RESIDENTIAL -
Energy Efficient

Long Term Energy Savings of Sprayed Foam

Building a new home or business can be overwhelming. The selection of materials can make the decision process difficult. Your insulation choice will have a major impact on long-term energy costs, your health and comfort. Once insulation is installed, itÕs not something you can change easily, if at all. Now is the time to decide that foam is the right choice.

Outstanding Durability of Sprayed Foam

Unlike other insulation, foam doesnÕt shrink, settle or deteriorate over time. It maintains itÕs R-value efficiency over time. ItÕs not affected by water leaks, ground shifting and it offers no food value for termites and other rodents, so itÕs a perfect choice for buildings in Texas and Oklahoma.

Energy Heat Loss Explained

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The Other Insulation Choices

Sprayed foam is our choice for insulation for many reasons, but there are other choices on the market. All Season's Foam can install other materials, call for pricing and availability.

BLANKETS (Fiberglass or Rockwool), in the form of batts or rolls, are flexible products made from mineral fibers. They are available in widths suited to standard spacings of wall studs and attic or floor joists. Continuous rolls can be hand-cut and trimmed to fit. They are available with or without vapor retard facings. Batts with a special flame-resistant facing are available in various widths for basement walls where the insulation will be left exposed.

Disadvantage:

• Hard to get a good fit
  
• Doesn't control air leakage
• Can be ruined with water damage
• Can support mold growth
• Contains formaldehyde

 

BLOWN-IN (Fiberglass, Cellulose, Rockwool) loose-fill insulation includes loose fibers or fiber pellets that are blown into building cavities or attics using special pneumatic equipment.

Disadvantage:

• Blown insulation will settle over time leaving empty air space not protected with insulation
• Doesn't control air leakage
• Can be ruined with water damage
• Can support mold growth
• Contain formaldehyde.

 

RIGID INSULATION (Extruded Polystyrene Foam, Bead Board, Polyurethane Foam) is made from fibrous materials or plastic foams and is pressed or extruded into board-like forms and molded pipe-coverings. Such boards may be faced with a reflective foil that reduces heat flow when next to an air space.

Disadvantage:

• For fire safety, interior applications must be covered with 1/2 inch gypsum board or similar material
  
• Hard to fit around small places
  
• Doesn't control air leakage
  
• Permits air convection inside walls

REFLECTIVE INSULATION SYSTEMS (Foil-faced paper, Foil-faced bubbles, Foil-faced plastic film, Foil-faced cardboard) are fabricated from aluminum foils with a variety of backings such as kraft paper, plastic film, polyethylene bubbles, or cardboard. Reflective systems are typically located between roof rafters, floor joists, or wall studs. If a single reflective surface is used alone and faces an open space, such as an attic, it is called a RADIANT BARRIER. Radiant barriers are sometimes used in buildings to reduce summer heat gain and winter heat loss. They are more effective in hot climates than in cool climates. All radiant barriers must have a low emittance (0.1 or less) and high reflectance (0.9 or more).

Disadvantage:

• Must be fitted around stud joists and beams which means a consistent tight seal is difficult
• Doesn't control air leakage
  
• Permits air convection inside walls
  
• Some materials may contain food value for insects.

The Spray Foam Advantage:

• Reduce energy costs up to 50% monthly
  
  
• Reduce heating and air-conditioning tonnage by as much as 40% without the loss of energy or comfort by preventing uncontrolled movement of air through the wall cavities
  
  
• Take advantage of Energy Stars¨ preferred rates and terms
  
  
• Improve thermal comfort by creating a draft-free environment by eliminating costly air leakage
  
  
• Return on investment by enhancing resale value
  
  
• Eliminate condensation in duct work and walls that can lead to costly mold growth not covered by many insurance companies in Texas

 

Points to Consider When Choosing Sprayed Foam

Bay Windows -
If your home will have bay windows and dormers, sprayed foam is the best material for insulating around these special architectural features. Sprayed foam expands to fill the surrounding cavity, virtually eliminating any air leaks.

Brick, Stone and Masonry -
There is only about an inch or so of space between the plaster and brick outer layer. There is little space for a lot of insulation, but even one inch can reduce hear flow by 75% and make a major improvement in air leakage. The foam expands in the direction of least resistance, you can be assured it will not expand outward and damage the wall. Keep in mind, sprayed foam does not settle, shrink or allow air infiltration into the cavities of walls which will eliminate humid air entering into the wall cavity and condensing.

Ceilings -
In older homes, ceilings common insulation materials used in the past were batts or blown insulation. But these materials fail to eliminate air movement between the living space and the attic. Air leaks often occur through electrical wires, plumping pipes and chimneys. Sprayed foam is the superior choice to seal these areas. The old insulation can be removed and sprayed foam can be applied to improve your insulation R-value.

 

Air Leakage Must be Controlled

Most homeowners are aware that air leaks into their houses through what seem to be small openings around doors and window frames and through fireplaces and chimneys. Air enters the living space from other unheated parts of the house, such as attics, basements, or crawl spaces. Air travels through any openings in your walls, floors, or ceilings, such as cracks where two walls meet, where the wall meets the ceiling, or near interior door frames.

Other openings may also be found, such as gaps around electrical outlets and switch boxes, recessed fixtures, recessed cabinets, pull-down stairs, furred or false ceilings such as kitchen or bathroom soffits, behind bath tubs and shower stall units, floor cavities of finished attics adjacent to unconditioned attic spaces, and plumbing connections.

These leaks between the living space and other parts of the house are often much greater than the obvious leaks around windows and doors. Many of these leakage paths are driven by the tendency for warm air to rise and cool air to fall, the attic is often the best place to stop them. Sometimes these leak locations are visible because the existing insulation has been stained by dust carried by the air flow. Some of the openings to look for include the following.

• Top openings of interior partition wall cavities
• Around the chimney
• Around the attic trap door or entry door
• Areas above staircase ceilings and dropped ceilings
• Around pipes (look under your sinks and behind your toilets)
• Ducts penetrating a wall or attic floor

All Season's Sprayed Foam will expand and fill these areas and stop air leakage. It's really the best choice for a long term energy savings.