Matt Risinger

Craftsmanship and science keep the house dry

Controlling exterior moisture in a new home build

Risinger & Co is a custom home building company in Austin, Texas with a passion for building science, fine craftsmanship and ensuring that best practices are prevalent throughout. The company’s latest home build is a perfect case in point.

The house has been built well beyond the building code requirements, since Risinger & Co’s owner, Matt Risinger, believes there are still a lot of locations in the USA using dated code jurisdictions. This has particular impact when it comes to energy efficiency.

Since the new build was largely wood based, there was a need to control moisture on the outside, which is why Matt was keen to use ROCKWOOL Comfortboard, a vapour open exterior insulating solution that uses the natural thermal, acoustic and fire-resistant properties of stone wool. Comfortboard ensures that any fluctuations in temperature – such as a cold snap or changes in humidity – do not affect the structure’s moisture control, stability or performance. And because of stone wool’s excellent water properties, it is unaffected by water, moisture and will never rot or grow mould. 

The completed home now has insulation performance that is well beyond current building codes thanks to stone wool. Using the Home Energy Rating System index (the USA’s standard for measuring a home’s efficiency), this house achieves a score of 48; roughly 50% more efficient than a standard code built home. This means a lifetime of energy savings for the occupants of the new home. 

Self motivated builders like Risinger & Co are always seeking to raise their own standards, and in this case, Matt achieved a spectacular finish as well as protecting against heightened humidity levels in Southern USA. It’s an approach that clearly makes good business sense for owner Matt.

Project Data