WHAT IS OPEN CELL SPRAY FOAM?
Open cell spray foam is a complete insulation and air barrier system that insulates and air seals walls, floors and ceiling cavities against air movement, including spaces around electrical outlets, baseboards, and where the walls meet windows and doors. The significance of that is outside air (hot or cold) cannot seep through walls causing drafts or cold spots. It also means that hot humid air cannot enter the walls and condense on cold surfaces causing molds, mildew and premature decay.
Spray foam insulation when applied by trained Foresite applicators is a truly effective method to construct energy efficient homes and buildings. Open cell foam is a semi-rigid thermo-set polyurethane foam, which is a cellular plastic composed of millions of microscopic cells of which most are open. The application of the product is done at the job site providing a custom installation of the insulation. The application technique and nature of open cell foam make a perfect fit to all cavities, irrespective of size or shape.
By virtue of its low permeability to air, its adhesion to other building materials, and its flexibility, the open cell foam becomes much more than just insulation. It provides superior air leakage and sound control for residential construction. Open cell foam is one step insulation, and air barrier system that eliminates the labor intensive work associated with air-tightness detailing when insulating with conventional insulation products.
Open cell spray foam significantly reduces air infiltration, unlike “loose fill” insulation, which does not air seal the building cavities. Air infiltration robs the insulation of its R-value. The superior air sealing characteristics of open cell spray foam provides virtually the same r-value in the field as it does in the laboratory.

WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES OF OPEN CELL SPRAY FOAM?
Open cell spray foam insulation eliminates the major causes of building envelope problems, air-borne moisture movement and entrapment. Blower door tests have shown that steel framed homes insulated open cell spray foam and with polyethylene vapor barrier routinely measure under the 1.5 ACH50 rating for most energy efficient home. Heating and cooling costs are typically reduced by 30 to 50%. Smaller and less expensive heating and cooling equipment (properly sized) can be used.
Open cell spray foam is inert and stable over the long term. It will not settle or compact over time. It offers stable R-value and is chemically and physically stable under normal conditions between (-60 degree F and 180 degree F).

DOES OPEN CELL SPRAY FOAM BREAK DOWN, SAG OR SHRINK?
No, the insulation is stable.  It does not shrink or sag. The reaction that created the open cell foam is irreversible and it cannot break down into its constituent parts.

WHAT IS THE R-VALUE OF OPEN CELL SPRAY FOAM?
The R-values of open cell spray foam are rated at R-3.8 per inch. In a nominal 4-inch wall, the R-value is about R-13, in a 6 inch wall the R-value is about R-21.
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 with open cell spray foam will perform closely to that of the laboratory tested R-value of the material, and it seals the wall cavity from air filtration as well. Open cell foam insulation is particularly suited for steel or wood frame construction. Open cell spray foam expands approximately 120:1 as it’s is installed, adhering to the 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.

CAN OPEN CELL SPRAY FOAM BE INSTALLED IN AN EXISTING WALL?
We do not recommend that open cell foam be applied in existing walls. However, we have had good results applying the product in the attic and/or crawl space without disturbing the walls in a retrofit application. The logic being that a large portion of your energy loss is through the roof.

ARE THERE HEALTH CONCERNS WITH OPEN CELL SPRAY FOAM?
No, open cell foam used by Foresite is a “green” product. It meets off gassing requirements of CGSB 51.23.92 for new residential construction. No toxic or carcinogenic products were detected.

DOES OPEN CELL FOAM CONTAIN UREA FORMALDEHYDE, CFC OR HCFC’S?
No, the open cell foam used by Foresite does not contain Urea Formaldehyde, CFC’s or HCFC’s.  This insulation is a semi-rigid urethane and open cellular plastic foam, in which water is incorporated as the sole blowing agent. 

DOES OPEN CELL FOAM SUPPORT THE GROWTH OF MOLDS AND MILDEW?
No, open cell foam insulation offers no food value therefore it cannot support bacteria or fungal growth. The effective air sealing characteristics of open cell foam prevents the movement of hot air to the cold parts of the walls. This effective air-sealing process prevents condensation within the wall assemblies the elimination of condensation within the wall assemblies prevents the growth of molds and/or mildew.

AT WHAT STAGE OF CONSTRUCTION IS THE OPEN CELL FOAM INSTALLED?
The foam insulation is installed after the windows, doors and roof are in, the electrical and plumbing inspection 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.

IS IT POSSIBLE FOR THE HOMEOWNER TO INSTALL THE OPEN CELL INSULATION ON THEIR OWN?
No, the spray foam insulation requires specialized proportioning equipment and a trained installer.

ARE THERE ANY COMPATIBILITY ISSUES WITH OTHER BUILDING MATERIALS?
The open cell foam used by Foresite 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 light commercial construction materials.

ARE THERE ANY ISSUES CONCERNING THE OVERHEATING OF ELECTRICAL WIRING?
There is no special requirement to encapsulate electrical wires other than what is required with all types of insulation. As with other types of insulation such as fiberglass and/or cellulose, when the properly rated size and type of electrical wires are used, there is no over heating of those electrical wires.

HOW MUCH DOES AN OPEN CELL SPRAY FOAM INSTALLATION COST?
A spray foam insulation application is considered to be more expensive than most conventional insulation; however open cell spray foam insulation cannot be compared to conventional insulation. A spray foam insulation system actually air seals the building and eliminates energy robbing air leakage and the associated problems with moisture, mold and mildew, and condensation problems inside the walls. When calculating the actual cost, one need to consider the possible need to downsize the HVAC systems, eliminate building wraps, and eliminate a significant portion of the material and labor costs associated with an air sealing approach.  It is erroneous to compare the cost of loose fill insulation to that of the open cell spray foam system offered by Foresite. The invested premium to upgrade from standard fiberglass system to an upgraded spray foam installation is more expensive but the upfront costs typically pay for themselves in energy savings within three years.