VALLEY FORGE, PA -- Residents of Heritage Townhomes, a new development for seniors in Rose Hill, Kansas, are enjoying energy efficiency and lower utility bills, thanks to installation of CertainTeed EnergyEdge slab edge insulation. Heritage Townhomes developer Manske & Associates, LLC, of Wichita, Kan., specified the slab insulation forms for the project to provide a more energy-efficient, sustainable residence; compliant with ENERGY STAR standards, the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) and the Home Energy Rating System (HERS).
"In Kansas you have to have some kind of exterior foundation insulation in order to be in compliance with ENERGY STAR and the IECC; EnergyEdge was a key component of our sustainable building strategy to meet the requirements," says Jay Manske, co-owner of Manske & Associates. "It also gives us points toward our HERS rating. EnergyEdge has worked better for us than any slab insulation strategies we’ve tried in the past. It helps save time on projects because the footing form and slab insulation are all in one piece. You only need to make one monolithic cement pour, and you don’t have to go back and strip and clean the forms because they’re left in the slab."
Manske & Associates hired Craig Sharp Homes, Inc., of Wichita, to build the development, and the builder subcontracted the foundation work to Beran Concrete, Inc., of Wichita. Working with a crew ranging from five to 10, Beran Concrete used a collective 4,500 feet of EnergyEdge to form the slab foundations of the development's four buildings, which house a total of 26 units. The project ran smoothly, and Manske has received positive reviews from his tenants on the benefits of higher energy efficiency in the townhomes.
"My grandpa actually lives in one of the townhomes, and he can't believe how low his electrical bills have been this summer, especially with temperatures getting up around 105 degrees in our area," Manske says. "EnergyEdge has helped us to create a very tight, energy-efficient building envelope."
EnergyEdge is designed to prevent energy loss along the uninsulated concrete slab edge. The system consists of PVC rails, snap-on braces and expanded polystyrene (EPS) insulation. The rails are available in 12-foot lengths and can be cut using standard building tools to form a perimeter for the construction of the slab. EnergyEdge provides R-10 thermal resistance value and meets IECC requirements. For more information, go to www.certainteed.com.
