FAQ

During the summer, standard ceiling insulation reduces the transfer of heat from the attic to the living space. In the day, temperatures can get up to 140F in the attic. There is a multi-step process from which heats enters the attic space. Initially, the shingles and sheathing are battered down with heat from solar energy. Then, heat is transferred to the rest of the attic through convection and conduction derived from hot sheathing. The heat transfer process is driven by the 140F temperature of the underside of the roof surface.

Applying spray foam insulation to the roof surface can cause an approximate 40F reduction of the temperature driving the heat transfer, which is the surface temperature exposed to the attic. Heat transfer is reduced proportional to a drop in the surface temperature, since heat transfer in both convection and conduction are proportional to a temperature difference.

Including the attic in the insulated space can offer benefits such as:

• The issue of heat gain/loss from ducts, as well as duct leakage is substantially reduced.

• Sealing the roof from air infiltration is more feasible than sealing the ceiling from air infiltration.

• The living space will be clearer of loose insulation and dust.

• When the attic is sealed, test show that energy costs are reduced.

Spray foam reduces energy consumption in several ways when it is applied on a roof. It can essentially eliminate energy loss from ducts located in the attic. With less infiltration and exfiltration, excess moisture isn’t pulled into the attic since the top of the building is much tighter. Spray foam also reduces infiltration through the ceiling. It reduces energy consumption because the temperature in the attic is lower.

Rectangular-shaped holes that penetrate oval or round vents from the crawl space of your home is a common and burdening situation for homeowners, even if you have batt insulation installed. Since batt insulation is unable to create a vapor/air barrier, it cannot contain contaminated, warm, or cold air, from entering your home through the crawl space.

The living space of your home can be infiltrated with mold, earth gases, rodents and other allergens if your crawl space is not properly sealed.

The only material that can achieve a full seal is spray foam insulation. In order to accomplish an effective thermal barrier from obstructions like ductwork, plumbing, wide/narrow joist spacing, and plumbing, spray foam insulation must be applied between the floor joists of your crawl space.

Due to the use of wire insulation hangers, fiberglass insulation can often be compressed when it is applied. Insulating open web floor trusses properly with fiberglass is nearly impossible since air can move inside the fiberglass. This is because open web floor trusses can generate pathways of air.

Mold, condensation, and a decaying floor system are all generated during the summer, when warm and humid air flows around the fiberglass insulation.

A proper and effective barrier for vapor infiltration between the ground and homes subfloor surface is closed-cell spray foam insulation. Closed-cell spray foam stops any vapor or air from moving into the home’s walls or attic space, eliminating any problems that could be caused by the “stack effect.”

Floor insulation problems are reduced, since spray foam completely fills open spaces and voids. Spray foam, unlike fiberglass, fills the open webs of full trusses completely, and creates a complete and uniform thermal barrier on the floor, as it also fills all areas around the wiring and plumbing.

Crawlspaces can be insulated two ways: insulating the ceiling for a vented crawlspace or insulating the walls for an unvented crawlspace. Spray foam insulation can be effectively utilized in both ways to help address common problems associated with uninsulated or poorly insulated crawlspaces.

A properly insulated and sealed crawl space is one of the fundamental elements of a comfortable, healthy home. Crawl spaces have long been insulated with fiberglass batt insulation, but modern building science reveals the downsides of that practice. Ideally, crawl spaces should prevent air from infiltrating a home, so as to reduce drafts and improve air quality. Spray foam insulation can provide a more uniform, consistent thermal barrier as well as provide an air and moisture barrier.

Fiberglass batt insulation cannot control or prevent the movement of air or moisture because it is a porous material. So even if your crawl space is supposedly properly insulated with batts, they will not prevent air from leaking out of or infiltrating the living space of your home. If the crawl space in your home is not fully sealed, there is a strong likelihood that airborne contaminants, mold, rodents, and more can enter your living space.

Batt insulation is often compressed during installation due to the use of wire insulation hangers. Open web floor trusses create additional problems such that they create pathways for air to move around the batts. During the summer, warm and humid air can flow around the batts and create condensation, mold and decay problems in the floor system. Open web floor trusses are virtually impossible to adequately insulate and seal with batt insulation.

The main component which gives structure to your home is the walls. In wood frame construction, the weight of the roof, shingles, Standing rain water, the weight of the roof, snow, and shingles all add weight to the roof on wood construction, which results in a compressive force to the walls from exerting downward forces. Imposing lateral forces on the walls of the homes are created from gusts and high winds from storms.

A “shearing force” can be generated by the lateral forces that distort the walls. To be able to withstand these forces and loads, a home’s walls are required by building codes to be designed in a certain way. Walls are nevertheless sometimes built to the minimum standards, so sounds of creaking and shaking that are created through movement or during high winds can often be heard.

To reinforce both the studs and the exterior sheathing inside the walls, higher density closed-cell spray foam is recommended, for it adheres fully to both. There will be less wall movement due to vibration, wind, and occupant activity with the added rigidity that closed-cell spray foam provides. “Racking events” such as hurricanes or high wind situations can also be avoided with closed-cell SPF because your walls will have greater resistance than what is required by building code. Adding structural strength to the building is another benefit of an SPF application. SPF filled walls could add from 75 to 200 percent racking strength to walls of vinyl siding, gypsum board, light gauge metal, or OSB plywood, as NAHB Research has demonstrated.

If your aim is to learn about spray polyurethane foam insulation, you’re on the right page. Before going forward with a spray foam application on either a commercial or residential building, it is important to establish whether you will utilize .05 lb./cu. ft., open-cell foam or 2.0 lb./cu. ft. closed-cell foam. When factoring performance, method of application, and price, the differences between the two are significant.

There are two chief factors to consider when it comes to differentiating open cell and closed-cell foam. First off, it is important to examine each type of foam. With open-cell foam, the minuscule cells of the foam are not entirely closed, so the foam itself is permeable and can fill with air and moisture. These tiny open spaces render the foam weaker and softer feeling than closed-cell foam. Unlike open-cell foam, closed-cell foam has all the tiny cells of the foam sealed. The cells contain a gas that provides the foam with the ability to expand and better insulate a structure. During the formulation process, the cells are designed to have certain attributes.

Open-cell spray polyurethane foam, sometimes called half-pound foam, has a typical density of 0.5 lb. per cubic foot and a typical R-value of 3.5 or 3.6 per inch.
Closed-cell foam, sometimes called two-pound foam, has a typical density of 2 lbs. per cubic foot and an R-value of 6 to 6.5 per inch.

Open-cell spray foam has an average density of 0.5 lbs per cubic foot. It provides a typical R-Value of 3.5 to 3.6 per inch. Since the open cells are relatively vapor-permeable, three inches of open-cell foam have a permeance of 16 perms. In fact, it often requires the use of a vapor retarder when used in interior applications.
Closed-cell foam is itself a vapor retarder. It is vapor semi-impermeable. Two and a half inches of closed-cell foam have a permeance of 0.8 perm.

Sprayed polyurethane foam has an aged R-value of approximately 6.0 per 1 inch thickness (depending on the particular formulation and application, higher values have been achieved), enabling it to provide more thermal resistance with less material than any other type of commercial insulation material. SPF systems are frequently used to insulate and protect a wide variety of residential, commercial, and industrial buildings.

Monthly energy and utility savings of 30% or greater have been reported by consumers.

Studies have shown that as much as 40% of a building’s total energy loss is due to air infiltration. Traditional fiberglass insulation is only stapled, or placed into the wall cavities and does not seal the stud and wall cavities from end to end, or top to bottom. Air infiltration can pass through these gaps, making it far less efficient than SPF. SPF not only adheres to, but forms to the walls and floors to create a tight seal and insulating barrier that stops this air leakage. SPF also boasts the highest R-value per inch than any other commercial material, (upwards of R-7.0, compared with Fiberglass at R-3.5) making your home more comfortable and less expensive to heat in the winter, and cool in the summer.

Since SPF acts as an air barrier, it also helps to reduce moisture infiltration, which is a source of dangerous mold and mildew growth in the home, and can cause severe health problems to its occupants. So save your family and save money at the same time with SPF home insulation systems. Moisture infiltration can also cause structural damage to your home or building.

A building envelope consists of the entire system of building materials and design elements that control the air movements, water vapor movement, and temperature of a given structure. The temperature inside a building, the moisture coming into and out of the building, and the movement of air is all controlled by the building envelope. Generally speaking, a building envelope is the exterior shell of a given structure (i.e. exterior walls, roof, and floor). In order to achieve a more healthy, comfortable and stable indoor climate, the building’s insulation, as well as the moisture and air barrier need to work together to maintain a more consistent, more comfortable, and healthier interior environment. Numerous cutting-edge materials and construction practices are being utilized to extend the sustainability and service life of commercial and residential structures.