By Healthcare Facilities Today

Valley Forge, Pa. – CertainTeed has issued a new Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) for its family of fiberglass blowing wool insulation, adding to the company's industry-leading library of EPDs and strengthening the company’s commitment to product transparency and sustainability. The new EPD covers unbonded loose-fill insulation products including InsulSafe® SP, InsulSafe® XC, TrueComfort®, UltraComfort® and OPTIMA®, making CertainTeed one of the first insulation manufacturers to provide third-party verification of its fiberglass blowing wool from a life cycle perspective.

To create the EPD, UL Environment evaluated life cycle assessment data for the products on critical environmental impacts, such as raw material extraction and use, production processes, packaging, logistics, through end-of-life —providing independent verification of the data in accordance with ISO 14025. CertainTeed recently issued an EPD for its fiberglass Sustainable Insulation® batts, as well, and also boasts an industry-leading library of EPDs for acoustical ceiling solutions.

"CertainTeed has always been a pioneer in the green building industry and remains committed to offering products that meet the requirements of the newest green building codes, including LEED v4, and to helping architects and contractors achieve sustainability goals in any number of projects," said Drew Brandt, vice president of marketing and R&D for CertainTeed's Insulation Group. "Product transparency is becoming critical as builders and end users gain greater understanding of how individual materials can impact a structure’s overall environmental performance."

CertainTeed's loose-fill fiberglass insulation products are made of fiberglass that contains a high percentage of recycled glass and are noncombustible, noncorrosive, odor-free and have been GREENGUARD Gold Certified for low chemical emissions. Rigorous monitoring and energy management at the plants has reduced the amount of energy needed to manufacture the products, and highly compressed packaging allows CertainTeed to transport more on one truck from strategically located distribution centers, minimizing transportation impacts.

InsulSafe SP, InsulSafe XC, TrueComfort and UltraComfort are premium blowing wool insulation products intended to provide thermal and acoustical performance. They are engineered for pneumatic installation in open attic areas in residential and commercial construction projects, and work well in retrofit applications.

OPTIMA is designed for closed-cavity applications such as sidewalls, cathedral ceilings and floors, and is meant to be blown in behind OPTIMA fabric. Designed to completely cover every nook and cranny, OPTIMA is an especially good choice for insulating around wires, pipes and other fixtures.

CertainTeed offers a comprehensive line of insulation products and equipment, including time-tested and trusted fiber glass insulation batts and rolls, fiber glass blow-in insulation, spray polyurethane foam, innovative SMART vapor retarder and air barrier technology, and highly regarded HVAC products as well as insulation blowing and foam application equipment. All of CertainTeed’s insulation products can help building professionals qualify toward credits for both the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) through the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and the Green Building Standard supported by the National Association of Home Builders.

For more information and to view the full EPD, visit www.certainteed.com/InsulationEPD.

About CertainTeed

Through the responsible development of innovative and sustainable building products, CertainTeed, headquartered in Valley Forge, Pa., has helped shape the building products industry for more than 100 years. Founded in 1904 as General Roofing Manufacturing Company, the firm's slogan "Quality Made Certain, Satisfaction Guaranteed," quickly inspired the name CertainTeed. Today, CertainTeed® is North America’s leading brand of exterior and interior building products, including roofing, siding, fence, decking, railing, trim, insulation, gypsum and ceilings.

A subsidiary of Saint-Gobain, the world’s largest building products company, CertainTeed and its affiliates have more than 5,700 employees and more than 60 manufacturing facilities throughout the United States and Canada. Recognized as a 2009 and 2010 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, CertainTeed earned the 2011 and 2012 ENERGY STAR Sustained Excellence Award, the highest level of recognition for outstanding contributions to protecting the environment through energy efficiency. The group had total sales of approximately $3.3 billion in 2012. www.certainteed.com