Although spray foam insulation has been used since the early 1940s, its use has surged in the last three years due to consistent product innovation and its ability to comply with modern-day building codes.
One feature that makes spray foam insulation stand out is its energy-saving properties. According to industry sources, as much as 40% of a structure’s energy is lost through air infiltration.
But not with the spray foam insulation. With an R-Value of 6 to 7 per inch– the greatest among all the alternative insulation alternatives, spray foam insulation does an outstanding job at trapping heat and keeping it from leaving the house. In this post, we’ll take a look at the different reasons that spray foam insulation is making waves in the structure market.
1. It’s a Powerful Insulator
Spray foam’s air sealing properties are what makes it superior to fiberglass insulation and other insulation alternatives out there.
This effective insulator has the special capability to get into seams, fractures, crevices, and voids. Once the foam is applied into the cracks, it expands and dries, sealing all the air escape points. Therefore, spray foam helps to keep the interior temperature of the building it encloses.
2. Saves money in the Long Run
One of the cons of spray foam insulation is that it’s more expensive than fiberglass or cellulose. Nevertheless, in the long run, spray foam is a cost-efficient option.
Sure, you’ll sustain higher in advance costs if you choose the spray foam insulation. However this insulation is energy efficient. A lot that house owners can balance out the expense they paid for it within 5 years in energy-saving expenses.
The cost of spray foam insulation depends on the number of square feet you’ll need to cover. However, it usually costs between $0.44 and $0.65 per board foot for open-cell insulation and $0.90 to $1.50 per board foot for closed-cell insulation.
3. It’s Stronger and More Durable
Spray foam insulation makes structures approximately 250% stronger. The foam’s hardness and density can also contribute to structural integrity of the walls where it is used.
Plus it lasts a lifetime. Standard insulation can lose its efficiency over time. But spray foam is made of hard materials– polyurethane and isocyanate, that have actually been proven to stand the test of time. This insulator lasts 80+ years and doesn’t break down or lose shape.
4. No More Pollen & Allergens in Your Buildings
One of the benefits of spray foam insulation is that it seals fractures and crevices, preventing pollen and irritants from getting through the walls. Spray foam likewise avoids condensation that causes mold growth, enhancing indoor air quality.
Because insects can’t eat through the foam, less insects indicate fewer irritants in your ductwork. Minimizing the number of irritants that enter into your home is a good health precaution for those suffering from allergic reactions and breathing conditions.
5. Noise Reduction
Spray foam insulation has impressive soundproofing properties for residential or commercial use, which might be convenient if your neighbors are party lovers. Once installed, the insulation soundproofs your wall by soaking up sound waves, so you’ll have a tranquil atmosphere free of external interferences.
Have you set up spray foam insulation into your buildings? If so, what are your experiences? Show us in the comments section listed below.
Chapter 1: What is Spray Polyurethane Foam Roofing?
Spray Polyurethane Foam Roofing is a product that’s sprayed as a liquid so it can broaden into a foam, creating a solid layer across an existing roof.
The typical application of spray foam is to repair and reinvigorate an existing roof by getting rid of the saturated locations, replacing it with like products, and after that spraying foam over top of the entire Roof.
While SPF roofing is not the most recognized kind of roofing material, the technology has been around because the early 1960s for commercial, business, and residential centers. An SPF roofing system can be utilized in any environment, and when properly installed and preserved, can last over 50 years.
Spray Polyurethane Foam (SPF) for roofing applications is made on the Jobsite by blending two highly reactive chemicals.
The chemicals, A (polyol/resin) & B (isocyanate), are pumped from separate containers through heated up, high-pressure tubes to an internal mixing spray gun.
Numerous changes have happened in the devices and chemistry of polyurethane roofing in the last fifty years, leading to today’s reliable roof applications.
Spraying Foam on Roof of school with windshield
Spray Polyurethane Foam Roofing, or spray foam roof, is a product that’s sprayed as a liquid so it can broaden into a foam, creating a solid layer across an existing roof.
The typical application of spray foam is to repair and reinvigorate an existing roof by getting rid of the saturated locations, replacing it with like products, and after that spraying foam over top of the entire Roof.
While SPF roofing is not the most recognized kind of roofing material, the technology has been around because the early 1960s for commercial, business, and residential centers. An SPF roofing system can be utilized in any environment, and when properly installed and preserved, can last over 50 years.
Spray Polyurethane Foam (SPF) for roofing applications is made on the Jobsite by blending two highly reactive chemicals.
The chemicals, A (polyol/resin) & B (isocyanate), are pumped from separate containers through heated up, high-pressure tubes to an internal mixing spray gun.
Numerous changes have happened in the devices and chemistry of polyurethane roofing in the last fifty years, leading to today’s reliable roof applications.
You’ve come to a point where you require a brand-new roof and are looking for options—perhaps fixing a leak after a leak is becoming a rather bothersome part of your task description.
Modification is hard. I just got a notification from my charge card business that my cable television bill increased $50. Looking into it, after two years of devoted service (and ending my new client prices), I was now handed a greater regular monthly bill.
The majority of people would be lazy and just accept paying more. I wanted to open my horizons to change, presenting me to the world of online streaming services.
I just had to be open for modification and offer it an opportunity.
The same can be said for spray polyurethane foam roofing systems. The majority of people wouldn’t be open to change and simply set up the same Roof they’ve had on for many years.
For anyone to alter, the clear advantages need to be there.
Let’s get rolling …
High R-value
Eco-friendly
Quickly set up
Self-flashing
Smooth
Easy to keep
Proven considering that the 1960s
1. Spray foam roofings have a high R-value
Spray polyurethane foam has the greatest R-value of any frequently used roof insulation. Here are the average R-values for some common roof materials
Spray Polyurethane Foam: 6.6 per inch
Metal: 0.00 per inch
BUR Gravel: 0.34 per inch
BUR Smooth: 0.24 per inch
XPS Insulation: 5.0 per inch
EPS Insulation: 3.85 per inch
Polyiso: 5.5 per inch
R worth is the capability of an insulating material to withstand heat circulation. The higher the R-value, the higher the insulating power.
The greater the R worth, the less heat or cool air that will travel through. Higher R worth = less HVAC usage = lower energy costs.
Total payback of your new Roof usually occurs in less than ten years through savings in cooling and heating expenses.
2. Spray foam roofs are eco-friendly
One of the advantages of a polyurethane roof is its capability to be recoated.
A correctly set up and preserved spray polyurethane foam roof must not need recoating for 10 to 20 years. The very best method to determine when a spray foam roof needs to be recoated is to measure the staying coating thickness on the Roof and recoat before the coating is too thin to offer U.V. protection.
The very first application of the coating is normally used at a density of 20-30 mils.
After ten years, the coating could be decreased to a density of 7-10 mils, depending upon the wear of the Roof.
Lots of coating manufacturers offer extended service warranties with each recoat. Together with arranged maintenance, this choice enables a spray foam roof to be a renewable roof system.
3. Spray polyurethane foam roofings are rapidly installed
A lot of SPF roof jobs include little to no tear-off
Spray foam roofings are spray-applied, implying they can walk around penetrations with ease
Spray foam roofs need less product and devices than standard roofing systems
One example would be roofing around a penetration. With spray foam being “spray-applied,” it would take about 2 minutes to roof around a penetration instead of rubber roofing, which can take a minimum of 30 minutes due to the custom cutting of products.
4. Spray polyurethane foam roofs are self-flashing
Self-flashing describes spray foam’s ability to comply with irregular shapes. See the video below, which shows spray foam being sprayed around a curb:
The video states it may take a conventional roofing contractor 30 minutes to flash around a curb; spray foam can be applied in about two minutes.
Other roofing systems, like rubber, will require to be customized cut to be set up effectively around a curb.
Parapet walls
Vents
Pipes
HEATING AND COOLING systems
Skylights
Drains
5. Spray polyurethane foam is seamless
A big advantage spray polyurethane foam has more than another Roof is that it’s smooth.
Being seamless, and watertight and for that reason monolithic, prevents standard single-ply membrane seams that tend to be the sources of leaks.
Joint separation of a rubber roof. An invite for water penetration that will cause a roof leak.
Seams start to separate over time and allow water to enter. They can permit some water to get in, it freezes, and when it thaws out, it breaks apart the seam even more.
Wind uplift is likewise an issue with seams. Wind will ultimately get beneath a somewhat apart joint, loosen up, and ultimately permit a chance for water to enter the structure.
With spray foam being smooth, there is no chance for the wind to get underneath a spray foam roof.
6. Spray polyurethane foam roofing is easy to keep
Maybe a sharp tool has been dropped, or the HVAC man planted the HVAC panels in your Roof like a weapon.
To repair these minor repairs, all you’ll require is an energy knife and some caulk.
That’s it. Minor repair work can be done by internal maintenance personnel.
Here at ArmorThane, we’ll take some time to show you how easy it is to repair a little incision at the end of the project.
7. Spray polyurethane foam is proven to be useful
Because the early 1960s, spray polyurethane foam roofing systems have been installed and recoated, enhancing the popular expression, “A spray foam roof is the last roof you’ll ever need to install.”
Multiple roofings that have been set up years earlier are going on their 3rd or 2nd recoat.
Polyurethane roofs are set up rapidly, leading to a lower labor expense and less disruption. When considering the many variables in a re-roofing project, the flexibility of a polyurethane roof makes it a cost-effective and logical solution.
Spray polyurethane foam is widely promoted as a green structure product for its capability to enhance energy performance. It insulates much better per inch than fiberglass or cellulose, which can mean major energy saving on heating & cooling. However, energy performance isn’t the only consideration when it comes to sustainable building. A closer look at spray foam’s chemical makeup exposes a number of substances that are known to be hazardous.
Spray polyurethane foam includes two liquid chemical parts, described as “Side A” and “Side B,” that are mixed at the website of installation. Side A is mostly made up of isocyanates, while Side B normally consists of polyol, flame retardants and amine drivers. These chemicals develop dangerous fumes during the application, which is why installers and close-by employees ought to wear individual protective equipment throughout this procedure. When the foam has totally expanded and dried, manufacturers say it is inert. If the chemicals are not effectively combined, they may not react fully and can stay hazardous.
The threats associated with the isocyanate of Side A are reasonably well-documented, however threats associated with Side B are less well comprehended. David Marlow at the Centers for Disease Control has been researching off-gassing connected with spray foam installation considering that 2010. Marlow was unavailable for an interview, the Public Affairs workplace at the CDC was able to offer details about his ongoing research study using email. These field studies intend to determine the level of exposure to all the chemical parts of spray foam, figure out a much better understanding of curing rates and establish safe reentry times, and establish engineering controls to lower the threat of direct exposure. In addition to the risks associated with setup, these chemicals can stay unreacted in the form of dust or shavings. The Environmental Protection Agency warns: “Cutting or trimming the foam as it solidifies (tack-free phase) may generate dust that may contain other chemicals and unreacted isocyanates.” 1 This is likewise an issue throughout the procedure of getting rid of foam.
Isocyanates
Isocyanates, such as methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (DMI), are discovered in the “Side A” of the spray foam mix.2 Isocyanates are also found in paints, varnishes and other types of foam. They are a known cause of occupational asthma.3 According to Dr. Yuh-Chin T. Huang, a professor at Duke University Medical Center, isocyanate-induced asthma is similar to other types of asthma, however instead of being activated by exercise, it is triggered by exposure. Re-exposure can trigger intense asthma attacks.2 as soon as somebody has ended up being sensitized.
Property owner Keri Rimel states she and her husband have both become exceptionally conscious of isocyanates and other chemical smells following exposure during spray foam installation. “He still, to this day, can stroll into any dining establishment, office, or home, and he can right away inform if there’s spray foam in a structure,” said Rimel of her husband.
According to the CDC, direct contact with isocyanates can also trigger a rash if it can be found in contact with the skin.
Amine Catalysts.
Amine drivers are among the Side B chemicals that the CDC is looking into, in an effort to comprehend the levels of exposure during installation. “Amine catalysts in [spray polyurethane foam] may be sensitizers and irritants that can trigger fuzzy vision (halo effect),” they write.4.
According to a report released by the Consumer Product Safety Commission, amine drivers can also irritate the eyes, skin, and breathing system and if consumed “may likewise cause a reversible result referred to as glaucopsia, blue haze, or halovision in the eyes.” 5.
Polyol.
Also discovered in side B, polyols are alcohols that work as drivers. They are usually made from adipic acid and ethylene glycol or propylene oxide. Some polyols are made from soy, but according to the Pharos Project, a company that advocates for constructing material transparency, the soy-based product makes up only 10 percent of the final insulation. 6.
Ethylene glycol, a chemical used to produce polyol in some spray foam, can in cases of intense direct exposure (such as swallowing) cause vomiting, convulsions and affect the central nervous system.7 According to the EPA, exposure by inhalation can trigger inflammation in the upper breathing system.
Flame Retardants.
Flame retardants are contributed to Side B to pass flammability tests in building regulations. The main fire retardants utilized in spray foam are hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD or HBCDD) and tris (1-chloro-2-propyl) phosphate (TCPP).
Bioaccumulation means that a chemical constructs up in the body much faster than it can be flushed out, so there can be a risk of chronic poisoning even if the level of exposure is low. The chemicals also build up in the ecosystem, where they go into the food chain.A paper by Vytenis Babrauskas published in the journal Building Research & Information states that, “flame retardants whose primary usage is in constructing insulation are discovered at increasing levels in household dust, human body fluids and in the environment.
The Chemical Question Mark.
In a post for the CDC, Marlow explains the components of Side B as “a chemical question mark.” 10 He described the requirement for “real-world sampling.”.
In addition to those listed above, there may be other chemicals used in spray foam that are undisclosed and are protected trade tricks. “You have to tell the individual testing what you’re looking for,” says Terry Pierson Curtis, an indoor air quality expert.
Spray foam insulation can crank up the performance of your homes—if you do it right. Check out our daily posts on the Foam Insulation and the Foam Insulation Market. We review each company and relay the information directly to you. Join our mailing list and have them sent directly to your email each and every day.
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