Spray Foam Insulation Standards.

Beware! Spray Foam Insulation is not just Spray Foam Insulation. A person who has not educated themselves on the different types of Spray Foam Insulation products and the properties of the those products can easily get burned (literally and figuratively) by contractors whose bottom line is more important than installing the right Spray Foam Insulation product that meets **ICC (International Code Council) Building Codes.

Spray Foam Insulation that is to be installed in crawl spaces and attics has to meet specific standards and pass stringent testing. Only a True 2 LB. Closed Cell Spray Foam that passes Vapor Barrier, Moisture Barrier, and Flame Spread (NFPA 286 ROOM CORNER TEST) testing should be installed in a crawl space or attic.

Installing a Spray Foam Insulation product in your home that does not meet these rigorous standards will cost you more than you think. A costly vapor barrier will have to be installed and an even more costly **Ignition Barrier (Fire Resistant Paint) will have to be applied over the installed Spray Foam at a cost of $1.00 to $2.00 per square foot. Add the cost to replace inferior products or repair the damage to your home caused by moisture, mold and the like. In the case of a fire, the cost could be catastrophic. Some contractors do not inform their customers about the risk and additional costs to offer a better price or to make more money at your expense.

The consumer has to understand the difference between Spray Foam Insulation Products:

**1/2 LB. Open-Cell Spray Foam will cover about 13,000 to 14,000 square feet at 1 inch thickness. **1/2 LB. Open-Cell Spray Foam has an R-Value of 3.1 to 3.4 per inch thick.

**1 LB. Open Cell Spray Foam will cover about 8,000 to 9,500 square feet at 1 inch thickness. **1 LB. Open Cell Spray Foam has an R-Value of 4.3 to 4.5 per inch thick.

*2 LB. Closed-Cell Spray Foam will cover about 3,800 to 4,200 square feet at 1 inch thickness. *2 LB. Closed-Cell Spray Foam has an R-Value of 6.2 to 6.9 per inch thick.

I say “True” Closed Cell because there are Hybrid 2 LB. and Water Blown Spray Foam Products that do not qualify as Closed Cell Spray Foam. Hybrids do not pass the test requirements to be Closed Cell. The hybrids are made by manufactures to get greater yield and to be more profitable for the contractor.

What does this mean?

First, the cost to the contractor to buy any of the above is about the same. A set (2 - 55 Gallon Drums) of 1/2 LB. Open Cell costs the same as a set of 2 LB. Closed Cell. Almost all contractors pay about the same price for the material. The difference is yield, R-Value and does the product meet ICC Building Codes for Residential Homes.

It means a contractor could make more money by installing 1 LB. Open-Cell spray Foam Insulation in place of a contractor installing True 2 LB. Closed-Cell Spray Foam Insulation.

Example for illustration only: Cost per square foot at 1 inch thick (1 Board Foot):

**1 LB. Open-Cell Spray Foam Insulation = $0.75 x 1000 sq ft = $750.00 (R-4.3, Not a Moisture Barrier, **No Ignition Barrier

2 LB Closed-Cell Spray Foam Insulation = $1.50 X 1000 sq ft = $1,500.00 (R-6.6, Moisture Barrier, Vapor Barrier, *2 Manufactures have passed the NFPA 286 Flame Spread Test

The bottom line.

A contractor can install 1 LB. Open-Cell Spray Foam Insulation in unknowing customers home and be substantially less in price than the honest contractor who installs True 2 LB. Closed-Cell. And even worse, if a contractor charges for 2 LB. Closed Cell Spray Foam Insulation and installs 1 LB. Open Cell Spray Foam Insulation instead, then the consumer has been deceived. Let’s face it. There are good mechanics and bad mechanics, good lawyers and bad lawyers, good doctors and bad doctors. It is the same in the world of Spray Foam Insulation.

Price is just price.

If a contractor has quoted a substantially lower price than another, then the lower-priced contractor could be using an inferior product or deceptive practices or both that could cost you more than you realize.

How can you tell which Spray Foam Insulation has been installed in your home?

1/2 LB. Open-Cell Spray Foam Insulation is soft, mushy and kind of like a sponge but will not return to shape like a sponge and it will absorb moisture like a sponge because it is open cell, a potential breeding ground for mold. It will easily crumble into pieces. Open Cell **Requires Ignition Barrier.

1 LB. Open-Cell Spray Foam Insulation is a little denser than 1/2 LB. and not as soft yet will still be mushy and will still crumble and will still absorb moisture, a potential breeding ground for mold. Open Cell **Requires Ignition Barrier.

2 LB Closed-Cell Spray Foam Insulation is very dense and will not be soft and will not crumble and it will not absorb moisture. *Passes 286 Flame Spread Test as Ignition Barrier. *DOES NOT require an ignition Barrier.

What can you do if a contractor has installed the wrong Spray Foam Insulation Product in your home? The best advice is to call or go on line and file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau. They will assist you in getting the problem rectified. Another option is to write a review on Angie’s List so other consumers have access to the information about the contractor.

**ICC Building Code

2603.4.1.4 Attics and crawl spaces:
Within an attic or crawl space where entry is made only for service of utilities, foam plastic shall be protected against ignition by 1 1/2-inch-thick (38 mm) mineral fiber insulation, 1/4-inch-thick (6 mm) wood structural panel, particleboard or hardboard, 3/8-inch gypsum wallboard, corrosion resistant steel having a base metal thickness of 0.016 inch (0.4 mm), or other approved material installed in such a manner that the foam plastic is not exposed. The protective covering shall be consistent with the requirements for the type of construction.