What differentiates one rigid foam insulation from another? – Insulfoam (2024)

FAQs

What is the best rigid foam insulation? ›

The best kind of rigid foam insulation is polyisocyanurate, also known as polyiso. It has the highest R-rating of any rigid foam insulation and comes with a reflective foil on both sides, allowing it to act as a radiant barrier as well.

Rigid foam sheathing is a form of insulation — continuous insulation, to be exact — that's applied to the exterior of the building. Continuous rigid insulation is a construction solution that provides a thermally efficient building enclosure.

When building or renovating a high-performance building envelope there are really three main kinds of rigid foam panels you are going to have to choose from - Polyisocyanurate known as Polyiso (PIR), Extruded Polystyrene (XPS) - often called Styrofoam - and Expanded Polystyrene (EPS).

How Thick Is Rigid Foam Insulation Board? Rigid board insulation generally comes in standard thicknesses ranging from ½ inch to 2 inches. It is possible for homes located in extreme climates to order specialty thicknesses of up to 6 inches directly from certain manufacturers.

Homes with open cell spray foam don't have to replace the foam when it gets wet, or even after it has been submerged. This might come as a surprise because there is a common misconception that all open cell spray foams absorb water like a sponge and retain it, but that's not the case.

Thermablok® Aerogel is a revolutionary advancement in thermal technology offering the thinnest insulation available to prevent thermal and cold bridging. Classed as a Super Insulation, Aerogel has the highest insulation value of any known material with the lowest thermal conductivity value of any solid (0.015W/mK).

Extruded Polystyrene (XPS)

A popular rigid insulation choice, XPS features an initial R-value of R-5 per inch. That said, the long term R-values of this foam board decline over time. For example, after just 5 years, an XPS board will see its R-value fall by 10%, and even more going forward.

Foam board insulation are rigid panels of insulation that are made of either polystyrene, polyisocyanurate, and polyurethane, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

Rigid foam board insulation can be used throughout the home, but most often it is found in basem*nt walls. If you are a do-it-yourself homeowner finishing your basem*nt, you might decide to use foam board insulation on the walls behind the studs. This is standard for most basem*nt walls.

As a result, rigid foam insulation is often over-engineered in under-slab and roof applications. Readily available EPS options run up to 60 psi in compressive strength, and are strong enough for almost all building envelop applications.

What are three different types of foam? ›

Polyurethane foam, memory foam and latex foam are the three most common types of foam used in mattresses.

The two most used foam types in reusable packaging are Polyurethane and Polyethylene foams. This is a spongy foam like the consistency of foam used in pillows or mattress covers. It is an open-cell material which means it will absorb liquids.

However, it is more expensive than other foam options. Used in top-of-line mattresses, Latex Rubber is an excellent quality foam. This comfort further extends to sofa cushions. Latex foam is one of the highest quality foam seat cushions that can be purchased.

When two or more layers of polyiso insulation boards are used together to provide the specified insulation thickness for a commercial roof, you dramatically minimize thermal bridging. In order to create the most energy efficient installation, the joints of the polyiso insulation boards should be offset.

Because the R value of open-cell spray foam is R-3.5 to R-3.7 per inch, you'll get a total R value of R-7.0 if using two inches of foam and a total R-14.0 if you're using four. With closed-cell spray foam insulation, it will be a total of R-13.0 for two inches and R-26.0 for four.

Foam building insulation, in both spray foam and foam board products, is resistant to mold growth but as we will explain here it is not absolutely mold-roof, and on occasion we do find mold growth on the surface of even closed-cell foam, in open-celled foam (rare), and on th surface of EPS and other foam insulating ...

It depends on the application; it can be left exposed in an attic or crawlspace type of application. Local building codes should be reviewed for exposed interior applications. If it's an exterior application, it should be covered with some sort of finishing material.

Open cell spray foam is very breathable. It does let moisture pass through instead of trapping it inside of the insulation itself. Your home will not fill with water though, no need to worry about that!

See the guide for installing band joist area insulation at this link. It is not necessary to apply insulation to the underside of the floor above a closed crawlspace because the rigid foam board insulation applied to the walls provides the necessary thermal protection.

Do I have to cover rigid foam insulation? ›

Tests have shown that these laminated boards can withstand UV ray damage for a reasonably long time. That said, it's still advisable to cover any foam board insulation exposed to the Sun within 30-60 days at the most. On most projects, that's more than enough time to finish the exterior walls.

Rigid foam insulation, whether it is expanded or extruded polystyrene, does have to be covered if it is installed in the interior of a building. This wall covering must have a minimum fire rating to protect the insulation from quick combustion during a fire.

What is the most energy efficient wall insulation? Closed cell spray-foam insulation is the most energy efficient wall insulation. Applications can reach much higher R-values for each inch of thickness than other insulation products, with values as high as R-6.2 per square inch (roughly R-34 on a 2×6 wall).

Depending on where you live and the part of your home you're insulating (walls, crawlspace, attic, etc.), you'll need a different R-Value. Typical recommendations for exterior walls are R-13 to R-23, while R-30, R-38 and R-49 are common for ceilings and attic spaces.

Rigid foam board, especially foil-faced polyisocyanurate, creates a vapor-impermeable barrier, so the wall would have limited drying potential. Even more permeable types of insulation, such as expanded polystyrene, are vapor barriers when the installation is thick enough.

The thermal barrier of a home should consist of a continuous layer of insulation on all sides—including the lowest floor, the exterior walls, and the ceiling or roof. Doubling the thickness of insulation will double the insulation's R-value, cutting heat loss in half.

ASTM C578 standard for EPS type I is 10psi or 1,440 pounds per square ft (1 square foot is equal to 144 square inches). One square inch of Type I EPS can support 10 pounds; however, set a one square foot board on the foam and it can support 1,440 pounds.

XPS is manufactured in a continuous extrusion process that produces a closed cell form of foam insulation. EPS, on the other hand, is manufactured by expanding spherical beads in a mold and then using heat and pressure to fuse the beads together. Each product has proponents claiming one out performs the other.

Owens Corning® FOAMULAR® & FOAMULAR® NGX™ 250 Extruded Polystyrene (XPS) Rigid Foam Insulation is a closed cell, highly moisture-resistant foam board well suited to meet the insulation needs for a wide variety of residential and commercial building applications.

Does foam board need thermal barrier? ›

1.14. A thermal barrier is not required for foam plastic installed in a masonry or concrete wall, floor or roof system where the foam plastic insulation is covered on each face by not less than 1-inch (25 mm) thickness of masonry or concrete.

A: I recommend keeping your work process as simple and clean as possible, and rigid foam can certainly help you achieve this. Install 1 1/2-inch- or two-inch-thick sheets right over existing drywall wall surfaces (held in place with a few dabs of construction adhesive), then put new drywall on top.

Now generically speaking, we usually recommend open cell spray foam to be 6- to 10-inches on a roof deck or ceiling and 3-inches in the walls. Closed cell spray foam should be 4- to 5- inches on the ceiling and 2- to 3-inches in the walls.

You can bend flat sheets of Styrofoam into any shape you need. Styrofoam, which is also known as polystyrene, is a hard foam material often used in building props and models. The foam is used as a "core," or inside piece, for a fiberglass or other plastic coating.

Styrofoam is a trademark name for XPS; the R-value of Styrofoam is 5.2 per inch since it is a high-density XPS. High-density EPS has an R-value of 4.2 per inch; low-density EPS has an R-value of 3.85 per inch.

Foams, all of them, expand and contract due to temperature as do pretty much all materials.

The true difference between a Class A foam and a Class B foam is that the Class B foam repels the carbons forming a film over the liquid, resulting in the suppression of the vapors, which is what is actually burning, while the Class A foam is penetrating the fuel.

We discussed that there are three types of foams based on the expansion ratio.

High-Quality: 2.5LB – 3.5LB Density

For conventional open-cell foam, materials in this range are the best of the best.

Type 3 and Type 4 polystyrene insulation are generally extruded polystyrene. The closed-cell structure provides long-term water resistance properties and excellent mechanical properties to this foam. The cells retain a gas that provides a high thermal resistance value of R5.

What type of foam does not absorb water? ›

Dry Fast Foam

It is non-water absorbent and won't mold, rot or mildew. It is very resilient and buoyant, with an open-cell structure. Dry Fast Foam is used for filtering or padding that is subject to high amounts of liquid.

InsulFoam II Below Grade is an engineered insulation consisting of a superior closed-cell, lightweight and resilient expanded polystyrene (EPS). InsulFoam II meets or exceeds the requirements of ASTM C578, Type II, Standard Specification for Rigid, Cellular Polystyrene Thermal Insulation.

Aluminum foamed is formed by adding additives to pure aluminum or aluminum alloy through a foaming process, and has both metal and bubble characteristics.

Commercial grade silicone foam is flexible light density material with smooth skin on both sides. Silicone foam is flame-retardant, self-extinguishing & can withstand 2100 degrees F flame for more than 10 minutes without burning.

Addition of fat: The presence of fat interferes with foam formation and decreases the foam. Similar effect is observed when yolk is added to white. This effect is the result of the fat probably the lipoproteins, in the egg yolk which may form a complex with proteins in the white.

EPS has a water vapour diffusion resistance of 30-70, whereas XPS reaches 80-250. Slightly more permeable to air and moisture, EPS is less resistant to water vapour than XPS. If you're looking to insulate a space prone to humidity (e.g. floors, cellars, and foundation walls), XPS is your best option.

The most common insulation materials are fiberglass, cellulose and foam. Home insulation types include any of the above materials in the form of loose-fill, batts, rolls, foam board, spray foam and radiant barriers.

However, Type 2 is moulded expanded polystyrene (design R4/inch) or of extruded polystyrene (design R5/inch). Type 3 and Type 4 polystyrene insulation are generally extruded polystyrene. The closed-cell structure provides long-term water resistance properties and excellent mechanical properties to this foam.

Closed cell foam is the best choice for robust insulating where space is an issue, as it can achieve 2x the R-Value of open cell inside a standard wall. Its rigid nature also adds to the structural integrity of the building and E84 fire rated versions are available.

Rigid foam insulation is it's own vapour barrier in this application, so you don't need to use the poly. Just make sure you tuck tape all the joints.

What is the R-value of 2 inch foam board? ›

You can check this chart and see that a 2-inch ISO foam board has an R-value of R-11.6. If you have a rigid ISO foam board that is more than 9 inches thick, you can expect that the R-value of such board will be over R-50. This is more than enough even for attics (the best attic insulation is usually R-49).

Most interior XPS boards must be covered with an accepted thermal barrier. Some XPS products have passed the NFPA 286 testing and don't require a thermal barrier; check with your manufacturer to see which XPS products are exempt.

Current government recommendations are for loft insulation to achieve a depth of between 250mm and 270mm but some new properties are increasing their level of loft insulation to 300mm.

Fiberglass Insulation

This type of insulation material is widely available and comes in various shapes and sizes. For cold climates, Loose-fill Fiberglass Insulation is the best as it has an R-Value of 60.

What is the most energy efficient wall insulation? Closed cell spray-foam insulation is the most energy efficient wall insulation. Applications can reach much higher R-values for each inch of thickness than other insulation products, with values as high as R-6.2 per square inch (roughly R-34 on a 2×6 wall).

Expanded polystyrene, also referred to as EPS, white board, and bead board, has the lowest R-value of the three rigid foam board insulation types, but is the most economical and versatile.

Thermablok® Aerogel is a revolutionary advancement in thermal technology offering the thinnest insulation available to prevent thermal and cold bridging. Classed as a Super Insulation, Aerogel has the highest insulation value of any known material with the lowest thermal conductivity value of any solid (0.015W/mK).