Spray foam insulation is a popular product for high-performance homes due to its energy efficiency and air sealing capabilities. The insulating material sprays as a liquid and expands into a dense foam packed with tiny air bubbles that provide a thermal barrier, stopping heat from entering or exiting your home. It can be sprayed in walls, rim joists, crawl spaces, attics and other areas to meet insulation R-value requirements.

Unlike other insulating materials like fiberglass or cellulose, spray foam does not compress or sag over time. This helps to maintain a higher R-value and reduces air leakage, which accounts for up to 50 percent of home energy loss. Spray foam also hinders sound movement between rooms.

Spray Foam Solutions: A Deep Dive into Cutting-Edge Insulation Technologies

However, spray foam insulation can come with a significant environmental burden that comes in the form of high global warming potential (GWP) blowing agents. Many manufacturers are now switching to low GWP foam products with blowing agents such as Solstice, which has a GWP of 1 (the same as carbon dioxide). Other leading brands include HandiFoam High Density, which uses HFO blowing agents, and Gaco, which contains polyols derived from natural renewable oils and post-consumer recycled plastics.

Professionals are best equipped to install spray foam, as the product requires special chemicals and equipment. It can also off-gas large amounts of volatile organic compounds during and after installation, so it is important that homeowners vacate the home during and immediately after spraying. This is particularly true for 2-component kits that require mixing together the 2 separate components of the foam prior to use.

Quality Insulation
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