Spraying Foam Insulation.

We're spraying foam insulation into the exterior walls and the underside of the roof today.

We use spray foam insulation because it seals all of the possible air passages better than traditional insulation. Since expanding spray foam is so good at finding and filling all of the possible air leaks it works much better than batting, which can leave air leaks in every cavity.

20-40% of a typical new home's heat loss is due to infiltration. Infiltration is simply the air that finds its way through holes in the house. Infiltration is measured by performing a Blower Door Test. As we've mentioned in a previous post, spray foam insulation is one of the big ways that we stop "The Stack Effect" and achieve amazing results.

We own our spray foam truck rather than using a subcontractor so that we can control scheduling, cost and quality. As you may know, we use a five person crew to build the entire house. Two from that crew spray the insulation.

We spray Demilec's open cell SealEction Agribalance.

From the Demilec website:

SEALECTION Agribalance® is a two-component, polyurethane foam system that contains more than 20% renewable agricultural-based materials (refined vegetable oils).

During the 1990s, the EPA rated indoor air pollution as one of the five most urgent environmental issues, accounting for over $1 billion in direct health care costs annually. The culprit is improper ventilation and poor building practices.

With the focus on improving building standards, each step in the process is being scrutinized and improved, especially the insulation process. Demilec (USA) is well ahead on the technology curve when it comes to improving indoor air quality.

According to the American Lung Association, in excess of 40% of American households have at least one person suffering from asthma or allergies making the quality of indoor air crucial to their good health. Properly insulating a home can have a positive impact on the quality of the indoor air.

By sealing out dust, allergens, odors and pollutants SEALECTION Agribalance® allows the air management system to be designed so that the indoor air quality is healthier than the outside air.

Because the foam adheres to whatever it's sprayed on, all of the floors, windows, doors, and vents are covered for protection. The insulation is sprayed into the wall cavities where it expands instantly to fill all of the voids.

Later, the foam that has expanded beyond the steel studs is trimmed off with an electric reciprocating saw. The waste will be used for sound control inside the house.

When we're done with the spray foam we'll be ready to sheet rock.

Mark Mecklem - Miranda Homes