Is Spray Foam “GREEN” Insulation?
Sustainable or green building practices can reduce the tremendous impact that building design, construction and maintenance has on the environment.
By Spray Foam Staff
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“Is it ‘green’?” is quickly becoming one of the most frequently asked questions by consumers of all types of products today. Concern for the environmental future of the globe as well as economic implications to our personal finances has everyone stammering for ways to reduce dependency on oil and reduce carbon emissions.
Better performing home insulation is a great place to start towards conservation and reducing your home’s carbon footprint. Insulation contributes towards significant heating and cooling efficiency and energy conservation, not to mention the health and comfort of its occupants – and it can help protect the environment through reduced emissions.
Cellulose insulation is manufactured from finely shredded newspaper that is chemically treated for fire and mold resistance. Considered very green due to its highly recycled content, however, it is also made in electrically-driven mills at about 750 BTUs per pound, in contrast to fiberglass insulation which consumes 6,000 to 15,000 BTUs per pound as per Dan Lea, Executive Director of the Cellulose Insulation Manufacturers Association. Material of composition is only a small element of the total “embodied energy”.
Cotton or Wool Fiber insulation is made from denim treated to be fire-retarded and mold resistant. With 85% recycled content, cotton fiber insulation uses natural fibers and does not omit harmful gasses and is considered extremely green.
Fiberglass insulation manufacturers are incorporating recycled materials into their products and are not using a formaldehyde binder. Fiberglass is green based solely on the fact that it insulates, yet there are many studies that show microscopic fiberglass particles to be airborne and to cause severe cancerous health issues.
Spray Polyurethane Foam (SPF) insulation is spray applied, adheres and expands to the surface, creating an air tight, moisture resistant barrier without settling unlike other means of insulation. SPF has the greatest R-value, no VOCs and no formaldehyde. Spray Foam not only contains varying degrees of renewable resources in its formulation, but the energy saving characteristics alone, significantly reduce fossil fuel consumption and electricity requirements for heating and cooling your home or building. These superior performance capabilities are quickly being recognized by the masses, making spray foam the most popular, clean, sustainable green insulation product today.
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