Traditionally framed wood walls lose up to 30% of their insulating capabilities due to an effect called “Thermal Bridging”. Thermal bridging occurs when a conductive material (e.g. wood, aluminum, steel, concrete, etc.) provides a path for heat to flow around insulation. The bypassing “bridging” of the less conductive material significantly reduces its effectiveness as an insulator. This is why many traditionally built walls have cold spots.
DRICORE SMARTWALL® virtually eliminates this “thermal bridge” by effectively encapsulating the framing in each panel within the rigid EPS insulation. This makes DRICORE SMARTWALL® an energy efficient product that you can use to finish your basement.
The “effective” R-value of DRICORE SMARTWALL® is R17. To obtain the same “effective” R-value from a traditionally built wall using 2×6’s, a R24 batt insulation would need to be installed – that is a 29% loss in efficiency. The encapsulated framing also features a tongue and groove design which allow the panels to join together to form a complete wall.
