Spray Foam Insulation Contributes to Stanton Home’s Energy-Efficient Options

Pittsburgh, October 23, 2009 — With the nation’s continuing focus on sustainability, it is no surprise that in recent months, Stanton Homes, a custom homebuilder in the Raleigh, N.C., area, has seen a surge in requests for new homes that include more energy-efficient options. The homebuilder is able to offer those options through its Stanton “Homes for Heroes” program, one of the largest veteran and military personnel homeowner programs in the nation. The initiative offers a 3 percent discount to military families, along with many partner discounts.

One of the energy-efficient options that Stanton Homes offers through a partnership with spray foam contractor Healthy Home Insulation is the energywise™ system, a systems approach to residential insulation applications.  It was developed through collaboration among the spray foam insulation business of BaySystems™, which is the global polyurethane systems business of Bayer MaterialScience; Energywise Structures, and Energywise Group. Energywise Group is a sales agency of Bayer MaterialScience LLC. Energywise Structures is a professional engineering firm specializing in energy efficiency solutions. The BaySytems™ spray foam insulation business includes the Bayseal™ polyurethane foam insulation product family.

The energywise™ approach offers an integrated, comprehensive energy efficiency package, and for that reason is appealing to homebuilders and homebuyers alike. It involves engineering the heating, ventilating and air conditioning systems, plus doors, windows, insulation and air infiltration to work in harmony with the thermal envelope – the outer walls of the structure – and local climate conditions. Using proprietary software to create a detailed energy analysis report from each building plan, the energywise™ program accurately projects the annual heating and cooling consumption and cost savings.

“We are extremely pleased to offer military personnel affordable homes that are healthier not only for their families, but also for the environment,” said Stan Williams, chief executive officer, Stanton Homes. “We are confident that the system we offer brings value to our homes, and Bayseal™ foam insulation plays a key role in the energy savings we can offer our homeowners.”

“It is commendable that Stanton Homes is taking advantage of the superior program that energywise™ offers and putting it to use in a program that recognizes the contribution of military personnel,” said Renee Zierden, general manager, BaySystems™. “Homeowners will undoubtedly see the savings in their monthly energy bill. Healthy Home Insulation, using Bayseal™ foam insulation, offers advanced installation capabilities to guarantee those savings and a healthy, environmentally sound home for buyers seeking those qualities.”

Spray polyurethane foam insulation offers several advantages over traditional fiberglass batt insulation, including:

• Ability to expand and fill all cracks when applied, thereby virtually sealing a home from moisture and air leakage.
• Ability to cure within seconds, forming the foundation of a structurally strong, virtually airtight, thermal, sound and condensation barrier.
• Adding structural strength to the building. Independent tests showed spray polyurethane foam provides resistance to shearing and racking events such as hurricanes and other strong wind situations.
• Reducing the chance of mold growth.

Bayer MaterialScience LLC is one of the leading producers of polymers and high-performance plastics in North America and is part of the global Bayer MaterialScience business with nearly 15,100 employees at 30 sites around the world and 2008 sales of 9.7 billion euros. Business activities are focused on the manufacture of high-tech polymer materials and the development of innovative solutions for products used in many areas of daily life. The main segments served are the automotive, electrical and electronics, construction, medical, and sports and leisure industries.

Contact:
Bill Allan, Phone: 412-777-5200
E-mail: bill.allan@bayerbms.com

For more information about BaySystems™ spray polyurethane insulation, call
1-800-289-8272 or visit www.BaySystemsSpray.com. 

For more information about Bayer MaterialScience materials, call 1-800-662-2927, e-mail naftainfo@bayerbms.com or visit www.bayermaterialsciencenafta.com.

For more information about Stanton Homes, please visit http://www.stantonhomes.com.

This news release may contain forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by Bayer Group or subgroup management. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future results, financial situation, development or performance of the company and the estimates given here. These factors include those discussed in Bayer’s public reports which are available on the Bayer website at www.bayer.com. The company assumes no liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments.