Spray Foam: Decks, Walls, Ceilings, and Tanks

Benefits of Spray Foam Insulation

• Stops air and moisture infiltration
• Makes your home more comfortable
• Saves on energy costs
• Adds strength to the building structure
• It is permanent and will not sag
• Keeps dust and pollen out
• Reduces capacity requirements, maintenance and wear of HVAC equipment

Spray Foam Insulation Redefines Traditional Construction Methods and Benefits Modern Building Sciences and Energy Efficient Green Building Initiatives
Read all about how spray foam used in the Building Envelope outperforms fiberglass insulation, becomes a superior air barrier, and defies traditional, and perhaps, outdated building practices of attic and crawl space ventilation.

SPF Saves You Money and Pays for Itself
SPF home insulation saves on energy costs and lowers utility bills. SPF is used to seal the entire “building envelope” of your home to prevent air and moisture infiltration. The US Department of Energy (DOE) studies show that 40% of your home’s energy is lost due to air infiltration. This air infiltrates the home in the form of drafts through walls sockets, windows and doorways.

High R-Value
Sprayed polyurethane foam has an aged R-value of approximately 6.87 per 1” inch thickness (depending on the particular formulation and application, higher values have been achieved), enabling it to provide more thermal resistance with less material than any other type of commercial insulation material. SPF systems are frequently used to insulate and protect a wide variety of residential, commercial, and industrial buildings.

Monthly energy and utility savings of 30% or greater can be achieved when compared to the alternative roofing and insulation systems. The cost of an SPF roof or insulation system can often be recovered in less than 5 years, simply through energy savings alone.

Prevents Air, Moisture and Gas Infiltration
Studies have shown that as much as 40% of a building’s total energy loss is due to air infiltration. Traditional fiberglass insulation is only stapled, or placed into the wall cavities and does not seal the stud and wall cavities from end to end, or top to bottom. Air infiltration can pass through these gaps, making it far less efficient than SPF. SPF not only adheres to, but forms to the walls and floors to create a tight seal and insulating barrier that stops this air leakage. SPF also boasts the highest R-value per inch than any other commercial material, (upwards of R-7.0, compared with Fiberglass at R-3.5) making your home more comfortable and less expensive to heat in the winter, and cool in the summer.

Helps Reduce Moisture and Mold
Molds produce tiny spores to reproduce. Mold spores waft through the indoor and outdoor air continually. When mold spores land on a damp spot indoors, they may begin growing and digesting whatever they are growing on in order to survive. There are molds that can grow on wood, paper, carpet, and foods. When excessive moisture or water accumulates indoors, mold growth will often occur, particularly if the moisture problem remains undiscovered or un-addressed. There is no practical way to eliminate all mold and mold spores in the indoor environment; the way to control indoor mold growth is to control moisture. SPF insulation is the key.

Enhances Overall Building Stability
Since SPF is seamless and monolithic, foam sprayed into the walls enhances overall building stability and reduces “rack and sheer.”

Deadens Sound Travel and Noise
SPF also reduces airborne sound making the home acoustically tighter and more private from room to room.

Specialty Applications

Tanks and Vessels

Spray Polyurethane Foam (SPF) can be used in a variety of different applications, one of those is tanks and vessels. SPF can be a solution for cold vessel insulation for products such as wine, chemicals, and soft drinks. It is excellent to store products that need controlled temperatures. SPF systems are perfect for these type insulations because of the superior durability and ease of application.

Spray Polyurethane Foam can be used for hot/warm vessel insulation. If there is a need to maintain temperature control and/or viscosity levels of chemicals or other liquids, SPF fluid-applied systems and protective coatings offer superior performance.
 
E&C INSULATION can protect your tanks, silos and the contents in them by insulating them with spray-applied polyurethane foam & coatings. Using the same principle as a Thermos Jug, our spray-applied insulating foam system helps maintain the desired internal temperature, as well as protecting your tanks from rust, age and harsh weather.

E&C INSULATION have performed various foam & coating test throughout the years and have found systems that out perform others out in the market. The extensive testing and research has been done with one thing in mind, to find the system that is the most durable, easy maintenance, high impact resistant, and pinhole free. These are qualities that our customers have been looking for the SPF systems on their tanks. We at E&C INSULATION feel fortunate that we have found the coating combination that works.  
                                                                      

Residential Applications

Residential Wall Insulation:

Little Product... BIG Benefits!

Spray Polyurethane Foam (SPF) insulation is rigid, lightweight, flexible, wind resistant, and effective in extreme temperatures and weather conditions. SPF insulation has the highest R-value per square inch of any commercially available insulation material.

Total Comfort Control, Not Just R-Value

The building envelope is a system of construction components which protect against the uncontrolled movement of: heat, air, and moisture.

The true performance of your building envelope can not be measured with the R-value of the insulation alone, but must also consider air movement, moisture control, health, safety, durability, comfort, and energy efficiency.

This is true whether your building is commercial, residential, or multifamily: SPF addresses all these needs in both new construction and improvements to existing structures.

Six Mechanisms of Heat Loss Through a Wall or Ceiling That Are Bad for Your Home and Your Health

1. Conduction
2. Radiation
3. Convection Currents
4. Infiltration (Wind Pressure)
5. Intrusion (Wind Wash)
6. Moisture Accumulation (Humidity, Dew, and Frost

Did you know?

• Air infiltration can increase energy costs in buildings 10 to 40%.
• SPF reduces air infiltration allowing insulation to be more effective and reducing the demands on HVAC equipment.
• SPF reduces moisture infiltration by reducing air leakage.
• SPF adds structural strength to walls and ceilings.
• SPF reduces sound transfer into buildings. Most sound from outside the building is carried into the building through cracks and air leaks. SPF by stopping the air infiltration also helps keep sound out.
• SPF minimizes dew point problems and condensation.
• SPF resists heat transfers through air infiltration regardless of flow direction.
• SPF provides reliable R-values under the most extreme conditions, dependable and durable protection against heat loss or gain.
• SPF minimizes thermal bridging, which can cause higher energy usage and cost.
• SPF out-performs conventional insulation materials because they trap still dry air and if that air moves or becomes wet, the thermal resistance can drop by 50%.
• According to ASHRAE, a 3% void area in a wall cavity represents a 15% reduction in wall R-value.

Commercial Wall Insulation

Spray foam insulation could be the best insulation system yet invented.

Look at the following advantages:

• On the inside of the wall panel of a building it has an extremely high R value, it has been shown to dramatically increase the racking strength in steel and timber frame buildings, in some instances has been specified to prevent wind uplift in commercial decking systems.
• On the outside of the building it can be used as a combined vapor and air barrier system and is recognized as such when applied to the American Air Barrier Association standards. It can also be used below grade for the insulation of basements and foundation.
• It does not emit VOCs or hydrocarbons and has a proven track record over the last 20 years.

Commercial Decking

Spray polyurethane foam (SPF) decking consists of an application of specifically designed foam covered with an elastomeric coating (typically acrylic, silicone or polyurethane) or aggregate covering to protect the foam from ultraviolet rays. Specialized equipment mixes two liquid components at the spray gun that applies the SPF to a prepared substrate. The mixed liquid expands many times its original volume in a matter of seconds, forming a rigid foam plastic that chemically bonds to the surface to which it is sprayed. Spraying the foam in ½” to 1-1/2” lifts allows the applicator to reach the desired thickness to fill in low areas, build up slope, and provide insulation.

SPF has a closed cell structure that makes it water resistant. It must, however, be protected by elastomeric coatings or other coverings (such as aggregate) to prevent ultra-violet-induced surface degradation. Such coverings can also be used for other purposes, including, inhibiting moisture vapor transmission, enhancing the aesthetics of the system, increasing the impact and abrasion resistance of the system, achieving non-flammability and meeting code requirements.

SPF decking systems have good adhesion to a variety of substrates including metal, wood, concrete and built up roofing (BUR). Since SPF adds little weight to existing deck coverings and can build slope to fill in low areas, these systems are used frequently as a recover decking system. Caution should be used when specifying any recover decking system. The existing deck covering and  deck assembly should be thoroughly evaluated by a structural engineer to verify that it can be a safe substrate for SPF decking systems.

Hail and wind driven missiles (such as tree limbs, broken roof tile, metal flashing, etc.) can damage the SPF decking system. However, this type of damage typically does not cause leaks and can be repaired later without compromising the long-term performance of the system.

SPF decking systems also excel when the following conditions exist:

• Additional insulation is required
• There are severe temperatures
• The deck substrate has numerous penetrations
• The deck is an unusual configuration
• The deck is in an area where high winds are likely to occur
• Lightweight materials are required
• Slope must be added to provide positive drainage

Because of the energy saving characteristics and low maintenance costs of SPF deck systems, these decks are suited to companies or organizations that own their own buildings and must pay their own energy and maintenance costs.

10 ADVANTAGES OF POLYURETHANE SPRAY FOAM DECK (SPF)

1.    Versatile – Polyurethane foam can be applied to surfaces with irregular shapes and penetrations.  Applications include tanks, pipes, cold storage rooms and flotation devices.  It’s especially suited for decking, as multiple applications can be made over the existing deck.  This eliminates the need for costly tear-off.

2.    Stops Leaks and is Weather Resistant – Polyurethane foams form monolithic, self-flashing surfaces which effectively seal against leaks.  Further protection comes from the weather resistant, elastomeric coating applied over the foam.  The foam can be sprayed with slope drains, facilitating water removal.

3.    Adheres to Most Surfaces – A seamless layer of foam is fully adhered to the substrate – horizontal or vertical - and withstands high wind stresses.

4.    Reduces and Simplifies Roof Maintenance – The applied polyurethane foam system usually requires no maintenance.  If damaged, urethane sealant is sufficient for repair in most cases.

5.    Provides Superior Insulating Efficiency – Polyurethane foam is the most efficient form of thermal insulation available.  The systems pay for themselves in 2 to 6 years of energy savings alone.

6.    Reduces Building Movement – By placing the insulation on the outside, the foam system reduces building movement and thermal shock.

7.    Lightweight – Complete polyurethane foam systems are typically many times lighter than tar and gravel systems.  When applied to an existing deck, the loose ballast removed usually weighs more than the replacement foam system.  This results in the new deck being lighter than the original.

8.    UL Listed – Spray foams incorporated into our systems are listed under UL 790 and UL 723.  UL 790 decking systems are listed Class A over non-combustible decks and Class B over combustible decks.

9.    Asbestos and Formaldehyde Free – Our foams contain absolutely NO asbestos or formaldehyde.

10. Proven Roofing and Insulating System – SPF systems have been applied successfully over 30 years.