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FUSION'S UNIVERSAL "INSULATION LAW"

"FUSION'S FIRST LAW OF INSULATION"

"If you use the insulation you have always used you will get the results you have always got"

What are those "results" we refer to:

  • Outrageous heating bills
  • Dampness
  • Draughty Rooms and Hallways
  • Uncomfortable Home and Work environment
  • Cough's, Sneezes, and Aches and Pains

Here at Fusion Insulation we are zealot like in our mission to spread the 'insulation' good word. If its any consolation we have lived in homes that were badly insulated or had ineffective insulation. We have also spent way too much on heating bills and we have suffered through draughty and damp accommodation. Then we found the way. It came to us like a revelation. It was SPRAY IN PLACE FOAM INSULATION. The highest performing seamless insulation on the market today. No other insulation can insulate your home and office like  

FUSION SPRAY IN PLACE FOAM INSULATION

can.
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The Ordinary Guy's Guide to "U" Values


Discover why "U" Values are only half the story for Truly Great Insulation.

If your insulation has a great U value on paper but in practice it doesn't seem to be doing its job , then you're about to discover that U values are only half the picture and why you need the double act of U values and Airtghtedness in your home, office or building for that truly "Bali" Beachouse feeling of warmth and dryness

Let's get the basics covered first; U values are a handy way to simplify what can be a fairly black art. "U" values are a measure of thermal resistance. In other words, a U value rating will give you some idea as to how 'difficult'  that insulation will  make it for heat or indeed cold passing through it, for a given depth of that insulation. To avoid freezing, in the winter you want to keep the heat in and in a baking summer you dont want your home or office becoming like an oven. The better the U value per inch or mm depth of insulation (the lower the figure) the better your home, office or building will retain its temperature. In the USA they use an R value system which is kinda like the reverse of U values, so the higher the R value the better the insulating abilities.

Simple so far? Well here's where the plot thickens. You see a U value is not a real world figure. Its measured in a laboratory and lots of people with pointy heads and lots of letters after their names, write whats know as  'protocols' or proceedural reports as to how they achieved these test results. Now you would be surprised to discover that a lot of insulation types achieved great U values from these laboratory tests, under strict laboratory conditions i.e. pretty much as near non real world conditions as you could imagine. We're not suggesting that these scientists have deliberately done a bad job. Hey, it must be very difficult in fact design just one test thats able to provide a 'universal' value system applicable to dozens and dozens of different types of insulations , but its you the end user that shells out for insulation that you thought would do the job, only to find out afterwards that in the real world, that insulation is not performing.

Let us give you an example. Its blowing a force 5 outside your home and the humidity in the air is 85%, and you have cavity walls and a standard, typical ventilated attic space . Would you want an insulation in your attic that couldnt handle air movement across it, or lost most of its of its U values if it got damp?  Would you want an insulation that sagged when it got damp and compressed down so it became ineffective as an insulation? Well the shocking news is that there are many insulation types out there that achieved excellent U values from lab tests, but cant repeat those results in the real world, of your attic, walls or floors.

What's needed is an insulation that tough, rugged, wont sag , compress, and yet retain its thermal resiistance properties over time. You need and insulation that forms an airthight seal , in situ, in your attic walls and flloors. You want an insulation that will shrug of water, rain, and moisture and will literally cold shoulder force 10 gales into touch. You want all this and a reassuring lifetime warranty. You want Fusion Spray In Place Insulation Foam becasue you never want to second guess the most important element of your enjoyment and satisfaction in your home, office or building.

"Comparing Apples with Apples"

But wait there's one more potential 'pothole' when it comes to comparing U values. There are some insulation brochures out there, that while not being misleading are perhaps a little economical with the facts e.g. Some brochures and literature quote a U value for say a 100mm insulation panel and it looks great.


You're about to place an order but then you read the small print at the bottom of the page (and we're talking 7 font small print here), and you notice that the U values quoted are in fact "typical as built U values" In other words they have calculated the plasterboard, the plaster, the insulation, the typical two course cavity block construction and the typical 20mm of external render that would be on that wall.

Hey why not include that cat sitting on the window cill as well?

So in practice their insulation seems to be performing spectacularly well , but not so well when you subtract the other materials they have thrown in. So the moral of the story is ,

"STUDY THE SMALL PRINT CAREFULLY"

Always compare like with like, Apples with Apples and Oranges with Oranges

Below are our REAL WORLD "U" values and these "U" values will be there in gales force winds, raginging storms or heatwaves. Our insulation is backed by a Lifetime Warranty after all

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Additional Information for Download

 

 

 

Just when I thought I knew what SPRAY FOAM INSULATION was all about along along comes two more types of foam. It looks like there's Open Cell and Closed Cell now. Huh!

Could someone simplify this for me please?

You've come to the right place. Here at Fusion we wont baffle you with Science (unless you want us to) or blind you with figures. You want straight answers and we're going to give them to you.

Open Cell v Closed Cell, Half Pound Foam versus Two Pound Foam, Soft Foam v Hard Foam. Whats it all about?

 

In the beginning there was pretty much one type of foam. It was all closed cell back then and it was made from two components. One was the Iso'nate and the other ingredient was a setting agent or a resin. You heated these two up, put them under pressure in a special machine, mixed them thoroughly at the same time and then sprayed them out of a special gun. This liquid spray then did something magically.

The liquid expanded about 50 times its original volume and turned to a solid. Not just any old solid though. It was now a solid foam with billions of little holes, filled with gas from the liquid mix, trapped forever in the foam. And what are little closed cells full of gas good for ?

TRAPPING THE MOVEMENT OF HEAT OR COLD DEPENDING ON WHAT SEASON IT WAS

Our BIOFOAM NSAI AGRÉMENT CERTIFIED closed cell foams are very strong, have fantastic U values and water repellent. The majority of cells of BIOFOAM  closed cell foam are 'closed' in that they are full of gas making it very difficult for heat to move through it (or cold for that matter)   Hence the name CLOSED CELL FOAM. Biofoam Closed Cell foam has some of the highest insulating values of all types of foam and because it is denser and requires more materials tends to be more expensive per m2.

 

Biofoam Closed Cell Foam is fantastic for insulation where you wanted to create a water repellent and airtight and vapour resistant  barrier. It is tough and durable and for example if you sprayed it onto the underside of roof’s it actually makes the roof stronger. Biofoam Closed Cell Foam can be used for pretty much any insulation task and is the great all rounder for Roof’s Attic’s Lofts and Walls

 

What are the downside’s of BIOFOAM AGRÉMENT CERTIFIED closed cell foam. When compared to roll and sheet type insulation it’s more expensive in terms of its capital cost. But when the whole life savings are factored in closed cell foams achieve a payback and you get those wonderful benefits of air-tightness, that you cant really put a value or an ROI on.

 

Are there Fire Risks from putting closed cell foam in my attic or loft? The rules aren’t hard and fast when it comes to foam insulation in attics but a good rule we recommend, is that if there is no regular access to your attic by personnel, the your sheet rock and plaster board acts as a perfectly acceptable fire risk mitigator. If on the other hand you have air-conditioning equipment or other types of electrical equipment in your attic requiring regular access for service personnel then the foam may have to be sprayed with an in-tumescent /spark arresting coating.

Jump now to our Open Cell Foam page to get the 'skinny' on open cell foam

 

 

...and now some of the questions you have been dying to ask;




What are the advantages of BIOFOAM NSAI CERTIFIED CLOSED CELL FOAMS

Closed-cell (rigid) spray foam insulation remains solid throughout the life of the building however it will move with the small changes in your building without destroying the seal. BIOFOAM AGRÉMENT CERTIFIED CLOSED CELL FOAMS comes with a lifetime performance warranty. As well as simplifying the construction process for the builder, spray foam insulation eliminates the major causes of building envelope problems - airborne moisture movement and entrapment. Heating and cooling costs are typically reduced by 30 to 50%, and more money can be saved by purchasing a (properly sized) smaller, less expensive heating and cooling unit .

 

BIOFOAM NSAI CERTIFIED CLOSED CELL FOAM are made here in Ireland , so that's got to be good for Irish manufacturing jobs but not only that , by being NSAI AGRÉMENT CERTIFIED you can rest assured that when you order Biofoam you are ordering the most rigorously tested foams in Ireland. Our Biofoam Range has been subjected to batteries of tests which include , strength, chemical composition (so no nasties in there) , acoustic performance , fire resistance and so on . In fact it woould fill a big book to print all the tests that our Biofoam rnage has successfully passed . And if you want that big book of tests just let us know becasue we want you to be 110% sure when you order our Biofoam rnage of foams you are ordering the best foam on the Irish market.



Does Closed Cell Foam stick well to timber, metal studs and is it compatible with other building materials?

BIOFOAM NSAI CERTIFIED CLOSED CELL FOAM adheres extremely well to steel studs and other natural materials such as cement board, wood, etc. Since open-cell insulation will adhere to almost all surfaces, areas that do not require spray foam insulation (such as windows, doors etc.) must be protected from over-spray. It is stable in the presence of most solvents found in binders, bituminous materials, wood preservatives, and sealers. It is resistant to facers containing plasticizers, fuel, mineral oil, weak acid, and weak bases, which are typically found in residential and commercial construction materials. BIOFOAM NSAI CERTIFIED CLOSED CELL FOAMS under normal conditions is non-corrosive and neutral (neither acidic nor alkaline) and will not cause corrosion to metal studs and other metals typically found in construction.


Does it break down, shrink or sag?

The reaction that created BIOFOAM NSAI CERTIFIED CLOSED CELL FOAM insulation is irreversible, preventing the breakdown into its constituent parts. Therefore, closed spray foam is stable and will not shrink or sag. We warranty that for the life of the building



Are there any issues about overheating of electric wiring?

There is no special requirement needed to encapsulate electrical wires other than what is required with all types of insulation. As with other types of insulation, when the properly rated size and type of electrical wires are used, there is no overheating of those electrical wires .Would we reccomend ducting cables ? Yes . Cabling is always better when in its own properly designed duct.

Does Closed cell foam support or encourage the growth of mold and mildew?

BIOFOAM NSAI CERTIFIED CLOSED CELL FOAM insulation is inert and offers no food value. Therefore it cannot support bacteria or fungal growth. The effective air-sealing characteristic prevents the movement of hot air to the cold parts of the walls, preventing condensation from taking place within the wall cavities. The elimination of condensation within the wall assemblies prevents the growth of molds and mildew.


What about mice, rats bugs and creepy crawlies?

BIOFOAM NSAI CERTIFIED CLOSED CELL FOAM is completely inert and acts as a physical and odor barrier and has been shown to significantly reduce the number of mice and rats entering structures. It offers no food value, and while it by itself does not present a concrete entry barrier, pests normally do not attempt to go through an area where they cannot detect a food source.


What is the U-value of comaprison between closed cell  rigid foam and  open-cell (semi-rigid) spray foam insulation.

For your ease of use we have printed tables identifying the U values of closed cell foam and open cell foam on the right hand side of this page - just look to the Right now!. One other thing . Please remember that comparing U values directly wont always give you the 'real life' picture of what you are likely to experience. e.g. take our table quoting 4 inches of open cell foam with a laboratory U value of .35. Using U values alone as a guide then you would have to order 3 inches of Closed Cell  to get the same U value performance. Right? Well, yes if you were in a laboratory because the laboratory U values for 3 inches of closed cell is approximately .34. However in the real world you need only about 2 inches of closed cell foam to achieve the same 'real' world insulation values as 4 inches of Open Cell Foam. So whats going on here? Its the AIR BARRIER EFFECT . Remember Open cell foam is breatheable (under mild air pressure)  so there is a little air movement across it, whereas with the closed cell there is little or no air movement. Closed cell is in fact an excellent vapour retarder


Does BIOFOAM NSAI CERTIFIED CLOSED CELL FOAMS contain urea, formaldehyde, CFC or HCFC?

No, BIOFOAM NSAI CERTIFIED CLOSED CELL foam insulation does not contain urea, formaldehyde, CFC or HCFC. So you wont smell any nasty fumes


Are there health concerns associated with the use of closed cell spray foam insulation?

BIOFOAM NSAI CERTIFIED CLOSED CELL FOAMS are  "green" products in that they have plant oils as an ingredient replacing hydrocarbon components in their makeup. They are non toxic or carcinogenic products . In addition, the use of BIOFOAM NSAI CERTIFIED CLOSED CELL FOAM insulation reduces airborne dust and air infiltration, making it the healthy choice for those who suffer from allergies, asthma or chemical sensitivity.


At what stage of construction is it installed?

In new construction, BIOFOAM NSAI CERTIFIED CLOSED CELL FOAMS insulation is installed after the windows, doors and roof are in, the electrical and plumbing inspections are completed, and after any other electrical or mechanical system located behind the drywall is installed. It is the last installation to take place before drywall is installed.


Can BIOFOAM NSAI CERTIFIED CLOSED CELL FOAMS be applied in an existing structure?

Excellent results are achieved in using BIOFOAM NSAI CERTIFIED CLOSED CELL FOAMS insulation in the attic and in the crawl space (if applicable) without disturbing the walls in a retrofit application. The reason is that a large portion of a building’s energy loss is caused by the "chimney effect" - hot air rising therefore creating air movement within a building. For existing walls, a "pour-in-place" formula of our foam insulation is preferred. Spray foam insulation is used in walls where drywall has yet to be installed.

Who is allowed in the general area during application?

BIOFOAM NSAI CERTIFIED CLOSED CELL FOAMS insulation is supplied and applied by Fusion Insulation trained personnel who have been trained in the proper safety and handling of the chemicals. Other persons should keep away from the immediate area where spraying is conducted.


Are BIOFOAM NSAI CERTIFIED CLOSED CELL FOAMS more expensive to buy?

Simple answer - In most cases, Yes. However in reality, BIOFOAM NSAI CERTIFIED CLOSED CELL FOAMS cannot be compared to conventional insulation. What are the key differences:

* BIOFOAM NSAI CERTIFIED CLOSED CELL FOAMS spray foam insulation actually air-seals the building end eliminates energy robbing air leakage and the associated problems with moisture, mold and mildew and condensation problems inside the walls. Sheet and roll insulation simply can't seal like spray in place BIOFOAM NSAI CERTIFIED CLOSED CELL FOAMS can
* BIOFOAM NSAI CERTIFIED CLOSED CELL FOAMS carries a lifetime performance warranty. Try and put a value on peace of mind
* Ask any builder. They don't like working with sheets and rolls of insulation material . Most insulation types are hard to work with, take up a huge amount of space on site, can be itchy and cause breathing difficulties and are slow and time consuming to try and seal, thus driving up actual and real application costs.
* When calculating the actual cost you need to consider the possible ability to downsize of heating and cooling systems, and eliminate a significant portion of the material and labor costs associated with an air-sealing approach. The investment to upgrade from standard fiberglass is an insignificant part of the overall cost of a home and your long-term energy costs. When you are planning to install an upgraded insulation package, remember that the our spray foam insulation are initially more expensive but provide you with the best performance and comfort value in addition to long-term savings. The additional upfront costs typically pay for themselves in energy savings within three years and will keep on saving you money every year thereafter.