Icynene Synopsis

Simply put, installing Icynene to your home or business is not just insulation but a complete Insulation System.  Batt and Blown In Fiber Insulation products offer an R-Value (R is an indication of heat conduction) benefit only.  The thicker the application the higher the R-Value. The negative effects of these products are that they compress over time and they allow airflow, both of which reduce its R-Value and effectiveness as insulation.

Therma Seal Insulation Systems creates an “unvented attic” assembly, which prohibits the intrusion of heat, humidity or pollen into the attic space.  More importantly, the cool air you produce; which in the past seeps through the conventional insulation and dispersed out into the environment, is now retained in the attic space.  The result is a home, which cools quickly and then retains this temperature significantly longer

The benefits you gain by adding this system include air quality and sound absorption and improved energy efficiency. 

As indicated, Icynene is an insulation system that beyond its thermal attributes (R Value) is an Air Barrier system.  This envelope over the conditioned space, is also known as “Unvented Attic System” (http://www.thermaseal.net/images/stories/design-notes/benefits-of-unvented-attic.pdf)

The system provided by Therma Seal retains this cooler air inside the attic envelope.  The ducts and handlers now work in a comfortable environment without a dew point (preventing mold/mildew).   Visit www.thermaseal.net to meet the Therma Seal Team and a complete viewing of the application, case studies and more.

jfinck@thermaseal.net

561.775.9703

Evolving Building Science: Insulation and its importance

Insulation: No longer a low priority on the home building process.

                For years, the insulation scope of a building process was merely glanced at during the budget meeting prior to breaking ground on a new project. 

Today, with consistent increases in the price of energy, a home’s energy efficiency and successful application of building science is very much so, a high priority.  Society has also become more aware of the “green” movement, and actively looks to participate.  The evolution of insulation has created a solution to an energy loss problem.

                Fiberglass insulation is a method of insulating a home, dating back to 1938.  With technological advances doubling every ten years, you may ask yourself; Why is it still used today? 

                Trends show fiberglass is being used less and less as people are becoming educated on the use of spray foam and its air barrier characteristics.   No matter how much fiberglass insulation you have in an attic, and how cool it may keep it (or warm), the HVAC unit may continue to run and run.  This is the result of malignant air leakage.  The average household could fill two blimps per day due to air leaking out of a building envelope.  Icynene, the leader in spray foam, provides the cure all to air leakage, with supplemental advantages such as increased air quality, sound attenuation, and added structural integrity.

                Icynene is applied to the entire underside of the roof decking, all the way to the perimeter, rendering the use of soffit vents useless, thus creating an “unvented attic.”  The easiest way to grasp the concept of an unvented attic is a tightly sealed cooler; if you set two coolers out full of ice with one of them being cracked open, which cooler would have ice a day later? Why... the unvented cooler has successfully contained the cold, allowing the ice (HVAC) to work less and CONSERVE its energy. 

                Icynene works in a similar fashion, giving your HVAC a huge reduction in output, thus cutting your cooling and heating costs nearly in half!  To learn more, visit www.thermaseal.net.

World Health Day: Concerned about formaldehyde in Icynene spray foam?

Should I be worried about potential exposure to formaldehyde from Icynene spray foam insulation products?

No, there is no reason to be worried about exposure to formaldehyde from Icynene spray foam insulation. Formaldehyde is not used as an ingredient in the manufacture of Icynene spray foam insulation.

Icynene spray foam insulation has been tested numerous times over the years, by highly-sophisticated and reputable third party laboratories, for levels of formaldehyde. Tiny amounts of formaldehyde detected in conjunction with application of Icynene spray foam insulation originate from other materials in the application space or “trace” amounts occurring normally in the raw materials used to manufacture the foam. In all cases, the data show levels of formaldehyde to be virtually undetectable with sensitive laboratory equipment within a short time  after spraying.

Independent laboratory testing confirms that formaldehyde emissions from even freshly-sprayed Icynene foam are well within the strict guidelines for use in schools and offices set by the Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS) in the state of California soon after spraying.

You can be certain that formaldehyde is not an ingredient in Icynene spray foam insulation and has been thoroughly tested by reputable third-party laboratories to ensure that any trace amounts of formaldehyde conform to normal indoor air levels and meet strict guidelines for schools.

What is formaldehyde and why is it a common concern relating to foam products?

Formaldehyde is a naturally-occurring and widely present chemical in our world. Formaldehyde is a simple chemical compound made of hydrogen, oxygen and carbon, with the formula CH₂O. Most organic life forms - bacteria, plants, fish, animals and humans - produce formaldehyde at various levels. In fact, formaldehyde is even present in human breath.

Formaldehyde does not accumulate in the environment or within plants, animals or people, as metabolic processes quickly break it down in the body and the atmosphere. Formaldehyde is used in the manufacture of many products in the home:

• asphalt shingles
• sheathing & cladding
• walls & wall panels
• floors & roofs
• electrical boxes & outlets
• furniture
• counter tops, cabinets & cabinet doors
• appliances: washers, dryers, & dishwashers
• plumbing: faucets, showerheads, & valve mechanisms;
• paints & varnishes
• and others

Most of the fiberglass batt insulation existing in walls and attics today was manufactured with formaldehyde-based binders. Formaldehyde became linked to spray foam insulation
because a common, early generation type of foam was formed using formaldehyde (i.e. urea-formaldehyde foam) and it contained substantial levels of residual formaldehyde. Icynene products are polyurethane, not urea-formaldehyde, foams and formaldehyde is not used to produce this type of foam.

South Florida General Contractors Know They Are Providing A Wonderful Product; and acting in the best interest of future homeowners for energy efficieny & air quality.

South Florida general contractors who utilize the energy efficient and healthier Icynene spray foam insulation system also utilize several reductions under the FBC.