open-cell spray foam INSULATION

Another advantage of open-cell insulation is that it allows water to pass through it. However, because it is not an organic substance, it does not promote mold development. When the insulation is dry, its efficacy is unaffected. It simply provides a conduit for water and water vapor to go into and out of a specified location.

Open-cell spray foam can retain anywhere from 5% to 70% of its weight in water. If you reside in an area where the humidity is continuously high, open-cell insulation may be less advantageous since it allows external moisture into your home. A vapor retardant can be sprayed over the insulation to assist reduce this issue.

One advantage of open-cell spray foam insulation is that it effectively absorbs sound. This brings us back to the framework. Remember science lessons in elementary school? Sound waves move through the air until they hit something and bounce back. They enter all the little holes inside open-cell spray foam and bounce back and forth until they are absorbed, never reaching your eardrums.

As previously stated, open-cell spray foam insulation has a lower R-value than closed-cell foam. The R-value of open-cell foam ranges from 3.5 to 3.8 per inch. The R-value of a material refers to its ability to resist heat flow. The bigger the value, the stronger the insulating power.

It is also substantially less expensive than closed-cell. Open-cell foam expands almost immediately after application and expands substantially more than closed-cell foam. As a result, you will require less to cover the desired square footage.

The density of each spray foam is proportional to its cell structure. Because open cell foam is softer and more flexible, its core density is smaller. The core density of open cell foam is typically approximately 0.5 pounds per cubic foot. Closed cells, on the other hand, have a considerably higher core density due to the cell shape. Closed cell foam is three to four times heavier than open cell foam, weighing between 1.75 and 2.2 pounds per cubic foot.

When it comes to sound dampening, open cell foam performs far better than closed cell foam due to its lower density. The thicker, softer substance of open cell foam will suppress sound waves considerably more effectively than the tight, compact material of closed cell foam.

Does the fact that open cell foam has a lower density and a larger cell structure imply that it will expand more than closed cell foam? Yes! Because of these factors, open cell foam expands 100 to 120 times its original size, but closed cell foam normally expands about 33 times its original size.

When you consider the expansion, density, and cell structure of each form of spray foam, the appropriate R-Value of each becomes clearer. Closed cell foam has an R-value of 7 per inch sprayed, whereas open cell foam has an R-value of 3.5 to 4 per inch sprayed.

So, based on this, I should choose closed cell spray foam because it has a greater R-Value, right? Not always, of course. The most common cause of heating and cooling loss in a home is improper air leakage management. We can produce an air barrier with closed cell foam at an installed thickness of 1.25′′ using Icynene spray foam. We can also create an air barrier with 3-3.5′′ open cell foam.

The cost of closed cell and open cell foam differs due to their chemical composition and expansion rates. Because closed cell foam is denser than open cell foam, it will require more material to cover the same amount of space, resulting in a higher overall cost. Because more material is being utilized, the labor cost to install it may be higher.