QII

As of 2016, the California Energy Commission has set a standard for the way insulation should be installed in a home called Quality Insulation Installation (QII).  In order to meet QII standards, insulated framing areas need to resist thermal bridging of the assembly separating conditioned from unconditioned space.

For a QII job, the insulation must be completed in a two-step process.

1. Complete building air seal and air seal inspection
2. Insulation Install:
   • 6-sided contact with all building materials
   • Flat and flush inside stud bays
   • Split all batts around wires and pipes
   • No voids, gaps, or compressions

In order to determine if the insulation installation was successful, a visual inspection is conducted by a third party called a certified HERS (Home Energy Rating System) Rater.  The HERS Rater confirms the insulation was installed almost perfectly, allowing the home to perform according to the insulation manufacturer’s specifications.  In addition, the HERS rater verifies that compliance meets or exceeds the project’s Title 24 Design or the CF-1R. QII verification almost always requires two visits to conduct full verification.  The first visit is usually held at rough stage (before drywall) and the other is held after.

Below is a sampling of the items the HERS Rater will look for to confirm QII has been achieved:

• the insulation holds the proper R-value and type listed
• there are no gaps or voids between the framing or insulation
• there is no insulation compression where restricted from achieving full thickness
• pipes and wires located within cavities where insulation is installed are covered with non-compressed insulation in front and back
• an air barrier is installed at all exposed faces of batt, loose fill, and SPF insulation
• electrical boxes are carefully cut out in the insulation in order to provide a tight fit with no gaps or holes

RBH Insulation’s QII rating services will be conducted by AEG Energy Services.