Session · Enclosures · Designers and consultants · Builders and trades

Solving Performance Demands with Wood Fiber Insulation

Kali Sipes, TimberHP · March 5, 2026 · Chapter · NJPH (New Jersey Passive House)

Wood fiber insulation, now produced in the US, in wind-tight, vapor-open assemblies: its performance, code-compliant assemblies, thermal bridging in cold climates, and how life cycle analysis shows its carbon benefits.

Key points

• Insulation products on the market, and how evolving codes affect envelope design.
• The forms of wood fiber insulation and their properties: fire, moisture, and pest resistance.
• Matching wood fiber products to assemblies and real building conditions.
• Climate zone considerations and reducing thermal bridging in cold climates.
• Using life cycle analysis and embodied carbon data to choose materials.

Learning objectives

• Identify insulation products available on the market today and explain how evolving building codes impact building envelope design, performance, and environmental outcomes.
• Explain why insulation selection now plays a critical role in reducing environmental impact, including the relationship between code-driven performance requirements and carbon reduction goals.
• Describe wood fiber insulation systems, including sustainability benefits and performance characteristics related to fire resistance, moisture management, pest resistance, and code compliance.
• Differentiate between the various forms of wood fiber insulation and apply appropriate products to specific assemblies and real-world building conditions.

Topics: Embodied carbon, Insulation and assemblies