2019 Top 100 Products: Structural / Insulation / Housewrap

To see products in the other 2019 Top 100 categories, click here. 

Building Envelope / DuPont Performance Building Solutions

Dow Building Solutions and DuPont Building Envelope Solutions have joined forces to offer a full suite of building products, including DuPont Tyvek, Styrofoam Brand extruded polystyrene (XPS) insulation (shown, above), and Great Stuff Insulating Foam Sealants, among others. Styrofoam XPS insulation is ideal for new construction applications, both above and below grade, the company says.

Spray Foam Insulation / BASF

BASF offers a variety of open- and closed-cell spray polyurethane foam insulation solutions. Enertite is an open-cell system that provides improved energy efficiency, sound control, and comfort at an affordable price, while the Walltite closed-cell product delivers near-zero air permeability, acting as an all-in-one air barrier, vapor barrier, insulation, and drainage plain.

Subflooring / LP Building Solutions

LP TopNotch Sub-Flooring features two product options: TopNotch 250 and 350. TopNotch 250 offers strength, stiffness, and a self-spacing tongue-and-groove design that can speed installation, the company claims. TopNotch 350 is designed to provide additional moisture-resistance. Both products feature a proprietary RainChannel system that helps drain rainwater away from the panels during construction.

Insulated Sheathing / Huber Engineered Woods

The Zip System R-sheathing all-in-one structural panel provides exterior insulation together with moisture, air, and thermal protection, combining several steps in the construction process. The sheathing helps meet or exceed building code requirements and comes in four thicknesses with R-3, R-6, R-9, and R-12 insulation values, respectively. It is nailable and can be flashed using common tools.

Air and Water Barrier System / Georgia-Pacific Wood Products 

The ForceField air and water barrier system consists of structural engineered wood sheathing panels laminated with an air and water barrier. When paired with ForceField seam tape, the system creates a code-compliant, integrated building envelope that eliminates the need for housewrap and keeps out water and air while allowing water vapor to escape. Panels are 7/16-inch thick and are available in 4x8-, 4x9-, and 4x10-foot sizes.

Spray Foam Insulation / Icynene

Icynene’s Classic Ultra spray foam is an open-cell foam insulation with greater cohesion than the company’s past products. The GreenGuard Gold-certified insulation can be sprayed in a wide variety of temperatures, making it appropriate for any climate, the company claims. It achieves an R-value of 3.7 per inch and has a core density of 0.5 pound per cubic foot.

Radiant Barrier Sheathing / LP Building Solutions

TechShield radiant barrier sheathing consists of a thin layer of aluminum laminated onto the company’s traditional sheathing and is designed to block up to 97% of the radiant heat coming into attics, cooling the spaces by up to 30° F. Panels are 47 7/8 inches by 95 7/8 inches in size. Radiant sheathing can help builders qualify for green building credits and can lower HERS scores. 

Modular Living / Stuga

Stuga builds modular living environments in the minimalist Scandinavian tradition. Structures can act as one-bedroom accessory dwelling units or be combined to create larger homes. They are permit-ready and meet the building codes of many U.S. cities. The Shift (shown) is a one-bedroom, one-bath unit with two roughly 300-square-foot modules offset to make room for outdoor living. Several finish packages are available.

Wood Protection / Nisus

Bora-Care with Mold-Care is the company’s classic termite-control treatment with added protection against mold and fungi. According to Nisus, the borate-based wood preservative requires a single application to diffuse into the wood in a house and create a protective barrier. It can be applied either directly during the dry-in phase of construction or to high-risk areas after construction.

Engineered Wood Products / Boise Cascade

Not only does Boise Cascade manufacture engineered wood products, plywood, and lumber, but it also distributes building supplies across the U.S. and offers software tools for managing workflow, design processes, and material estimates. Boise recently reintroduced its 2.1E Versa-Lam laminated veneer lumber (shown), with increased modulus of elasticity grades for both beams and headers. 

Subfloor Adhesive / Huber Engineered Woods

AdvanTech subfloor adhesive is a foam-to-gel polyurethane that can connect framing members to AdvanTech flooring, tradition­al OSB, or plywood subflooring, preventing movement between elements and minimizing floor squeaks. The adhesive provides eight times more coverage than traditional caulk adhesive, Huber says, and can be applied to dry, frozen, or wet lumber.

Engineered Lumber / LP Building Solutions

LP SolidStart Laminated Strand Lumber (LSL) is an engineered lumber product that installs like traditional lumber but offers greater strength and consistency. Hardwood strands are pressed to a low moisture content, reducing shrinkage, warping, and twisting of the product. It’s available in grades of 1.35E, 1.55E, and 1.75E and in custom end-trimmed lengths upon request.

Subfloor / LP Building Solutions

LP Legacy OSB subfloor uses Gorilla Glue waterproof resins to coat and bind wood for improved moisture performance. The panel’s high density makes it ideal for hardwood floors, tile applications, and projects where the subfloor may be exposed during construction. According to LP, the subfloor offers superior fastener-holding strength and is quieter underfoot than other options.

Termite Pretreat / Nisus

Bora-Care’s spray treatment protects against termites and other wood-destroying pests by making the wood elements inedible. The treatment can help earn points toward LEED or National Green Building Standard certification and can save builders a day of cycle time while keeping chemicals out of the soil, the company says. The borate-based treatment remains effective for the life of the home.

Concrete Mix / Quikrete

Quikrete Q-Max Pro Concrete Mix is a fiber-reinforced con­crete formulated to provide 1 hour of working time and a walk-on time of 3 hours. It can achieve a compressive strength of 6,500 psi and resists drying shrinkage cracks, the company says. The product is air entrained for durability during freeze-thaw cycles. It’s available in an 80-pound bag and can be used for slabs, steps, walls, floors, and more.

Sheathing and Tape / Huber Engineered Woods

The Zip System structural roof and wall system consists of sheathing and tape with an integrated air- and water-resistive barrier to streamline the weatherization process by eliminating the need for housewrap. Panels are installed and then taped to seal the seams, which contributes to a building’s energy efficiency by forming a continuous rigid air barrier that reduces air leaks.

Insulated Concrete Forms / Nudura

Nudura’s insulated concrete form (ICF) series creates a complete building envelope with one product that integ­rates the form system, wall structure, insulation, air barrier, vapor control barrier, and in­t­erior and exterior fixing points. Made up of two expanded polystyrene foam panels connected by a 100% recyclable web system, the ICFs improve energy efficiency and can help achieve LEED certification, the company says.

Insulation / Owens Corning

Owens Corning offers a variety of home insulation solutions, including fiberglass, mineral wool, and Foamular Extruded Polystyrene rigid foam board. The company’s EcoTouch Pink Fiberglass Batts (shown) offer R-values ranging from 11 to 49 and come in thicknesses from 3 ½ inches to 14 inches. Easily cut for installation in irregular cavities, the batts are GreenGuard certified and offer thermal and acoustic benefits.

Housewrap / Typar

Typar’s Drainable Wrap is the newest addition to the company’s building weather protection system. It features a layer of multidirectional polypropylene fibers designed to create a drainage gap and divert water. When installed with the company’s flashings and construction tape, the system provides water and air holdout while also allowing moisture vapor transmission, and can improve the overall energy efficiency of the home, the company says.

Engineered Wood Beams / Weyerhaeuser

Made from parallel wood strands bonded with adhesive, Parallam PSL Beams resist shrinking, twisting, and bowing. Engineered for strength and consistency, they can be used for longer spans when creating open floor plans; are available in a variety of widths, depths, and lengths; and are visually appealing when sanded, sealed, or painted in exposed applications, the company says.

Weatherization System / DuPont Tyvek

DuPont Tyvek offers a complete home weatherization system, in­cluding a range of air and water barriers, housewraps, and roof underlayments. Tyvek DrainWrap moisture barrier (shown) features vertical groov­ing to promote water drainage while also allowing water vapor to pass and can be used with different cladding materials. FlexWrap NF self-adhered flashing tape (shown) requires no mechanical fast­eners.