Wind washing through west-facing wall cavities
Why it happens here
The bench elevation exposes west walls to steady wind that pushes cold air through gaps in the wall assembly. Fiberglass batts do not stop air movement, so their effective R-value drops well below the label. Homes on Skyline Ridge and Skyline Bench are hit hardest.
Our approach
We air seal the wall cavity with caulk and spray foam before insulating. On the worst walls, we use closed-cell spray foam, which bonds to the sheathing and blocks infiltration completely. The combination restores the R-value the wall was supposed to have.