Roxul ComfortBoard IS - Manual (Page 4)

ROXUL
® The Better Insulation™ 2
Introduction: What You Will Find in this Guide
This application guide covers the use of ROXUL
COMFORTBOARD
TM IS in residential construction for low- and
mid-rise buildings in continental North American locations.
The use of Insulating Sheathing (IS)—rigid or semi-rigid
insulation board products installed to the exterior of the
building structure—is becoming more common in all parts of
North America with recent changes to energy efficiency
requirements in building codes and standards.
In cold climates the use of exterior insulating sheathing boards
has been a method of increasing the thermal performance of
the enclosure, as well as a means of reducing the condensation
potential with exterior wall assemblies. While insulating
sheathing was initially used on cold climates for these reasons,
the benefits associated with increased thermal performance
make it a viable technology in other climate zones as well.
Modern enclosure design has improved performance of
residential wall assemblies in other ways as well by including an
air barrier system to control movement of air and a drainage
plane to control rain water intrusion. These changes, combined
with now widespread use of light claddings (non-self-
supporting), has created a number of new challenges, including:
 Detailing drained screen assemblies to manage water
intrusion in high exposure areas
 Maintaining continuity of exterior air barrier systems
through penetrations and interfaces with other
enclosure elements
 Providing continuous thermal insulation and
minimizing or eliminating thermal breaks caused by
structure and other enclosure penetrations
 Detailing cladding attachment for light- and mid-
weight cladding systems
This guide describes the use of ROXUL® COMFORTBOARD TM IS
to meet these challenges for residential wall assemblies.
Inside, you will find a building science primer with
recommendations by climate zone and a series of best practice
enclosure detail drawings.