HIGH PERFORMANCE
WALL
SYSTEMS
by Alex Wilson
Most builders
surveyed now use
some combination of
2x6s with: foam on
the outside (left) or
foam on the inside
(right). One builder
imports rigid fiberglass
(above) from
Canada.
Energy-minded builders strive to save Btus while keeping
construction simple
A few years ago, during the height of
energy awareness, every builder I knew
used a different wall system. Builders
were trying every option they could
think of to minimize heat loss and produce
a building shell tight enough for
one of Jacques Cousteau's mini-subs.
Complexity was no concern. And as
for cost, well... that was sometimes a
problem. In fact, because so many extras
were added in the interest of energy
conservation, the builders sometimes
found they couldn't charge