TimberBatt manufacturing starts with wood chips leftover from lumber production and sustainable forestry operations. This abundant, renewable feedstock is steamed, mechanically refined, and then blended with borate to create wall, floor, and ceiling insulation that resists mold and guards against fire (ASTM E84 Class A).
"Dry-process wood fiber insulation has been produced in Europe for over 20 years and accounts for $1 billion in sales annually in the EU," said Joshua Henry, TimberHP President and CEO. "The technology and formulation used to create TimberBatt is well established. We're just the first to make this type of insulation in North America."
TimberBatt, with its high density, excels in both thermal and acoustic applications. Its R-value of 4+ per inch combined with high heat capacity and low thermal conductivity make it an insulation for all seasons, defending against winter cold and summer heat gain. TimberBatt's vapor-open and hygroscopic characteristics work to manage humidity in the built environment. It can contribute to the creation of healthy indoor air while supporting resilient wood frame assemblies. It is also free of itchy fibers, safe to handle and install, and easy to cut and detail.
"It's sold at a cost premium in Europe. Here, we're providing it as a better performing option that is cost competitive with other mainstream insulations. And it's carbon negative. For decades, we've been using insulations made from petroleum, like foam, and with high embodied carbon, like mineral wool, to reduce operational energy use in our buildings. That contradiction was a driving factor for us to start producing wood fiber insulation in the U.S.," said Henry.
At full production, TimberHP in Madison will manufacture over 20 million cubic feet of TimberBatt per year which is equivalent to nearly 7,000 semi-trailer loads. Leveraging a strong relationship with their national distribution partner, Cameron Ashley Building Products, TimberHP is currently offering TimberBatt, and their blow-in insulation TimberFill, to customers across the country.
With our nation's wood baskets seeking a new destination for residual wood chips and the demand growing for scalable insulating materials to support new housing options, TimberHP is already eying locations for additional production facilities.
About TimberHP
TimberHP grew out of a partnership between two entrepreneurs—Matthew O'Malia, an award-winning architect with a reputation for developing high-performance, cost-competitive designs; and Dr. Joshua Henry, a materials chemist with years of experience elevating solutions to conserve energy and produce renewable energy.
Through grant-funded research and collaborations with European wood fiber insulation producers, the duo found that their home state of Maine, where multiple paper mills have closed in recent years, could benefit from a new, high-value composite like wood fiber insulation that could make use of the same fiber stream that went into papermaking in the past. O'Malia and Henry formed GO Lab, Inc. and purchased the former UPM paper mill in Madison. In later 2021, the GO Lab team successfully raised the financing to renovate the mill and begin making the transition to becoming TimberHP, the first wood fiber insulation manufacturer in North America.
SOURCE TimberHP
Share this article