Spray Foam Information
Double The R-value
Today, the majority of the products used as thermal insulation in a building, use air as the insulator. In other words, they must trap air to be successful. These traditional insulations, commonly known as fiberglass batting, blown dry or wet cellulose, wool or even open cell foam, all carry a R-value of between 3.0 to 3.5 per inch, are not water resistant and will separate from the structure when a building racks, leaving voids and cracks that allow the R-value to be compromised by the transmission of air and moisture.
The second type of insulation product uses a captive gas which has a thermal conductivity lower than that of air. This insulator is known as Rigid Cell Foam or Closed Cell Foam. The blowing agent that is a part of this foam, produces an R-Value that is greater than that of air, usually in the 6.5 to 7.0 value per inch. This product goes on seamless and fills all the gaps and voids and does not allow air and moisture to circulate behind your walls. It's monolithic strength helps hold your building together during racking.
Keep in mind that not all insulations are created equal, no matter what the total R-Value for any given insulation product might claim. The most important performance criteria is the field-installed performance as measured when the product is actually installed and working in a building. Field-installed, real-world performance is what will impact you the most, and especially help you by reducing your energy bills, improving the performance of your houses as a whole, and making your homes much more comfortable to live in.
Moisture Resistant
Moisture is all around us. It travels in the air. Air leakage is the main contributer to problems dealing with moisture with-in a building. Most traditional insulating materials only absorb water, and actually hold moisture against the underside of the sheathing, creating a breeding ground for future problems. This is not the case with Closed Cell Foam. CCF has a perm rating of less than 1 at over 2 inches of application. Perm rating is simply a products ability to stop the penetration of moisture. CCF is tops in all the insulating products available today. One of the reason's code officials passed new building codes was to permit unventilated roofing systems to keep out moisture and it's harmful effects on the building structure and it's occupants. Studies prove that moisture ends up in our walls and attics from building practices that have been used for many years. Moisture can actually be pulled from a basement or crawlspace, up through your exterior walls and deposited into your attic insulation. This creates damp areas for mold growth and the reduction of the R-value of traditional insulation in the walls and attic areas. Current construction practices un-knowingly encourage the transmission of moisture, dust, pollens and even poisons that come into our homes riding on the wind. Through our soffits and into our attic ventilation systems in an effort to take the hot air out of the structure, we sometimes drop moisture and other harmful properties into our attics.
With the use of CCF, we block all those existing channels where this problem air and moisture flow from. We guarantee when applied as recommended, you will not have to worry about what's going on behind your walls and up in your attic where in the past you could not see what had happening until it was too late. CCF is air impermeable, which means if no inside air can escape, and the outside air coming in is reduced to practically nothing, then multiple problems within your building have been solved. No more rot, mold, mildew, poisons, dust or pollens for your family to worry about.
Mold Prevention
Mold requires 3 main ingredients to grow: They are, moisture, warm temperatures and a food source. Almost all buildings these days have this kind of problem. Because a building racks over the years, tiny cracks and penetration points are created that you are unaware of. This allows an avenue for air to carry moisture to the inside of your homes. Once there, this moisture finds a home in traditional insulation and waits on the temperature to heat up. Recent investigations by FEMA and other investigating emergency teams found this to be true in many homes after the hurricane damage along the coast lines in the near past. With so much roof damage, exterior walls had to be pulled off and replaced. The agency found existing mold and mildew already growing long before the water damage occurred. The only buildings that did not show any significant growth were those buildings using Closed Cell Foam for insulation.A building sprayed with CCF does not have the same worries, because CCF is not considered a food source for mold. Due to it's un-matched perm rating, CCF stops all air leakage within the cavity, thus eliminating any transfer of moisture. This will eliminate the chance for mold, and dust mites to grow. You virtually don't have to worry anymore about the horrible health or structural problems that are associated with mold and air leakage in a home that has been totally installed, and protected with a CCF System. Traditional insulations cannot say that they help against mold, because they cannot stop air or moisture leakage.
Controls Air Filtration
Closed Cell Foam, CCF, has been tested and proved to be an air barrier at barely a 1.5 inch thickness. CCF fully adheres to any dry surface and does not allow air to flow around, behind or through the substrate. Traditional insulation is formulated to trap air only and must be installed perfectly to even perform 50% of the time. That means if there are any joints, cracks or voids in the traditional insulation package, you could be in for drafty and damp conditions within the confines of your home. This will without a doubt, decrease your comfort of living and increase your costs of utilities. The US Department of Energy (DOE) has shown that a considerable amount of traditional insulation material's effectiveness is lost due to air leakage. CCF can stop air leakage by filling in every leaking gap, crack, or cell and that greatly increases the quality of living within the building. CCF will also start mending the financial gaps, and cracks as soon as it has been applied.Increases The Structural Strength
When we think of insulating our homes and offices, we rarely include structural strength as part of an insulation system.Unlike fibrous insulation, Closed Cell Foam, CCF can and does act as a structural element, enhancing the racking strength of common 2' x 4' walls threefold. CCF, adds much more to your building than meets the eye. One truly amazing stat is it's ability to add structural strength to your walls and roofline. Tests conducted by National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) showed this interesting fact. When CCF is sprayed between wood, or steel studs, an increase in the rack and shear strength by 3 times is added. Traditional insulation can't even come close to what CCF can do for you. 