With five locations throughout the Spokane Valley and Washington State, Dean Moody of Intermountain West Insulation – IBP, remained optimistic about the prospects for his business and community despite the economic hardships imposed by the recent pandemic. The year began with Spokane Valley homebuilders going full steam ahead while barely meeting market demand. And, Moody’s Tri-Cities area of Kennewick, Pasco, and Richland expects a 40% increase in job growth over the next 10 years. IWI was acquired by IBP – Installed Building Products in 2021 as part of their 175-location network, with Moody staying on.
“Whether it’s commercial or residential, we are seeking to provide customers with the best products, service and workers on every project.”
Before joining forces with IBP, Moody was an Owens Corning® Certified Energy Expert® (CEE) member and served on the program’s CEE Advisory Board. Owens Corning® Certified Energy Expert® Professionals, as trained energy performance consultants, work with builders and homeowners to help make buildings and homes quiet, comfortable and energy smart. Certified by Owens Corning, the elite group of insulation contractors are backed by a limited lifetime warranty and industry-exclusive lifetime workmanship warranty on installation.
“It’s the best contractor program in the market,” says Moody. As part of the program, Moody became one of the first professional contractors in the country to field test Owens Corning’s new PINK Next Gen™ Fiberglas™ insulation, featuring an advanced fiber technology that sets a new standard for safety, precision, comfort, and sustainability. The new insulation installs up to 23% faster installation than before and helps pass inspection with a visibly superior texture and smooth uniform surface.
COMMERCIAL PROJECTS
These factors came into play for two recent commercial insulation projects for Dean and his crew with the typical tight timeframes. The Pasco School District required insulation for its latest phase of a mission to upgrade its aging school system was the demolition and rebuilding of the Stevens Middle School in Richland, Washington. Expected to open in Fall 2022, the $40 million, 106,478-square-foot school was built on 24.5 acres to accommodate 1,000 students with 41 classrooms in the two-story structure. The PINK Next Gen R-21×16 was installed unfaced in metal studs. Moody says, “The material was installed to full fill and looks nice and clean.”
Just few miles away in Washington’s Tri-cities region, Dean and IBP also took on Washington State’s Department of Social and Health Services building, a new 21,000-square-foot office complex to better serve staff and client needs. Along with a need to be a model of energy efficiency with reliable R-Values, the modern structure features solar panels, electric car charging stations, and energy-efficient lighting and exterior glazing. The crew used PINK Next Gen Fiberglas R-21×15 batts over unfaced wood studs. For all of his recent commercial jobs, Moody and his workers experienced no delays due to COVID, following all guidelines. “These jobs are all go and get them done,” he says.
PINK NEXT GEN BENEFITS
With a feel as soft as cotton and a visibly superior texture, PINK Next Gen Fiberglas represents the advancement of a proven, tested material that recovers instantly and fits perfectly in the cavity without fluffing or compressing. With R-Values ranging from R-11 to R-38, other benefits include comfortable handling with the ability to split and cut cleanly and fill crevices completely with time-saving results.
“We typically install R-21,” says Moody, and PINK Next Gen is the only one we use. We immediately noticed how well it holds in place, recovers and literally pops to life right out of the package.
Plus, every bundle right off the truck was uniform and easy to stack, which saved our warehouse guys a lot of time. There was no need to shake or reshape it and the corners stay firm.”
As far as workability, Moody and his workers were also impressed with the way their knife blades sliced right through the material, making it easier to cut, shape and easily fit into the stud bays. “With current labor constraints, PINK Next Gen is so easy to use that it makes new hires look like they have 5 years of insulation experience,” says Moody. “The batt makes up the difference by providing a Grade 1 install every time.”
Another PINK Next Gen benefit, according to Moody, is its ability to reduce waste and ultimately cut costs. “Every penny counts on any job,” adds Moody. “Installers will also often toss the bad pieces they can’t use. Given the new insulation’s quality, there’s likely to be less unusable pieces, which means more cost savings on every application and the disposal of far less waste.”
GREENGUARD CERTIFIED
With virtually every commercial job these days having sustainability implications, Moody says PINK Next Gen will prove increasingly crucial among the growing number of chemical-sensitive homeowners and professional contractors looking for safer, more sustainable products. GREENGUARD Certified for low-VOCs, the insulation complies with indoor air quality standards, produces less dust, and installs without the need to mix harsh chemicals onsite like other methods. This also prevents the need to evacuate other workers involved with the job.
“Owens Corning certainly has a knack for building the better mousetrap,” says Moody. “With PINK Next Gen, you receive the true R-Value throughout the entire batt. Edges and corners seldom get beat up and seamless, pillow-like aesthetics often replaces the creases that accompany many jobs after its application.” He notes that aesthetics can actually help jobs sail through inspections.
CLOSING THOUGHT
“We’ve had inspectors walk into the job, see how good the product looks and then sign off before we’re even done. It’s just another reason why we now only use PINK Next Gen on all of our jobs. The difference is like night and day with other products.”
About the Author:
PINK Next Gen™ Fiberglas™ insulation is available at building supply and home centers nationwide. For more, visit www.pinknextgen.com.
Modern Contractor Solutions, December 2021
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