FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
| How is Franklins Foam different from other foam contractors?
Franklin’s Foam has been insulating homes/buildings in DFW for over 15 years. Most of our competitors have been in business less than a year. Their lack of experience and inadequate knowledge on the product and “How to properly insulate the structure” leads to many mistakes. These mistakes have huge consequences for homeowners when they go to pay their utility bills because their home is not performing like it should be. Franklins Foam prides itself on insulating the structure to perform as best as it can so the homeowner has the lowest possible heating/cooling cost.
Is foam a fire hazard?
No. SPF is no more of a fire hazard than fiberglass and cellulose. SPF is a cellular thermoset plastic which means if it comes in contact with direct flame, it will blacken and char and smoke. All smoke is toxic and dangerous if inhaled, but foam does not increase the risk of fire, and does not fuel a fire. Foam is a Class I building material just like fiberglass and cellulose. Foam has a flame spread rating below 25 and a smoke development rating below 450. Closed attic assemblies have performed well in fires by creating an air barrier and eliminating the air currents that fuel fires in vented attics.
Doesn’t Spray Foam Include Formaldyhyde or Glass Fibers?
No. Glass fibers have been listed by the EPA as a suspected carcinogen. In fact, most fiberglass insulation comes with a warning label on the wrapper. During the early 1970s, formaldehyde was present in early commercial foam (called urea formaldehyde) but is no longer in use.
Should I Be Concerned For My Family’s Health When Using Spray Foam Insulation?
Absolutely not! Spray foam insulation is a safe, clean product. There are no "off gassing" concerns for you or your family. (Off gassing is the evaporation of volatile chemicals in non-metallic materials at normal atmospheric pressure.) In fact, Spray Foam has been used in many of the American Lung Association’s "Health House" project homes.
How Much Does Spray Foam Insulation Cost Compared To Other Insulation Methods?
Spray Foam Insulation is considered to be more expensive to install than most conventional insulation, but this really isn’t a fair comparison. When using Spray Foam Insulation it actually seals the building and eliminates energy-robbing air leakage along with the problems associated with moisture, mold and mildew and condensation. Plus, it provides many other benefits including consistent comfort, lower utility bills, a quieter interior environment, etc... The typical family with a new home mortgage using SPF will actually be in positive cash flow from the day they move in when you factor in the incredible savings in comparison with the same home insulated with typical insulation.
Why is spray foam insulation superior to fiberglass if they have similar R-values?
The simple answer is that determining insulation efficacy based solely on R-value is flawed. Why? Because R-values fail to take into account the "steady-state" properties of varying materials. "Steady-state" reflects the amount of time it takes for a material to become thermally saturated so that for every single unit of heat entering on one side of the material a single unit of heat exits the opposite side.
Fiberglass reaches steady state in about three to four hours at which point it becomes a dramatically less effective insulator. Conversely, our polyurethane spray foam takes over 24 hours to become thermally saturated. In the real world, foam will not actually reach a steady-state condition and, therefore, is a far better insulator than fiberglass. In addition, foam acts as an impediment to a major culprit in energy inefficiency -- air infiltration. Fiber-based insulation materials can’t make the same claim.
Can my building be too tight?
No, buildings need to be built tight, but ventilated right. Make sure your HVAC installer or MEP knows you plan on using spray foam insulation which is an air barrier. Follow ASHRAE 62.2 guidelines for ventilation. Remember, by building tight, the air exchanges are under your control rather than Mother Nature’s control.
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