Could the events of the past year be considered anything but extreme? Beyond the global pandemic and news cycle events, episodic weather events and new environmental regulations place extreme demands on building materials, including the insulation used in the building enclosure.

Considering commercial rooftops and other areas of the enclosure with extreme demands, insulation will be viewed through the lens of extreme weather conditions, more stringent regulatory requirements and specific performance issues posed by critical buildings. .

Historic wildfires in the west, tropical storms in the south, echoes in the Midwest, and a devastating infusion of arctic air in parts of Texas are just a few of the recent climate events highlighting the need for them. Commercial roofs withstand extreme humidity, wind, and thermal conditions. The extreme weather conditions left virtually no part of North America unscathed.

Weather like this can influence code changes. The management of runoff is a good example. As interest in sustainable roofs continues to grow, ordinances are starting to show changes and other ways to further reduce the impact of buildings on the environment must also be considered.

In response to climate change, the Canadian government and a growing number of US states have enacted new environmental regulations to support the slowing of climate change impacting extreme weather conditions. Currently, in the United States, environmental regulatory actions are being taken at the state level. On January 1, 2021, new regulations came into effect in California, Colorado, New Jersey, New York, Vermont, Washington and across Canada banning the use of high-potential hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) blowing agents. of high global warming (PRP). More and more states are considering enacting similar laws. An article from our latest sponsored ebook examines how weather, regulations, and mission criticals can influence insulation specifications.

This article on insulation and two others appear in our latest ebook “Insulation Best Practices”, a free downloadable resource. To get your copy in pdf or digital format, visit www.constructioncanada.net/ebook/owens-corning-insulation-best-practices-e-book.