Due to the wide range of temperatures throughout the year, including below-freezing temps in the winter, buildings in the Northeastern U.S. require special attention when it comes to meeting energy code requirements. In this article, we will break down New York State building code insulation requirements.
The Role of Insulation
Insulation plays an important role in a building’s function. In construction today, insulation is required for most structures, particularly for occupied structures. That’s why it’s critical to get the parameters right from the start. With the right amount of insulation surrounding the building envelope, your project can achieve thermal comfort as well as optimized energy performance by following New York State building code insulation rules.
New York State Energy Code
New York State’s Department of State has a Division of Building Standards and Codes that helps set and enforce building code requirements for the state. The code that determines building envelope insulation requirements in New York is called the 2020 Energy Conservation Construction Code of New York State and it is based on the model code from the 2018 International Energy Conservation Code.
In order to follow code, first—you’ll need to know which climate zone your project is located in. You can use the 2018 IECC map to determine your climate zone.
New York contains the following climate zones:
Zone 4A (Mixed Humid): Metro & Long Island NY
Zone 5A (Cool Humid): Western & Southern NY
Zone 6A (Cold Humid): North Central NY
When referencing the tables in the New York Energy Code, you must reference the correct climate zone for your building.
Insulation That Meets NY Energy Code
Building insulation codes don’t specify which type of insulation you must use to meet code requirements. Instead, they provide a required R-value. R-value measures how well an insulation material resists the flow of heat through it. A higher R-value means the insulation performs better.
Since a higher R-value performs better, you can maximize your savings and thermal efficiency by using insulation that carries a high R-value per inch. For example, polyiso carries an R-6 per inch, while fiberglass insulation may perform at a much lower R-value per inch of R3.7. That means it will take almost twice as much insulation to meet the same R-value code requirements.
How to Meet New York Insulation Code Requirements
Let’s walk through an example of how to meet New York state building code insulation requirements. For this example, we’ll reference a project that is located in Erie County.
First, we’ll look at Chapter 3 of the energy code to find the climate zone for this county; it’s climate zone 5A. Next, we’ll look at the New York energy code tables in Chapter 4 (CE) for commercial buildings or Chapter 4 (RE) for residential structures. From there, we will find a table that lays out the R-value requirements for various parts of the building envelope.
Below you’ll find the New York state building code insulation requirements for each building type in this climate zone:
Commercial Building Insulation Requirements
Residential Building Insulation Requirements
Meeting Code for Renovations
If you’re trying to meet New York State building code insulation requirements for an existing building rather than new construction, be sure to reference Chapter 5 of the Energy Code. You may not be required to meet the new construction code requirements if you're not completing a major renovation, if your structure is a historic building, or you are simply recovering your roof as opposed to replacing it.
Avoiding Common Insulation Mistakes
There are two common mistakes that builders make when it comes to insulation. First, they don’t install enough to meet the thermal R-value code requirements. Second, they fail to install the insulation continuously. Continuous insulation means that you install a constant thickness around the entire envelope in order to reduce thermal bridging, which causes unintentional heat loss.
To avoid these common mistakes, before you build, do these three things:
Verify the building code requirements for the building’s location.
Verify the R-value performance of the chosen insulation (reference the product data sheets).
Install to meet the continuous insulation standard.
Save on Materials and Energy with Rmax
By picking high quality and high performing insulation (insulation with a high R-value per inch), you can ensure that your building is energy efficient and meets codes while also minimizing material mass. Rmax can help you save on materials and pick the right polyiso insulation for your next project!
Contact your representative today for more information on products that meet New York State building code insulation requirements!