Spray Foam Insulation Services
Spray foam insulation is simply the best insulating material available today. It can seal your home from air and moisture intrusion, save on expensive home heating and cooling costs, strengthen your home, and protect your family’s health from dangerous mould, airborne pollutants, and other allergens. Spray foam insulation is an alternative to traditional building insulation such as fiberglass. A two-component mixture composed of Isocyanate and resin comes together at the tip of a gun, and forms an expanding foam that is sprayed onto roof tiles, concrete slabs, into wall cavities, or through holes drilled in into a cavity of a finished wall as a liquid and quickly transforms into thick, hard foam insulation. There are two categories of foam: half-pound open-cell foam and higher density two-pound closed-cell foam, which acts as a unique air and moisture barrier in one.
The Benefits of Spray Foam Insulation
Spray foam insulation saves on energy costs and lowers utility bills. Studies show that 40% of a home's energy is lost as the result of air infiltration through walls, windows and doorways.Buildings treated with spray foam insulation typically insulate as much as 50% better than traditional insulation products. Insulation that is sprayed in buildings protects against moisture, which provides the benefit of reducing the chance of harmful mold and mildew. Eliminating mold growth reduces the likelihood of rotting wood in a home, and allergic reactions to mold spores. Spray polyurethane foam (SPF) is an insulation innovation that provides superior performance and advanced energy efficiency. It’s so effective that thinner applications can rival and exceed the performance of traditional insulation products.
Types of Spray Foam Insulation Services
Spray foam insulation can be categorized into two different types: open cell and closed cell. Open Cell Foam Insulation Open cell is a type of foam where the tiny cells are not completely closed. open cell is less expensive because it uses less chemicals. It is a very good air barrier but does not provide any type of water vapor barrier. It is much more sponge like in appearance. It is often used for interior walls because it provides an optimum sound barrier. It is not recommended for outdoor applications. Closed Cell Foam Insulation Closed cell foam insulation is a much more dense type of foam than open cell. It has a smaller, more compact cell structure. It is a very good air barrier as well as a water vapor barrier. It is often used in roofing projects or other outdoor applications, but can be used anywhere in the home.
Closed Cell Foam Insulation
Two-pound foam, also known as closed-cell foam, has a density of about 2 lb. per cubic foot and an R-value of 6 to 6.5 per inch. Two-pound foam is significantly more expensive than half-pound foam. Closed-cell spray polyurethane foam (SPF) is one of the most advanced insulation solutions available, providing nearly twice the R-value of open-cell foam per inch. The dense polyurethane foam insulation is extremely durable, expanding and fully adhering to surfaces, strengthening the structure of a home. It provides incredible thermal performance and can be installed in areas that would be inaccessible or difficult for other forms of insulation. It effectively isolates air currents and moisture, reducing the chance of mold or mildew and increasing the life of a home.
Closed-cell spray foam requires an ignition or thermal barrier after installation to comply with International Building Code requirements. All fire protective requirements detailed within Section 2603.4 of the IBC are mandatory. The advantages of closed-cell foam compared to open-cell foam include its strength, higher R-value, and its greater resistance to the leakage of air or water vapor. The disadvantage of the closed-cell foam is that it is denser, requires more material, and therefore, is more expensive. Even though it has a better R-value, typically the cost per R is still higher than open-cell foam. The choice of foam can also be based on the requirements for the other performance or application specific characteristics such as strength, vapor control, available space, etc.
Key Advantages of Closed Cell Insulation:
•Higher R-value per inch, easier to accommodate higher R requirement in narrow spaces or thinner wall capacity
•Hard, rigid texture provides increased wall racking strength (if necessary)
•Also suitable for exterior and below grade applications as it rejects bulk water
•Lower vapor permeance,
•Impact resistance
Open Cell Spray Foam Insulation
Half-pound foam, also known as open-cell foam, has a density of about 0.5 lb. per cubic foot and an R-valueof 3.5 or 3.6 per inch. Open-cell foam is relatively vapor-permeable. Some of the low-density foams are made in part from bio-based raw materials — for example, soybean oils — in place of a portion of the petrochemicals. Open-cell foams use water or carbon dioxide as the blowing agent. Compared with closed-cell polyurethane, open-cell products use significantly less material, making them attractive from a resource-use standpoint. However, open-cell foams have a lower R- value per inch than closed-cell foams. Open-cell insulation foam is an ideal way to efficiently insulate a building by creating an effective air barrier. Compared to traditional insulation methods, open-cell spray foam insulation provides higher energy efficiency, premium R values, better noise reduction and better moisture and condensation control. It is an essential part of an integrated building envelope that helps a structure perform more efficiently.
Key Advantages of Open Cell Insulation:
•Spray in place insulation and air barrier
•Vapor permeable
•Breathes
•Will accommodate long term creep and seasonal movements
•Does not sustain mold
•Rejects bulk water
•Drains water through
•Typical R-Value of 3.6 per inch
•Water commonly used for blowing agent
•Suitable for interior applications only