Virginia Insulation and Weather Stripping Qualified Individual Examination

Under 18VAC50-22-30, Insulation and Weather Stripping Contracting (INS) authorizes which scope of work?

• AInstallation, repair, improvement, or removal of insulating media used solely for tempera…
• BInsulation of boilers, chillers, and ancillary piping only
• CInstallation of roof insulation panels above the roof deck as part of a roofing system
• DAny electrical, plumbing, or HVAC trade work incidental to a weatherization project

Which work is expressly excluded from the Virginia INS specialty?

• ABlowing cellulose into a residential attic
• BInstalling mineral-wool batts for party-wall sound control
• CInsulating mechanical equipment and ancillary lines and piping
• DWeather-stripping an exterior door

Which classification or specialty may also perform insulation and weather-stripping work in Virginia?

• AOnly the HVA (HVAC) classification
• BCBC and RBC classifications and the HIC and CIC specialties
• COnly the ROC (roofing) specialty
• DOnly a Class A contractor holding ELE

Is sound-control insulation of a commercial office partition within the INS specialty?

• ANo, INS covers temperature control only
• BNo, acoustic work requires a separate ASC license
• CYes, INS includes insulating media used for sound control of residential and commercial b…
• DYes, but only if the partition also contains HVAC duct wrap

A contractor proposes to wrap supply ducts in an unconditioned crawl space with fiberglass duct wrap and to blow cellulose on the living-space floor above. Which statement is correct for an INS-only specialty contractor?

• ABoth tasks are INS work because both control temperature
• BOnly the cellulose on the building floor is INS work; the duct wrap is mechanical insulat…
• COnly the duct wrap is INS work
• DNeither task is INS work because crawl spaces are not buildings

Which project is within INS scope?

• AInstalling closed-cell spray foam against the underside of a roof deck to insulate and ai…
• BApplying elastomeric insulation to chilled-water piping in a mechanical room
• CJacketing a commercial boiler with removable insulation blankets
• DWrapping a rooftop air-handler cabinet with rigid board and lagging

Installing polyisocyanurate insulation boards above the roof deck as part of a low-slope roofing system is primarily which Virginia specialty?

• AINS, because the boards are insulating media
• BROC (roofing), which includes roof insulation systems above the roof deck
• CHVA, because roofs affect HVAC loads
• DCIC only; ROC cannot install insulation

Removal of existing blown attic insulation so that a new, thicker layer can be installed is:

• AOutside INS because removal is demolition
• BInside INS because the definition includes removal of insulating media
• CAllowed only under the ASB (asbestos) specialty
• DAllowed only if the material is fiberglass, not cellulose

An INS contractor is asked to insulate a water heater and the first five feet of hot-water piping, then weather-strip the mechanical-room door. What may the INS contractor perform?

• AThe water-heater jacket, the pipe insulation, and the door weather stripping
• BOnly the door weather stripping
• COnly the pipe insulation
• DThe water-heater jacket and pipe insulation, but not the door

The INS specialty applies to which building types?

• AResidential dwellings only
• BCommercial buildings only
• CResidential and commercial buildings
• DIndustrial process plants only

Which statement correctly describes the relationship between INS and Home Improvement Contracting (HIC)?

• AHIC never includes insulation work; only a standalone INS specialty may insulate dwellings
• BHIC also provides for the INS function on dwellings and townhouses, but HIC does not prov…
• CHIC replaces INS for all commercial buildings
• DAn HIC contractor may insulate boilers and refrigerant lines because those serve the dwel…

Which package of tasks is entirely within INS scope?

• AAttic cellulose, interior acoustic batts, and exterior-door weather stripping
• BChilled-water pipe insulation, duct liner, and boiler lagging
• CAbove-deck roof polyiso, refrigerant-line insulation, and water-heater jackets
• DGas-furnace flue lining, condensate-pipe insulation, and air-handler wrap

What does the R-value of a fiberglass batt measure?

• AThe batt's resistance to conductive heat flow
• BThe batt's weight per cubic foot
• CThe batt's vapor permeance in perms
• DThe batt's flame-spread index

Which batt is the standard match for a 2x4 (3.5-inch) wood-stud cavity?

• AR-30 high-density cathedral batt
• BR-13 or R-15
• CR-38 unfaced attic batt
• DR-49 high-density floor batt

When installing kraft-faced batts in a heating-dominated wood-frame wall, the facing should be placed:

• AToward the exterior sheathing
• BToward the conditioned interior (the warm-in-winter side)
• CIn the middle of the cavity
• DFacing is optional and may face either way

What is the principal thermal effect of compressing a fiberglass batt into a cavity that is thinner than the batt?

• AR-value increases because the fibers become denser
• BR-value decreases because thickness is lost and the fiber structure is crushed
• CR-value is unchanged as long as the labeled facing remains intact
• DR-value converts from conduction control to radiation control

An R-19 fiberglass batt that is about 6.25 inches thick is stuffed into a 3.5-inch 2x4 wall cavity. The installed performance is closest to:

• AR-19, because the label does not change
• BR-30, because compression raises density
• CR-13, the typical value of a 3.5-inch fiberglass batt
• DR-5, because half the thickness remains

A cable runs through the middle of a stud cavity. The correct batt installation is to:

• AStuff the full batt behind the cable so the facing stays flat
• BSplit the batt and fit it around the cable so the cavity is filled without a compressed w…
• CLeave a 2-inch uninsulated chase along the cable for heat dissipation
• DCut the batt short of the cable and leave the rest of the cavity empty

When should an installer choose unfaced batts instead of kraft-faced batts?

• AWhenever the wall is a 2x6
• BWhen a separate vapor retarder is already provided, or when a facing is not desired in th…
• COnly in attics
• DUnfaced batts are never used in exterior walls

When insulating a floor over a vented crawl space with batts, the installer must:

• AFriction-fit the batts and rely on gravity to hold them forever
• BSupport the batts so they remain in full contact with the subfloor and do not sag
• CFace kraft paper downward toward the crawl space
• DLeave a 2-inch air gap between the batt and the subfloor for ventilation

Each 15-inch by 93-inch batt covers 9.7 square feet. How many batts are required for 970 square feet of net wall area with no waste allowance?

• A85
• B90
• C100
• D110

Compared with a standard R-13 batt, a high-density R-15 batt for a 2x4 cavity:

• AIs thicker and must be compressed into the 3.5-inch cavity
• BUses a denser fiber pack to deliver a higher R-value in the same 3.5-inch depth
• CIs only for floors
• DHas no kraft facing and therefore a lower R-value

When placing batts or blown insulation at a vented eave, the installer should:

• APack insulation tightly into the soffit to stop wind washing
• BInstall baffles (rafter vents) so a ventilation channel remains from the soffit to the at…
• CCover the soffit vents with kraft paper
• DOmit insulation for the first 4 feet in from the eave

A wall is 50 feet long and 8 feet high. Openings total 80 square feet. Batts cover 10 square feet each. Allow 10 percent waste. How many batts should be ordered?

• A32
• B35
• C36
• D40

Kraft paper facings on batts are combustible. Around heat-producing devices the installer should:

• AWrap the kraft facing tightly against the fixture to air-seal it
• BMaintain the fixture's listed clearance and keep combustible facing out of that clearance…
• CStaple extra kraft over the fixture as a dust cover
• DPaint the kraft with intumescent paint and ignore the listing

Gaps at the top or bottom of a batt, or a batt that is cut too short for the cavity, primarily cause:

• AA higher labeled R-value
• BConvective thermal bypasses that cut the assembly's effective R-value
• CA required Class I vapor retarder
• DAutomatic compliance with air-barrier continuity

In a vented cathedral ceiling, how should a fiberglass batt be installed?

• ACompressed to fill the entire rafter depth including the vent space
• BSized so the batt fills the cavity below a maintained ventilation channel (commonly at le…
• CInstalled only at the ridge, leaving the lower slope bare
• DInstalled with kraft facing against the roof sheathing

A 2x6 wall at 16 inches on center is filled with R-21 cavity batts and has no continuous insulation. Why is the whole-wall R-value lower than 21?

• AWood studs conduct more heat than the cavity insulation, so they thermally bridge the ass…
• BDrywall adds so much R-value that code requires the cavity to be derated
• CR-21 batts are labeled using U-factor, not R-value
• DFraming factor only matters in steel-stud walls

Loose-fill (blown) insulation is often preferred in attics because it:

• ANever settles and never needs a coverage chart
• BConforms around framing, wiring, and irregular areas better than cut batts
• CIs the only product that can reach R-30
• DReplaces the need for soffit ventilation

Cellulose loose-fill insulation is primarily made from:

• AMolten glass spun into fibers
• BRecycled paper treated with fire-retardant chemicals such as borates
• CExpanded polystyrene beads
• DClosed-cell polyurethane

Why do cellulose bag charts list both an installed thickness and a settled thickness?

• AThe FTC R-value Rule requires the labeled R-value to be based on settled density and thic…
• BInstalled thickness is decorative and may be ignored
• CSettled thickness applies only to fiberglass
• DInspectors measure only the number of empty bags, never thickness

A 1,200-square-foot attic will be blown to a specified R-value. The bag chart lists 18 square feet of coverage per bag. How many bags are required (no extra waste factor)?

• A55
• B60
• C67
• D80

A cellulose product is listed at R-3.5 per inch of settled thickness. What settled thickness is required for R-49?

• A8 inches
• B10 inches
• C12 inches
• D14 inches

Attic rulers or depth markers are installed so that:

• AThe homeowner can hang storage from them
• BThe installer and inspector can verify that the blown thickness matches the specified R-v…
• CBaffles are no longer required at the eaves
• DBag counts can be omitted from the job card

Dense-pack cellulose in a closed wall cavity is used mainly to:

• ALeave a deliberate air space for drying
• BFill the cavity at a high enough density to limit settling and convective looping
• CReplace the exterior weather-resistive barrier
• DCreate a Class I vapor retarder

For a blown-in attic takeoff, the most authoritative source of bags-per-square-foot is:

• AA generic R-3.5-per-inch rule of thumb only
• BThe coverage chart printed on the bag in accordance with the FTC R-value Rule
• CThe number of empty bags left by the last crew on a different brand
• DDividing the attic area by 50 for every R-value

An attic measures 1,600 square feet. The chart coverage is 22 square feet per bag. Add 10 percent for irregular framing and rounding. How many bags should be ordered?

• A73
• B80
• C88
• D160

Compared with blown cellulose, blown fiberglass typically has:

• AA higher R-value per inch and much more settling
• BA lower R-value per inch and less settling
• CIdentical coverage charts for every R-value
• DNo need for attic rulers

Before blowing an attic, which hazard requires a dam or keep-back rather than burying the item in loose-fill?

• AA listed IC-rated, airtight recessed luminaire
• BA non-IC recessed luminaire or concealed knob-and-tube wiring
• CA wood ceiling joist
• DAn attic ruler

For blown-in fiberglass or cellulose, the energy-code insulation certificate must include:

• AOnly the contractor's license number
• BInitial installed thickness, settled thickness, settled R-value, installed density, cover…
• COnly a photo of the empty bags
• DThe U-factor of every window in the house

A commonly specified target density for dense-pack cellulose in a 2x4 wall cavity is about:

• A0.5 lb/ft³
• B1.5 lb/ft³
• C3.5 lb/ft³
• D15 lb/ft³

Damp-spray (spray-applied) cellulose in an open stud wall differs from dry dense-pack because damp-spray:

• AIs mixed with a small amount of water (and often a binder), sprayed into the open cavity,…
• BIs dry-blown through a small drilled hole into a closed cavity
• CIs the same process used to wrap chilled-water piping
• DDoes not require fire-retardant treatment

Continuous insulation (ci) is insulation that:

• AFills only the stud cavities
• BRuns across structural members without thermal bridges other than fasteners and service o…
• CMust be cellulose
• DIs used only under concrete slabs

Extruded polystyrene (XPS) rigid board is commonly taken as about:

• AR-1 per inch
• BR-5 per inch
• CR-13 per inch
• DR-30 per inch

A 2x4 wall has R-13 cavity batts plus 2 inches of XPS continuous insulation at R-5 per inch. Ignoring films and sheathing, the cavity-plus-ci R-value combination is:

• AR-13
• BR-18
• CR-23
• DR-30

An assembly has a total R-value of 20. What is its U-factor?

• A0.020
• B0.050
• C0.20
• D20

Which statement about polyisocyanurate (polyiso) board is correct?

• AIts labeled R-value per inch is typically higher than XPS, but the effective R-value drop…
• BIt is the preferred foam for constantly wet, below-grade use because it ignores moisture
• CIt has no facers and is always vapor-open
• DIt may be left exposed in occupied rooms without a thermal barrier