SPRAY POLYURETHANE
 FOAM INSULATION 101

 FOR THE BUYER

THE INTENT OF THIS SECTION IS TO EDUCATE THE BUYER OR INDIVIDUAL INTERESTED IN THE APPLICATION OF SPRAY POLYURETHANE FOAM (SPF) INSULATION.  OF IMPORTANCE IS UNDERSTANDING THERE ARE MULTIPLE SUPPLIERS AND SYSTEMS AVAILABLE AND NOT ALL SPRAY FOAM INSULATION IS EQUAL.  UNDERSTANDING THESE DIFFERENCES WILL ELIMINATE THE CONFUSION WHEN SELECTING AN SPF INSULATION.

 SPF INSULATION IS BASICALLY CLASSIFIED AS OPEN OR CLOSED CELL (BUBBLES) FOAM.

OPEN CELL FOAM IS LIGHTWEIGHT AND THE CELLS OR BUBBLES BURST AS THE FOAM REACTS OR EXPANDS.  OF IMPORTANCE IDENTIFYING AN OPEN CELL FOAM INSULATION IS THE DENSITY SPECIFICATION OF 0.5 (1/2) POUND.  OPEN CELL FOAM INSULATION HAS A PER INCH R-VALUE OF 3.5 OR JUST SLIGHTLY HIGHER THAN STANDARD FIBERGLASS INSULATION.  CLAIMED TO SEAL THE BUILDING, BUT IS NOT IMPERVIOUS TO MOISTURE TRANSFER.  OPEN CELL SPF IS NOT RECOGNIZED BY FEMA AS A CLASS 4 FLOOD RESISTANT MATERIAL OR AN APPROVED U. S. COAST GUARD FLOTATION MEDIUM.  FAILING TO MEET THIS CRITERIA WOULD AT BEST DEFINE OPEN CELL FOAM AS BEING WATER RESISTANT BUT NOT IMPERVIOUS TO WATER TRANSFER.  AS AN INSULATION MEDIUM, OPEN CELL FOAM HAS NOT BEEN QUALIFIED BY THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF HOMEBUILDERS (NAHB) AS AN INSULATION MATERIAL THAT IMPROVES STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY.

CLOSED CELL FOAM IS A MATRIX OF SMALL CLOSED CELLS OR BUBBLES GLUED TOGETHER.  THIS TIGHT MATRIX OF CLOSED CELLS NETS A DENSITY OF 2.0 OR FOUR TIMES THE DENSITY VALUE OF OPEN CELL FOAM.  THIS CRITERIA IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE THE HIGHER DENSITY VALUE REPRESENTS THERMAL EFFICIENCY, COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH AND MOISTURE PERMEABILITY.

CLOSED CELL FOAM HAS A PER INCH R-VALUE OF 6.5 (AGED).  WE’LL DISCUSSED “AGED” IN THE FAQ SECTION.  CLOSED CELL FOAM INSULATION IS IMPERVIOUS TO WATER TRANSFER, IS RECOGNIZED AS A FEMA CLASS 4 FLOOD RESISTANT MATERIAL AND IS APPROVED BY THE U. S. COAST GUARD AS A FLOTATION MEDIUM.  OF INTEREST, ALL THE DIRECTIONAL BUOYS EXPOSED TO THE ENVIRONMENT THAT FLOAT FOR YEARS IN THE WATER ARE FILLED WITH CLOSED CELL FOAM.  TESTED BY THE NAHB RESEARCH CENTER FOR THE SOCIETY OF THE PLASTICS INDUSTRY, RACK AND SHEAR TESTING OF WALLS INSULATED WITH CLOSED CELL FOAM INSULATION COMPARED TO STANDARD 2X4 WALLS INSULATED WITH FIBERGLASS INSULATION, NETTED AN IMPROVED WALL STRENGTH OF 85%.

REMEMBER, ALWAYS ASK THE CONTRACTOR WHEN CONSIDERING SPRAY POLYURETHANE FOAM INSULATION:

IS THE FOAM OPEN OR CLOSED CELL?

WHAT IS THE DENSITY?

OPEN CELL FOAM INSULATION:

DENSITY    0.05 PCF
R-VALUE    3.5 PER INCH

CLOSED CELL FOAM INSULATION:

DENSITY    2.0 PCF
R-VALUE    6.5 PER INCH