Is All Spray Foam Insulation the Same?

Hello, and welcome back to our blog! Here at Panhandle Insulation, we want all of our Panama City area customers to be as informed as possible when deciding on whether or not spray foam insulation is the right choice for their home. As we all know, Florida gets pretty hot. Ok, Florida stays hot year round. Because of this, it is important for Florida homes to have an effective thermal barrier. This thermal barrier will help to ensure that cold air stays inside the home while also making sure that the heat from the sun does not affect the home’s interior temperature. We feel that, out of all other options, spray foam insulation is the best solution for this application. In today’s post, we wanted to go over spray foam insulation in more detail and show our readers exactly why it the best choice when it comes to insulating their Florida home from the heat.

Spray Foam Insulation Keeps Cold Air In

Among all forms of home insulation, spray foam insulation is, without a doubt, the best at ensuring that cold air stays in a home. Spray foam insulation allows for the complete coating of wall cavities and seals any cracks, holes, or other leakage areas. This level of protection is impossible with traditional insulation methods because the insulation does not form a tight seal with the surface that it is applied to. In the world of spray foam insulation, however, it important to understand the difference between the two types of foam most commonly used.

• Open-Cell Foam: Open-cell foam, also known as half-pound foam, has a density of around 0.5 lbs per cubic foot and an R-value (how well it insulates) of 3.5 or 3.6 per inch. Open-cell foam is much more light and airy than closed cell foam due to the fact that the majority of the foam is actually composed of tiny bubbles filled with carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide results from the blowing agent, water, reacting with the isocyanate present in the foam. Because of its light weight and lower R-value, open-cell foam is used primarily for applications where space is not an issue, such as crawlspaces or attics.

• Closed-Cell Foam: Closed-cell foam, also known as two-pound foam, has a density of around 2 lbs per cubic foot and an R-value of 6 to 6.5 per inch. This type of spray foam insulation is much denser than its counterpart. Closed-cell foam uses a blowing agent of water and Enovate (a chemical product produced by Honeywell) and, as a result, there are fewer bubbles within the foam. This means that the foam has a much higher plastic content which, in turn, makes the foam’s R-value higher and the foam heavier. Closed-cell foam is great for applications where space is limited yet a high R-value is still needed.

We hope that this blog has shed some light on the differences between open-cell and closed-cell spray foam insulation. If you need any more information about spray foam insulation or have decided that spray foam insulation is perfect for your home, contact us today at Panhandle Insulation. We have the knowledge, tools, and experience you need to get the job done right every time.