The time is fast approaching when the State of Wisconsin adopts the latest version of the International Building Code, and when that happens the requirement for continuously insulated wall systems will become a potentially expensive reality. Having a continuously insulated wall systems mean that any wall built in this State will need to have a continuous layer of insulation between the exterior finish of a building, ie. Brick, Stone, Decorative Block, Stucco, Cement Board, etc. and the structural support of the building, ie. Steel, Wood, Precast, Concrete Block.
The idea of a continuous layer of insulation is to isolate the supporting building structure from the extreme high and low temperatures found in most exterior environments from transfer through to the inside “conditioned” environment.
Here are two examples of what a system like this looks like:
Here is a nice article published by EDC Magazine that goes into greater detail on the concept of continuous insulated wall systems and high performance building envelopes.
