The secret to energy efficiency in the home, as every homeowner knows, is great insulation and sealants. Most homes today lose 30% to 40% of their energy through tiny leaks like the ones around wall sockets and doors and through the ceiling, according to Department of Energy studies at Oak Ridge National Laboratories. 

With the help of chemistry, there is now a great way to plug the leaks and prevent your conditioned air—not to mention your energy bills—from “going through the roof.” Thanks to urethane and styrene, we can now use polyurethane spray foam to help stop air loss. These foams solidify and expand upon contact, sealing air holes and providing excellent long-term insulation.

Plastic spray polyurethane foam (SPF), which is installed as a liquid and then expands to fit the space where it is needed, is durable, long-lasting, and provides high levels of R-value. In fact, spray foam roofing withstood the winds of Hurricane Katrina without blow-off or damage to the flashings, which prevent water from coming into a structure, according to a government report. SPF is an excellent example of how chemistry is helping to make buildings more sustainable so they can reduce their impact on the environment over time.

The New Jersey-based BASF Corporation, a leading chemical company, believes in sustainable homebuilding so much that it set out to convince skeptical builders how high-performance construction is not only economically viable, but can also save builders, and their home-buying customers, money.  

In 2007, the company provided materials and technical support for the National Homebuilder Mainstream GreenHome™, a demonstration home created in Raleigh, N.C., to provide a lesson plan for mainstream sustainable building. The chemistry-enhanced products BASF provided include spray polyurethane insulation and air barrier, a new type of color-enhancing additive for concrete pavement, and expandable polystyrene insulating foam. 

The idea was to bring in all eco-friendly features such as durability, low maintenance, safety, and energy efficiency, but also to prove these features are affordable. “High performance means much more than green and eco-friendly—it is a balance of all the factors that go into home building, including the ultimate life-cycle cost to buyers and the improved speed of construction or lower labor costs for the builder,” said Jack Armstrong, leader of Building and Construction Markets for BASF.

“We wanted to say to builders—don’t be afraid of high performance construction!” Armstrong said.

The Mainstream GreenHome illustrates BASF’s belief that innovative chemistry is the underpinning of sustainable homebuilding. To drive that point home, BASF constructed the Near Zero Energy Home in Paterson, New Jersey, as part of its Better Home, Better Planet Initiative. It was the first home on the East coast to be awarded the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) highest rating—platinum.

From the polycarbonate glazed windows, which will help to sustain homes during severe storms, to plastic pipes and fittings which will last longer than metal pipes, homes built with eco-principles in mind offer a glimpse into a more sustainable future. 

Visit www.GreenBuildingSolutions.org for an informative 3-D tour showing all the chemistry that goes into building a home. 

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