CertainTeed Corporation is proud to announce that its MemBrain™ Smart Vapor Retarder has been specified in the construction of two new luxury condominium developments in the Washington, D.C. Metro area.
Jan 15, 2007
Midtown Alexandria Station, located in Alexandria, Virginia, and Midtown Bethesda North, located in Rockville, Maryland, will both benefit from the wall cavity moisture protection of MemBrain when they open in Summer 2007. Owned by prominent northern Virginia real estate developer KSI Services, Inc., Midtown Alexandria Station and Midtown Bethesda North were both designed by national architectural firm Dorsky Hodgson Parrish Yue Architects. When researching insulation products and vapor retarders for the two developments, Dorsky, Hodgson Parrish Yue architects were impressed with MemBrain's ability to change permeability in varying humidity conditions. This increases the drying potential of the wall cavity and reduces the risk of damaging mold and mildew growth caused by trapped moisture.
"MemBrain breathes, or changes its permeability, when it needs to depending on the humidity," says Anthony Hill, the Dorsky Hodgson Parrish Yue Project Manager for Midtown Bethesda North. "It is a far better product than what we had dealt with previously."
Mike Horace, Dorsky Hodgson Parrish Yue Project Manager for Midtown Alexandria Station, was also impressed that MemBrain meets Flame Spread Index (FSI) requirements set by the International Building Code (IBC). With an FSI of 20, MemBrain achieves a Class 1(A) fire rating.
"I'm glad we found a product like this," Horace says. "It gives us the vapor retarder performance we need, but it also meets the flame spread requirement of the IBC. That is a very big deal."
In the Midtown Alexandria Station and Midtown Bethesda North projects, MemBrain will be installed over unfaced fiber glass insulation batts. MemBrain is also available as facing on CertainTeed® DryRight™ Fiber Glass Insulation batts.
"MemBrain is a revolutionary product because of its adaptable permeability during seasonal climatic changes, helping walls stay dry no matter what time of year," says Stan Gatland, Manager of Building Science Technology at CertainTeed. "This is vital to builders, as moisture trapped inside walls can lead to mold growth. We've been seeing MemBrain pop up on a growing number of luxury development specification sheets, and I think that speaks very well for our product."
Midtown Alexandria Station is a 16-story residential condo rising with 368 units. It features luxury amenities that include 24-hour concierge service, Italian cabinetry, granite counter tops, an outdoor swimming pool area with a waterfall and hot tub, a landscaped sundeck and a fitness center. Midtown Bethesda North is a 19-story residential condo rising with 230 units. It features luxury amenities that include 24-hour concierge service, a library, billiards room, a private theater, a fitness center and a rooftop skybox, providing a pool with a waterfall and hot tub, landscaped sundeck and summer kitchen area.
About CertainTeed
Through innovation and creative product design, CertainTeed has helped shape the building products industry for more than 100 years. Founded in 1904 as General Roofing Company, the firm made its slogan "Quality Made Certain, Satisfaction Guaranteed," which quickly inspired the name CertainTeed. Today, CertainTeed is North America's leading brand of exterior and interior building products, including roofing, siding, windows, fence, decking, railing, millwork, foundations, pipe, insulation, walls, ceilings and access covers.
| |
|
