Crawl spaces are the hidden heat robbers lurking under your home!
Partial or full crawl spaces that aren't properly insulated are often responsible for cold floors and lost heat that should be delivered to rooms in the rest of your house. The two major culprits of this heat loss in your crawl space are cold masonry foundation walls and bare earth floors.
Eight-inch thick concrete foundation walls have about the same insulation value as dual pane windows. Imagine the heat loss of wall to wall windows around and under your floors. Since heat flows from hot to cold, the masonry walls, which are exposed to outside temperature and wind, are constantly robbing heat from the warmer floors above and from your heat delivery system. Most houses have part of their heat delivery system, hot water pipes or air ducts, running through the crawl space. Forced air at 130 degrees or hot water at 160 degrees, even when in insulated ducts or pipes, looses a lot of heat to the cold crawl space air and radiates the heat to the even colder walls before it gets to the rooms it is supposed to heat.
How many times have you seen round/oval vents penetrating from the crawl space into the house through rectangular holes? This situation is cause for great concern. We already know that fiberglass batts cannot control or prevent air/moisture movement and infiltration. That being the case, even if your crawl space is “properly” insulated with batts, they will not prevent cold air, warm air, contaminated from entering the living space of your home.
If the crawl space in your home is not fully sealed from you’re your home, there is a strong likelihood that contaminated air, earth gases, mold, rodents, and more can penetrate your living space.
Spray foam insulation installed between your floor joists in your crawl space is the only material that will create an effective thermal barrier from obstructions such as wiring and plumbing, ductwork, and narrow or wide joist spacing.
Spray foam insulation in the crawl space is a superior insulation product that overcomes several disadvantages of other insulation products. Spray foam can provide a more uniform, consistent thermal barrier as well as provide stack effect / air flow retarding functions.
The FIX: Spray Foam Insulation
Eco Comfort Spray Foam Insulation Inc.
905.680.2270
1.855.680.2270
www.ecocomfortinsulation.com
Eco Comfort Spray Foam Insulation & 3lb Roofing Foam Systems Inc 1.855.680.2270 | 905.680.2270 Niagara, Hamilton, Toronto & ALL Surrounding Areas
Tuesday, 15 November 2011
Thursday, 21 July 2011
Canadian Home Owner Retrofit Program back on! $5000 in government rebates
ecoENERGY Retrofit Grant Program 2011
The ecoENERGY Retrofit – Homes program can help you invest inenergy-efficient upgrades. Owners of most houses, four-season recreational properties and low-rise multi-unit residential buildings (MURBs) can register to be eligible. The maximum federal grant is $5,000 for applications since April 2007. If you participated before April 1, 2011, and have not received the maximum amount for your current property, you can submit one more application for additional improvements after June 6, 2011. Owners of multiple dwellings and MURBs could receive up to $1,000,000.
Steps to apply for the grant
1. Registration: First, register with Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) at oee.nrcan.gc.ca/register and receive a registration number. If you do not have Internet access, you can call 1 800 O-Canada (1-800-622-6232).
2. Pre-retrofit evaluation: Hire a local service organization licensed by NRCan. They will send a certified energy advisor to perform a pre-retrofit energy evaluation from the attic to
the foundation. If the property has already been evaluated under this program since April 2007, a new pre-retrofit
evaluation is not required.
3. Retrofit with receipts: Choose, purchase and install eligible measures described in this document, and keep your receipts for three years. The more upgrades you implement, the more money you can receive, and the more energy you can save.
4. Post-retrofit evaluation: Complete your renovations and obtain a post-retrofit evaluation no later than March 31, 2012. You must show all your receipts to your energy advisor during the final evaluation to verify that eligible upgrades were purchased after June 6, 2011, and installed after a preretrofit evaluation.
Visit
http://oee.nrcan.gc.ca/residential/personal/retrofit-homes/retrofit-qualify-grant.cfm
to look at the government grant table.
or contact eco comfort spray foam insulation
1.855.680.2270
The ecoENERGY Retrofit – Homes program can help you invest inenergy-efficient upgrades. Owners of most houses, four-season recreational properties and low-rise multi-unit residential buildings (MURBs) can register to be eligible. The maximum federal grant is $5,000 for applications since April 2007. If you participated before April 1, 2011, and have not received the maximum amount for your current property, you can submit one more application for additional improvements after June 6, 2011. Owners of multiple dwellings and MURBs could receive up to $1,000,000.
Steps to apply for the grant
1. Registration: First, register with Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) at oee.nrcan.gc.ca/register and receive a registration number. If you do not have Internet access, you can call 1 800 O-Canada (1-800-622-6232).
2. Pre-retrofit evaluation: Hire a local service organization licensed by NRCan. They will send a certified energy advisor to perform a pre-retrofit energy evaluation from the attic to
the foundation. If the property has already been evaluated under this program since April 2007, a new pre-retrofit
evaluation is not required.
3. Retrofit with receipts: Choose, purchase and install eligible measures described in this document, and keep your receipts for three years. The more upgrades you implement, the more money you can receive, and the more energy you can save.
4. Post-retrofit evaluation: Complete your renovations and obtain a post-retrofit evaluation no later than March 31, 2012. You must show all your receipts to your energy advisor during the final evaluation to verify that eligible upgrades were purchased after June 6, 2011, and installed after a preretrofit evaluation.
Visit
http://oee.nrcan.gc.ca/residential/personal/retrofit-homes/retrofit-qualify-grant.cfm
to look at the government grant table.
or contact eco comfort spray foam insulation
1.855.680.2270
Monday, 13 June 2011
Canada grants — Good news!
- Important update
Canada grants — Good news!
The Government of Canada announced an extension of the popular ecoENERGY Home Retrofit Program on June 6, 2011. This program will grant Canadian homeowners rebates of up to $5,000 for home energy retrofits. To qualify you need a home energy audit before you upgrade.
Tuesday, 17 May 2011
The R-Value Fairy Tale-by David B. South
http://www.monolithic.com/stories/r-value-fairy-tale-the-myth-of-insulation-values
Learning the Difference b/w 1/2lb and 2lb
Learning the Difference Between 1/2-lb and 2-lb Spray Foam
Spray foam has become popular for its insulation value and air barrier qualities. The plastic material comes in two basic types—[0.2-kg] 1/2-lb and [0.9-kg] 2-lb—and both are used in insulation applications as barriers in buildings. Both of these foams also can help control condensation within buildings and have other environmental benefits.
2-lb SPF can be applied in multiple lifts to achieve various thicknesses for desired R-value and air barrier performance.
1/2-lb foam weighing between 6.4 kg/m3 and 9.6 kg/m3 (0.4 pcf and 0.6 pcf) when fully cured. Spray-applied to a substrate, it expands about 150 times its original volume to form a semi-rigid, non-structural plastic. This foam typically has an R-value of approximately 3.5 per 25.4 mm (1 in.) and typically uses water as the blowing agent. R-value measures resistance to heat flow—the higher the R-value, the greater the insulating power.
2-lb foam, on the other hand, weighs between 24 kg/m3 and 32 kg/m3 (1.5 pcf and 2 pcf) when fully cured. The material is used in interior applications, spray-applied to a substrate, before expanding about 35 to 50 times its original volume, and forming a rigid plastic with a compressive strength between 103.4 kPa and 172.4 kPa (15 psi and 25 psi). This foam has an (aged) R-value of around 6 per 25.4 mm (1 in.)
Spray foam similarities
As mentioned above, both the 1/2-lb and 2-lb SPFs share many common characteristics. These common qualities are detailed below.
Sealing characteristics
The air barrier system within the building envelope is an important element for controlling moisture/heat transfer, and for preserving structural integrity. Inadequate air barrier systems allow leakage of air through holes, cracks, and gaps in the building envelope. Field experience shows properly installed foam can help significantly improve the energy efficiency of buildings when used as an air leakage control and insulation system. Since 1/2-lb and 2-lb foam is applied as a liquid, it expands in all directions, filling and effectively sealing hundreds of cracks in walls, ceilings, corners, joints, and penetrations that would otherwise allow air ingress.
Thermal barriers
All foam plastic insulation is required by building codes to have a 15-minute thermal barrier covering the insulation on interior applications, unless the application exempted in the code has been approved by a building code official. Approval in this case would be based on full-scale fire tests specific to the particular situation.
Both types of foams can work well in most attics and cathedral ceilings without the
need to ventilate. However, ventilation ducts can maintain desired temperatures more efficiently
because they are in a conditioned space.
Determining the differences between Foams
Despite the shared qualities between 1/2-lb and 2-lb spray foams, it is each foams type’s unique properties that ultimately assist in selecting the proper material for the project.
1/2-lb foam is normally spray-applied to the desired thickness with one pass, while 2-lb foam is spray applied at lifts from 12.7-mm to 38-mm (0.5-in. to 1.5-in.) until the desired total thickness is achieved. Excess foam can be trimmed easily with saws or knives, however, most applications do not require full stud thickness, meaning trimming is usually, unnecessary. For example,foam installed at 51-mm (2-in.) thickness between 2x4 studs requires a minimal cleaning on the stud face. However, foam installed to full stud thickness requires additional trimming with a specially designed trimming tool.
Sound absorption
Both 1/2-lb and 2-lb foams have air barrier qualities that can help reduce noise from outside the building envelope (i.e. airplanes and car traffic). The 1/2-lb foam’s density offers additional sound absorbing qualities, however, neither foam is exceptionally effective at reducing vibrational impact noises.
Permeance
Moisture has two primary means for entry into/through the building envelope—water vapor diffusion and air leakage. As mentioned above, the excellent air barrier qualities of both 1/2-lb and 2-lb foam helps effectively preclude the latter, however, the foam types differ when it comes to vapor diffusion.
The higher the material’s permeance, the faster water vapor can pass through. Controlling water vapor within a building is important for preventing condensation, mold growth, and subsequent damage to building components. There are two basic types of moisture control within buildings:
1. The ‘flow-through design,’ which allows water vapor to pass through the building assembly’s components without condensing.
2. The vapor retarder design, which limits the moisture entering the building assembly altogether.
A 1/2-lb foam ranges between 6 perms and 10 perms, with a 76-mm (3-in.) thickness of material. Its high permeability allows for the fairly rapid diffusion of water vapor, so the material often requires a vapor retarder element in the building assembly. In some cases, this could be part of the assembly, and requires no additional vapor retarder material. (When this is necessary, it is typically used on the insulation’s warm side.)
2-lb foam typically has a permeance of less than 1 perm at 76-mm (3-in.), and can be used in flow-through designs without a vapor retarder. Exceptions include situations where there is a constant vapor drive in one direction (i.e. natatoriums and cold storage facilities), or when there is a vapor retarding material on the assembly’s cool side.
Water absorption
1/2-lb foam has a high open-cell content (greater than 50 percent) and liquid water can enter the foam. Conversely, 2-lb foam has a high closed-cell content (greater than 90 percent) and resists water absorption. In a building assembly, the latter foam offers added weather or rain barrier protection.
2-lb SPF can be applied in multiple lifts to achieve various thicknesses for desired R-value and air barrier performance.
1/2-lb foam weighing between 6.4 kg/m3 and 9.6 kg/m3 (0.4 pcf and 0.6 pcf) when fully cured. Spray-applied to a substrate, it expands about 150 times its original volume to form a semi-rigid, non-structural plastic. This foam typically has an R-value of approximately 3.5 per 25.4 mm (1 in.) and typically uses water as the blowing agent. R-value measures resistance to heat flow—the higher the R-value, the greater the insulating power.
2-lb foam, on the other hand, weighs between 24 kg/m3 and 32 kg/m3 (1.5 pcf and 2 pcf) when fully cured. The material is used in interior applications, spray-applied to a substrate, before expanding about 35 to 50 times its original volume, and forming a rigid plastic with a compressive strength between 103.4 kPa and 172.4 kPa (15 psi and 25 psi). This foam has an (aged) R-value of around 6 per 25.4 mm (1 in.)
Spray foam similarities
As mentioned above, both the 1/2-lb and 2-lb SPFs share many common characteristics. These common qualities are detailed below.
Sealing characteristics
The air barrier system within the building envelope is an important element for controlling moisture/heat transfer, and for preserving structural integrity. Inadequate air barrier systems allow leakage of air through holes, cracks, and gaps in the building envelope. Field experience shows properly installed foam can help significantly improve the energy efficiency of buildings when used as an air leakage control and insulation system. Since 1/2-lb and 2-lb foam is applied as a liquid, it expands in all directions, filling and effectively sealing hundreds of cracks in walls, ceilings, corners, joints, and penetrations that would otherwise allow air ingress.
Thermal barriers
All foam plastic insulation is required by building codes to have a 15-minute thermal barrier covering the insulation on interior applications, unless the application exempted in the code has been approved by a building code official. Approval in this case would be based on full-scale fire tests specific to the particular situation.
Both types of foams can work well in most attics and cathedral ceilings without the
need to ventilate. However, ventilation ducts can maintain desired temperatures more efficiently
because they are in a conditioned space.
Determining the differences between Foams
Despite the shared qualities between 1/2-lb and 2-lb spray foams, it is each foams type’s unique properties that ultimately assist in selecting the proper material for the project.
1/2-lb foam is normally spray-applied to the desired thickness with one pass, while 2-lb foam is spray applied at lifts from 12.7-mm to 38-mm (0.5-in. to 1.5-in.) until the desired total thickness is achieved. Excess foam can be trimmed easily with saws or knives, however, most applications do not require full stud thickness, meaning trimming is usually, unnecessary. For example,foam installed at 51-mm (2-in.) thickness between 2x4 studs requires a minimal cleaning on the stud face. However, foam installed to full stud thickness requires additional trimming with a specially designed trimming tool.
Sound absorption
Both 1/2-lb and 2-lb foams have air barrier qualities that can help reduce noise from outside the building envelope (i.e. airplanes and car traffic). The 1/2-lb foam’s density offers additional sound absorbing qualities, however, neither foam is exceptionally effective at reducing vibrational impact noises.
Permeance
Moisture has two primary means for entry into/through the building envelope—water vapor diffusion and air leakage. As mentioned above, the excellent air barrier qualities of both 1/2-lb and 2-lb foam helps effectively preclude the latter, however, the foam types differ when it comes to vapor diffusion.
The higher the material’s permeance, the faster water vapor can pass through. Controlling water vapor within a building is important for preventing condensation, mold growth, and subsequent damage to building components. There are two basic types of moisture control within buildings:
1. The ‘flow-through design,’ which allows water vapor to pass through the building assembly’s components without condensing.
2. The vapor retarder design, which limits the moisture entering the building assembly altogether.
A 1/2-lb foam ranges between 6 perms and 10 perms, with a 76-mm (3-in.) thickness of material. Its high permeability allows for the fairly rapid diffusion of water vapor, so the material often requires a vapor retarder element in the building assembly. In some cases, this could be part of the assembly, and requires no additional vapor retarder material. (When this is necessary, it is typically used on the insulation’s warm side.)
2-lb foam typically has a permeance of less than 1 perm at 76-mm (3-in.), and can be used in flow-through designs without a vapor retarder. Exceptions include situations where there is a constant vapor drive in one direction (i.e. natatoriums and cold storage facilities), or when there is a vapor retarding material on the assembly’s cool side.
Water absorption
1/2-lb foam has a high open-cell content (greater than 50 percent) and liquid water can enter the foam. Conversely, 2-lb foam has a high closed-cell content (greater than 90 percent) and resists water absorption. In a building assembly, the latter foam offers added weather or rain barrier protection.
2lb Closed Cell Spray has the highest R-value as compared to all other available types insulation products
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