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Frequently Asked Icynene LD-C-50 Questions
Below we have listed many frequently asked questions regarding the effectiveness, application and safety of Icynene. Click on any question to reveal the answer.
The Icynene Insulation System® is a complete insulation and air barrier system that wind proofs and seals wall, floor and ceiling cavities against air movement, including spaces around electrical outlets and light fixtures, at baseboards and where walls meet windows and doors. This means that outside air (either hot or cold) cannot seep through walls, causing drafts or cold spots. It also means that humid interior air cannot enter the walls and condense.
The system combines a material with a Certified Service providing any builder or homeowner with a truly cost effective method of energy efficient construction. The material is polyicynene foam (see Product Specifications), an organic material developed from products of the petrochemical industry similar in composition to many that are already in home use today, such as upholstery padding, pillows and mattresses. The service is a custom installation on the building site by trained and licensed installers, providing a custom insulation fit into any size cavity.
By virtue of its low permeability to air, its adhesion to other building materials and its flexibility, The Icynene Insulation System® becomes much more than just insulation. It provides good air leakage control, moisture control and sound control in addition to insulation. The Icynene Insulation System® takes the place of fiberglass and polyethylene vapor barrier and eliminates the labor intensive work associated with air-tightness detailing when insulating with conventional insulation products.
Unlike "loose fill" insulation methods that do not wind proof building cavities, the air sealing characteristics of The Icynene Insulation System® provide virtually the same R-Value in the field as it does in the laboratory where the R-Value is measured. Cold air in winter and hot muggy air in summer just cannot pass through polyicynene foam like it can through most other insulating materials. The 2006 International Residential Code (IRC) allows the unvented attic application. The code allows the unvented attic only if the insulation applied to the underside of the roof deck is air-impermeable (an air barrier). Icynene has been tested and is an air barrier material.
Icynene® complies to the BOCA, SBCCI and the ICBO Uniform Building Codes and the Canadian National Building Code. It has been evaluated by the Council of American Building Officials National Evaluation Service. It has been the subject of research projects by the NAHB Research Center, Upper Marlboro, Maryland; Oak Ridge National Laboratories, Oak Ridge, Tennessee and the Florida Solar Energy Center, Cape Canaveral, Florida.
Health problem concerns associated with other building products in recent years such as asbestos, urea formaldehyde and glass fibers, lead Canadian Authorities to dictate the ground rules for acceptance of new building materials. The Icynene® product became, to the best of our knowledge, the most extensively tested insulation material on the market today. The testing included the most sensitive emissions tests developed to date, tests that few other building materials have ever been through. As well as simplifying the construction process for the builder, Icynene® Insulation eliminates the major causes of building envelope problems, air-borne moisture movement and entrapment. Blower door tests have shown that a home insulated with Icynene® Insulation measures .06 ACHnat. This can be between 5 and 8 times tighter than the average conventionally insulated home! Heating and cooling costs are typically reduced by 30 to 50%, and smaller, less expensive heating and cooling equipment can be used.
For the homeowner the advantages are:
* Compared to other technologies, The Icynene Insulation System® is a less expensive method of building an energy efficient home.
* A more energy efficient home means that energy costs can usually be reduced between 30 and 50%.
* A more comfortable home, free from drafts, cold spots and frozen pipes.
* A quieter home because Icynene® creates a continuous sound barrier against outside noises.
* A healthier home - when used with a mechanical ventilation system, Icynene® contributes to superior indoor air quality and provides your family with a much healthier place to live. It is a soft plastic foam made of similar materials to many products that are already in home use today, such as upholstery padding, pillows and mattresses.
Icynene has the texture and look of angel food cake. It is made up of millions of tiny cells filled with air which provide permanent control of air and moisture movement. See Specifications for more physical data. The foam is created within seconds of spraying. It expands 100 times its original volume, literally before your eyes. It completely cures within a few minutes. No. It looks like a sponge, but it is actually hydrophobic - it repels water. If placed in water, it will float, and on removal it will dry rapidly while retaining all of its insulating properties. Icynene® Insulation is air tight but moisture breathable. Moisture vapor in the building's concrete or lumber will not be trapped as the building dries out, thus eliminating the risk of rot or mildew. No. Once Icynene (R) has expanded and cured, it is an inert object. It does not react with moisture vapor or other building materials. Icynene (R) has a lifetime warranty never to shrink, sag, settle, delaminate, or break down. Icynene (R) is a green building product. Because it is water blown it does not off-gas. Icynene (R) reduces waste sent to the landfill, drastically reduces energy consumption, and contributes to a healthier indoor environment. Icynene® Insulation contributes no fuel in the event of fire and is approved for use in residential, commercial & agricultural buildings.
Icynene® Insulation will be consumed by flame, but it will not melt, drip, or sustain a flame upon removal of the flame source.
The International Building Codes require that all foam plastics be covered by gypsum board or other approved 15-minute rated thermal barrier. Smoke from Icynene® foam, like that of all organic materials including wood, is a complex of many gasses. The major components in the smoke from Icynene® Insulation are carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide. Icynene® is safe for both you and the environment. Icynene® is water-blown, and does not contain formaldehyde, CFCs or HCFCs. It has been extensively tested in both Canada and the United States and found to have no harmful emissions.
The product is in fact recommended for use in homes for many environmentally concerned or sensitive people. The Icynene Insulation System® has been selected for use in the Lung Association endorsed Envirodesic Home Program and for demonstration Healthy Houses being built by the Lung Association in Orlando, Florida and Des Moines, Iowa. Icynene Insulation is sprayed-in-place by a professionally trained and licensed contractor after electrical and plumbing services are in place. As the foam is installed it expands 100 times its original volume in seconds, completely filling all the cracks, joints and spaces between other building materials to form an air barrier around your home. Drywall is installed directly over the Icynene Insulation. Icynene has been on the market since 1986 and has been installed in over 100,000 homes & buildings across the United States and North America. Markets for the product are flourishing in Asia as well. It has been featured in several home improvement shows locally as well as nationally. No, Icynene® Insulation has been tested and is not a concern to electrical authorities. No, Icynene® Insulation is non-corrosive. It is neutral, neither acidic or alkaline. No, Texas Tech University has condluded that Icynene® Insulation offers no food value and cannot support bacteria or fungal growth. Icynene® Insulation offers no food value, but it would not present a sufficient barrier to their entry if they decided to gnaw through it. Icynene® Insulation is comparable to fiberglass acoustically with a noteworthy difference. As an effective air seal, it eliminates the air gaps through which sound travels easiest. Icynene® Insulation is superior in controlling midrange frequencies which include the most common sounds, the human voice and stereo music. No, Icynene(R) is a modified polyurethane foam, made of totally different components, and is water blown. No, Icynene® Insulation is stable. It does not shrink or sag. The reaction that creates Icynene® Insulation is irreversible and it cannot break down into its constituent parts. There is a lifetime warranty on the product. A foam that adheres to building materials must remain flexible in order to maintain its air seal. Building materials expand and contract with changes of season and temperature. If the foam is rigid, it will inevitably develop hairline cracks along the studs and ultimately the air seal will be destroyed. The R-Value of Icynene® Insulation is rated at R-3.6 per inch. In a 2x4 wall (3.5") the R-Value is about R-13. In a 6 inch wall (5.5") about R-20. Unlike foams filled with CFC or HCFC, the R-Value of Icynene® foam does not decline as it ages. R-Values of insulating materials are measured in laboratories and are designated a nominal R-Value per inch. In the wall or ceiling of a building, most factory made insulation materials suffer a reduction in performance due to air leakage and infiltration. The insulating value of many building components may be as low as 50% of the nominal R-Value of the insulation they contain.
By contrast, the insulation of a wall containing Icynene® Insulation will perform closely to the laboratory tested R-Value of the material and seal the wall cavity from air infiltration as well.
Icynene expands 100:1 as it is installed, adhering to surrounding building components. It completely seals joints, crevices and voids, including difficult-to-insulate spaces such as steel stud "U" and "C" sections, double studs and non-standard stud locations. A continuous air barrier is formed around the building structure in a single application. The Icynene® Insulation System is installed after the windows, doors and roof are in, the electrical and plumbing inspections are complete, and after any other electrical or mechanical system located behind the drywall is installed. It is the last installation to take place before drywall installation. Discuss this option with your contractor. Many contractors in Iowa either use Icynene as their standard insulation, or have used Icynene on other projects. If your contractor does not, feel free to have them contact us for more information.
If you are in charge of specifying the products in your home, contact us. With a full set of blue prints, we can typically provide a full proposal in one or two days.
The price for The Icynene Insulation System® is higher than traditional insulations, but its costs are offset by the tremendous savings in energy.
* The Frequently Asked Questions section was adapted (with permission) from the FAQ on the Icynene, Inc. web site at www.icynene.com.
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