UPDATE October 8, 2012 Chicago Roofing Contractors Association CHICAGOLAND S ROOFING, INSULATION, AIR-BARRIER REQUIREMENTS

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1 UPDATE October 8, 2012 Chicago Roofing Contractors Association CHICAGOLAND S ROOFING, INSULATION, AIR-BARRIER REQUIREMENTS Executive Summary: There is a proposal at the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules being reviewed Oct. 16, The proposal is for the State of Illinois to adapt the 2012 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC). This new code has some rather large implications for the roofing industry. First, the 2012 IECC increases the insulation R-Value on roofs by 20% from R-20 to R-25. The costs to install this added insulation on an existing building adds about 20 % to the cost of roof assembly construction. Second, the 2012 IECC code also requires a new continuous air barrier. This adds another 30% to the cost building owners and managers who need reroofing or roof replacement. Reroofing and roof replacement existing buildings creates jobs. New construction job growth has declined significantly the past few years. The new code will cause building owners and managers to not replace existing roofs because it just costs too much. This will affect jobs in the only remaining healthy part of the roofing economy, replacing roofs on existing buildings. CRCA has submitted a proposal to keep the insulation value for existing buildings the same and not requiring the air barrier. This saves big money in rooftop alterations needed to upgrade insulation while not adding a roof air barrier. The roof air barrier is not effective when it is not tied in with a wall air barrier. Building Owners can t take the walls of the building off because they are putting a new roof on the building. Support CRCA s proposals to alter the IL adaption of the 2012 IECC code. This will help keep building owners and managers in a position to keep Illinois roofers working. Chicago & Suburbs Insulation Requirements Will Increase by 20% January 1, 2013 The current Chicago Energy Code uses in its entirety the 2006 International Energy Conservation Code ( IECC ) for building envelope insulation requirements and adds the reflectivity requirements of.72 initial and.50 aged 3 years. The current roofing Chicago Energy Code insulation requirements are R-20 for new low sloped commercial roofs and reroofing and roof replacement. The R Value refers to the thermal resistance of the insulation where heat flows from one surface to another. The higher the R-Value, the more insulation is required. The State of Illinois had legislation enacted some time ago that mandates the current version of the International Energy Conservation Code as state law 12 months from publication by the International Code Council. This is similar to what happens when the Americans with

2 Disabilities Act changes. Rather than the normal jurisdictional code adaption process through each legislative body in Illinois, the 2012 International Energy Conservation Code becomes state law 16 months after publication.and that is January 1, 2013.unless a formal statement is made altering this requirement. According to the Chicago Department of Buildings, since the 2012 International Energy Conservation Code becomes State Law, Chicago will have to comply. That will mean the Chicago Energy Code will update from the 2006 version to the 2012 version of the IECC. As a result, insulation required on commercial roofs in Chicago, suburbs and all of the State of Illinois will increase by over 20% from R-20 to R-25 effective on buildings permitted after January 1, 2013, unless there are exceptions added to the code. The new Chicago Energy Code causes an increase in insulation requirements from R-20 to a minimum of R-25 to comply with the IL State Law. This applies to all commercial low sloped roofs including new construction, reroofing and roof replacement (tear offs). Exceptions are allowed only if the Authority Having Jurisdiction allows a variance in writing. Reasons for the variance could include impracticality in the opinion of the building official, based on of the Building Code, Alternative Methods. Economics Roofing Contractors state the prospective increase in insulation will cost an additional $1.25 to $3.00 per square foot (assuming a 10,000sf roof) to meet the new requirements depending on the building configuration. That could be about 20%. Service items on the roof such as heating and air conditioning equipment, doors and windows at penthouses and building abutments already exist and have acceptable flashing heights. Adding more insulation means that all these services have to be raised to accommodate flashing height requirements, a costly endeavor. Higher building perimeter nailers and sheet metal flashing will add to the cost of the roof and insulation installation. Plus, high rise buildings will very likely cost much more due to limited access for crane operations, etc.

3 For the building owner and manager, the question remains, is the additional R-5 worth the extra money? Studies show that there is a diminishing return on investment for insulation after R First, the thermal resistance optimizes at R Additional heat flow gains are very small when adding insulation. Therefore, additional dollars spent on extra insulation produce show returns when related to payback periods. Heat Flow Reduction through Insulation at varied thicknesses " 2" 3" 4" 5" 6" 7" 8" 9" 10" 11" 12" SOURCE: MASSAVE.com How does a slow payback period for R-25 insulation affect investment decisions? The life expectancy of a typical low sloped commercial roof is 17 years. Calculating the return time on the investment in additional insulation shows a payback period of 43 years. With the prospective changes in the insulation requirements, that s 2.5 times the life expectancy of the roof. And, since the building code requires all new materials, the existing insulation nor ballast cannot be reused. The Chicago Roofing Contractors Association ( CRCA - crca.org) has suggested that the State of Illinois provide an exception to buildings already constructed and undergoing reroofing or roof replacement. Where height of building equipment and perimeter is impractical, an exception would be granted to allow the insulation thickness to be the same as before, but with an R value that does not increase the energy usage of the building. An R-Value, or LTTR, of 6.0 per inch material makes most sense. The exception would allow the building owner and manager to replace less efficient insulation with equal thickness at higher efficiency insulation. How to Comment on the New Law Anyone can public comment supporting the CRCA positions during the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules during the first 45 day posting period in the Illinois Register.

4 Another New Twist Air Barriers The 2012 International Energy Conservation Code also contains requirements for a continuous Air Barrier. Continuous means the complete building envelope. That includes the roof. Additionally, continuous means joints sealed, penetrations sealed, and more. To meet the new IECC Code requirements, there are several materials that are deemed to qualify as air barriers. What materials qualify as part of a continuous air barrier? Can an assembly qualify? Answer: Ask the manufacturer of the product configuration proposed if it has installation instructions that state the material is suitable as an air barrier and meets the following requirements when tested as shown below, or are deemed to comply from the list. Yes, and Yes Materials are listed below, and Assembly test requirements are on the next page. C Air barrier compliance options. A continuous air barrier for the opaque building envelope shall comply with Section C , C , or C C Materials. Materials with an air permeability no greater than cfm/ft2 (0.02 L/s m2) under a pressure differential of 0.3 inches water gauge (w.g.) (75 Pa) when tested in accordance with ASTM E 2178 shall comply with this section. Materials in Items 1 through 15 shall be deemed to comply with this section provided joints are sealed and materials are installed as air barriers in accordance with the manufacturer s instructions. 1. Plywood with a thickness of not less than 3/8 inch (10 mm). 2. Oriented strand board having a thickness of not less than 3/8 inch (10 mm). 3. Extruded polystyrene insulation board having thickness of not less than 1/2 inch (12mm). 4. Foil-back polyisocyanurate insulation board having a thickness of not less than 1/2 inch (12 mm). 5. Closed cell spray foam a minimum density of 1.5 pcf (2.4 kg/m3) having a thickness of not less than 11/2 inches (36 mm). 6. Open cell spray foam with a density between 0.4 and 1.5 pcf (0.6 and 2.4 kg/m3) and having a thickness of not less than 4.5 inches (113 mm). 7. Exterior or interior gypsum board having a thickness of not less than 1/2 inch (12 mm). 8. Cement board having a thickness of not less than 1/2 inch (12 mm). 9. Built up roofing membrane.

5 10. Modified bituminous roof membrane. 11. Fully adhered single-ply roof membrane. 12. A Portland cement/sand parge, or gypsum plaster having a thickness of not less than 5/8 inch (16 mm). 13. Cast-in-place and precast concrete. 14. Fully grouted concrete block masonry. 15. Sheet steel or aluminum. What qualifies an assembly as an air barrier? C Assemblies. Assemblies of materials and components with an average air leakage not to exceed 0.04 cfm/ft2 (0.2 L/s m2) under a pressure differential of 0.3 inches of water gauge (w.g.)(75pa) when tested in accordance with ASTM E 2357, ASTM E 1677 or ASTM E 283 shall comply with this section. Assemblies listed in Items 1 and 2 shall be deemed to comply provided joints are sealed and requirements of Section C are met. 1. Concrete masonry walls coated with one application either of block filler and two applications of a paint or sealer coating; 2. A Portland cement/sand parge, stucco or plaster minimum 1/2 inch (12 mm) in thickness. Can the whole building be tested to see if it complies? C Building test. The completed building shall be tested and the air leakage rate of the building envelope shall not exceed 0.40 cfm/ft2 at a pressure differential of 0.3 inches water gauge (2.0 L/s m2 at 75 Pa) in accordance with ASTM E 779 or an equivalent method approved by the code official. What about holes in the air barrier? C Air barrier penetrations. Penetrations of the air barrier and paths of air leakage shall be caulked, gasketed or otherwise sealed in a manner compatible with the construction materials and location. Joints and seals shall be sealed in the same manner or taped or covered with a moisture vapor-permeable wrapping material. Sealing materials shall be appropriate to the construction materials being sealed. The joints and seals shall be securely installed in or on the joint for its entire length so as not to dislodge, loosen or otherwise impair its ability to resist positive and negative pressure from wind, stack effect and mechanical ventilation. To learn more about roofing installations check out the Whole Building Design Guide Resources from NIBS.

6 There is a lot to learn about the new 2002 International Energy Conservation Code. What is clear is that there are changes coming unless there are reprieves given by the State of Illinois during the 45 day Joint Committee on Administrative Rules Comment Period that is coming to a close in late October, The key points for contractors, consultants, building owners and managers to meet the new Air Barrier Requirements are 1. Air Barriers will be required - Ask the manufacturer for published literature that states the products qualify as an Air Barrier as defined in this code. It is up to the manufacturer to provide testing that the materials comply. Check the deemed to comply list of materials. There may be materials 2. Impractical to make the insulation thickness work? Request a variance from the Authority Having Jurisdiction (building official) during the permit application process. It may be difficult since the energy code is now Illinois State Law. That is also true for the air barrier. Both codes have an administrative section that allows alternative methods to meet the intent of the code. CRCA is constantly working with the various local governmental agencies and with the National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA) at the national level to insert these exceptions and provide some incentives for commercial property owners and managers to keep their buildings code compliant. Bill McHugh, Executive Director & CRCA s Industry Affairs Committee Chicago Roofing Contractors Association 4415 W. Harrison St, #436 ~ Hillside, IL ph ~ fx ~ bill@crca.org