Indianapolis Apartment Complex Gains LEED Certification With ECOSEAL
08/03/2020
BUILDING ENERGY EFFICIENT HOMES
WITH ECOSEAL PLUS™
PROJECT CHECKLIST
The right insulation helped Wayne Insulation Co., Inc. insulate even in unpredictable weather.
LOCATION:
Artistry Apartments in Indianapolis, Indiana
CHALLENGE:
- Transforming a two-story building into a five-story, mixed-use space
- Making the building modern, environmentally-friendly, and energy-efficient
- Ensuring that it would attain Silver certification under the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards.
PROJECT TEAM:
Shaun Langhorne, Project Manager, Milhaus Construction, LLC
THE CHALLENGE
“We saw how it went on with the wand. With the ease of application, millage thickness and coverage, it was a no-brainer. While a crew using caulk might complete four or five units a day, we’re knocking out like 10 to 15.”
— Shaun Langhorne, Project Manager for Milhaus Construction, LLC
The Artistry Indianapolis project required transforming a former two-story building in downtown Indianapolis into a five-story, mixed-use space. Milhaus Development was challenged with creating a modern, environmentally friendly, and energy efficient building, one that would attain Silver certification under the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards.
The Artistry project timeline called for demolition and construction to begin in the summer of 2012 and opening in fall 2013 for the 258 apartments and 68,000 square feet of commercial space. While meeting that deadline, the project would need to earn more credits than basic LEED certification in categories such as building energy performance, using sustainable building materials and promoting better indoor air quality.
THE SOLUTION
One of the vendors on the project suggested Knauf Insulation’s ECOSEAL™ Sealant, a fast-drying, water-based elastomeric spray that seals penetrations and joints in the building envelope. It dries to a tough film that remains flexible over a wide range of temperatures. The sealant penetrates gaps as large as 3⁄8 inch and as small as 1⁄8 inch, and it coats the face of smaller gaps, sealing joints.
“We saw how it went on with the wand,” said Shaun Langhorne, project manager for Milhaus Construction, LLC. With the ease of application, millage thickness and coverage, “It was a nobrainer” to choose ECOSEAL Plus.
While a crew using caulk might complete four or five units a day, Langhorne said, “We’re knocking out like 10 to 15.” The sealant is applied to the top plate, bottom plate, interspatial cavities and pretty much all the perimeter walls, Langhorne said, but it was important not to leave bright blue sealant on the exposed concrete floors and ceiling areas. By dialing in the wand and masking areas with a simple piece of cardboard they were able to avoid overspray in the exposed areas. The crew members appreciated the ease of application and the quick cleanup, which requires only water, not chemical solvents. “Sealing the building with ECOSEAL saved 30 to 40 percent of the time applying caulk would have taken,” Langhorne said.
The Artistry project used ECOSEAL Plus with a blown-in-blanket (BIBS) system. Because the sealant dries quickly—it typically skins over in two to three hours—crews were able to go in the next day and set up the netting to blow in the insulation.
Using ECOSEAL Plus not only allowed the project to move quickly and stay on its critical path, but also provided an effective barrier for the building envelope. A preliminary blower-door test of the first Artistry unit, without the HVAC system attached, yielded a result of 640 CFM50, well below the 750 CFM50 limit.
|
|
With Knauf’s ECOSEAL Plus, the Artistry projected benefited from: |
|
|
|
|
QUICK AND EASY INSTALLATION. |
|
|
Because of its ease of use, “ECOSEAL Plus is a driver instead of a drag,” Langhorne explained, “allowing successors on the project to come in earlier.” The Artistry project had 72 units per floor, and with two ECOSEAL sprayers, the crews completed them in four to five days. Using ECOSEAL Plus “helped us gain time back in the schedule,” he said. |
|
|
|
|
THOROUGH COVERAGE. |
|
|
“It’s a very easy product to use, sealing all joints and cracks… it sealed the envelope from the inside,” Langhorne said. |
|
|
|
|
AN ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY PRODUCT. |
|
|
The sealant does not require mixing hazardous chemicals on the job site and does not generate hazardous off-gasses while it cures. ECOSEAL Plus is a low-emitting product, certified by UL for low chemical emissions to UL 2818 under the Gold Standard, for building such as schools. ECOSEAL Plus meets or exceeds all state and federal VOC requirements for architectural sealants, and it is certified formaldehyde-free. Using ECOSEAL Plus saved time, helped keep the project on schedule, and provides the thermal barrier necessary for energy efficiency requirements without harmful effects. Earning LEED certification credits with ECOSEAL is a smart choice. |
|
|
|