Contact Us Today To Start Saving on High Energy Bills in New York!

Architectural Benefits of Spray Foam

Versatility: Spray foam can be installed anywhere, in new constructions or older homes, without compromising design or existing features. In older homes, it can be applied to problem air leak areas identified by thermal imaging, which is a process that costs much less than whole-home installation.

Energy Efficient: Lightweight with a base R value of up to 7 per inch, spray foam surpasses the energy efficient properties of other traditional insulators.

Building Strength: Spray foam has been proven to perform very well against conventional roof systems in hurricane and high wind conditions.

Air & Moisture Protection: Spray foam acts as a sealant, protecting against unwanted air and moisture entering through gaps in doors and windows and cracks in the building envelope.

Consumer Demand: Through web resources like the Department of Energy’s “Home Energy Saver” and other sources, consumers and facility managers are demanding high performing and sustainable materials like spray foam insulation.

Will spray foam in my attic curl my shingles?

By applying spray foam directly to the underside of the roof deck, it now insulates the attic space from the extreme heat that once radiated thorough the hot shingles sheathing and roof.  The severe temperatures no longer exist in the attic. In short, the attic now becomes a "conditioned" space of the house that is just as comfortable as any other room in the home.
Most builders and designers will tell you that this system is no good because wood needs to breathe and that the shingles on your roof will now overheat, get too hot and curl off. 

We have done a great deal of research on the “breathing wood” issue and have found that most furniture manufactures actually kiln dry wood before use.  They claim that if any wood is permitted to "breathe" this adds to deterioration over time.  Kiln dry wood, used in all furniture, contains a small amount of moisture. If that moisture continues to dry out you will start to see cracks and splits.  They take extra precautions to make sure that wood is sealed completely. Wood must be totally sealed. Properly finished and maintained furniture will not have this problem. Perhaps this is why we paint our house, and our fences, and everything else.  I put up a fence a few years ago, left it to breathe, and now it is falling down because it is rotten.  So much for breathing wood…

At a recent meeting with an ELK Premium Building Products rep at a trade show last year,  they claimed their shingles have no problems whatsoever being used over an un-vented roof deck.  So much for curling shingles…

A roof system insulated with spray foam reduces energy several ways. Energy loss from ducts located in the attic is essentially eliminated. The top of the building is much tighter resulting in less infiltration and exfiltration, so excess moisture isn't pulled into the attic. Infiltration through the ceiling is also reduced. In addition, the attic temperature is lower, which further reduces energy loads.

In a standard insulation system, ceiling insulation reduces the transfer of heat from the attic to the living space (in the summer). Attic temperatures can often approach 140F during the day. Most of this heat enters the attic space through a multi-step process. First, solar energy warms the shingles and sheathing. The hot sheathing then transfers heat to the rest of the attic through conduction, convection and radiant heat transfer. The 140F temperature of the underside roof surface drives the heat transfer process.

By insulating the roof surface with spray foam, the surface temperature exposed to the attic (the temperature driving the heat transfer) is reduced by as much as 40F. Both conduction and convection heat transfer are proportional to a temperature difference, so that heat transfer will be reduced proportional to a drop in surface temperature.

The benefits of including the attic in the insulated space are:

•Duct leakage and heat loss/gain from ducts is much less of an issue.
•Air sealing is easier in the roof that in the ceiling.
•Dust and loose insulation are less likely to migrate down to the living space.
•Tests show energy costs are lower when the attic is sealed.
Further information is available from ASHRAE (8700-527-4723) in a publication titled "Vented and Sealed Attics in Hot Climates"

NOW SERVING Long Island and Staten Island