2014 Greenbuild LivingHome Showcases High-Performance Insulation With CertainTeed Products

VALLEY FORGE, PA – November 12, 2014 – A cadre of innovative wallboard and insulation products from CertainTeed is delivering a perfect blend of performance and sustainability to the 2014 Greenbuild LivingHome. Designed and developed by LivingHomes and in partnership with Make It Right, the LEED Platinum net-zero home will serve as a showcase of how today's most cutting-edge sustainable building techniques can contribute to affordable housing.

After being showcased for informational tours at this year's Greenbuild International Conference and Expo, the home will be permanently placed in New Orleans' Lower 9th Ward by Make It Right, an organization dedicated to building sustainable homes for people in need around the country. To date, Make It Right has built 100 LEED Platinum-certified homes for working families in the area.

"As a longtime innovator of high-performance building products that marry sustainability and complete occupant comfort, we're deeply humbled by the opportunity to lend a hand in such a worthwhile project," said John Crowe, president and CEO of CertainTeed Corporation. "Not only will this home allow us to showcase how our various gypsum and insulation products work together to lower energy bills and keep indoor air healthy, it will contribute to the ongoing revitalization of a part of New Orleans very much in need."

Given the extreme moisture challenges facing the Lower 9th Ward, the 2014 LivingHome was designed to withstand some of the worst conditions nature can deliver. To that end, everything from framing to roofing is optimized to manage moisture. For the home's walls, the project team selected AirRenew® M2Tech® Indoor Air Quality gypsum board, which provides enhanced moisture and mold resistance and actually absorbs formaldehyde and other harmful VOCs commonly found in indoor air. AirRenew is the only drywall product on the market that actively improves indoor air quality with innovative, patent-pending technology and it contains up to 99 percent total recycled content.  For the home's bathrooms and kitchen areas, which are prone to higher moisture, the team installed GlasRoc® Diamondback® Tile Backer, which features embedded glass mats and a water-resistant core to help protect against moisture and mold in tiled areas. Both products are GREENGUARD® Gold Certified and AirRenew M2Tech has also received UL Environmental Claims Validation.

For complete thermal comfort and environmental performance, Sustainable Insulation® fiberglass batts were installed to insulate the home's walls, while Texas-based Cool Insulation installed InsulSafe SP® premium blowing wool insulation in the home's attic. Both insulation products are manufactured with recycled glass, contain no added formaldehyde and are GREENGUARD Gold Certified for low chemical emissions. Furthermore, Sustainable Insulation is covered by an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD), offering third-party validated life cycle information that contributes to the home's LEED Platinum certification.

To protect the home's structural framing from mold and mildew growth, FortiCel™ and CertaSpray® spray foam insulation will be installed in the crawlspace after the home is moved to its permanent location. FortiCel is a protective coating that is sprayed into the wall cavity to help prevent mold growth on structural framing surfaces. CertaSpray offers both high thermal performance and air sealing performance that contribute to the ultimate goal of a healthy, comfortable home, while providing rigidity that adds structural integrity to walls.

The project's emphasis on both efficiency and occupant health ensure it will be sustainable both for the environment and the home's owners.

For more information on the 2014 Greenbuild LivingHome and to take a virtual tour, visit the link provided below.

About Make It Right: Founded by Brad Pitt, Make It Right builds sustainable homes, buildings, and communities for people in need. All of its homes are LEED Platinum–certified and Cradle to Cradle–inspired. Make It Right is working in communities across the country including New Orleans, LA, Newark, NJ, Kansas City, MO and the Fort Peck Indian Reservation, MT. For more information, please click on the link provided below.

About LivingHomes: LivingHomes is a designer and developer of modern, prefabricated homes that combine world-class architecture with an unparalleled commitment to healthy and sustainable construction. The company offers three lines of single and multi-family homes. The first LivingHome, designed by Ray Kappe, was the first in the nation to achieve LEED Platinum. Twelve LivingHomes have been certified LEED Platinum, making the company one of the most experienced designers of LEED Platinum homes. Learn more via the link provided below.

About CertainTeed: Through the responsible development of innovative and sustainable building products, CertainTeed, headquartered in Valley Forge, Pa., has helped shape the building products industry for more than 100 years. Founded in 1904 as General Roofing Manufacturing Company, the firm's slogan "Quality Made Certain, Satisfaction Guaranteed," quickly inspired the name CertainTeed. Today, CertainTeed® is North America's leading brand of exterior and interior building products, including roofing, siding, fence, decking, railing, trim, insulation, gypsum and ceilings. For more information, please use the contact information and link provided below.