CertainTeed MemBrain, the Smart Vapor Retarder, Installed in Great Plains Lutheran High School Dormitory

(Valley Forge, Pennsylvania) -- A patented, technically advanced insulation product from CertainTeed Corporation was recently installed in a new 20-room dormitory addition at Great Plains Lutheran High School in Watertown, South Dakota.

Watertown-based building product distributing company Building Products Inc. (BPI) supplied the high school with 10,000 square feet of CertainTeed MemBrain™ Smart Vapor Retarder for the construction project. MemBrain is a patented vapor retarder that changes its molecular permeability under varying humidity conditions to allow wall cavities to stay dry and help reduce the risk of damaging mold or mildew. MemBrain was selected for the project after Gary Steinmetz, owner of Steinmetz Home Builders, of Watertown, the project's general contractor, attended a seminar BPI provided about the new product. With the humidity created daily in the average living space, Steinmetz knew that MemBrain would be a good choice.

"I thought that if MemBrain performs as they say, it would be a great product for us to use," Steinmetz says. "You definitely don't want to have moisture trapped in the wall cavity, as it can lead to mold and cause problems with the electrical box and plumbing penetrations. MemBrain should help prevent those problems from occurring."

"MemBrain is an ideal product for the new dormitory at Great Plains Lutheran High School," says Stan Gatland, Manager of Building Science Technology at CertainTeed. "Because of its unique adaptability to seasonal climatic changes, MemBrain creates an unparalleled defense against in-the-wall moisture, which ultimately helps prevent the growth of unwanted mold and mildew."

MemBrain is available individually as a facing for fiber glass batt insulation or as a pre-attached facing for CertainTeed's new DryRight™ fiber glass batt insulation. For more information on MemBrain, contact CertainTeed at 800-233-8990 or www.certainteed.com.

About CertainTeed Corporation
Through innovation and creative product design, CertainTeed Corporation has helped shape the building products industry for more than 100 years. Founded in 1904 as General Roofing Company, the firm made its slogan "Quality Made Certain, Satisfaction Guaranteed," which quickly inspired the name CertainTeed. Today, CertainTeed is a leading North American manufacturer of residential and commercial roofing; vinyl and fiber cement siding; vinyl and composite fence, railing and decking; vinyl windows; residential, commercial and mechanical insulation; PVC pipe; foundations; and access covers.

Headquartered in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, CertainTeed is a Saint-Gobain company with approximately 7,000 employees and 40 manufacturing facilities throughout the United States. In 2005 CertainTeed had sales of $2.8 billion. www.certainteed.com