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See how UW professor
puts his low-energy
building expertise into
action when insulating
his own house
Way-Mar built John a couple of test structures on
his property. In this building, John tests energy flow
and moisture performance for a North-facing and
South-facing wall, which will help determine ade-
quate insulation levels for new buildings.
When construction wrapped up on the addition,
Way-Mar began work on John and Victoria’s garage,
or what John jokingly refers to as the “Coach House.”
Rather than insulating between the studs on the
exterior walls, Way-Mar installed a continuous layer
of stone wool insulation over an airtight and water-
proof membrane for higher insulation levels.
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TOTAL HOME MAGAZINE
FALL 2016
When your life’s work is making buildings
better, it only makes sense to apply the
same principles, techniques and products
to the construction of your own home.
This is the case with Dr. John Straube,
an expert in low-energy building design
and building enclosure performance who
divides his time between teaching engineer-
ing and architecture courses at the Univer-
sity of Waterloo and his work as a Principal
at RDH Building Science Inc.
So when John and his partner, Victoria,
purchased a country property on the
outskirts of Waterloo seven years ago, his
first priority was to find a company that
could retrofit his home with polyurethane
spray-foam insulation. Way-Mar fit the
bill perfectly.
Soon after they began working together,
John realized that Way-Mar could handle
every aspect of his growing list of construc-
tion plans, including an addition and new
garage, along with the collaborative work
of testing new products and systems based
on his research in energy, comfort and
moisture. Installing a variety of insulation
products, including spray-foam, cellulose,
tongue-and-groove foam board, dense
pack cellulose, and stone wool, Way-Mar
ensured John’s house and garage had excep-
tionally high levels of insulation.
Although insulation might not be the most
glamorous of building products, John con-