Writing in a recent edition of Green Building Advisor, Peter Yost takes a hard look at Tstuds, the engineered-wood studs that have webs made with dowels and come filled with spray-foam insulation. The result is an R-20 stud that measures out to the same depth as a normal 2×6.
Matt Risinger made a video about this product that was sponsored by Tstud. He does a great job explaining the issue of thermal bridging in walls, and points to Tstuds as a possible solution.
Peter Yost, who is not sponsored by Tstud, digs into the product line with a bit more skepticism. He is still positive. It is, after all, an intriguing product. But the jury is still out on how well they will perform over time. It’s well worth reading his analysis in GBA, which concludes:
I am going to wait and see on this one. I am just not sure that the advantages of a fixed product will prove a clear cost and performance winner over the more malleable double-stud and exterior insulation wall systems.