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The Polyurethane Foam Book

Chapter Ten: Marketing & Selling Polyurethane Foam for Use in Houses 

by David B. South

Selling polyurethane foam to home buyers is both easy and hard. It is real easy when home buyers understand the benefits. But it is hard to compete with the home insulation propaganda that has been in place for so many years.  

The first consideration is the seal of a home. This is not simple. Most folks know that wind blowing through the walls of a house is a huge source of heat loss. Our efforts to stop or lessen that heat loss has us doing many different things. Some of these things are self-defeating, others simply don't work.  

Twenty-five years ago, Commonwealth Edison realized the sealing power of polyurethane and gave Gold Medallion approval to homes whose walls were insulated with one-half inch of polyurethane. Unfortunately since then, consumers, insulators and even code officials have given up on trying to measure the huge amount of heat lost through the walls of most homes. Instead, the magic “R-value” which is totally immaterial as a measurement of convected heat loss was adopted.

But wind blowing through a structure can negate any R-value. We can specify R-12, R-19, R-27 or even R-50 and that might make us feel good -- until the wind blows through the house; then we have nothing. Even twelve-inch-thick walls filled with fiberglass are a waste of money if wind can blow through those walls.

We only lose about 20% of the conductive heat loss horizontally through a structure's walls. Therefore the R-value of the walls has very little to do with a structure's total heat loss. But generally we lose 80-90% on the convection (wind blown heat loss) through those same walls. Consequently, sealing walls against wind loss is extremely important. That makes the “airtight number” the most important number. But so far that number has eluded us. No one has been able to quantify the “airtight number” in a meaningful way. True, progress in measuring whole house air loss has been made, but building codes say nothing about such loss. So, it falls to the insulator to teach customers about the effectiveness and non-effectiveness of insulations. 

Some utility companies have developed a method that measures air infiltration in a home. But, there's been no criteria for how much is allowable or not allowable and how to stop unwanted air infiltration.

Many new homes get wrapped with an air barrier. But its value is promptly compromised by openings cut for outlets or by nails and fasteners inserted through that air barrier. And sometimes that air barrier is not properly fastened at its top or bottom.

The sill plate, located where the wood fits onto the concrete foundation, often has a significant amount of leakage. The top plate of a home's walls and the connection to the roof rafters often are major air leak areas. We give lip service to sealing a home, but in reality usually little is done. Remember: there are no code specifications; that makes it the insulator's/contractor's responsibility.  

If a structure's walls are successfully sealed with sheet polyethylene or some other material, there may still be a problem with a vapor barrier (see Chapter 4 and Chapter 6).

So, the best thing that insulation can do is stop the wind from blowing through the sides of a house. That's far more important than simply sporting a big R-value. In fact, if we could actually stop all the air movement, the amount of R-value needed in a wall would become almost negligible except for condensation control. We do need some insulation for controlling condensation (see Chapter 4 and Chapter 6).  

If a seller of polyurethane understands and can educate customers about the use of foam and the exterior wall and if the insulation is done properly, a home owner benefits enormously.  
In Idaho's Upper Snake River Valley where my brothers and I built our polyurethane foam business, our company got about 50% of the custom-home insulating market.  

When we spotted a home being framed up, we simply stopped by and offered to spray a sample of urethane foam insulation between a pair of studs. Rarely were we turned down. We always sprayed that sample in hard to reach places, such as stud spaces, corners, windows, etc. In virtually every case, we made the sale. 

People selling polyurethane today have an uphill battle. They must convince potential clients that they know what they are talking about. To my way of thinking, the best way to do that is with referrals. Each completed project should become a referral for future projects. Then too, referrals may be available from people who have had a structure insulated with polyurethane in the past. Although that's anecdotal evidence, it's still valuable -- especially if the owner of a foam insulated home is willing to talk about the benefits.  

Thirty years ago, Witco Chemical Company, a major urethane supplier, did testing to determine what amount and thickness of urethane insulation were needed. They determined that an inch and a quarter of urethane in the walls of a home was more than adequate. That is exactly right. An inch and a quarter of 1.8-2 pound density foam provides home owners with 99% of the insulation they can expect in the walls of a house. It cuts heat loss as much as it can be practically cut.  

Exception: An underground house requires three inches, but to control condensation, not heat loss (see Chapter 4 and Chapter 6).  

Properly applied, the inch and a quarter can replace the structure's exterior sheathing and plywood corner bracing. These items are not to be taken lightly, since there's a significant cost for their installation.  

The best insulated brick house you can buy has its bricks laid a half inch out from its wood studs and has no sheathing. Two inches of polyurethane is then sprayed onto the back side of the brick. I suggest two inches rather than the inch and a quarter for a little more grip on the brick and on the studs. When polyurethane is used that way, it ties the brick to the studs better than all the brick ties you can nail to studs. This method literally creates a one-piece wall. The brick, for the first time, actually becomes the home's total weather service.  

In reality, what most people call a “brick house” is a house with studded walls encased in a brick veneer. Such houses have weep holes at the bottom of the brick for air and water. The brick is not airtight -- nor should it be because moisture that gets behind the brick can destroy wood framing.  

However, when the back of the brick is sprayed with polyurethane and properly tied, the brick is permanently sealed against any water coming through it and into the structure. Air coming through the brick and into the home is also sealed off.  

Obviously, the seller must educate the consumer about the use of urethane and why there's far more to insulation than just R-value.  

Here's another selling point: An inch and a quarter of polyurethane sprayed into the walls of a house make that home much quieter. One customer told me that after I had insulated an addition to his home, he could tell the difference. He said, “I go into my new addition, sit down and read for awhile. All is quiet. Then I go back into the older part and realize that there still are dogs that bark, cars that roar by and wind that blows.” 

Selling polyurethane is easy if you can do the education. Once builders understand the tremendous difference urethane makes on the completed house, they push it. Air infiltration is a huge number, and the only way to stop it is by spraying polyurethane. 

A note of caution: Polyurethane is available in many different densities. As its density goes down, so does its cost per square foot. Available foams range from one half pound per cubic foot to about six pounds per cubic foot. For homes, use 1.7 to 2 pounds per foot (I like 1.9). But a foam above two pounds per cubic foot is a waste of money for home insulation.  
A half pound per cubic foot is not dimensionally stable. Moisture can penetrate it. In some cases, air can penetrate it.  

In the walls of a home, I prefer using an inch and a quarter of 1.8-2 pound foam rather than 3.5 inches of half-pound foam. There's a new foam currently marketed that is a 1.3 density foam. I have never used this foam, so it's an unknown to me. But I think a person should be cautious. Before using it, I would want to know that it had a decent perm rating. Perm rating indicates how much moisture migrates through a substance. After air infiltration, moisture infiltration is your next biggest enemy.  

Let's now talk about attic insulation and then we'll talk about roof insulation. Theoretically, one inch of urethane equals two inches of fiberglass. Fiberglass is 10% as expensive as urethane. Therefore, from a purely insulation-value viewpoint and theoretically, fiberglass is by far the better buy.    

When we spray the walls of a house, we install Sheetrock over the foam to eliminate any fire danger (see Chapter 5). Remember: when foam is covered with any kind of a heat sink any fire danger is eliminated.  

Now what about the attic of a home? For many years, I usually refused to spray an attic. Reason: I believed the propaganda! I knew that you could blow in a foot of fiberglass insulation for about the same price as spraying two inches of polyurethane. So, my logic told me that I would be cheating customers if I sprayed their attics. I also knew that the polyurethane would be left exposed in the attic. Hence, if we had an attic fire it would exacerbate the fire. Consequently, I sprayed very few attics.  

But some of my customers were smarter than I was. Some insisted that I spray the attic or lose the job. For those clients, I sprayed three inches of polyurethane on top of the Sheetrock in their attics. Again, the cost was triple that of blown-in fiber. But, each of these homeowners believed the foam was worth the additional money. They actually told me that -- and not because they thought I was a nice guy. They said that their power bills testified to a cut in heat loss. 

I really did not understand the reasons for that cut in heat loss until I started studying air circulation in potato piles. Potato piles made me see that even if ten inches of fiberglass looks airtight, it's not. Thermal currents travel through the insulation continually. When the bottom of the stack is heated, air moves slowly up through it and is vented off. The more I studied this phenomenon, the more I realized that these convection currents are larger than most people supposed.  

Again, I learned this by studying convection currents in a potato pile. We piled potatoes 20 feet deep. You wouldn't think you could blow air through such a stack. But in reality, air blows through it very comfortably. Just as air moves through a potato pile, it can move through any fiber insulation.  

Sprayed polyurethane creates an airtight seal that shuts off convection currents. Certainly, urethane costs more. But I no longer doubt that urethane is the better insulation and, in the long run, saves money. Nevertheless, I would not spray an attic with more than three inches; beyond that, it's money wasted (see Chapter 4). In some places, the code sheriff requires 4 inches to meet R-value requirements even though it is urethane.  

Special roofs, on the other hand, deserve serious consideration. Many modern homes have cathedral ceilings. Those cathedral ceilings are isolated from the outside world. In other words, they don't have vents that allow air to move through the ceilings to dry the fiber insulation. Therefore, three inches of urethane sprayed on the underside of the roof before Sheetrock is applied is absolutely ideal for cathedral ceilings. If cathedral ceilings are not properly ventilated, mold and rot develop. Caution: the roof must not leak. If it does, the foam will not allow the water to escape and the roof sheathing will rot.  

Cold roofing is another special kind of roofing. Please see Chapter 3 for detailed information on cold roofing.

Retrofitting 

People often ask about retrofitting. Can a house be retrofitted? Can a structure be foam insulated after it's built. Answer: You cannot pour polyurethane into the stud cavities of a house. It won't work. It's too powerful. It will blow the walls apart.  

You can, however, put 1” x 2” (actual .75” x 1.75”) strips on the exterior of the home. Spray it with a half to one inch of urethane and then put siding on the outside. The combination of the air seal and insulation will simply eliminate any serious heat loss through the home's walls.  
Polyurethane foam roofing is great for retrofitting. It's especially effective for metal roofs that are rusted and leaking (see Chapter 3).

Recap: Selling polyurethane for a home is not easy. It takes creativity and determination. The trick is to get the consumer to recognize that you know what you're talking about and that you provide a worthwhile service. It's simply a one-on-one education. If you teach the consumer what to look for, the consumer will buy.

Most consumers want to save money on the long run. They understand the sense of spending extra today to save money tomorrow. An ever-increasing energy cost makes that logical and imperative.  

Polyurethane foam is, without a doubt, the best insulation and the best kept insulation secret. In the United States it's sad to see how "the experts" looked at all other insulations, but did not spend more time with polyurethane (see Chapter 4). Canada's polyurethane foam industry really works on educating the public; they do far more than is done here.

Those of you who are in the polyurethane foam business need to support your industry by supporting SPFA (Spray Polyurethane Foam Association). SPFA describes itself and its activities on www.sprayfoam.org. That organization is trying and is willing, but it needs a lot more help. 

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