Air Defense
Spray Foam Installation
Frequently Asked Questions
I'm considering spray foam insulation, is it safe for my home?
Spray Polyurethane Foam (SPF) is the most rigorously tested insulation product ever developed. During its 1960-70's infancy some products contained VOC's, long-since eliminated before modern SPF evolved to its current rigidly tested safe SPF products.
BaySeal® SPF has earned the UL 2818 GREENGUARD Gold Certification for Emissions for Building Materials, Finishes and Furnishings, which holds SPF to the same standards as most building materials, countertops, doors, residential furniture and even air filters themselves. Air Defense SPF Installation applies exclusively BaySeal® SPF for its unmatched consistency in quality and performance.
The American Lung Association® specifies SPF in their Health House® homes built around the U.S., embracing SPF for its moisture-barrier capability prevention of mold and mildew growth and infiltration of allergens and airborne pollutants.
FEMA classifies exclusively Closed-Cell Foam as Flood-Damage Resistant Insulation Material, no other materials can qualify. Air Defense SPF Installation completely overcomes common difficulties like voids around irregular shapes and the ever-present obscure draft crannies to isolate the indoor environment.
What savings can I realize with spray foam insulation?
Property variables affect energy and monetary savings but the generally accepted projection for SPF energy savings begins at 30 - 40% with some installations yielding 60%. Conservation-conscious owners also are gratified by significant reductions in their carbon footprint and HVAC run-time and maintenance.
An often-overlooked return from an Air Defense SPF Installation is an average 5% increase in property value, a widely-accepted assessment in the real-estate community and among buyers: 80% of polled U.S. buyers are willing to pay more for an SPF insulation property.
The definitive experts, Chicago's Appraisal Institute® in their Appraisal Journal concluded from two studies that real estate values increase about $20 for every $1 reduction of annual utility bills realized from improvements. For example, a monthly $200 HVAC energy charge reduced 40% by an Air Defense SPF Installation would produce a property value increase of $80 x 12mos x $20 or $19,200.
In cost and performance, how does SPF insulation compare to other products?
Initially an SPF Installation may be slightly higher than legacy products, however an Air Defense SPF Installation provides immediate positive economics from energy and HVAC savings to continue for the life of the building. To compliment the comfort and health benefits Air Defense SPF Installation can pay for itself within five years.
How much time does an Air Defense SPF installation require?
Air Defense SPF Installation can complete most residential SPF installations in one day.
What is the R-Value misconception?
Though Air Defense SPF provides nearly double the R-value over all other materials, R-value, the numbers, are not the whole truth regarding measurement of materials' capability to retain or resist heat, to exactly parallel Wind Chill in factoring cold weather. R-values are derived within test-lab conditions, not subjected to, or accountable for wind and moisture factors of the real world. In practicality this means SPF's R-value includes the wind-chill factor while air-permeable materials – read "everything else" – does not.
Even to assume similar R-values -- Air Defense BaySeal® SPF is R6.9 per inch while fiberglass is R3.5 -- SPF completely eliminates air infiltration while other applications do not achieve without supplementary vapor barriers. Typically an average home has nooks, crannies and spaces that together equal an open medium-size window. R-values for all other materials are conditional, they do not account for this air passage.
An Air Defense SPF installation provides an impenetrable barrier to outdoor air, moisture and pollutants. Unlike all other materials, SPF will not compact, collapse or allow infiltration contaminants, but will deliver full like-new performance for the life of a residential or commercial building.
