DIY Network

Insulation and Air Quality: Spray Foam Insulation From "Home IQ" episode DHIQ-112

One of the high-tech insulation products being utilized on the Oberg home is a foam-spray product called "Icynene," which is a foam that starts as two separate liquid components (a and b, if you will) that are heated up and sent through two different hoses and meet at a tip of a gun (figure A) where the magic begins. This is a thin film that expands to 100 times its volume (figure B) in eight seconds, when it's permanently set up.

Figure A

Figure B

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	Figure C
	Figure D
	Figure E

During the installation of this particular spray foam the house begins to look like the set of a sci-fi movie, and protective gear (figure C) is needed because the over-spray can be harmful to lungs. (Even our DIY camera crews had to be suited up in order to tape this portion of the construction.)

After the product sets up it has a rough texture that expands beyond the drywall barrier. The installers have to "scarf" (figure D) -- scrape off -- the foam in order for the drywall to fit properly. The installers basically make sure the foam is cut smoothly.

This particular foam insulation won't allow air to move through or around it, creating a complete air barrier. Icynene was also applied to the underside of the roof deck of the Oberg home, creating an airtight seal between the roof and the attic space.

Note: The practice of foam insulating the attic has raised eyebrows in the building industry because "standard" roofing techniques call for the attic to be ventilated; however, in a vented attic situation it will become approximately 130-degrees in the summer. There's no reason for your air-conditioning and vent-ductwork to have to work in that type of severe conditions. By applying Icynene right on the underside of the roof deck, the severe temperatures no longer exist in the attic. In short, the attic is now a "conditioned" space of the house that is just as comfortable as any other room in the home. This is called a "Compact Roof" (figure E), which means you can frame right up against it. The one drawback of using expanded foam on the inside of the roof is that this will cause the temperature of the shingles to rise, but how much is not yet known. And how much damage a rise in temperatures could cause is debatable.

In the next segment the interior walls are insulated, and a new sound-barrier product is used.

RESOURCES :

Tuff-N-Dri® Basement Waterproofing System
Tremco Barrier Solutions, Inc.
Website: www.guaranteeddrybasements.com

Rigid Foam Insulation
Owens Corning
Website: www.owenscorning.com

Warm-N-Dri® Foundation Board
Tremco Barrier Solutions, Inc.
Website: www.guaranteeddrybasements.com

Spray Foam Insulation (Icynene)
Icynene, Inc.
Website: www.icynene.com

Fiberglass Insulation (Owens Corning)
www.owenscorning.com

Acoustic Insulation (Owens Corning)
Owens Corning
Website: www.owenscorning.com

Insulation Installation (US Spray Systems)
US Spray Systems
6500 Commerce Circle
Trafford, PA 15085
Toll-free: 800-895-8784
Fax: 412-374-1180

Insulation (Suburban)
Suburban Insulation, Inc.
Website: www.ibpteam.com

Energy Recovery Ventilator (ERV) / Air Conditioning
Carrier Corp.
7310 W. Morris St.
Indianapolis, IN 46231
Phone: 317-240-5219
Website: www.global.carrier.com

Roofers
Basi Roofing
3200 Black Oak Dr.
Allison Park, PA
Phone: 412-486-1661
Fax: 412-486-9178

House Wrap (DuPont)
DuPont Tyvek®
Website: www.tyvek.com

GUESTS :

Anthony Grisolia
Systems Integrator
Ibacos, Inc.
Website: www.ibacos.com

Brad and Lynn Oberg
Homeowners
Company: IBACOS (Brad)
Title: Co-Founder/Chief Technology Officer
Website: www.ibacos.com

Greg Allen
Site Supervisor
Hendolhurst Homes
955 Markman Park Rd.
Baden, PA 15005
Phone: 724-935-5658
Fax: 724-935-0884
E-mail: gcrbs@adelphia.net

Tom Cullivan
National Marketing Manager
Tremco Barrier Solutions, Inc.
6402 East Main St.
Reynoldsburg, OH 43068
Phone: 614-322-4420
Fax: 800-230-8178
E-mail: cullivth@tremcoinc.com

Eric Newhouse
Systems Integration Designer
IBACOS
Website: www.ibacos.com

Bruce Dickson
Project Manager
IBACOS
Website: www.ibacos.com

John Broniek
Buildings Programs Manager
Ibacos
Website: www.ibacos.com

John Holton
Senior Architect
Ibacos
Website: www.ibacos.com

Kevin Waldo
Product Manager
Carrier Corp.
7310 W. Morris St.
Indianapolis, IN 46231
Phone: 317-240-5219
E-mail: Kevin.waldo@carrier.com
Website: www.global.carrier.com

Shawn Rippon
VP Marketing
Icynene
6747 Campobello Rd.
Mississauga, ON, Canada L5N 2L7
Toll-free: 800-758-7325
Phone: 905-363-4040
Fax: 905-363-0102
Website: www.icynene.com

Dan Zupsic
Installer
Suburban Insulation, Inc.
193 Crowe Ave.
Mars, PA 16046
Phone: 724-625-2257
Fax: 724-625-3720
E-mail: mars@installed.net
Website: www.ibpteam.com

Matt Klym
Installer
Suburban Insulation, Inc.
193 Crowe Ave.
Mars, PA 16046
Phone: 724-625-2257
Fax: 724-625-3720
E-mail: mars@installed.net
Website: www.ibpteam.com

Ron Reiner
Owner
Suburban Insulation, Inc.
193 Crowe Ave.
Mars, PA 16046
Phone: 724-625-2257
Fax: 724-625-3720
E-mail: mars@installed.net
Website: www.ibpteam.com

Jerry Zupsic
Estimator
Suburban Insulation, Inc.
193 Crowe Ave.
Mars, PA 16046
Phone: 724-625-2257
Fax: 724-625-3720
E-mail: mars@installed.net
Website: www.ibpteam.com