Spray Foam Insulates One of Houston's First LEED®-H Platinum Homes

The Woodlands, Texas and Valley Forge, Penn. – Huntsman Corporation and CertainTeed Corporation announced that CertaSpray™ Spray Polyurethane Foams (SPFs) were selected to insulate one of the first homes in Houston being evaluated for LEED® for Homes (LEED-H) Platinum certification. 

CertainTeed’s CertaSpray Open Cell and Closed Cell Foam Insulation, both featuring Huntsman’s technology, were used as the insulation products of choice in a custom home built by GradCo Structures & Homes, LLC. 

For the SPF installation process, GradCo used Texas-based Fiberglass Insulators, Inc., a long-time installer of SPF insulation. The home was designed by Laverne Williams, AIA, LEED AP, Environment Associates Architects & Consultants, one of the pioneers in green building architectural design. Once certified, the home located in Cypress, Texas, will be the second LEED-H Platinum Home in the Houston area. 

The LEED rating system, developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), is a national third-party 

certification system that recognizes leadership in green building. LEED offers four certification levels for new construction – Certified, Silver, Gold and Platinum. To qualify for a LEED-H Platinum certification, a home must have a total of 94 points based on the number of credits accrued in five green design categories: sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources and indoor environmental quality. The home built by GradCo is targeted to achieve a rating of 96 points (without the benefit of solar power), thus exceeding the LEED-H Platinum requirements. 

“We strive to implement a sustainable design approach in our construction, and we are proud to have gone above and beyond the LEED-H Platinum requirements,” said Sergio Grado, President, GradCo Structures & Homes, LLC. “I consistently utilize building materials and techniques that will conserve energy. The use of CertaSpray SPFs in the GradCo home is a great example of this.”

To help meet the LEED-H Platinum certification, GradCo built the home out of insulated concrete forms (ICF) and then insulated the home with both CertaSpray Open Cell and Closed Cell Foam Insulation.

Fiberglass Insulators sprayed CertaSpray Open Cell SPF in the attic and rafters to reduce the energy loss due to air infiltration through cracks and crevices, which can significantly lower heating and cooling costs for the homeowner. With a tighter building envelope, the homeowner was able to reduce the size of the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) equipment required to maintain comfortable air quality in the home.

“One of the many benefits of CertaSpray SPFs is that they allow the homeowner to optimize the size of the HVAC equipment,” said Lionel Rossignol, Product Manager, CertainTeed Insulation. “This translates into savings in construction costs and ultimately reduced energy costs for the homeowner.” 

Typically, a 4,000 square foot home would require an 8-ton AC unit, but because of the tightness of the house, the homeowner was able to use a 4-ton AC unit, reducing the HVAC equipment needs by 50 percent. To maintain ideal indoor air quality, the home features a state-of-the-art energy recovery ventilation (ERV) system that provides air from outside of the home in a controlled, energy-efficient manner. Additionally, with CertaSpray Open Cell SPF, moisture, outdoor allergens and pollutants, as well as sound, are restricted from entering the home, resulting in an improved indoor environment for the homeowner. 

Additionally, Fiberglass Insulators applied CertaSpray Closed Cell SPF in the garage apartment attic and on the underside of the roof deck creating an unvented attic with improved structural integrity.  

“We wanted to push the limits and build a nice, tight, sustainable home,” said Grado. “Using ICFs along with CertaSpray Open and Closed Cell SPFs was like delivering a one-two punch. It allowed GradCo to build an extremely energy-efficient home, while expanding on the overall structural integrity.” 

“Based on the energy savings and structural enhancement achieved with SPFs in a building envelope, more and more architects are beginning to specify SPFs as part of their initial green home design plans,” said Monica Karamagi, Marketing Manager, Huntsman Polyurethanes. 

In addition to being evaluated for a LEED-H Platinum home certification, the home built by GradCo is also in the process of receiving an ENERGY STAR® airPLUS certification.

About Huntsman:
Huntsman is a global manufacturer and marketer of differentiated chemicals. Its operating companies manufacture products for a variety of global industries, including chemicals, plastics, automotive, aviation, textiles, footwear, paints and coatings, construction, technology, agriculture, health care, detergent, personal care, furniture, appliances and packaging. Originally, known for pioneering innovations in packaging and later for rapid and integrated growth in petrochemicals, Huntsman today has more than 11,000 employees and operates from multiple locations worldwide. The Company had 2009 revenues of approximately $8 billion. For more information about Huntsman, please visit the company’s website at www.huntsman.com.

About CertainTeed:
Through the responsible development of innovative and sustainable building products, CertainTeed 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, windows, fence, decking, railing, trim, foundations, pipe, insulation, gypsum, ceilings and access covers.

A subsidiary of Saint-Gobain, the world’s largest building products company, CertainTeed and its affiliates have more than 6,000 employees and more than 65 manufacturing facilities throughout the United States and Canada. In 2009 and 2010, CertainTeed, which is headquartered in Valley Forge, Pa., was named ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.  ENERGY STAR’s Partner of the Year is a national award that recognizes environmentally responsible corporations. The group had total sales of approximately $3 billion in 2009. www.certainteed.com.

About GradCo Structures & Homes, LLC:
GradCo’s specialty is sustainable, green and creative designs for custom homes, remodels and commercial projects in the Houston, Lake Conroe and The Woodlands, Texas areas. With more than 20 years experience and industry certifications of Graduate Master Builder, Certified Green Professional, Certified Graduate . Remodeler and Aging in Place Specialist, GradCo has proven itself by having received the distinct honor of being named the national “Graduate Master Builder of The Year” by the National Association of Home Builders. Most recently, GradCo received the local award of “Business of The Year” presented by the Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the nation’s largest Hispanic Chamber. GradCo has the right mix of creative talent and experience to work with professional teams to deliver on the client’s needs. Evidence of GradCo’s work was recently showcased on the Discovery Channel’s Renovation Nation, as it featured one of GradCo’s green remodel projects in The Woodlands, Texas.  GradCo’s talents have not gone unnoticed in the community. Non-profit organizations have contracted with GradCo to provide green job skills curriculum and training for its students and have recently invited GradCo to participate in an upcoming development featuring 95 affordable homes, all of which will be built to LEED certification. GradCo is also a contributor to trade publications for content and editorial reviews, and most recently participated in a round-table event sponsored by Moen Corp, and attended by a select group of builders from across the United States. In its quest for continuous improvement, GradCo has pledged to never stop learning and to teach others. Every project is a privilege, and every contact is an opportunity to create something new. For more information on what GradCo can do for you, visit www.gradco.biz.

About Fiberglass Insulators, Inc.: 
Fiberglass Insulators, a privately-held Texas corporation, was established in 1940. The Company’s main facility is in Houston, with branch operations in Austin, Dallas/Fort Worth, San Antonio and Brenham. Fiberglass Insulators offer turn-key installations specializing in batt & blown insulation products, expandable foam, 2nd seal applications, and sound control expertise. For more information about Fiberglass Insulators, please visit www.fiberglassinsulators.com.

Forward-Looking Statements:
Statements in this release that are not historical are forward-looking statements. These statements are based on management’s current beliefs and expectations. The forward-looking statements in this release are subject to uncertainty and changes in circumstances and involve risks and uncertainties that may affect the company’s operations, markets, products, services, prices and other factors as discussed in the Huntsman companies’ filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Significant risks and uncertainties may relate to, but are not limited to, financial, economic, competitive, environmental, political, legal, regulatory and technological factors.  In addition, the completion of any transactions described in this release is subject to a number of uncertainties and closing will be subject to approvals and other customary conditions. Accordingly, there can be no assurance that such transactions will be completed or that the company’s expectations will be realized. The company assumes no obligation to provide revisions to any forward-looking statements should circumstances change, except as otherwise required by applicable laws.

Note to editors: LEED® is a registered trademark of U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). ENERGY STAR® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. CertaSpray™ is a trademark of CertainTeed Corporation. CertainTeed® is a registered trademark of CertainTeed Corporation.