Why Insulate With Foam?
Why insulate with foam insulation? It's a good question. And in these days of soaring
energy costs and uncertain supplies, there is an obvious answer. We
believe you should harness the insulating power of foam insulation for use in your home.
Not only is it a wise decision, but it is also practical to accomplish with a 21st Century
state-of-the-art sprayed foam insulation called The Icynene Insulation System®. You already know
how well foam insulates. Think
about the effectiveness of some common foam products that we use
on a regular basis:
The Foam Coffee Cup...
...Just 1/8" of Foam With An R-value
Of Less Than One.
Go to your favorite fast
food restaurant or 7-11 store and buy a cup of coffee. Hold the foam cup
in one hand and pour yourself a cup of steaming hot coffee with the other hand.
Go ahead...you won't burn your hand. The foam cup will only be warm to the
touch. In fact, if the foam was a
bit thicker, it is doubtful if you could feel whether the coffee was hot or
cold. Only the steam would give it away. In this example, we think
you'll agree that just
1/8" of foam is a pretty effective insulator.
The Foam Picnic
Chest...
...Just 1/2" of Foam With An R-value Of
Only About Two.
This is the classic example of
the insulating power of foam and a great illustration of the importance of
air sealing the area you want to heat or cool. Consider your experience
with a foam picnic chest. You can learn a great deal about insulating your
house from its' performance. You buy one at the local drug store or
Wal-Mart for a couple of dollars, and you entrust it to keep your beverages cold
for the weekend. Put in the drinks and a bag of ice on Saturday
morning, and put the lid down tight, and it's pretty likely that you'll still
have ice left on Sunday night. (Whether or not there are drinks left is another
question!) You have just proved the insulating power of about a half
inch of foam with a relatively low R-value (resistance to heat flow) of only about an R-2. (Frankly, if your house was as efficient as this foam picnic
chest, you'd be ecstatic!)
OK! OK! You've Convinced Us To Insulate and Airseal
at the Same Time.
So Tell Us More About Icynene®!
Here's
a recent application of Icynene®
that we installed in a new home under construction in Potomac, Maryland.
This foam
is not only a great insulator...but a great air barrier, as well.
Now that you are gaining an appreciation for the benefits of foam,
let's see how applying it in your home can make it so much more
efficient? You've just seen how well 1/8" of foam insulates.
And you've seen a dramatic example of how well
1/2" of foam can both insulate and airseal. But here's the good
news. In your home, we propose
foam from seven to eleven times thicker than the foam in a picnic chest.
Imagine the efficiency you can achieve with that much foam, both to insulate it and
to prevent excess air infiltration. The result? A
home that will be more comfortable and efficient and affordable to operate. And
a home well prepared to cope with the energy uncertainties we are
certain to face
in the years to come.
Following are some of the questions
we've been asked
about The Icynene Insulation System®:
What Is Icynene®?
Icynene® is an insulation and air sealing system that is
ideal for residential applications. An application of Icynene® combines
both a material and
a service. The material is a lightweight foam compound called polyicynene. The
service is custom
installation of each stud cavity or rafter cavity of a building directly on the construction site
by trained, licensed installers. Icynene® is much more than just
another insulation. By virtue of its low permeability to air
infiltration, its adhesion to
other building materials and its flexibility, it provides good air leakage
control, moisture control, and sound control, as well as great insulation. All
in one application.
Does Icynene® Have Building Code Approvals?
Yes! Icynene® has approval of all four major
building codes in the United States and the Canadian building code. In fact, it
is one of the most
extensively tested insulation products ever. Concern in the 1970's over
the excessive off-gassing of an early foam product called urea formaldehyde, and
related concerns in subsequent years over the health effects of other insulating
products, specifically asbestos and fiberglass, have resulted in some of the most
thorough and sensitive emissions testing of a new building product to date.
Based upon the results of this stringent testing, Icynene® met the
requirements of the building codes and subsequent re-certifications as required on a periodic basis.
What Are The Advantages Of Icynene®?
The major advantage of Icynene® is that it does
more than just insulate. It also windproofs and airseals wall and ceiling
cavities from air movement, with a 3 1/2" sample of foam proving to be
about 24 times less permeable to air infiltration than a similar thickness of
fiberglass batt. In addition, the insulating power of Icynene is not diminished
by lower temperatures or by air movement. Its R-value performs as
stated. By contrast, some building experts state that an
R-13 fiberglass batt in the presence of a 10 mile per hour breeze (the real
world) diminishes the insulating power of a batt to an R-5! Hardly the
kind of protection from heat and cold you were hoping to arrange for your
family.
What Is Icynene® Made Of?
Icynene® is an organic material developed from
products of the petrochemical industry. It is a two component system that
is sprayed like paint. The chemical constituents are similar to those used
in the manufacturer of many products already in your home, such as upholstery
foam and the foam used for pillows and mattresses---although the properties of
the foam are different.
Icynene® is an environmentally friendly
urethane in which the ozone-robbing CFC's have been replaced with air and water.
How Long Does It Take To Cure?
The foam is created within seconds after
spraying. You can watch it expand within seconds to 100 times its original
volume, literally before your eyes. It completely cures within a few
minutes.
Does Icynene® Absorb Water?
No; it looks like a sponge but it is actually
hydrophobic, i.e. it repels water. If placed in water it will float, and
on removal, it will dry rapidly with no loss of insulating properties. If
you ever have a roof leak or plumbing leak in your home which would soak the
insulation, the water will ultimately settle out of Icynene® and it will not
damage the foam. We can't say the same for other insulations. Water
breaks down the glue in a fiberglass batt so the batt is destroyed and loses its
effectiveness. Water also turns cellulose (ground newspaper) to mush and
it dries out VERY slowly (have you ever tried to dry out a wet newspaper?). The
cellulose settles into a lump leaving a large un-insulated cavity in the
wall. Of course, if it remains wet long enough, it can cause wood to rot
and foster mold or mildew growth within your walls.
Does Icynene®
Entrap Water?
No. As stated above, Icynene® is an
opened cell foam which is ideal for architectural purposes. The foam
breathes slowly, and any moisture
in the buildings' concrete or lumber can escape through the foam as the
building dries out, thus eliminating any risk of lumber rot or mildew usually
associated with materials that trap moisture.
How Long Does Icynene® Last? Does It Change
Physically?
Aging is not an issue with Icynene®. It is inert,
and its physical and insulating properties are constant.
Environmentally Speaking, Is There Anything
To Worry About?
No. Icynene® has been thoroughly tested.
Once it has aged for 30 days it is a stable product and no longer has any detectable emissions.
Icynene® has been used in
many of the American Lung Association "Health Homes" being built
around the U.S. In addition to the ALA use, Icynene® is also the only
insulation that has an Envirodesic certification from the Green-Eclipse
organization, indicating their approval of Icynene for use by persons with
chemical sensitivities. If you need help in planning a Envirodesic home to
accommodate a person with serious health issues, you may wish to call Bruce
Small, President at 1 (905) 649-1356 for information on their programs.
Are There Glass Fibers Or Formaldehyde In
Icynene®?
No to both. Glass fibers have been listed as a
suspected carcinogen by the EPA and most fiberglass batt manufacturers now print
a warning label on the wrapper. Formaldehyde was present in an early
commercial foam called urea formaldehyde which was also used in residential
applications in the early 1970's. Icynene® is free of both glass fibers or
formaldehyde and is a great choice for insulating your new home.
What's Your Question about Insulating With Foam?
Call Us at (301)948-1600,
or fill in your question on the form below
and submit it to us.
We'll answer your question as quickly as
possible
and add some of the best questions we receive to the list above.
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