Why Build With Foam?
IT’S THE RIGHT THING TO DO
There are the believers: those builders that have used foam successfully and are recommending it to other builders and clients. Most builders using foam today say they do so because it makes the job they’re working on better insulated and more energy efficient.
Then there are the non believers: the misinformed, the fearful, and the cautionary. These are the builders who are uncertain or they have not used foam because they just don’t know enough about it. This area was designed for builders to gain the knowledge they need to start offering clients spray foam insulation as an option.
A frequent obstacle to overcome is the sticker shock! The primary reason why many builders baulk at foam is the difference in price from conventional fiberglass. “My client has budget issues and they will never go for that,” is a statement we often hear. While the initial investment for foam is higher than fiberglass, the cost savings over time and the additional benefits make it a worthwhile investment.
Many people don’t know that fiberglass is a carcinogen (causes cancer). They also may not know that the R rating of fiberglass will actually diminish significantly on a windy day, or that over time fiberglass insulation can sag, settle, get dirty, get wet, host mold, and create large gaps in the insulation in your walls. These are things clients should know in order to make an informed decision on how to insulate their home.
Conventional building design and years of trying to reduce costs, have developed a mindset in many people that doesn’t allow for foam as an option. It is more expensive, but as the old saying goes, you get what you pay for. With closed cell foam, the cost difference from traditional fiberglass can be 2-4 times. Open cell can run 2-3 times the cost of fiberglass. The bottom line —it’s worth it!
As a builder you need to understand that the comfort of a home today, and cost savings over time, make foam a much better decision. On average, the difference in price can be recuperated within a few years in just energy savings. Your homeowner is actually achieving a profit derived from the energy savings once the cost has been recovered. As the years go on and energy costs escalate, the savings compound. Spend a little more money now and save a lot more down the road.
The Foam Insulation Process
Foam is most often distributed as a plural component system, consisting of two 55 gallon drums. The process involves specialized equipment to heat and mix the foam at the right pressures and temperatures, in order to achieve the desired results.
Why are we telling you this now?
It is an attempt to put into prospective why there is such a significant cost difference. A foam applicator is highly trained on the equipment, installation technique and the principles of the building envelope design. The foam is actually manufactured on location. There are product temperatures and pressures that need to be monitored and managed based on conditions. All of this is done while wrestling with 2-300’ of hose. This is an athletically challenging activity while wearing a chemical protective suit and a fresh air breathing system. The applicator and equipment working in concert are creating a seamless monolithic adhesive building seal.
The important differentiator is the product. When the foam is installed in the stud cavity it glues one stud to the next and to the surface of the sheathing at 45 PSI tensile strength. The gluing effect virtually doubles the strength of the structure. Foam is guaranteed to perform for the life of the home.
Additional Benefits Important to the Builder
BETTER INDOOR AIR QUALITY
Less air infiltration means less dust, pollen, mold spores, moisture, unwanted outdoor odors, and insects or rodents. The shear density of the product makes it a deterrent to insects and unwanted animals. Many homeowners want to know how to take care of these issues and would be interested in these additional benefits. Have you ever opened a wall up for demolition and found a nest for birds, squirrels, rats, mice, wasps? Closed cell foam will close the gaps to prevent animal and insect infestation.
A LITTLE INSIGHT INTO R-VALUESMost people know that R-value is a measurement of heat transfer. It is important to understand however, that the ASTM test created to determine R-value was designed as a method to measure fiberglass, rock wool, and cellulous; not foam, glass or even cork. The tests are done today in a laboratory and do not factor in moisture, air movement or wind. Tests show that just 8 MPH of air movement, or wind, reduces the R-value of fiberglass insulation by 30%. Closed cell foam insulation is not affected by wind, and it will never sag to leave gaps. The earth’s climate is the real world laboratory, so if you are building in an area that has air movement, wind, rain, sleet, snow or heat extremes, your clients should know that the effectiveness of their fiberglass batting (in exterior walls) will greatly decrease. For further information on R-values click here.
R-Values for most commonly used insulation products today:
Closed cell foam has the highest R-value per inch of any residential insulation product today.
BUILDING WITH STRENGTH AND CONFIDENCE
Why wouldn’t you use closed cell foam to insulate if you were certain it would strengthen your project by as much as 50%????
A strong well built home has some distinctive characteristics that you notice as soon as you enter it. You can see and feel the difference. Have you ever been in a weak design-build project? You can listen and hear everything. The walls are thin and the floors actually feel like they are flexing. You hear and feel every sound and wind that blows. The monolithic seal that closed cell foam gives you, at 45 PSI tensile strength per square inch, deadens noise and literally makes the building stronger.
In the New England region some home builders were influenced by maritime workmanship, and many designs that went into shipbuilding were transformed into colonial architecture. Some of the homes built back in the 1800’s were built as strong as ships. Would you think about sailing a low end pre fabricated structure across the Atlantic?
Some builders today are going back to the boldness of strength in craftsmanship and they are doing it with closed cell foam.
BUILDER COMMON BELIEFS AND MYTHS
• “If I use foam I won’t be able to add any electrical fixtures later.”
The only walls impacted by the foam are exterior 2X4 walls. Most homes in our region are designed and built with 2X6 framing. At 3 inches of closed cell foam (R-21), there will still be a gap to snake wires between insulation and drywall. There is still plenty of room for add-ins later, but even with completely filled stud bays, there are options for ad-ins in the future.
• “It is a fire hazard, it burns like crazy.”
On the contrary. Closed cell foam has a Class 1 fire rating (the same as fiberglass), and meets all code requirements. Independent labs have tested the 2 lb. closed cell product, and although there is some confusion with it all, the fact remains in order for matter to burn there needs to be a fuel source. Two pound closed cell foam will char, blacken, and smoke but will most often self extinguish because there is a lack of air. To meet most code requirements closed cell foam like many other insulation material requires a 15 minute ignition barrier. Gypsum wallboard is an acceptable covering. In accessible attic areas and crawl spaces sprayed with foam that are not covered with wallboard or an acceptable equal product should be covered with an approved ignition barrier.
• “The house will be too tight, my house won’t breath”
Because closed cell foam is a moisture barrier as well as an air barrier it changes the dynamics of conventional venting principles within the building envelope. The misunderstanding here lies in the foam. Closed cell foams are developed to be 90-95% closed cell. The 5-10% open composition actually allows the foam to breath molecularly. Tiny air molecules are able to move through but larger ones like moisture can not.
Conventional building principles tell us to use roof, proper and soffit vents. However, this was a design model that relied on heavy air movement to remove moisture, and was in place long before conventional insulation existed. With closed cell foam, we eliminate the need for these vents. A roof dorm in the summer can reach lethal heat levels above 150F. When we are blowing cool conditioned air into this environment, condensation occurs and moisture problems arise. Closed cell foam controls moisture vapor movement, therefore condensation will not occur.
Air turns in a home built with foam are reduced. You do still get air generation and infiltration with a home sealed in foam, but not as often. Today the chant is to “build it tight, seal it right”. In other words, the tighter the better when it comes to energy conservation. It is far better to change the air in your home mechanically with HVAC systems and windows than with uncontrollable unwanted air infiltration. It is estimated that 40% of a homes heating or cooling loss is from unwanted air infiltration