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Walls & Ceilings · Division 9 · 07 21 00

Every R-value, checked.

Wall stack-ups, continuous-rigid R-values, vapor-retarder class by climate zone, NFPA 285 on combustibles. Every assembly built and verified before the bid leaves.

Book a Demo → See it on your spec
R-value verified · Vapor class per zone · NFPA 285 flagged
WALL TYPE W-3 · EXT. METAL STUD CLIMATE ZONE ASHRAE 5A WRB C.I. SHTG CAVITY BATT 5/8" GYP CLASS I WRB vapor open CONT. RIGID R-10 2" POLYISO 5/8" GSB R-0.5 CAVITY BATT R-21 6" MINERAL WOOL INTERIOR GWB + vapor retarder ASSEMBLY R-VALUE R-31.5 REQ R-20+R-7.5 c.i. PASSES ASHRAE 90.1 ✓ EXT → INT
Four places it hurts

Where insulation bleeds margin.

Wall sections, roof details, partition types. Same SF, rebuilt three times. We rebuild it once, in the bid.

01
Pain

SF takeoff, three times.

Insulation lives in wall sections, roof details, and partition types simultaneously. Estimators rebuild the same SF across cavity, continuous, and acoustic scopes. By assembly type three. Three different totals.

Wall sections · Roof details · Partition schedule
Preqonn

One model. One SF.

We unify every wall section, roof detail, and partition tag into a single assembly model. Each tagged area appears once. Cavity, continuous, and acoustic scopes pull from the same SF basis.

142,400 SF resolved · zero double-count
02
Pain

Missed continuous R-value, missed permit.

Missing continuous exterior R-value for the climate zone, or the wrong vapor-retarder class on the warm side. Discovered at envelope review. Forces redesign, condensation analysis, or full re-bid.

ASHRAE 90.1 §5.5.3 · IECC C402.1.4
Preqonn

Climate-zone auto-verified.

Each assembly checked against the project's climate zone and energy path. R-value totals, U-factor maxima, and vapor-retarder class (I, II, III) verified for the warm-in-winter side. Citations attached.

ASHRAE Zones 1-8 · IRC §R702.7
03
Pain

The full stack-up, built by hand.

Per partition or roof, you build the cavity batt + continuous rigid + sheathing + WRB stack. Confirm R-value sum. Confirm fire rating. Confirm vapor class. Repeat for every variant. Hours, every time.

W-1 through W-7 · R-1 through R-4 · 11 variants
Preqonn

Assembly stack, composed.

Every assembly composed from spec'd layers. R-value summed per ASTM C518. Fire rating cross-checked against UL directory. Vapor class verified. The stack-up exists as data, not a sketch.

11 stack-ups · 1 source of truth
04
Pain

NFPA 285 on combustibles, caught at the AHJ.

Foam plastic insulation on Type I-III construction triggers NFPA 285 testing. Spec calls polyiso c.i. over CMU. AHJ wants the listed assembly. Estimator didn't know. Margin gone.

IBC §2603.5 · NFPA 285
Preqonn

Foam plastics, flagged.

Combustible insulation on construction Types I-III is auto-flagged for NFPA 285. Required tested assemblies surfaced from the manufacturer's ESR. Listed-assembly compliance attached to the BOM.

ICC-ES ESR · UL DIR · ASTM E84
The signature workflow

Stack-up verification.

Four stages. From wall-type tag to passed compliance check. Scroll to watch the assembly resolve.

BID #PQ-0517 · INSULATION SCOPE Live
Step 01 · Wall types extracted from A-501

11 assemblies, tagged.

Pulled from wall sections, roof details, and partition schedule.

W-1
Ext. CMU · R-13 c.i.
W-3
Ext. metal stud · 6" cavity + R-10 c.i.
W-4
Ext. brick veneer · 4" cavity
R-1
Low-slope roof · R-30 above-deck
P-2
1-hr partition · 3-1/2" batt
P-5
Acoustic STC-50 · 6" batt
Step 02 · W-3 stack-up composed

Exterior to interior, layer by layer.

Built from spec'd products. Each layer carries its own R-value.

Class I WRB fully adhered, vapor-open
R-0.06
2" Polyiso c.i. continuous over sheathing
R-10.0
5/8" Glass-mat sheathing Type X · ASTM C1177
R-0.5
6" Mineral wool batt R-21 in 16" o.c. cavity
R-21.0
5/8" Type X GWB warm-side vapor retarder
R-0.56
Step 03 · R-value summed per ASTM C518

Effective R-value, solved.

Per assembly, including framing correction factor.

W-3 Total · ASTM C518
R-31.5
Required: R-20 cavity + R-7.5 c.i. (Zone 5A)
Passes
Step 04 · Code checks complete

Climate zone + NFPA.

Vapor-retarder class verified. Foam plastic flagged for combustibles check.

✓
Vapor retarder Class IIWarm-side, Zone 5A · faced batt accepted
IRC §R702.7
✓
Continuous insulation R-10Meets ASHRAE 90.1 Zone 5A prescriptive
90.1 §5.5.3
!
NFPA 285 requiredPolyiso c.i. on Type II construction · listed assembly needed
IBC §2603.5
§
Flame spread < 25ASTM E84 Class A · interior exposed surface
ASTM E84
Step 01

Tag every wall type.

The AI reads every wall section, roof detail, and partition tag across A-sheets. W-1 through W-7. R-1 through R-4. Each gets one entry, one SF total, one source of truth.

Source: A-501, A-502 wall sections · A-401 partition schedule · A-301 roof details
Step 02

Compose the stack-up.

For each tag, layers are pulled from the spec: WRB, continuous rigid, sheathing, cavity batt, interior gyp. Each layer carries its own R-value, its own product spec, and its own SF.

Stack: WRB · 2" Polyiso · 5/8" Glass-mat · 6" Mineral wool · 5/8" GWB
Step 03

Sum the R-value.

Total effective R is calculated per ASTM C518, with framing correction for the actual stud spacing. The result is compared to the project's energy path: prescriptive, COMcheck, or whole-building performance.

Method: ASTM C518 · 16" o.c. metal-stud framing correction applied
Step 04

Compliance, cited.

Climate-zone R-value verified. Vapor-retarder class confirmed for the warm side. NFPA 285 flagged whenever foam plastic appears on Type I-III construction. Every check has a citation. Every flag has a reason.

Checks: ASHRAE 90.1 · IECC · IRC §R702.7 · NFPA 285 · ASTM E84
Compliance, by citation

Every check, signed.

Eight code references the AI auto-runs against every insulation scope. Mono'd, sourced, and printed on the BOM.

✓ASHRAE 90.1
Envelope R-value path.
Climate-zone-specific cavity + continuous insulation prescriptive minimums. Verified per §5.5.3 by occupancy and assembly type.
✓IECC C402 / R402
Energy code, commercial & residential.
Prescriptive and COMcheck/REScheck-path U-factor and R-value checks for every climate zone, with table references attached.
✓ASTM C518
Steady-state R-value.
Effective assembly R calculated using each layer's tested ASTM C518 thermal resistance, with framing correction factor for the actual stud spacing.
✓ASTM E84
Flame spread + smoke developed.
Class A / Class B verification for interior exposed insulation surfaces. Manufacturer test data pulled from the product data sheet.
!NFPA 285
Exterior wall fire propagation.
Auto-flagged whenever foam plastic or other combustible insulation appears in exterior walls over Type I, II, or III construction. Listed-assembly required.
✓IBC §720 / §722
Fire-resistance by assembly.
Hourly fire-resistance ratings verified against UL or GA directory listings, including the insulation contribution to rated wall and floor/ceiling assemblies.
!IBC §2603
Foam plastic insulation.
Special requirements for foam plastic in walls, roofs, and attics - thermal barriers, ignition barriers, and listed-assembly compliance flagged per §2603.5.
✓IRC §R702.7
Vapor retarder by class.
Vapor retarder class (I, II, III) checked for the warm-in-winter side based on climate zone. Faced batts, polyethylene, and smart membranes mapped to the correct class.
✓ICC-ES ESR
Manufacturer ESR reports.
Evaluation Service Reports cross-referenced for every spec'd product. Compliance, alternate-material, and assembly listings surfaced for AHJ review.
FAQ

The four before the demo.

What insulation estimators actually ask in the first 20 minutes.

Yes. Every wall tag, roof tag, and partition tag resolves to one assembly model. The SF count is unified across cavity, continuous, and acoustic scopes, so you don't rebuild the same SF three times. The same W-3 tag drives every batt, every board of c.i., and every partition stat that references it.
The total effective R-value is calculated per ASTM C518 from the spec'd layers, with the framing correction factor for the actual stud spacing. That total is compared to ASHRAE 90.1 and IECC requirements for the project's climate zone. If the spec is on a COMcheck or whole-building performance path, the AI checks U-factor against that instead. Every result cites the table.
Any combustible insulation (polyiso, XPS, EPS, spray foam) in an exterior wall of Type I, II, or III construction triggers an NFPA 285 flag per IBC §2603.5. The AI surfaces the manufacturer's listed-assembly options from the ESR report and attaches them to the BOM line. You walk in with the assembly, not a question.
Yes. Vapor retarder class (I, II, or III) is selected per IRC §R702.7 based on the project's climate zone and the warm-in-winter side of the assembly. Faced batts, smart membranes, polyethylene, and vapor-open WRBs map to the correct class. If the spec calls a class that fails the zone, it's flagged with the citation.
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20-minute demo. Bring a real PDF. We'll run it through Preqonn AI and walk the output.

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