What Are The Pros And Cons Of Spray Foam Insulation?

The Pro's Of Spray Foam Insulation

• Easy to install with our quick-working and expert insulation installation crew.
• There are no blowing agents such as CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons) or HCFCs (hydrochlorofluorocarbons) in our foam products.
• The foam sets within seconds, after which it no longer produces off-gassing. That makes it a superior insulation option and air sealing treatment for every square foot of your office.
• The energy savings over time more than make up for the initial installation costs. In fact, spray foam can reduce energy costs by as much as 50 percent so you won’t dread getting those energy bills during extreme weather months. Spray foam insulation can also increase the resale value of your property.
• Spray foam insulation is synthetic and hardens as it cures, so it does not attract insects (or rodents, as noted above) the way traditional fiberglass insulation might.

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The Con's Of Spray Foam Insulation

• Although (as mentioned above) rodents aren’t attracted to the foam, it’s not designed to be used as a barrier for rodents.
• The foam installation process creates some off-gassing and requires ventilation while the foam cures (i.e., sets).
• Spray foam insulation is typically a little more expensive than traditional fiberglass or other types of insulation. (See energy savings above.)
• There is some evidence (mostly anecdotal) that termites and carpenter ants can chew through — and take up residence in — spray foam insulation. However, regular pest control along with pest abatement procedures can be effective at keeping pests away in the first place.

How Spray Foam Insulation Works

The sorta technical explanation: Insulation works by slowing (mostly) conductive heat flow and (to a lesser extent) convective heat flow.

As explained by the U.S. Department of Energy, “Conduction is the way heat moves through materials, such as when a spoon placed in a hot cup of coffee conducts heat through its handle to your hand. Convection is the way heat circulates through liquids and gases, and is why lighter, warmer air rises, and cooler, denser air sinks.”

Furthermore, heat flows from warmer areas to cooler areas. That means wherever there is a temperature difference, hot air is gradually moving toward cooler air until the temperature evens out.

What does this mean for you and your business or office space? It means when it’s cold out, heat wants to escape. Conversely, when it’s super hot out and nice and cool inside, that outside heat wants to get in.

Thermal insulation prevents or slows down this heat transfer (or flow).

Let’s turn to the DOE for more guidance on this subject:

“To maintain comfort, the heat lost in the winter must be replaced by your heating system and the heat gained in the summer must be removed by your cooling system. Properly insulating will decrease this heat flow by providing an effective resistance to the flow of heat.”

Better insulation means less work for your heating and cooling systems. Less work for them means more money saved for you!

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R-Values And Spray Foam Insulation

One final PRO: Spray foam insulation has an exceptional R-value. Let’s look at what that means.

The R-value is a measure of a particular type of insulation’s ability to prevent heat transfer. Higher R-values mean better prevention. Spray foam insulation has the highest R-value of any insulation. At Spray-On Foam & Coatings, our open-cell products have R-values ranging from 3.75” to 4” per inch of material. Our closed-cell products have R-values ranging from 6.7” to 7” per inch of material.

Long story short: Spray foam insulation increases energy efficiency over the long term and prevents energy from skedaddling out through the structure’s exterior walls.

When it comes to insulating and energy savings, spray foam can represent a 30% to 50% savings over other insulation systems. Spray foam is healthier and more energy efficient than traditional insulation.

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