Ultratouch Receives an A+ on Ease-Of-Installation Test
Back in the October 2003 issue of Building Ideas, we introduced UltraTouch natural cotton fiber insulation by Bonded Logic. Made from rescued denim scraps, the green friendly fiberglass alternative has proven popular with homeowners and contractors alike as they have had the chance to experience working with the product.

“I’m 100 percent satisfied with UltraTouch insulation,” says John Clark of J2 Construction. “My clients are about as green as they get, and I recommend green products, like UltraTouch, on my jobs.” Toxin-free and itch-free, UltraTouch lets the homeowner relax worry-free in safety. And while keeping the clients conscience clear is top priority, John claims that there are contractor benefits to using UltraTouch as well, “It’s easy to install and it’s a huge relief not to use hot and uncomfortable protective clothing and wear a respirator during installation like you must when dealing with fiberglass. A simple mask is all you need.”

The natural cotton fibers that compose the insulation are actually denim scraps generated during the manufacture of blue jeans. Saving the fibers from wasting away in our already saturated landfills, Bonded Logic treats the cotton fibers with a boron-based fire retardant that inhibits fungus, mold, and pests, then uses the resource to create UltraTouch.

Although more expensive than fiberglass, according to Clark, UltraTouch is an excellent insulation option with a range of benefits. Not only does UltraTouch have high R-values, superior sound deadening qualities, fire resistance, and the environmentally friendly appeal, but also it is easy to cut and the batts come in standard widths and thickness to completely fill stud and joist cavities.

Bring Natural Sunlight Into Dark Corners with Tubular Skylights
Two products that have found favor with Truitt and White customers are the tubular skylight products Solatube® and Sun Tunnel®. Both skylight kits bring natural, energy efficient sunlight into the dark corners of closets, hallways, bathrooms, and anywhere a home needs more natural light.

Sun Tunnel by Velux® takes advantage of flexible, reflective tubing to bring light in through the attic. Designed so there is no need for structural reframing, there is no mess or hassle. Both Sun Tunnel and Solatube come with seamless flashing to ensure leak proof performance and easy to understand installation instructions.

“The intended application is what makes the difference in choosing between the products,” says Bill Graham, Truitt and White Buyer. “Both offer easy installation and reliable performance making them a popular item with both our professional builder customers and homeowners. I have had no complaints from the consumers or the sales staff here. And if there were a problem, we’d know about it right away.”

Since their introduction, Sun Tunnel and Solatube have both taken off well. Because these units take much less work to install than traditional skylights, and are quality built, both contractors and homeowners are pleased with the performance of the skylights and enjoy working with them.