Attending the International Builders’ Show (IBS) each year is always such a great time for us at BASF, and this year was no exception. From high interest about the HP+™ Wall System and the head turning finish on the BASF structure featured at Professional Builder’s Show Village, to industry-leading speakers like Sam Rashkin, Chief Architect for the Department of Energy’s Building Technologies, BASF delivered the goods to attendees.
Visitors to our BASF show home had lots of questions, and we were happy to answer!
Builders and architects wanted to know about the HP+™ Wall System. It’s a new way of building that increases durability and longevity, and makes economic sense for both builders and owners. Our Wall System features high-performance, easy-to-build assemblies that combine proven BASF products into a layered system, going beyond four walls to care for the entire building envelope. The superior durability and performance of the HP+™ Wall System can help builders meet new and challenging code requirements and improve Home Energy Rating System (HERS®) index scores.
“What’s that finish?” was one of the top questions we received about the BASF home. It’s called Texture, and it’s one of the finishes you can spec on the Platinum CI Wall System. BASF’s Wall Systems business is a leading manufacturer of EIFS, stucco, specialty finishes, and air/water-resistive barriers for the North American construction industry. For more than 35 years, our brands —including Acrocrete®, Finestone®, and Senergy® —have established a reputation for helping architects and contractors design and construct the most enduring buildings possible.
Something else we were asked about during IBS was Neopor®, a key insulating component of the HP+™ Wall System, composed of small black beads of polystyrene (EPS) granules containing a blowing agent that makes it expandable. These black beads are formed by converters on conventional EPS machines and processed to silver-grey foam blocks and molded parts with up to 20 percent better insulating performance than conventional EPS.
BASF offers products and solutions for builders who want to build energy efficient, high performance homes, but are these homes marketable? Sam Rashkin’s presentation could be summed up with an enthusiastic yes! He explained what goes into a zero-energy ready home and gave a convincing rationale of how builders can sell these homes to consumers.
He said not building to the next code on the books just doesn’t make any sense. “It’s like knowing the 2016 model car is in the showroom next door and you are not going to sell that car,” he said. Having a choice, people might care “whether their purchase will be illegal to build in three or four years, or if it will stand the test of time for decades to come.”
Rashkin argued that if builders can point to why experts prefer zero-energy homes—in plain, non-technical language—they’ll make the decision process easier for the consumer. And he offered the Department of Energy’s resources containing tons of material builders can use when selling net-zero-ready homes. There are comparisons of net-zero-ready homes with ENERGY STAR® homes and minimum code homes, case studies, videos, and estimated cost breakdowns.
“I can give you that language,” Rashkin summed up. “Leverage us.”
BASF seconds that. Leverage BASF’s HP+ Consultative Solutions to achieve high performance construction in your residential projects with tight construction, fresh air ventilation, improved thermal performance, right-sized mechanicals, greater moisture management, increased combustion safety, and more. Our collection of robust support services brings the insight of the experts within BASF’s Center for Building Excellence directly to homebuilders like you, connecting you to a wealth of collected knowledge about beyond code methods and more.
Leverage BASF and set yourself up for success.
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