CertainTeed OPTIMA Fiber Glass Insulation and MemBrain Smart Vapor Retarder Selected for PATH Mold Safe Model Home Project

July 23, 2007 - (Valley Forge, Pennsylvania) - Mold growth inside the walls of homes can have a negative impact on the health of its residents, but can also dampen the reputation of insurance companies, building contractors, banks, architects and homeowner associations. Partnership for Advancing Technology in Housing (PATH) has teamed with CertainTeed Corporation, and its other partners to build a first-of-its-kind Mold Safe Model Home (MSMH) in Northeastern New Hampshire. The project incorporates a new mold prevention protocol that focuses on smart building practices, the use of mold-resistant building products and thorough inspections of the home before, during and after construction.

CertainTeed OPTIMA Fiber Glass Insulation and MemBrain Smart Vapor Retarder

Construction on the project began in October 2006 in Chesterfield, New Hampshire, an area where temperatures can reach 100 degrees in the summer and sink to 20 or more degrees below zero in the winter. To help combat these extreme climatic changes, OPTIMA® blown-in fiber glass insulation was specified along with MemBrain™, the Smart Vapor Retarder.

According to Jeff Templeton, Vice President and General Manager of CertainTeed's Residential/Commercial Insulation business, OPTIMA is faster to install than most insulation products and provides the highest R-value possible in typical sidewall applications. "OPTIMA is a great choice for the Mold Safe Model Home because it will not settle, separate or allow gaps or voids to form in insulation. Therefore, it will sustain its thermal efficiency for the life of the home," says Templeton. "When installed with MemBrain, this system provides incomparable protection from harsh weather and moisture intrusion." As a Smart Vapor Retarder, MemBrain changes its permeability based on relative humidity conditions to help keep moisture out of wall cavities and help reduce the potential for damaging mold and mildew growth.

Charlie Perry, principal of Environmental Assurance Group, a lending and real estate consulting firm leading the project says that until recently, building a model home that featured mold prevention initiatives would not have been an easy task. "With the help of PATH and its partners we are discovering products and building techniques that will be instrumental in protecting homes from mold infestation," says Perry.

"PATH identifies the latest technologies that will help improve the quality, durability, energy efficiency and affordability of America's housing," says Darlene F. Williams, Assistant Secretary of HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research. "The Mold Safe Model Home and its components address those issues. We're happy CertainTeed and other PATH Partners participated in this valuable project."

Construction of the Mold Safe Model Home is expected to be complete this summer. The 3,000 square-foot, two-story lakeside home will have a walkout basement, a small roofed side porch and several decks.

About CertainTeed
Through innovation and creative product design, CertainTeed 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 North America's leading brand of exterior and interior building products, including roofing, siding, windows, fence, decking, railing, trim, foundations, pipe, insulation, walls, ceilings and access covers.

Headquartered in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, CertainTeed and its affiliates have approximately 9,000 employees and 70 manufacturing facilities throughout the United States and Canada. In 2006 the group had consolidated sales approaching $4 billion. www.certainteed.com.