The Natural Spaces Super-Wal dome system was originally designed as an ultra-super-insulated wall for using fiberglass batt insulation. We offer dome shell thicknesses of 12 1/4", 15", 18 1/4", 21" and 24". These provide R-values up to incredible levels of 76 to 83 (see chart below).
 Natural Spaces Domes is now using the next generation of Sustainable Insulation...
EcoBatt™
Think of it as green, only browner
Knauf EcoBatt™ Insulation doesn't look like any insulation you've ever seen, but that's because its natural brown color represents a level of sustainability never before achieved.
The color comes from ECOSE™ Technology, a revolutionary, new sustainable binder born from five years of intensive research. Made from rapidly renewable organic materials rather than petroleum-based chemicals commonly used in other insulation products, ECOSE Technology reduces binder embodied energy by up to 70% and does not contain phenol, formaldehyde, acrylics or artificial colors used to make traditional fiberglass insulation.
EcoBatt Insulation combines sand, one of the world's most abundant and renewable resources, post-consumer recycled bottle glass and ECOSE Technology to create the next generation of sustainable insulation...naturally from Knauf.
EcoBatt does not support microbial growth or attract insects or vermin. In addition to being classified as mold resistant by GREENGUARD, EcoBatt Insulation has passed exhaustive entomological testing at leading institutions in the US and UK.
It is also classified as noncombustible with a flame spread under 25.
For more information on EcoBatt™,
Click here to go to Knauf Insulation's web site.
If someone tells you there is a "point of diminishing returns" in relation to R-values, they haven't looked at today's and tomorrow's energy cost.When compared using the same R-value, fiberglass batts are 1/3 the cost of rigid polystyrene foam insulation or Icynene insulation and 1/5 the cost of sprayed-in-place urethane foam. Check with us for a cost saving comparison and the most up to date environmental info. Our installation methods and our use of industrial grade fiberglass reduce air infiltration dramatically, allowing an honest comparison of R-values with other insulation types.
Some dome companies claim they can get an R-35 using 2x4 construction. Building codes allow only a maximum R-value of 6.25/inch for figuring urethane foam-insulating values. Multiply that times 3 1/2” thick struts and you get an R-22.
Other companies also say that there are vastly diminishing returns beyond a certain R-value. Currently, the minimum ceiling R-value for the northern tier of the U.S. is R-38 with some areas at R-49. 25 years ago these same "authorities" were suggesting an R-19 ceiling. How will it change in the future? Why build a dome home with 2/4’s or 2x6’s that starts out 25 years behind the times?!
You actually pay substantially less for a Natural Space dome with an R-50 value than you do for the competition’s dome with an R-30! We offer industrial type "certified grade" dense batts in various thicknesses of 6”, 8” and 9 1/2”. We put in 2 layers creating 12”, 16” and 19” thicknesses of insulation. For those extreme areas, we use 3 layers totalling 22" of insulation.
Not readily available in the residential market, we offer 60”, 72", and 96" wide rolls of insulation. This eliminates the joint lines occurring if you were to use 24" wide batts. It also cuts down the installation time considerably. This seamless one-piece triangle insulation works extremely well in our Natural Spaces dome because we do not require all of the internal studs all of the other dome systems need. Our triangle spaces are wide open, just waiting for a full-size fiberglass insulation triangle.
The insulation is cut on site using templates. We include a 6” knife, 2 filter masks and goggles.
Fiberglass batt insulation, we have found, is the safest and most economical type for our domes.
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