Why Choose Spray Foam Insulation?
Spray foam insulation is slowly taking over as the most popular and commonly used insulation material. In recent years, technological advancements have made spray foam a far superior insulation product to traditional fibreglass and cellulose.
Let's find out a bit more about Spray Foam......
How Spray Foam Helps With Heat Loss
Our home loses 25% of heat through the roof, 35% through the walls, 15% through the floor, and rest through windows and gaps around the doors.
To build a better thermal envelope, all you need to do is look at the second law of thermodynamics. According to the second law, “heat flows in one direction, from a warm space to a cold one”.
That means that during the Summer, the warm air from outside will flow to the cooler, interior space. And during the long, Winter months, the warm air inside your home will flow to the cooler air outside. Insulation prevents this.
Why it's Important for Buildings to be Airtight
The importance of airtightness in buildings should not be undermined. In some structures, insulating via conventional methods, such as fibreglass, proves challenging; this is especially true of homes with curved walls and roofs, which require a more streamlined solution than traditional materials can provide.
On application, Spray Foam expands up to 100 times its original size, muscling its way into all gaps and cracks to provide a superior seal-regardless of shape or size. Although draught-proofing is the primary benefit, its superior seal also ensures that moisture levels are kept in check.
Needless to say, the average home produces a staggering amount of water. If left unchecked, events such as burst pipes and bathtub overflows can prove detrimental to the structure of the building. In this respect, our rainy climate creates an additional challenge to consider.
In most cases, buildings with built up precipitation in Britain are unable to dry out as efficiently and effectively as needed. Over time, such moisture leads to the formation of mould, which is not only unsightly to look at, but hazardous to health as well.
To rectify this issue, your choice of insulation is crucial. You need a material that can provide a barrier against moisture, without compromising the breathability of the building.
Fibreglass Compared To Spray Foam
But how does fibreglass compare to this thoroughly modern method? The following list of pointers provides some serious food for thought:
- Fibreglass does not stop air leakage. Cellulose slows down air leakage, but spray foam insulation stops air leakage altogether.
- Fibreglass and cellulose are not resistant to moisture and mould.
- Fibreglass has an R-value of 3.5 per inch, but there is no air seal. Blown in cellulose has R-value between 3 and 4 per inch. Spray foam insulation can have a true R-value of 3.8 to 6.8, depending on the density
- Fibreglass sags over time, cellulose settles over time, and leaves sections of the stud cavity uninsulated. Spray foam, on the other hand, completely adheres to the wood studs, and does not sag or shrink.
Find out more about the BENEFITS OF SPRAY FOAM INSULATION here....