Quality Insulation contractors bring value

Spray foam Insulation is a fantastic new insulating material and is catching on fast amongst insulation contractors and homeowners, but how do you decide who to have install it?

Choose an experienced foam insulation contractor over price alone.

There are a number of things that you can do to narrow your selection and determine who is best for your job. To start, be careful with new, inexperienced foam insulation contractors for spray foam is a complicated process and contractors new to the business can cause delays, messes and even hazards (fire) if they are not skilled at making foam.

Does your insulation contractor give you a good impression?

Second, check your gut. What is your first impression? Does your foam insulation contractor respond promptly, is he on time for your appointment, does he communicate well, does he answer your questions and is he knowledgeable? A contractor who is professional and well organized from the start is far more likely to follow through to completion in the same fashion than one who shows up late and doesn’t return calls for a couple days.

Is your spray foam insulation contractor certified?

In order to become a spray foam insulation contractors in Canada you must be certified. The Canadian Urethane Foam Contractors Association or CUFCA certifies almost all spray foam contractors in Canada.  Each contractor is given a certification number, as is each installer.

When you are seeking quotes from a prospective foam insulation contractor, ask him:

1. If he is certified
2. To see his certification card or for his certification number.

Does your foam insulation contractor use certified material?

In addition to this, spray foam products permitted in residential occupied space must also be certified. There are currently 4 products available in Western Canada that have CCMC certification. When your contractor comes to give you a quote ask him what the CCMC number of his material is and check this against the NRC website at:

http://www.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/eng/services/irc/ccmc.html

In addition to this, verify the product CCMC number on the drums when your contractor shows up to install your foam – this way you’ll know that you are getting what you paid for.

Is your foam insulation contractor in good standing with the BBB?

Next, check the BBB to ensure your insulation contractor is in good standing and does not have unresolved complaints against him. While a complaint does not necessarily mean that your contractor should not be hired, how he handled that complaint will show you the character of the contractor you are proposing to hire.

Does WCB have any outstanding issues with your insulation contractor?

You also want to check with WorkSafeBC, WCB Manitoba or your local WCB website to get a clearance letter on your contractor before you hire him to protect yourself.  An example of where you can do this in BC is:

https://online.worksafebc.com/anonymous/employer%20clearance%20letter/search.asp

Spray foam insulation is truly worth the investment. In home comfort, energy savings, cleaner air, less dust, elimination of mold and mildew in your walls, and a quieter home, spray foam leads the way. With a little care and attention, you can choose a spray foam insulation contractor who will meet your expectations and provide a professional service to you and your home.

Tags : installer, spray foam insulation
Posted in : Common Questions, Environment | 7 Comments »

Temperature moderated by spray foam insulation

Spray foam insulation problems

Spray Foam Insulation is one of the new wonders of the construction industry.  As seen on HGTV, Discovery Channel and others, Spray Foam is a product that is installed by certified professionals to fit your walls exactly because it is produced onsite.  Spray foam creates an air barrier, vapor barrier and thermal insulator in a single application.  It does not support mold growth, is extremely energy efficient, makes a great sound barrier and creates a very tight building envelope.  Spray Foam is not without its potential problems though.

Spray Foam is a better insulator than any other product available.

While little can be said to negate the physical properties of spray foam insulation it is only as good as the installers you hire and here there is room for numerous potential problems.

Spray Foam Bonds to substrate

Spray foam is known for its ability to stick to the surface onto which it is sprayed – it bonds.  This is known as the materials adhesion.  Adhesion is a quality that is tested on site to ensure that the installation is to an acceptable standard but some installers overlook both the testing and the required preparation to ensure that the product will adhere.

Substrate surface must be clean and dry

Adhesion is generally only an issue with spray foam when sprayed onto steel that is not clean and dry as well as to new concrete that has not had the form release agent removed from it.  It can, however, be a problem any time the surface onto which spray foam is to be applied has not been adequately cleaned and prepared and this includes moisture on wood.

Depth control is critical for several reasons

Another potential problem with spray foam is depth control.  This can be a result of poor technique, inexperience, or a deliberate attempt to ‘save’ material by not installing the full depth.  While an allowance is made of +/- ¼” to account for the fact that the material is not rolled on, but applied by spray, a good contractor should be willing to demonstrate that the material is of sufficient depth before leaving the site.

Spray foam installers must be building envelope experts

A good applicator has an understanding of what it takes to create a continuous building envelope and be able to install his foam to achieve this.  This requires special attention to detail at transitions, in corners, and a constant look out for framing members that block off recessed spaces to ensure they are sealed.

Spray foam is properly installed in passes 2” thick

The specification for spray foam requires that foam be applied in passes two inches thick in the case of most products, and some thinner.  This is because spray foam insulation creates an exothermic reaction (meaning it generates heat) as it forms.  By laying it down in passes no thicker than 2 inches, we ensure that the foam can cool before we add more foam if a greater depth is required.  When an installer sprays a heavy layer of foam, he will get a better yield from the material (meaning it will go further for him) but the heat inside the material cannot go anywhere and this creates several issues.  It means that the foam cools unevenly as the outer layers cool first while the interior remains hot.  This creates a great deal of stress inside the material and can result in cracking, letting go at the edges of the cavity and warping.  More seriously, if some foam products are installed in a very thick layer they can actually catch fire.  This has resulted in more than 6 house fires in eastern Canada in 2010 with a product that was released at the beginning of the year.

Ensure your installer is using the Spray foam you are paying for

The last problem that I have come across in the spray foam industry is where a client has contracted with an installer to install a certain product, only to discover after the job is complete that the product installed in the wall is not the same product that the contractor sold him at the quoting stage.

Certified Spray Foams are the Only foams to be used in Canadian residences

In Canada, any spray foam that is installed in a residential space must be a certified foam – there are currently 5 of them.  1 has been around for over 5 years and the rest have all been introduced since Jan 1 of 2010.  These products are formulated so that they do not off gas hazardous contamination into the home nor hurt the ozone layer.  They are tested for fire spread rating, R value, density, adhesion, water vapor absorption and fungi resistance.  There are contractors in Canada who continue to purchase cheaper, uncertified products from the U.S. and install them in the homes of unsuspecting homeowners.  Certified products are all color coded (see certified foam chart here) and you can verify that the product you bought is the product you are getting by checking the labels on the drums and by ensuring the color of the finished product is correct.

With a little knowledge, you will enjoy spray foam for decades to come

Spray foam is an excellent insulator and with a little knowledge and some due diligence you can have a professional excellent installer insulate your home for you and join the thousands of Canadians who have had their homes insulated with Spray Foam.

Posted in : Environment | 7 Comments »

Insulation impacts moisture accumulation

Insulation must prevent moist, interior air from reaching its dew point.

Dew point:  The temperature at which a column of air reaches saturation and moisture begins to condense from vapor to liquid.  This liquid then comes out of the air as condensation or is deposited on cool solid surfaces because the air no longer has enough energy to carry it.

Insulation is key to eliminating condensation

No, we are not going to talk about the weather and that ends our climatic discussion!  However, understanding the role dew point plays in our buildings is critical to understanding how we can limit the damage caused by moisture to our Canadian home through our choice of insulation.

Insulation determines where the dew point is reached

The wall and roof insulation of our homes play a special role in forming what is called the building envelope – they separate two unlike bodies of air.  That is why we build homes – so that regardless of the heat, cold, humidity, or dirt on the exterior side of our wall, we can maintain a comfortable living environment on the interior.  In doing so, there is a natural temperature gradient across the wall.  At times this is significant, say in Canada in January, and at times it is almost negligible, say on a moderate spring day.  Not only is the temperature of the outdoor and indoor air different but both the absolute and relative humidity are different one from another.  In separating these two columns of air, the insulation in the walls (and roof) of our homes are where the temperature changes from hot to cold.  This happens within our wall insulation as the warm air inside our house slowly meets the cold air outside it as we move through the insulation.

Poor indoor air problems occur in modern, new homes.

This temperature gradient creates problems when warm moist air cools to reach its dew point.  At this point, the air can longer hold that moisture and it condenses on what ever is at hand – one of our building materials inside our wall!  This of course happens on a small scale, but over long periods of time.  Generations past made houses that could breathe allowing this moisture to be released back into the world and to allow the wall to dry, but modern Canadian homes are built for energy efficiency and do not readily breathe.  The result is steady, continuous water accumulation, rot, mold, and mildew resulting in higher maintenance expenses, poor indoor air quality and a generally unsatisfactory solution.

Spray Foam Insulation eliminates condensation problems within walls and creates healthy indoor air

One of the best ways to create walls that are not vulnerable to this sort of moisture induced damage is to change the insulation material we install.  Spray foam insulation is a material that is installed to your home by certified, skilled applicators.  It expands to fill every gap and crack and it forms billions of tiny bubbles.  In so doing it is impervious to both air and moisture.  The advantage to this is that while the dew point still falls within your wall, it falls inside the insulation material which does not allow any moisture laden air into it.  In this way, air cannot move into or through the foam and moisture cannot condense within it.  Cold dry air stays outside the wall, warm moist air stays inside the home and the wall itself stays dry and protected.

If you own a home in Canada, and would like to know more about Spray foam insulation and how it fits into your project, contact EcoLogic Spray Foam Insulation today at 1 888-880-8420

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Is your home sealed too tight?

Here’s a conundrum:  Modern Canadian homes are too tight?  But efficient homes have to be tight by definition.  Following is a brief look at the issue, the problem, and an effective solution.

Traditionally, homes were made to breathe, not sealed up air tight.

Traditional Homes in Canada stood the test of time. They were not terribly well insulated, not very efficient, not immune to water ingress and yet they were fairly healthy to live in, they withstood the elements and they lasted a long time.  Modern Canadian Homes on the other hand, are very efficient, are well insulated, include products to manage water ingress and eliminate air movement through walls and as a result are much tighter.  As building techniques have changed though, occupants and architects have found that modern buildings in Canada do not always create healthy living environments, are often subject to water damage and tend to incur higher maintenance costs and have shorter life expectancies.  What has happened and what can be done?

At issue is moisture.  In Canada, moisture is responsible for most structural damage to wood frame buildings.  It is primarily responsible for reduced indoor air quality, it is required for the growth and spread of mold and its damaging effects to both buildings and occupants and it results in shorter building life spans and higher building maintenance costs.

Energy Efficiency requires air tight buildings

The problem is that whereas older buildings were designed and built fairly porous, modern buildings are built tight to seal in heat energy.  The result is that older Canadian buildings naturally got wet and then dried while modern buildings still get wet in spite of 6 mil polyethylene vapor barriers, but they do not dry!  This trapped moisture is the source of rot, and mildew, and is the cause of most structural damage, mold growth, poor indoor air quality and high maintenance costs.

A typical modern wall assembly

To look closer at how a modern Canadian home is built we need to look at how its wall assembly is created.  This typically includes 2×6 wood framing members with fibrous insulation batts fitted in the cavity between them.  On the indoor side of the framing is a 6 mil polyethylene vapor barrier, drywall and paint.  On the outside of the wall we generally find OSB sheathing, a house wrap and vinyl siding.  The purpose of the vapor barrier, and the house wrap layers is to protect the porous insulation in between them from air movement for air carries with it moisture.

The entire assembly is designed to assist the fibrous insulating layer in its job and to protect it from getting and staying wet.  In doing so, any moisture that does get past them through penetrations or inadequate sealing at transitions becomes trapped.  What is required is to replace the insulating layer itself with a material that prevents the flow of air and moisture through it.

The answer: An Air tight seal that does not permit moisture to accumulate.

If the insulating layer itself is impenetrable to moisture than there would be no space for moisture to accumulate and all of the issues with modern Canadian homes would be addressed in a single application.  There would be no water damage, mold growth, poor indoor air quality, higher maintenance costs or reduced building life expectancy and we would have well insulated, highly efficient buildings to boot!

The only product that possesses the properties and capability to achieve the required moisture barrier in Canada is medium density (2 Lb) spray foam insulation.  Sprayed in place it is perfectly fitted to completely fill even the tiniest gaps and cracks in the wall assembly.  Spray foam insulation is a recognized air barrier and vapor barrier by the Canadian Construction Materials Center.  Spray foam insulation is one of the most rigorously tested materials that goes into homes.  It does not off gas after installation, it is inert, it will not settle or sag, it is rigid and increases the racking and shearing strength to a home by 300%, it has an R value of twice fiberglass in a given depth or thickness of material and while more costly to install it reduces the total cost of ownership by reducing energy expenses, maintenance costs and eliminating water damage.  The soft cost of improved indoor air quality and occupant comfort alone are enough to justify the additional cost.  Spray foam is becoming far more widely accepted in Canada by homeowners who increasingly understand the importance of moisture control in the health of their homes.

The answer is to seal it tight and ventilate it right.

Tags : air quality, air tight, building envelope, moisture
Posted in : Environment, building envelope | 5 Comments »

Moisture Damaged Ceiling

Moisture is responsible for the majority of structural damage to our homes in Canada.

Moisture ingress into the building envelope and its subsequent accumulation must be kept to a minimum for a buildings long term performance.  A building envelope is designed to separate two unlike air masses – the internal from the external.  With careful planning, this can be accomplished but the majority of buildings, especially our homes, leak - outdoor air seeps into wall cavities or even interior conditioned space, and conditioned interior air escapes and with it the heat, humidity control, and air purifying dollars spent to make our environment ideal.

Moisture is carried by air as water vapor.

Air movement through a building envelope happens because typical envelopes seen in residential buildings are full of penetrations, use fibrous insulating materials, and are inadequately crafted.  This is accelerated where pressure is applied in the form of wind washing, large temperature differences across wall assemblies or as a result of vapor pressure differences.

Typical Wall Assembly

A typical wall assembly is created (in Canada) with cladding on the outside of 2×6 structural framing with house wrap (Tyvek), and OSB in between.  The cavity is filled with fibrous insulation and the interior side of the framing is covered with 6 mil polyethylene layer and gypsum wallboard.

Vapor Drive moves moisture into walls

There are a number of potential problems with this construction.  First off, with the vapor barrier on the internal side of the wall there is very little protection afforded to the fibrous insulation from exterior pressures from wind washing, vapor drive and convective currents created due to temperature differences across the wall assembly.  This means that exterior air has free access to the insulation in the wall cavity which itself allows air to move through it (fiberglass also doubles as a furnace filter – something you WANT air to move through)!  The result – a wall assembly that performs at vastly degraded real world R-Values than advertised.

Most moisture enters walls from the inside of the home

The same thing happens from the interior side in a home that is pressurized.  Indoor, moisture laden air is forced through gaps, transitions and inadequately sealed junctions in the wall assembly into the cavity insulation and with it the energy used to condition it.   The main problem with this, aside from the immediate energy loss, is the moisture that this air carries with it.  When warm, moist air from either side of the wall reaches a sufficiently cool surface (from the cold outside in winter or through the use of air conditioners in summer), a condensing surface is formed allowing moisture to condense, accumulate, cause water damage, permit mold growth and lower the air quality of the home.  This is where a 6 mil polyethylene vapor barrier actually works against the building envelope by preventing the wall assembly from drying.  Because fiberglass allows air to move through it, and air moves moisture, water is going to get into a fiberglass insulated wall – what is then needed is a way for the water to get out – this cannot readily happen when vapor retarders such as polyethylene are used.

Spray Foam prevents moisture movement because it is an air barrier

A better wall assembly is built when medium density spray foam insulation such as EcoLogicFoam is used.  By forming billions of tiny bubbles made of thin plastic walls, it is impervious to moisture flow (recognized by the Canadian Construction materials Center as an air & vapor Barrier) and does not allow water to accumulate inside of the material.  Further because it is a continuous insulator, the surface of the foam never becomes a condensing surface on either the interior or the exterior surface meaning that any moisture laden air that comes into contact with it cannot deposit or accumulate that moisture on the surface of the foam.  This alleviates the pressure driven movement of both air and moisture through the building envelope and results in a tight wall assembly and permits the conditioning of the interior environment with a high degree of efficiency through conservation.

In our next installment we will examine the cost of using spray foam insulation verses typical fiberglass batts, now that we understand the role moisture plays and how foam prevents moisture build-up and damage.

Read more on Moisture Control

Posted in : Environment | 7 Comments »

Your voice matters

Comments solicited | National Energy code 2011

The Canadian Commission on building and Fire codes is now soliciting comment on a new objective, new functional statements and proposed technical changes for the revised National Energy code for Buildings. This new code will be published in 2011.

Many of you know the impact EcoLogic Foam has on Energy

While there is a standing committee on Energy Efficiency in Buildings, do not miss this opportunity to make your voice heard. Many of you who have worked with EcoLogic Spray Foam know first hand how significantly spray foam insulation technology can impact the energy consumption of new homes.

Energy Efficiency education

For those who have not yet had an opportunity to use spray foam in your projects or homes, do not delay in accessing the information, research reports, and case studies available on our website and others so that you can become an informed consumer and then make your beliefs and desires heard in the formation of this new code.

We are all a part of this great country of ours and therefore in this together. A more energy efficient building code is the key to seeing the change that we need today to protect our resources for the future.

Read more: http://www.nationalcodes.ca/eng/public_review/2010/more_about.shtml

Code directed energy efficiency is key to energy reduction.

Tags : benifits, energy efficient, Environment
Posted in : Environment, building envelope | 1 Comment »

Spray Foam Detail

Consider Spray Foam

If you’re a homeowner in Vancouver considering Spray Foam insulation, there are a number of things that you should factor into your final decision as to its use or the choice of an alternative.

First off, spray foam insulation is more expensive than fiberglass and other alternative products. As a result many Vancouver homeowners choose not to pay for spray foam as they consider it cost prohibitive. An in depth comparison of the real costs of ownership and the performance of each material when foam and fiberglass are used reveals the up front financial cost is a small part of the overall equation.

Spray Foam has the Highest R-Value

Spray Foam insulation has the highest R-Value of any insulation material available in Vancouver. This means that Spray foam insulation results in energy savings for Vancouver Homeowners. The annual energy savings have been documented to be as high as 50% when spray foam insulation is used in Vancouver homes instead of fiberglass.

Spray Foam is an Air Barrier

If you live near the ocean in Vancouver, Spray foam insulation is a recognized air barrier and will not allow moisture laden salt air into your home, resulting in a cleaner indoor living environment. This also goes for those who live near one of our major roadways for no dust or dirt, nor odors will travel through properly installed spray foam insulation.

Spray Foam is a Vapor Barrier

With the high relative humidity of Vancouver, spray foam insulation offers a continuous vapor barrier preventing moisture from entering your home and its walls. This ensures longer building life, lower maintenance costs, lower heating costs, a healthier indoor living environment and better climate control for your family.

Spray foam offers the advantage of being applied to your walls and expanding to fit them exactly. This means that those nooks and corners that all Vancouver homes have, can be perfectly and permanently insulated with spray foam where fibrous materials perform poorly. This is critically important as it eliminates air movement around thermal insulation at transitions preventing convective heat loss and moisture damage.

As a result of using spray foam insulation, Vancouver homeowners find that they are less susceptible to moisture related issues and the growth of mold or mildew, they enjoy healthier indoor air quality, less dust and dirt in their homes and significantly lower energy use. Spray foam insulation is also an excellent noise barrier and results in a quieter, more peaceful home.

Spray Foam results in fast return on investment through energy savings

The increased cost of using Spray foam Insulation in Vancouver instead of fiberglass can be recovered in as little as 5 to 6 years of lower energy use and adds significant value to a home at resale.

To summarize, spray foam insulation is an effective, versatile, resilient, product, which is far superior to fiberglass and should be carefully considered in all new homes in Vancouver, BC.

Posted in : Environment | 2 Comments »

spray foam

Hiring a contractor in Manitoba or British Columbia?

If you have ever hired a  contractor to work for you in Manitoba or British Columbia you have likely developed an opinion about how some contractors handle themselves.

What makes great service?

As your contractor, EcoLogic Spray Foam Insulation places your experience above all else – it is our core value.  Different people will each perceive a situation uniquely but we place value on and work hard to ensure that our clients are served to the highest standards so we can ensure that each and every one of them comes away feeling that we have held their interests, concerns and desires above all else.

EcoLogic spray foam, a contractor you can rely on.

What does this mean at EcoLogic Spray Foam and how is it seen?  First and foremost, we deliver quality workmanship.  We hire certified & trained installers, and maintain quality control over their workmanship on each job site.  Issues are addressed quickly and completely to the satisfaction of everyone involved.

Quality comes through in attention to detail, clear communication, and taking time to discuss concerns before the job is begun.  It is seen in the free on-site visit that is made to measure the area to be insulated and to discuss specific questions each homeowner has.  It is seen in the quote provided which reflects the very lowest price we can install your foam insulation without compromising on our quality product or our workmanship, things we will not do.  Serving our clients to the highest standards means that we return calls promptly, that we schedule appointments quickly, and most importantly that we maintain an on time policy for appointments that few other companies do.  When a scheduled time to meet is set, that time is kept.

EcoLogic, working hard to be the contractor you want us to be.

As your contractor, maintaining the highest standards means that we talk to you about the process of installing foam so that there are no surprises.  On some projects, we ask homeowners to vacate their home for a 24 hour period so we give them plenty of time to make plans to stay with friends or relatives for a night.  We discuss any pets that may be in the home and how they will be handled so that they do not escape and are kept safe from our work area.  We work with pet boarders who can see to a safe holiday for your loved one while we work, if it is best that a pet is taken out of the home.

EcoLogic: A Quality Contractor

Maintaining the highest standards means that we treat your home as our own.  When we need to enter a finished room, we lay down blankets to protect your flooring, we remove valuables to a safe place so that they are not accidently damaged, we are both quiet and respectful of the fact that this is your home and we are guests.  Most importantly, we insist that we leave a home as clean as or cleaner than when we found it.

Count on us for your insulation needs

In the end, we live by a simply policy, we say what we mean and we do what we say.  It is simple, it is straight forward and is leaves everyone we work with knowing exactly what they can expect from us.  Give us a call, I know you too will find the experience refreshingly enjoyable and the results incredibly satisfying.  EcoLogic Spray Foam is your professional insulation contractor.

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Best R-Value Available

R-Value

When you meet with your Canadian builder, renovator or hardware store service man to talk about insulation, R-Value is nearly always the first and often the only specification discussed.  Is that all insulation is – just an R value?  Is there nothing else about insulation that is important in Canada – does it serve no other purpose but to provide a laboratory tested resistance to heat flow?  Will different materials of the same R value perform the same in Canada’s climate?  Should price not then be the bottom line?

Is R-Value the only important property?

The answer to these questions is that R-Value alone is not the bottom line, an insulations R-Value is less important than its air and vapor permeability, that insulation plays an important role in controlling moisture damage, that not all insulation materials are the same, they each perform differently in Canada’s climate and that like most things you often get what you pay for.

While the reason for installing insulation in Canada is generally to improve energy efficiency (R-Value), the simple wall of your home is a far more complex assembly of materials that interact with each other.  The walls of your home are threatened by moisture – the single most destructive force to enter a home.  Moisture damage is not just a result of faulty plumbing fixture, poor workmanship at time of construction or the result of penetrations made in the wall by homeowners after the completion of a new home build.

R-Value is affected by moisture Laden Air

To fully understand the problem Canadian homes face, we must understand what is taking place to create the potential for problems.  Moisture is carried by the air in the form of vapor all the time.  The amount of moisture in any given amount of air is measured either as absolute humidity or more commonly relative humidity.  In a climate like that of Canada we are often faced with a high relative humidity and anywhere that air goes, this moisture goes with it.  That, in and of itself, is not a problem.

Where the problem arises is the tendency of air to deposit moisture under certain conditions.  Fortunately those conditions are governed by the laws of physics and are both constant and predictable.  When air cools, its capacity to carry moisture is reduced.  When it cools substantially enough that it can no longer carry the amount of moisture it is currently carrying, it deposits this moisture.  This is called the dew point because it is the point (temperature) at which moisture will condense and form dew.  This is how moisture can be transported into walls in Canada and left behind in what seems like a closed space.

We can thus control moisture damage in Canadian homes by either eliminating air movement into our walls, or maintaining all internal wall surface temperatures above the dew point, such that air will not be able to transport moisture into our walls or if it does, it will not deposit it within those walls.

How is this done?  In conventional wall assemblies, insulation is fibrous (fiberglass or cellulose).  These materials do not eliminate air movement through them and thus they are protected from moisture by a vapor barrier in the form of 6 mil polyethylene sheet (as required by code in Canada).  Because this vapor barrier cannot be placed on both sides of the wall (for that would trap moisture inside the wall and accelerate decay), it goes on the warm side only in Canada for we are generally a heating climate.  This does a good job of limiting the movement of air and vapor from inside our homes into the wall assembly but does nothing to eliminate air and moisture movement from the outside environment into our walls.  Moisture therefore does gain access to walls in Canada.

Once moisture has gained access to the wall cavity, the only way to prevent it from condensing is to ensure that none of the internal wall surfaces reach the dew point.  The problem here is that the temperature is not uniform across the wall.  In winter, the insulation keeps materials on the cool (exterior) side of it colder than materials on the interior warm side by design.  In summer this is reversed as the sun heats up the exterior sheathing and the temperature gradient is reversed.  If only the air from each respective side of the wall would stay on its side, we would still have no problem, however conventional insulation readily allows air movement through it (warm moist air moving towards cooler surfaces).  This contact of warm moist air and cool surfaces results in condensation, moisture accumulation, and water damage.  In Canada this was reported a decade ago in spectacular fashion with the leaky condo crisis.

Controlling Air Movement critical to actual R-Value

A far better insulation material is one that controls air flow and therefore the movement of moisture within the wall cavity.  If such a material also prevented any cool surfaces from contacting moisture laden air and eliminated condensation, we’d have a near perfect solution.  Such a product does exist in the form of polyurethane spray foam insulation.  Because polyurethane spray foam is manufactured on site, and sprayed as a liquid onto the OSB or plywood sheathing of your walls, it bonds with the sheathing.  As it expands it creates billions of microscopic bubbles trapping insulating gases within them.  These bubbles are wholly formed and do not breathe.  They prevent air from moving from one bubble to the next through the material and as such create an air barrier.  Spray foam insulation is a recognized air barrier by the Canadian Construction material Center.  Because the foam bonds with the substrate onto which it is sprayed and because it expands to form a continuous air barrier within stud cavity, and because it is has a higher R-Value than any other materials available, there is no potential for condensing surfaces to come into contact with moisture laden air of a high relative humidity.  Spray Foam insulation, with it’s high R-Value, is a perfect solution for todays tightly sealed, energy efficient homes in humid climates such as Canada’s.

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Benefits of Foam Insulation

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Upgrade to Foam Insulation

Foam Insulation is far and away the most important product available to home builders and home owners who want to conserve energy and save money.

Why Choose Foam Insulation?

Foam insulation improves thermal resistance.

R-Value is a measure of thermal resistance. With an R-Value  of 6 per inch, it provides the highest thermal resistance of any insulation product available on the market today.

Foam insulation creates an energy saving air barrier.

In order to prevent the transfer of heat energy, insulation must stop convective air movement. Foam insulationSpray Foam Insulation forms a monolithic, continuous air tight barrier.  Applied as a hot liquid, it instantly reacts and expands to create an impermeable, continuous, air tight seal which exceeds by 500 times, the national building code requirements for air barriers.

Foam insulation creates a vapor barrier.

The Canadian National Building Code (NBC) recognizes Foam insulation as a Vapour Barrier. #is is due to its closed cell structure. It accomplishes this without any gaps as it forms a perfect seal against the substrate onto which it is sprayed.

Foam insulation improves structural rigidity and integrity

Foam insulation creates a closed cell structure when it reacts at application.  Foam Insulation adds to the structural rigidity of the wall onto which it is sprayed and increases its racking and sheering strength by 300%.  This results in a vastly stronger structure, which will last for years.

Foam insulation improves Indoor air quality.

Foam insulation creates an air-tight structure preventing dust, moisture and mold from entry. Foam insulation does not contain formaldehyde, bleach, or any other VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) where other forms of insulation like Fiberglass and Cellulose do. Foam insulation is recommended by Pulmonologists and allergists for those who suffer from Asthma and Allergies to improve their living environments.

Foam insulation improves Noise Attenuation.

Whether it be outdoor noise, mechanical noise from your HVAC equipment, or a home theater you wish to isolate from the rest of your living environment, no other product possesses the ability to absorb airborne noise like Foam insulation.  In noise critical applications, such as home theaters, where a significant reduction in sound transference is required, EcoLogic Spray Foam Insulation forms a foundational component of a noise isolating wall system.

Foam insulation is environmentally friendly.

EcoLogic Foam insulation is made from Soybean oil and recycled plastic bottles. It is the ONLY Spray Foam Insulation product available in Canada that utilizes a Zero Ozone Depletion Substance (Zero ODS) blowing agent.The foam insulation we use of our foam has no negative impact on the Ozone or your living environment. A building that is insulated with Foam insulation will also use up to 50% less energy.

Foam insulation is Builder Friendly.

Because Foam insulation is installed as a direct replacement to fiberglass batts, it is installed in the same sequence as traditional insulation, and requires no alteration to your building plans. For builders, there is no need to schedule any additional time for installation or make adjustments for its use, unlike ICF or SIP buildings.

Foam insulation is Cost Effective.

Foam Insulation is a vastly superior product to Fiberglass, Cellulose and Rigid foam. Because of the equipment and training required, EcoLogics professional installation will add incrementally to the overall cost of your building. When you consider the savings you will reap in the following areas, EcoLogic

Spray Foam Insulation is not only a sound financial decision, it is the only one:

■ Reduce the size of your HVAC equipment by 40%.

Because your home is so much more efficient, you do not need or want heating and cooling equipment sized for a standard house. Because smaller units are significantly cheaper you have a direct up-front cost offset to the investment in Foam insulation.

■ Increase the value of your home by 3 or 4 times your investment in Foam insulation.  According to the Home Appraisers Journal “A homes value increases $20 for every $1 of annual energy savings.” In a world of rapidly rising energy costs, your savings will only grow in the years you own your home.

■ Additional financial incentives are available through a variety of rebate programs offered at the federal and provincial levels as well as through Manitoba Hydro. See our incentives page for more.

■ Direct savings month after month. While the added cost of Foam insulation may increase your mortgage payment by $10 – $20 per month, you will enjoy several hundreds of dollars monthly in energy savings, plus lower your impact on the environment and reduce the strain on our depleting resources.

Get your foam insulation quote today

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