- Spray Foam- General
 Insulation Basics: Facts & Recommendations
"Standard density materials such as fiberglass batts and loose-fill materials do not seal effectively against air leaks. Some insulation materials, such as rigid foam and spray-in-place products, reduce or eliminate air leakage." Prepared by the Southface Energy Institute
Foam Book: Education about Spray Foam
"Spray polyurethane foam (SPF) is the ideal method for insulating commercial and residential buildings. Spray foam stops air and moisture intrusion, cuts energy bills, strengthens the structure, and protects the internal air from mold, airborne pollutants, and allergens, thereby creating healthy buildings." Prepared by BaySystems Learning the Difference between ½-lb and 2-lb Spray Polyurethane Foam
"Spray polyurethane foam (SPF) has become popular for its insulation value and air barrier qualities." Prepared by Mason Knowles SPRAY-FOAM Insulation
"...sprayed-in-place polyurethane combines R-value, an effective
air barrier, and vapor control in one material" Prepared by The Journal of Light Construction
5 pages/154K Chicago Illinois Fiberglass Batts- Labeled vs. Installed Performance
"'commonly installed' fiberglass batts lose 28% of their labeled R-value." Prepared by The Oak Ridge National Laboratory
2 pages/155K Military to save $1.6B going green
"The military has spent more than $100 million on "spray foam" insulation for tents in Iraq and Afghanistan, cutting leakage of air conditioning by at least 50%, says Tad Davis, the Army's deputy assistant secretary for environmental issues." Prepared by USA Today
Spray Foam Insulation: What are the benefits to my home?
"When it comes to sealing your home from air and moisture intrusion, saving on costly utility bills, strengthening your home, and protecting your family’s health from dangerous mold, there is no better home insulating material than Spray Foam Insulation." Prepared by BRMag
The Differences Between a Lexus and a Camry-A Comparison of the Performance Characteristics of Medium (MDSPF) and Light Density (LDSPF) Sprayed Polyurethane Foam Insulation
"Spray polyurethane foam insulation (SPF) is rapidly becoming the insulation of choice in an energy conscious new construction market." Prepared by... Mike Richmond
7 pages/778K Chicago Illinois Expanding Options
"Spray polyurethane These products can almost guarantee the highest practical levels of R-value per inch, effective air sealing, moisture management, and a higher performance as expanding foam usually fills even unseen gaps." Prepared by: Fernando Pages Ruiz
Sprayed-in-place Polyurethane Foam is the Wave of the Future in Residential Insulation
"SPF Insulation in residential walls, attics, foundations, floors and ceilings allows contractors to offer architects, engineers, and homeowners the best thermal, air, moisture sound insulation properties." Prepared by Gusmer
4 Greener Insulation Alternatives
"A favorite among green builders because it seals as well as insulates, spray foam’s thermal performance outpaces other kinds of insulation."
SPF Building Envelope
"The true performance of your building system can not be measured with the R-value of the insulation alone, but must also consider air movement, moisture control, health, safety, durability and comfort as well as energy efficiency." Prepared by SPFA
4 pages/784K Chicago Illinois Spray-in-Place Polyurethane Foam Insulation
"... spray foam insulation is a superior insulation product that overcomes several disadvantages of other insulation products. Spray foam insulation can provide a more uniform, consistent thermal barrier as well as provide air flow retarder functions." Prepared by RLC Engineering, LLC.
4 pages/109K Relative toxicity of materials in fire situations
"A continuing need of those concerned with selection, design, and development of materials is the availability of up-to-date information on performance characteristics relevant to a particular application. For all applications involving people, fire safety is an important consideration, and toxicity of gases from accidental or intentional pyrolysis or combustion is a subject of concern." Troubleshooting Spray-Foam Insulation
"Since a poor foam job can sabotage building-envelope performance, general contractors should know what can go wrong and learn how to evaluate the quality of their installer’s work." Prepared by Mason Knowles
Sprayed-in-place Polyurethane Foam is the Wave of the Future in Residential Insulation
"SPF Insulation in residential walls, attics, foundations, floors and ceilings allows contractors to offer architects, engineers, and homeowners the best thermal, air, moisture sound insulation properties." Prepared by Gusmer
Insulation Basics, Energy Fact Sheet
"Proper installation is as important as how much insulation is installed. Gaps and compressed areas can lower the R-value over 30 percent." Prepared by Southface Energy Institute, for Georgia Environmental Facilities Authority.
1 page/36K - Closed Cell Spray Foam
Corbond Performance Insulation System & “The 1/3, 2/3 Rule”
"Many building codes in the U.S. require the application of a Polyethylene vapor retarder…designed to reduce the condensation problems that frequently occur in fiberglass batt and other types of insulation." Prepared by Corbond Corporation
Closed Cell Spray Foam Excels
"Closed Cell Spray Polyurethane Foam gives full coverage and expands in place, which allows it to air seal construction gaps, plumbing and electrical penetrations, as well as joints of dissimilar materials such as roof deck/wall junctions." Prepared by Steve Loftis
Coastal Building Materials
"Flooding accounts for a large percentage of the damage caused by a coastal storm. Building materials exposed to flooding must be resilient enough to sustain a certain amount of water exposure in order to avoid the need for complete replacement after the flood. Example: Closed-cell foam." Prepared by FEMA
Polyurethane and Polyisocyanurate Foams
"Rigid polyurethane and polyisocyanurate (polyiso) foams are some of the most efficient thermal insulating products for buildings and for improving the efficiency of the building envelope." Prepared by Alliance for the Polyurethanes Industry
Spray-In-Place Polyurethane Foam Insulation
"…spray foam insulation is a superior insulation product that overcomes several disadvantages of other insulation products. Spray foam insulation can provide a more uniform, consistent thermal barrier as well as provide air flow retarder functions." Prepared by RLC Engineering, LLC.
- Open Cell Spray Foam
Vapor Retarders and Icynene
"Installers of Icynene, the leading brand of open-cell spray foam, have been known to tell builders that their insulation can be installed without a vapor barrier, or even, in some cases, that the foam is a vapor barrier." Prepared by Energy Design Update
It’s OK To Skimp On Insulation, Icynene Says
"To match the poor performance of leaky fiberglass-insulated homes, all an Icynene contractor has to do is skimp on insulation thickness… Any building department that, based on Icynene’s arguments, allows builders following the prescriptive code to install less than the minimum required thickness of insulation is failing in its duty to enforce the code." Prepared by Martin Holladay
Every Failure Holds a Lesson
"The building was reinsulated with closed-cell polyurethane foam." Prepared by Energy Design Update
- Is Spray Foam Insulation Green?
"Green" Marketing Claims and Spray Polyurethane Foam
"Spray polyurethane foam (SPF) is an exciting insulation product that is exploding in popularity for many reasons. Among its many outstanding attributes are several that could be understood by consumers to be “green” attributes - for example, some SPF is made in part with natural oils, giving the foam some renewable content. And because SPF is an outstanding insulator, it can contribute significantly to home and building energy efficiency and energy savings." Prepared by SPFA Characteristics of Sustainability
"Low-density polyurethane foam sprayed in between floor joists serves triple duty as insulation, air barrier, and sound control device." Prepared by Mason Knowles Spray Polyurethane Foam: Green and R-Value Marketing Claims
"Buildings with SPF may use less energy." Prepared by Monica Ntiru Karamagi-Huntsman How "Green" Is SPF?
"In the case of SPF, this applies foremost because of the increase in energy efficiency it provides. A product that reduces energy use and the pollution required to produce that energy is generally considered "green. One of the criteria used by the Partnership for Advancing Technology in Housing (PATH) in determining a "green" product is that it is "made from reused, recycled, rapidly renew- able, and preferably local materials. SPF meets this need as most products are based on some level of various renewable resource
Net-Zero Solution
"We can reduce a lot of waste, and stem the production of tons of new materials by making do with what we have. Trouble is, the number one green priority is energy. And in this day and age, it’s not enough to just reduce energy; the bar is set at zero energy." Prepared by Clayton DeKorne
Green Building Insulation: The Environmental Benefits
"To meet green building standards for better thermal protection and energy performance from longer-lasting, environmentally benign building materials, more projects employ closed-cell spray polyurethane foam (ccSPF) insulation, which provides significant benefits contributing to green building performance and LEED certifications." Prepared by Honeywell
- Air Sealing Homes
Air Sealing: Seal Air leaks and Save Energy!
"The most common insulation, fiberglass, does not stop air leakage. In older homes, dirty fiberglass is a telltale sign of air movement (it simply collects dirt like a filter). Certain types of insulation, such as dense-packed cellulose and certain foams, can be effective at reducing air flow as well as heat flow." Prepared by the Office of Building Technology
Air Barriers in Building Construction: Understanding Costs, Meeting Performance Standards and Exceeding Codes
"Closed-cell spray polyurethane (ccSPF) foam air barriers also offer wind-load resistance, seamless or “monolithic” construction and almost zero air permeability, according to building-science experts. The product conforms to unusual shapes and fills in voids common in building enclosures and is rigid, self-supporting and fully self-adhering."
Air Sealing
"You can greatly reduce the air leakage by blowing high-density insulation or injecting spray foam insulation into these joints, thus reducing these energy-gobbling air paths." Prepared by the Department of the Environment
- Building Science
Corbond® Air Barriers
"Spray-in-place foam insulation, closed cell polyurethane insulation meets all the criteria for thermal, air and moisture isolation, as well as reversibility in all types of buildings in every climate in North America." Prepared by Neal E. Ganser, Corbond® Corporation.
33 pages/1.4MB Elements of an Energy-Efficient House
"Good air sealing alone may reduce utility costs by as much as 50 percent." Prepared by National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), a DOE national laboratory for the U.S. Department of Energy.
8 pages/188K Chicago Illinois 11 Tips for Mastering Building Envelope Design
"Faced with meeting increasingly stringent energy codes and a growing demand for green, high-performance features, builders nationwide are looking to maximize the energy efficiency of their homes without blowing the budget. The easiest and most economical step to creating energy-efficient homes is to master building envelope and air sealing design." Prepared by Joe Wiehagen, Amber Wood & David Mallay
Air Sealing: A guide for Contractors to Share with Homeowners
"The rim joist can be air sealed and insulated with caulk and batt insulation, or rigid foam cut to fill the space between each floor joist and sealed in place with spray foam." Prepared by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory & Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Mold The R-Factor
"Foam-in-place technology is playing an increasingly important role in establishing a tight building envelope. Closed-cell foams are very effective at managing air leakage and can have high R-values of up to 7 per inch." Prepared by Mark LaLiberte
Pulling Tightness to the Test
"Combining ever-improved levels of air tightness with the capacity for modest amounts of continuous ventilation ensures you are building comfortable, durable, healthy, and efficient homes." Prepared by Gord Cooke
Understanding Condensation
"By stopping air infiltration, we are also limiting fresh air exchange and thereby restricting the escape of built up humidity from the building…The house has the best possible energy savings and is now in a condition where it is under control from the forces of nature." Prepared by Corbond Corporation
Air Barrier Systems for Buildings Utilizing Spray-In Place Closed Cell Polyurethane Foam
"Spray foam adheres tenaciously to all construction surfaces including all board insulations. This develops high R-Value air barriered walls at minimum wall thickness and insulates framing." Prepared by Neal E. Ganser Elements of an Energy-Efficient House
"[Houses] feel more comfortable because the additional insulation keeps the interior wall at a more comfortable and stable temperature. The indoor humidity is also better controlled, and drafts are reduced. A tightly sealed air/vapor retarder reduces the likelihood of moisture and air seeping through the walls. They are also very quiet because the extra insulation and tight construction helps to keep exterior noise out better." Prepared by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.
Insulation Energy Savings: Key Issues and Performance Factors
"Closed-cell spray polyurethane foam wall-insulation systems provide a continuous air barrier, improved building strength and significant thermal performance." Prepared by Honeywell
Practical Details for Energy Efficiency
"Our preferred insulation is dense- pack cellulose, installed at a density of 21/2 pounds per cubic foot. Dense-pack cellulose helps reduce air infiltration and fills in especially well around mechanicals, wires, plumbing, and odd-shaped or tight spaces." Prepared by Paul Bourke
Insulation a Slab with Spray Foam
"Perhaps the greatest advantage SPF offers is that it provides a monolithic layer of insulation, with no seams or other imperfections in the thermal barrier. Because it bonds aggressively and completely to just about anything it contacts, the foam creates a superior vapor barrier around plumbing and other slab penetrations." Prepared by Mike Pindell
ICountdown to Quality
"If you are using traditional framing, use any type of blown-in insulation so it fits and fills the wall as tightly and completely as possible." Prepared by Mark LaLiberte
- Crawl Spaces
Closed Crawl Spaces
In Flagstaff, closed crawl homes with floor insulation used 20%Iessenergy than the controls while those with foundation wall insulation used 53% more. Cyrus Dastur, the AE building scientist who directed the research, concluded that, without floor insulation, heat radiated from the home's conditioned space to the cold ground in the crawl. He believes that floor insulation is the best strategy for closed crawls in a cold climate. Prepared by GreenBuilder Closed Crawl Space
"Guidelines for constructing a closed crawl space with an insulation system that includes thermaX or styrofoam brand rigid insulation on interior crawl space walls, a continuous poly vapor barrier to prevent evaporation of ground moisture into the crawl space, and a means to condition the crawl space to keep the relative humidity below 70 percent to mitigate mold and mildew growth." Prepared by DOW Insight New Light in Crawlspaces
"Installing impermeable rigid insulation keeps the wood framing warm and provides a low perm layer that addresses the upward vapor drive." Prepared by Joseph W. Lstiburek - Energy Codes
Department of Energy:
"Overview Of US Department of Energy recommended R-Values." Prepared by Department of Energy Energy efficiency in Illinois:
"The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Building Technology's number-one recommendation for energy-saving measures to help consumers reduce energy bills is insulation!" Prepared by The U.S. Department of Energy Energy efficiency in Indiana:
"The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Building Technology's number-one recommendation for energy-saving measures to help consumers reduce energy bills is insulation!" Prepared by The U.S. Department of Energy Energy efficiency in Iowa:
"The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Building Technology's number-one recommendation for energy-saving measures to help consumers reduce energy bills is insulation!" Prepared by The U.S. Department of Energy Energy efficiency in Wisconsin:
"The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Building Technology's number-one recommendation for energy-saving measures to help consumers reduce energy bills is insulation!" Prepared by The U.S. Department of Energy - Ice Dams
Thaw could bring icy mess
"The best way to prevent ice dams, the report notes, is to make sure attics are sufficiently insulated and properly ventilated." Prepared by Tim Broderick - Metal Buildings
Insulation and Waterproofing for Metal Buildings & Metal Roof Systems
"Closed-cell SPF is ideally suited to metal building applications due to its light weight, durability, and conformability to virtually any surface geometry…adds a number of high-performance attributes to metal roofing and cladding assemblies, including: high R-value thermal insulation, good acoustical performance, and reduced uncontrolled air infiltration and exfiltration." Prepared by Honeywell - Sound Insulation
Resilient Sound Channel
"RC-2 decreases sound transmission through wall partitions and ceilings." Prepared by AWCI.org Sound Break Gypsum Board
"Using this revolutionary new gypsum board, you can add peace and privacy to high-density housing with high STC wall partitions that are thinner, more reliable and more cost-effective." Prepared by National Gypsum Sound Ratings and Spray Polyurethane Foam
"The fiberglass wall is likely to leak more air than the SPF wall, which means the fiberglass wall will tend to transmit more noise." Prepared by Mac Sheldon - Spray Foam Fire Testing
NFPA 285-2006 Approval for Wall Assemblies Using Foam Plastic Insulation
"NFPA 285 testing provides a method of deter- mining the flammability characteristics of exterior, non-load-bearing wall assemblies/ panels that contain foam plastic insulation." Prepared by Jeff Hansbro of DOW - Unvented Attics
Spray Polyurethane Foam Insulation (SPF) and Cathedral Roofs and Cathedralized Attics
"This configuration controls the entry of moisture-laden air into the insulation and also eliminates dew-point occurring at the underside of the roof deck and anywhere in the insulation..." Prepared by Spray Polyurethane Foam Insulation Alliance
6 pages/218K Chicago Illinois Unventing Attics in Cold Climates
"Build your cold-climate attic with no vents- the shingles may not last quite as long, but you’ll get big payoffs in performance and energy savings." Prepared by Joseph Lstiburek Insulating Unvented Attics with Spray Foam
"Closed-cell polyurethane foam provides the insulation, air barrier, and vapor retarder necessary for an unvented attic assembly." Prepared by James Morshead Unvented Roofs and Shingle Warranties
"GAF-Elk’s shingle warranty is still valid when the shingles are installed over a roof deck insulated with SPF foam, which can be an effective method of boosting a home’s energy performance." Prepared by JLC Know the Code: Using Spray Foam Insulation in Attics and Crawl Spaces
"One of the largest growing uses of spray polyurethane foam insulation is in residential attics and crawl spaces." Prepared by Centers for the Polyurethanes Industry Roof Ventilation Update
"Foam insulation is being used more commonly, and has become the material of choice for residential air-sealing. Foam insulation has been sprayed on the underside of board and wood-panel sheathing with great success." Prepared by William B. Rose SPF and Non-Vented Attics
"Spray foam insulation can be an effective solution in dealing with moisture issues in today’s roofs, as well as making a home more energy efficient." Prepared by Steve Easley If insulating between roof rafters, do so throughout entire attic
"Be sure that you use closed-cell spray foam and make it thick enough to be more effective. Avoid open-cell foam, as it would absorb moisture that may damage the roof sheathing." Prepared by Henri de Marne To Vent or Not To Vent
"The fact that spray-in foam creates a continuous air seal [in roof cavities] is what’s driving it in the United States,” says Paul Warren. “You’re sealing the space and insulating it at the same time." Prepared by Matthew Power Unvented Roof Assemblies for All Climates
"Closed-cell spray polyurethane foam can be used to create an unvented roof assembly that works in all climate zones. The design approach is the same for all climate zones." Prepared by Chris Schumacher - Vapor Barriers
Why Flash and Batt Makes Sense
"A minimum of 1 in. of closed-cell foam, the “flash” layer, is used to seal the framing cavity and raise the temperature of the condensing surface (the inner face of the nearly impermeable foam, in heating climates) to prevent moisture- laden indoor air from condensing on the exterior sheathing. Open-cell foam’s lower cost may be tempting, but its relatively low R-value, vapor permeance, and high expansion rate make it a poor choice for flash-and-batt applications." Prepared by Michael Maines Spray Polyurethane Foam: The need for Vapour Retarders in Above-Grade Residential Walls
"Closed-cell (about 2 pounds per cubic foot density or more) spray foam applied in thicknesses of over 2” (50 mm) will control vapor diffusion to safe levels in all climates up to 10000 HDD and interior winter-time relative humidities of up to an over 50%RH. As thickness increases the level of diffusion control increases. The diffusion control is equivalent to walls with the traditional fiberglass batt and polyethylene." Prepared by John Straube Understanding Vapor Barriers
"To manage moisture effectively, we need to control both air movement and moisture flow. The two are always intertwined. Sometimes one product, such as spray foam, addresses both issues." Prepared by Mark LaLiberte
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