Spring 2012 News

A free online training course on basement design and moisture management has been approved by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) professional credentialing program.

Organized by Certainteed and titled A Systems Approach to Effective Basement Design, it examines moisture management and insulation in the context of a sustainable foundation design and includes information on specific LEED system requirements.

“Being able to insulate, and manage liquid and water vapor in a building’s foundation are the most important factors to ensuring a healthy and comfortable indoor environment over the life of the structure,” said Mark DaSilva, senior marketing manager for CertainTeed Foundations.

Specifically, the course teaches the role of climate, effect of soil types and specific moisture flow mechanisms. It also covers effective moisture management and insulation practices of wall structures.

The course contributes one credit hour toward the LEED professional credential, which requires 15 credits every two years. It’s available through in-person seminars and webinars upon request. To schedule, visit www.certainteed.com/continuinged.

Tremco Roofing and Building Maintenance has announced that their foam insulation adhesive is now certified as a sustainable building product.

Their “Low Rise Foam Insulation Adhesive Green” is now listed in the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) BioPreferred Product Program.  The product is used to secure roof insulation boards directly to roof decks and other insulation layers in low slope commercial and institutional buildings. It is a high strength, fast curing roofing adhesive with virtually no odor and zero VOC.

“Our Low Rise Foam Insulation Adhesive Green contains a significant percentage of biobased raw material, making it a superior candidate for the USDA’s BioPreferred program,” said Kurt Sosinski, director of product management for the company. “We look forward to working with contractors and building owners who desire more sustainable products which provide the high performance demanded by building codes and insurance requirements.”

The T-Roc Foundation Insulation System marketed by CertainTeed Corporation,has received an evaluation report from ICC Evaluation Services, Inc. (ICC-ES), confirming that is building code compliant.

T-Roc is a panel made of expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam, laminated to paperless gypsum board. The product is easily installed within conventional removable concrete wall forms at the time the foundation wall is poured, eliminating the need to furr out, insulate and drywall in separate steps. Once installed, T-Roc can be finished using mesh tape and setting compound, followed by texture and painting.

The comprehensive report is available at www.iccsafe.org.

Parex USA, Inc. which markets a broad array of exterior finishing and waterproofing products, has recently signed a long term licensing agreement with Variance Finishes, LLC.  The agreement gives Parex exclusive global rights to market, sell and manufacture the Variance product line.
Variance products are specialty acrylic finishes which offer virtually unlimited color, texture and design options.  Long term plans are to merge the Variance and Parex’s Select Finish product lines.

Rob Knight, president of Variance Finishes, will join Parex USA as the product development manager for the Variance product line.

Carlisle Construction Materials (CCM) will build a new PolyIsocyanurate (PolyIso) insulation factory in Washington State.  It will be located approximately 45 miles south of Seattle in an unincorporated area of Frederickson, Pierce County.

With operations targeted to commence in the third quarter of 2012, this new facility, CCM’s seventh PolyIso plant, will be similar to CCM’s existing PolyIso facilities in New York, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Florida, Texas and Utah.

CCM is already the largest producer of PolyIso in the U.S.  The new facility will supply locally made PolyIso to Washington and the surrounding states and Canadian provinces.

The Basement Health Association has elected a new president and executive committee.

The new president is Bill Crawford of Rainmaker Internet Marketing, Inc., Wheaton, Ill.; the vice president is John Bryant of Aqua-Guard Waterproofing, Beltsville, Md.; and secretary/treasurer is Alan Chandler of All Dry Basements, Nashville, Tenn.

The membership also elected three new directors: David Hill of Spruce Environmental, Ward Hill, Mass.; Ron Davidson, Ramjack Systems, Ada, Okla.; and Tom Saucier, Crawlspace Doctor, Springville, Ind.

Grace Construction Products, an division of W.R.Grace & Co. has acquired the De Neef Conchem Group.

De Neef Conchem produces preventative and remedial waterproofing products for the construction industry, as well as concrete protection and repair products. These products are manufactured in Belgium, Spain and the United States and are sold throughout the world. Headquartered in Belgium, De Neef Conchem has been in business for more than 30 years and has over 100 employees.

“De Neef Conchem’s product lines complement Grace’s structural waterproofing and building envelope portfolio by adding a variety of new technologies,” said Andrew Bonham, president of Grace Construction Products.

In addition to this transaction, Grace recently acquired Wuhan Meilixin New Building Materials Co., Ltd., a manufacturer of waterproofing products located in China. The company has also opened seven manufacturing sites in emerging regions since 2010.

MFM Building Products, a manufacturer of waterproofing and weather barrier products for the building industry, has reached an agreement with North Woods Reps, LLC to represent the company in Canada.

North Woods Reps, LLC represents numerous product lines within Eastern Canada, and will be the primary contact for all MFM Canadian customers.

According to Tony Reis, MFM sales and marketing director, “We are extremely excited about the opportunity to have North Woods Reps, LLC represent our full product line in Canada. They have the experience and expertise to service our existing customer base and open up new areas for product growth.”

National Coatings Corporation (NCC), a  commercial roofing materials manufacturer, has redesigned their corporate website.  New features include improved navigation and an extensive collection of product information and installation guidelines.

“The fundamental objective of the new website is to offer a fresh and user-friendly resource for National Coatings customers,” said Kent Jobe, a regional sales and marketing manager at the company. “We hope our customers can quickly and easily navigate through our exclusive product and service information, roofing expertise, and industry standard resources.”

National Coatings’ leading brands include AcryShield, AcryGuard, and AcryFlex.

Rhino Linings Corporation, the maker of spray-on protective coatings, has launched a new eCommerce site, BuyRhino.com (http://www.BuyRhino.com). The site sells a full line of Rhino products as well as a full line-up of decorative concrete products from Concrete Solutions, which Rhino acquired earlier this summer.  Free shipping is offered for all orders of $150 or more.  The site is intended for use by consumers and contractors alike.

Some of the more popular items include: Rhino Shine Ultra – a spray-on coating that rejuvenates the look of any brand spray-on bed liner. The new Rhino Do-It-Yourself Epoxy Floor Coating Kit which transforms the appearance of your garage floor in a single weekend.  The eStore also stocks spray equipment, safety supplies, apparel and select chemicals.

“With the recent acquisition of Concrete Solutions and their need for an updated eCommerce site, we now have the opportunity to offer some of the more requested products that often times aren’t supplied or sold at the various Rhino Linings retail locations.” commented President and CEO Pierre Gagnon. “With BuyRhino.com, we can now satisfy the growing demand for Rhino Linings fan apparel, bed liner restoration and our new do-it-yourself flooring kit.”