Sunday, December 23, 2012

13 Reasons to Plan a Foam-Free Enclosure

13 Reasons to Plan a Foam-Free Enclosure:

Spray foam has been the subject of much discussion in green building circles.  Whether the concern is installation safety or global warming potential or better energy performance, it seems there’s no shortage of debate.  Along these lines, the guys at 475 High Performance Building Supply, a Brooklyn-based provider of products for high-performance projects, have a list describing 13 ways foam fails, starting with the “dangerous toxic ingredients.

1.)  Dangerous toxic ingredients

2.)  Irredeemable global warming potential

3.)  Unacceptably high fire hazard

4.)  Hypersensitive on-site manufacturing

5.)  Intolerant of adverse job site conditions

6.)  Unhealthy off-gassing

7.)  Counterproductive vapor retarder/barrier

8.)  Terribly hygrophobic

9.)  Weak and unpredictable air control

10.)  Inflexible and prone to cracking

11.)  Excessive shrinkage

12.)  Difficult to identify and repair air leaks

13.)  Degrading thermal insulation values
So therefore why not go “foam free” in the building enclosure, says architect Ken Levenson with 475 High Performance Building Supply. What do you think about this list? If not foam free, then why?
[+] Foam Fails by 475 High Performance Building Supply.
Related Articles on JetsonGreen.com:
  1. Eight Reasons for Passive House Growth
  2. DIY Shed Plan Makes a Home Attainable
  3. Building Materials Nutrition Label: Declare

No comments:

Post a Comment