Expanding Foam Insulation » Benefits

Benefits of Expanding Foam Insulation

admin — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 10:26:41 +0000

Expanding foam insulation is a method of applying a liquid resin that reacts with air to expand into its surroundings. The resin can be injected into small or large voids to fill the space with a solid foam. The resulting foam can seal gaps and cracks to prevent air from entering into your home. It can be sprayed onto larger areas to provide a thick layer of insulation for resistance to heat transfer.

There are many benefits to this form of insulation over traditional materials. These benefits include ease of installation and durability.

Ease of Installation
The chemical resin can be sprayed in liquid form onto the desired area without measuring, cutting, or fasteners. It adheres to practically everything used in typical house construction such as concrete, masonry, wood, and metal. Application is fast and simple.

Durability
Expanding foam insulation lasts longer than previously used materials. It maintains its effectiveness longer with resistance to breakdown, compression, moisture absorption, or attack by critters.

Since it is unaffected by moisture it also is practically impervious to mold even in damp areas. Because it is inorganic it is not attractive to animals and insects for eating, gnawing, or nesting.

The inorganic compounds are non-polluting and benign to the environment. The effectiveness of using expanding foam insulation improves the air quality of your enclosed spaces by preventing infiltration of exterior pollutants from entering.

The biggest benefit of using expanding foam for insulation and sealing is the reduction of energy transfer. Thermal resistance reduces conductivity, and sealing gaps and cracks reduces air convection. Overall energy savings are considerable and make it cost effective to use expanding foam insulation.

Improve Interior Air Quality With Foam Insulation

admin — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 07:28:52 +0000

Insulation in the roof and walls is clearly beneficial for its ability to reduce heating and cooling losses and costs. The savings achieved by reducing heat transfer by conduction justifies the cost of adequate insulation.

But don’t forget that convection is another source of heat transfer when air moves between two spaces. Minimizing or controlling losses via convection is desirable but requires more consideration. Adequate outside air is necessary for breathing, and sufficient air transfer is required to ventilate other gases and odors from interior spaces.

Most homes are so leaky that there is plenty of opportunity for air to intrude and be enough for the occupants. However, as structures become more air-tight and interior materials become more synthetic, there is the possibility that the indoor air quality is compromised.

Controlling infiltration of outside air is important. Not only is uncontrolled air infiltration wasteful of energy it can also carry outside pollutants such as fumes and dust. Inadequate exhaust of indoor pollutants can cause allergies, respiratory distress and ’sick building syndrome’.

Expanding foam insulation applied to walls and roof voids fills small spaces and gaps that allow air to flow between the interior of a home and the outside environment. Eliminating these gaps prevents air convection from carrying heat between the interior and exterior of a home, which results in lowering the expense of heating or cooling a space.

Minimizing air from entering from the outside into the house means that expanding foam insulation can improve the quality of air inside your house. With proper permeable filters and especially electrostatic filters installed with your air-handler, circulating inside air can be controlled and cleaned of allergens, particulates and pollutants within a building’s interior. By using expanding foam insulation to reduce infiltration of outside contaminates, the inside air is a higher quality. This may be an even more important consideration if a resident suffers from allergies or respiratory conditions.

A more sophisticated installation that is used in commercial buildings and may be justifiable in homes is the use of an ‘economizer’ air handling system. By using an arrangement of ducts and dampers in an ‘H’ pattern outside air and exhaust air can be controlled to allow recirculation and proper ventilation. Depending on the sensible heat and latent heat outside, controllers move the dampers to allow the desired air flow in and out of the building space, which maintains adequate fresh air and takes advantage of the energy of the exterior for cooling or heating. This is especially effective for ‘air-tight’ structures and locations where day and night time temperatures and humidity vary significantly.

Expanding foam insulation is extremely useful to address multiple issues of conduction and convection. Whether it is maintaining the temperature of a home, controlling air infiltration, soundproofing a space, and minimizing energy consumption, almost everyone will enjoy the benefits of expanding foam insulation.

Spray Insulation

admin — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 04:37:12 +0000

Spray Insulation is worth looking into for many reasons, even if it’s not always the ideal solution. Although it is more likely to be the best option for new construction, its features also serve the needs of many existing homeowners who are adding to or trying to improve their homes.

For example, even if the spraying must be done by professionals, and therefore is more costly than other options, the high R-value of spray insulation can make it cost- effective over time, through lower heating bills. In very cold or hot climates this advantage may be well worth the cost.

Spray insulation also carries the advantage of filling uneven areas well. The sprayed foam expands to fill cracks and fit into irregular spaces that would be difficult to work around with other kinds of insulation. The do-it-yourself handyman might be very relieved not to have to work in difficult nooks and crannies, and to just let expansion of the foam do the work.

Another advantage is that spray insulation adheres well to the surface onto which it is sprayed. If a house is being expanded upward, to a second story, then spray insulation under the new floor will be securely in place and offer good insulation for years. It might be a better solution than trying to attach other forms of insulation in such a space.

There has been some debate about the moisture barrier qualities of closed-cell foam spray insulation. Such foams, e.g., polyisocyanurate or polyurethane, offer higher R-value than open-celled foam, e.g., polyicynene. The latter allows for some passage of water vapor after the insulation is installed. The advantages and disadvantages in relation to moisture barrier issues are important to discuss with an insulation expert on a case by case basis.

When a wall is already closed in, the most practical and economical way to insulate it is with spray foam insulation.

Foam is not the only product that can be sprayed for insulation. Cellulose and fiberglass fibers also can be sprayed, if they are mixed with some sort of adhesive or foam to keep them in place.

Because various forms of insulation can be used together and because every situation has its own considerations, the homeowner considering spray insulation would be well advised to consult several insulation contractors to weigh all the options before deciding how to proceed. Ask each of them to make a bid in writing for insulating a defined area to a certain R-value. It might also be useful to have a home energy audit if your purpose is to increase the energy efficiency of your house. Contact your local utility company for information on this.