Tools for Cutting Continuous Insulation – GreenBuildingAdvisor

Product Guide

Installing continuous insulation efficiently can be a challenge, but these new tools can help

As continuous insulation (CI) becomes more common, contractors are spending more time cutting mineral wool, wood fiber, rigid fiberglass, and foam. None of these materials is particularly difficult to cut, but making straight, accurate cuts can take time—especially as the insulation gets thicker.

Recently at a trade show, I saw several new tools designed to make the job faster and more accurate. TapeTech, a company better known for its drywall and EIFS/stucco finishing tools, has developed several tools for cutting both foam and fibrous insulation.

Cutting and installing CI is more common in Europe, and several manufacturers there offer specialized insulation-cutting tools and blades. The choices are much more limited in North America. TapeTech was the only company I found offering this type of insulation cutting station through established North American distribution.

Cutting stations for fibrous insulation

Most of us are familiar with the vertical panel saws used at lumberyards and home centers to cut sheets of plywood and OSB. TapeTech offers a similar style of cutting station for insulation.

Two were set up at the trade show I recently attended. The first, the WoolCut-V500, uses a vibrating wire that can make straight cuts as well as cuts in more complex shapes. Unlike a sawblade, the wire can cut in any direction.

The cordless cutter has a vertical track that supports the cutting wire and can be tilted for bevel cuts. An angle finder helps lay out precise cuts, which could be especially useful at gable ends and other locations where insulation needs to fit an angled surface.

TapeTech lists the V500 for cutting mineral wool, wood fiber, glass fiber, EPS/XPS, rubber, and Plexiglas. It can handle insulation up to 48.4 in. wide and 10.6 in. thick. The entire cutter weighs 35 lb.

The second cutting station, the WoolCut-300, takes…