three-dimensional network of evacuated micro-cells that significantly reduce heat transfer and resist water and air infiltration through the fabric under a building’s outer covering.
The science behind Insultex is simple, in theory: the cells are small vacuum, low-pressure enclosures that create a semi-rigid structure. Rather than collapsing, the cell walls display what the company calls a “very good memory” and a good recovery when compressed. Those cells, when stacked, create a winding, “tortuous” path of thermal energy transport to resist heat transfer more effectively. The more evacuated cells that are stacked, the better the insulation properties.
Insultex’s dual functionality as a house wrap and insulation makes it a top choice among building pros like Andy Lindus, owner and COO of Lindus Construction, a family-owned home building company in Wisconsin.
In 2016, the Federal Trade Commission charged Innovative Designs with making false and unsubstantiated claims that its Insultex House Wrap has a proven insulation value of R-6. Five years later, the Third Circuit ruled against the FTC after it failed to show that Innovative Design’s R-value claims were not substantiated.
Even apart from what the court ruled was adequate research and testing, Lindus says that when it comes to Insultex’s insulation capabilities, the proof is in the performance.
“We know that this works,” Lindus says. “It has an R-6 insulation value, and it beats all other house wraps on the market not just because of that thermal resistance, but also because it reduces the number of products and labor needed to protect a home’s interior. With any other house wrap, you have to cover it with foam to achieve that insulation, but with Insultex, you don't have to worry about that. It takes care of water and air infiltration issues with a tight thermal barrier.”
Not only is Insultex durable, but it’s also versatile. The Low Density Polyethylene material is pliable, thin, and waterproof, meaning that builders can laminate, perforate, and sew it as needed depending on the project at hand, the company says. In addition, it can be applied behind any exterior cladding, from stucco to vinyl or wood.
“We've used this product for a very long time, and we're believers in it because of our own experience with it, the way our customers have reacted to it, and the fact that we've had zero complaints and zero issues since we've started using it,” Lindus adds. “We've purposely installed Insultex on walls without covering it up, on roofs that we tore off to inspect for moisture issues, and even on a siding job that had hail damage. It's passed every test that we’ve thrown at it.”