To quote my undergraduate building systems professor, Jack Lebduska - "When you're cold, you don't EAT your coat, you WEAR it." Buildings are no different than that simply stated point - insulation belongs on the outside of the building, or as close to the outside as possible. At every opportunity - either during new construction or a substantial renovation - where there is work being done to the exterior envelope, we strongly recommend the addition of continuous exterior insulation. Our go-to material is mineral wool - fire-resistant, hygrophobic (doesn't absorb water), and not particularly inviting to any sort of pest that would be interested in burrowing in.

The benefit, both monetarily in energy savings and in improved occupant comfort, outweigh the modest increase to the overall construction budget. Continuous exterior insulation increases the temperature throughout the wall assembly, lowering the risk of water vapor condensing inside the wall assembly, increasing the surface temperature of the wall inside, and adding to the acoustic performance of the wall. Additionally, if water vapor were to collect in the wall assembly, mineral wool is permeable and readily permits drying, minimizing a chance for mold or rot to develop.

As with all building components, proper detailing is critical. DKA worked in close collaboration with the crew at L-Squared Design/Build to install this continuous layer of mineral wool as the base of a ventilated rain screen assembly on the rear of a 19th century brownstone in Jersey City.