Architectural, Design and Engineering
At face value, spray foam has traditionally been more expensive than alternative materials, but then again so have Rolex watches and Mercedes-Benz vehicles. You get what you pay for, and with spray foam, you get performance, sustainability and combined characteristics no other building products can offer by themselves.
There is a reason why polyurethane foam is used in most every refrigerator, hot water heater, refreshment cooler, insulated flask, and hot tub. You don’t see fiberglass batts wrapped around the space shuttle either. That’s because polyurethane foam is far more superior in its R-value, structural strength, air/moisture sealing, and form fitting characteristics.
Consumers and facility managers are becoming more educated and more demanding relative the building materials used in the construction of their properties. They are seeking the best, highest performing, and sustainable materials for their properties, their families and their occupants, not to mention their wallets. And even though spray foam is more expensive, it can absolutely help to save money and create much greater value and performance over time.
That’s because spray foam is one of the best insulating materials known to man. When SPF is specified in construction, it often results in payback and savings on energy costs. SPF can often eliminate the need for other materials, labor intensive tasks, and possesses characteristics that competing materials just don’t have.
For example, residential insulation such as fiberglass has nowhere near the benefits of spray foam insulation. And while SPF may cost more up front, it pays for itself through energy savings, air quality improvements, air/moisture/mold management, noise reduction, and overall strength improvements. If you really look at these benefits, SPF is actually less expensive and far more valuable over time, and isn’t that what sustainable design and “green” building is all about?
In commercial roofing for example, no other materials can provide all the same advantages of spray foam by themselves. Energy savings alone can make the difference between spray foam and other materials. Another unique characteristic is that SPF is self-flashing and becomes a monolithic and potentially leak free roof surface.
Sprayed polyurethane foam has an aged R-value of approximately 6.0 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.
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.