The real CULPRIT for our COOLING COST

          Air is everywhere. It’s a known fact that the planet is enveloped with a blanket of air called the atmosphere. Air around the world experiences different thermal conditions depending on its location in the planet. This thermal gradient or difference allows air movement – conventionally, hot air goes up; cool air goes down. Despite this natural occurring motion, air movement or air exchange can become a budget liability. Here’s how.

         Air is everywhere; it can be found on every place and every corner, big or small, given that the area is not vacuumed. Air, being compressible, can pass through holes and cracks; and this is where the budget liability comes in. Every time we open doors and windows, we allow air to circulate into the room and even to the point of having an air exchange with the environment. Consequently, the room temperature also undergoes some changes; that is why we close the windows and if possible, minimize the opening and closing of the doors for a temperature-regulated room or in layman’s term, air-conditioned room. 

        But do you know that doors and windows only constitute 11% and 10% of your cooling cost, respectively? Yes, it is. This is according to the research conducted by Mosby Building Arts; and they found out that the greatest contributor that affects our cooling cost is AIR LEAKAGE or AIR INFILTRATION - it contributes an average of 40%.

         Air leakage is an infiltration of air through gaps and joints located among floors, walls and ceilings. These locations can become a point of entry that allows an exchange of air; and the exchange is temperature driven which means hot air comes into the house. Because of this our air conditioning system would have to work all day long just to maintain the room’s temperature. As a result, life span of the unit is shortened and at the same time energy cost goes up. And this is when air movement becomes a liability.

         How could we eliminate air leakage?

        The only way to eliminate this leakage is to air seal the house; and not just any ordinary air sealing materials. The material should be comprised of about 90-95% closed structure making it impenetrable by air or moisture; and at the same time should be an effective insulating material.

      And no other materials best fit the description – no other than ECOFOAM polyurethane foam. This is a spray-applied-insulating polyurethane foam that has an R-value of 7 per inch. And it is composed of more than 90% closed cell making it an effective air and moisture barrier. And since this is spray applied, you will be guaranteed of 100% adhesion to the substrate and a seamless finish. Aside from that, ECOFOAM has the ability to seep into small cracks and gaps and effectively seals it.

So worry no more. With ECOFOAM, air-sealing job is a piece of cake.

INSULATION – Its origin and evolution

We've used cork, asbestos, glass, plastic, foam and even mud to do it. Yes, when you look at the history of insulation, in all its myriad forms, we can see just how far we've come. The use of insulation to regulate temperatures and protect buildings can be traced from the ancient civilizations all the way to the modern times in a state of constant evolution.

Ancient Egyptian Brick Makers

The Ancient Egyptians used insulation to keep their desert homes and buildings cool and their linen clothing warmer in the cooler winter months. They added papyrus linings to their loincloths and skirts to keep warm in winter and they built their homes of thick brick, designed to help keep out the sun's scorching heat in summer.

Greek slaves weaving asbestos into cloth

And then there was the discovery of fireproof asbestos and the Ancient Greeks knew about it; in fact they named it. The material’s flame-resistant properties gave it a bit of mystical appeal to the Greeks. They had a common name for it, too – crysotile – which means “gold cloth”. They used it to dress their imported slaves, as well as for the wicks of their eternal temple flames, and the funeral dress of kings. The Greeks were the first to go on record as noting that asbestos caused a “lung sickness” in the slaves who worked with it and wore it.

 

The ancient Romans; as they always look-out for the next best thingalso pushed the evolution of insulation. The Romans, famed for their engineering prowess, even began to install indoor heated water systems. By insulating the heated water pipes with cork; which were usually installed directly under floors, the Romans were able to pipe hot water directly into the building without fear of overheating the flooring and the other areas adjacent to the pipes. 

 

Until the Vikings learned to mix horse and cattle dung, mud and straw; named as daub, in order to seal their homes and endure the harsh Northern European climate. The Vikings even began to cover their interior walls with heavy layers of sheepskin as a means to retain heat. It soon became popular to cover interior walls with large, thick woven tapestries among the wealthy in Europe as stone-built houses became a fashion in the middle Ages. These imposing structures tended to be drafty, damp and cold. And so these cloths would be hung on the interior walls, partly to block out the drafts and partly to soak up the dampness. The Europeans also began to cover floor with tightly-packed rushes as a way to retain heat. Rushes on the floors also helped to keep things a bit warmer underfoot. 

During the Industrial Revolution, insulation continued to evolve. Despite the ancient Greeks warnings about its dangers, asbestos became popular once again. Steam-powered technology meant lots of hot pipes to carry the steam to where it was needed.  These hot steam supply pipes could be made safer for workers by wrapping them in asbestos. With the invention of the steam locomotive, the demand for asbestos exploded. Suddenly fireboxes, boilers, pipes and even boxcars and breaks were wrapped in the heat retarding, flame-resistant fibers. 

Asbestos’s popularity continued unabated for decades, until researches in the 1970s rediscovered what the ancient Greeks had known all along – that ASBESTOS IS DEADLY. This put a stop to asbestos insulation nearly overnight, although it still has very limited industrial applications. With the fall of asbestos, new kinds of insulation sprung up to fill the void. Fiberglass insulation became highly popular, and was quickly established as the standard form of home insulation. Other varieties such as polystyrene; commonly called as Styrofoam sheets, and PVC wraps also became prominent.

The Modern Era…

Concerns have been raised over the potential dangers common types of insulation can pose to the environment. This has led the development of increasingly popular “GREEN” types of alternative solution. Yes! GREEN BUILDING IS MORE ENERGY EFFICIENT!

The highly fashionable method of eco-conscious modern insulation; behold, the SPRAY POLYURETHANE FOAM Insulation. It provides tightest and most thorough seal. This is viewed as particularly “green”, as it enables buildings to retain much more cold compared to that of traditional insulation, decreasing the energy demands of cooling systems which comprises at least one-third of your total energy bills. This creates a thermal envelope; just like a thermos, reducing airflow and ensuring low convective heat transfer.

In the modern Ages, thermal insulation in buildings is an important factor to achieving thermal comfort for its occupants. The effectiveness of insulation nowadays is commonly evaluated by its aged R-value. Modern building designers use Spray Polyurethane Foam (SPF) because they know that so far it has the highest aged R-value among other insulation materials existing in the market, aside from being environmentally friendly. It does not absorb moisture, no seams, no fasteners that can cause thermal shorts, and fills in cracks and crevices, and other features that make it the most effective in retaining its R-value over time. It is very sustainable that engineers also use it to extend the life of old buildings.

SPF is the latest evolution of insulation materials on our age.Imagine, being comfortable physically and mentally inside your perfectly insulated home despite whatever the weather outside. Ow, what type of insulation material are you using? If it is not SPF, scroll up and see what ancient era you belong. Think!

Someone's sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago. We are the product of 4.5 billion years of fortuitous, slow biological evolution. There is no reason to think that the evolutionary process has stopped. We are a transitional animal and not the climax of creation.Our very survival depends on our ability to stay awake, to adjust to new ideas, to remain vigilant and to face the challenge of change as the future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams and ensure the survival of our planet.

How can ECOFOAM make your roofing system stronger?

Most roofing systems are made up of GI sheet. Fasteners and screws are bolted in between each overlaps so as to prevent water leakage. To exaggerate a situation, imagine that your roofing is made up different sheets with spaces in between just like this photo.

                                                                                                    Photo1: Two different slabs with a space in between                                       
How can you solve this problem? Or how can you join these two slabs? Probably you’ll do it like this;

                                                        Photo 2: A brace with bolts or screws.

Putting a brace then connecting bolts or screws on both sides will do the job. But what can you do to make this arrangement more durable?

                                          Photo 3: A more durable arrangement putting wider brace and more screws (right photo).

Imagine that your roof made of GI is composed of many non-continuous materials. They may be bolted or screwed in between their overlaps yet the connection would be stronger if something will hold them together. Remember also that your GI sheet as well as your screws and bolts do corrode hence limiting the life of your connections and roofing system in a span of 1 to 2 years. With respect to typhoons and wind uplifts a need of reinforcement is necessary to obtain a stronger or a durable roofing system. 
   

You could spray polyurethane foam (ECOFOAM) on your roofing system making it strong from typhoons and wind uplifts. You could Google polyurethane foam and find out that it has a very good adhesion property. It means that you’re putting a brace and screws at the same time when you install ECOFOAM on your roofing system. Good thing with ECOFOAM is that it offers lot of advantages except that it makes your roofing system durable. These are facts and you can Google Polyurethane foam over these claims.

• ECOFOAM is seamless. Since it is a sprayed foam at room temperature that is, from liquid to a hard solid at normal temperature no gaps will be seen in the foam.
• ECOFOAM is self-flashing. It can serve as your flashing material since ECOFOAM can seals those cracks and crevices while foaming or a volume expansion (of the foam) happens.
• ECOFOAM has very high R value. Because Ecofoam is a Polyurethane type of foam it is inherent that the foam has a high R-value or resistance to heat. Try to look for PU foam R-value and you will be surprised that it is one of the highest. Other higher than it has a very complicated technology making it either unavailable or very expensive. Try to look ECOFOAM in Manila, Cebu or Davao and you will see that ECOFOAM is available nearby.
• ECOFOAM is sustainable. Ecofoam can even last for 20 to 50 years. Polyurethane foams are really durable. Though they are non-UV resistant but a good coating system will really make your roof last very long. Your substrate (GI roofing) will be protected from harsh environment enabling you not to change it for a very long time.

Cool Roofs and Insulation

          A number of roof innovations exist, primarily for the purpose of achieving the optimal thermal performance of a building.

INSULATION is an important factor in achieving thermal comfort for a building’s occupants, since its primary function is to resist heat flow into and out of buildings especially during hot weather; it helps keep the building cool.

COOL ROOFS has a lot of potential for energy savings. The low reflectance of the conventional roofing system causes the surface to reach anywhere between 150° to 190°F. In contrast, cool roof systems stay up to 70°F cooler during peak summer conditions. Most cool roof applications have a smooth, bright white surface that allows them to reflect solar radiation, reduce heat transfer to the interior, and save on air conditioning costs.

Most of the sunlight that falls on a white roof is reflected and passes back into space. But when sunlight falls on a dark roof most of it is absorbed and converted into much longer wavelengths which we know as heat. The atmosphere is transparent to sunlight but opaque to heat, which is why white roofs help cool the planet and dark roofs warm the planet.

 

Most of the roofs are dark-colored. In the heat of the full sun, the surface of a black roof can increase in temperature as much as 50 °C (126 °F), reaching temperatures of 70 to 90 °C (158 to 194 °F). White surfaces reflect more than half of the radiation that reaches them, while black surfaces absorb almost all.

Imagine wearing a white or a black T-shirt on a hot day. By wearing the white T-shirt you will remain cooler than if you wore a black T-shirt because it reflects more sunlight and absorbs less heat. Cool roofs like a white T-shirt; keep the internal temperature of the building cooler.

Of course, making your roof “cool” is not the only option for turning your cool roof into a building saver. Adding insulation can be very helpful as well.

 

SPRAYED POLYURETHANE FOAM (SPF) is applied as a liquid using spray equipment to fill cracks and openings. It then expands nearly 30 times its original liquid volume and dries to form a hard, closed-cell monolithic roof surface. The density of SPF is important when considering strength and thermal resistance. Most SPF roofs have densities ranging from about 2.5 pounds per cubic foot to 3 pounds per cubic foot. 3 pound density foam has an R-value of around 7.00 installed to 6.8 after time.

The R- VALUE of insulation is a measure of its resistance to heat flow; the higher the R-value the greater the insulating properties. R-value is determined by an insulation material’s make-up, thickness and density. R-values of multilayered installation can be calculated by adding together the values of the individual layers. Obviously, the more layers of insulation, the greater the R-value and insulating effect.

Sprayed Polyurethane Foam has to be protected from exposure to the sun's ultra-violet radiation and moisture. This is where the top coating comes in, it helps to protect and seal the foam from any damage.

The coating must be of elastomeric type because a polyurethane foam roof will expand and contract during the course of a day, due to temperature changes on the upper surface of the foam. The coating must be able to stretch with the foam, and return to its normal shape later. The stretching of the coating is technically called elongation. If a rigid coating is applied to the foam’s surface, serious damage can result. As the foam flexes and moves, the coating will crack or rupture, exposing it and beats its purpose.

An ELASTOMERIC type of coating with a bright WHITE color sums up the requirement for protection of the SPF and the reflecting property of a COOL ROOF system; with this, the thermal performance of a building would be optimized, having the advantages of an INSULATION MATERIAL with the benefits of a COOL ROOF.

ECOFOAM: Energy Conservation and Environmental Impacts

                Energy. This is the most growing concern of this world. This valuable resource is fast depleting, and conservation is the only viable method of extending the life span of this resources so that it can still supply the needs of this fast changing world for a couple of years.

                We are told to conserve energy; we are taught how to conserve; but we are not given the tools for energy conservation. Luckily, with the help of the world’s greatest minds, a material was made to address the concern on energy conservation.

                Spray Applied Polyurethane Foam, or as the Philippines knows it as ECOFOAM, has become the most effective solution in addressing the concern on energy conservation. Having the greatest R-value, this material has become the most effective insulating material; it effectively insulates the structure from heat.With this, we will be able to save up to 35% of energy spent for air conditioning units for a properly insulated structure.

                Also, polyurethane foam can effectively seal a building; thus air leakage, which accounts to 25-30% of energy loss, is prevented. Hence, promoting energy conservation.

                Speaking of energy conservation, I guess the term Earth Hour would ring a bell in your head. Earth hour is an international event organized by the World Wildlife Fund that encourages household and businesses to turn off their non-essential lights for one hour. This is to raise awareness about the need to take action on climate change. According to WWF, the Philippine Electricity Market Corporation decreased electricity usage by 78.63 megawatts in Metro Manila and up to 102.2 megawatts on Luzon. This drop on electricity consumption is approximately equivalent to 44.60 tons and 60 tons of carbon dioxide, respectively.

                Just imagine the impact of an hour of energy consumption to our climate. The figures are telling us how big it is; we are not just talking in kilograms but tons of carbon dioxide was not emitted into the environment over an hour. And those figures were from Philippines alone.

                How much more if we can conserve 35% of energy from air conditioning units every hour, every day?

                This is the essence of the Earth Hour, to make the world aware that energy conservation has a direct impact to our fast changing climate – that for every megawatt saved, a corresponding decrease in carbon dioxide footprint. It has already made it part.

             And this is the purpose of polyurethane foam, to promote energy conservation among Filipino household and establishments that utilizes air conditioning units; and ECOFOAM is our share in addressing the world’s climate change and energy conservation.

Then the next step would be yours to take. Think about it.

ECOFOAM SPF: the Electricity Cost Saver

            One of the major problems that the world is facing nowadays is Global Warming. It happens when greenhouse gases trap heat and light from the sun in the earth’s atmosphere, making the earth's temperature increase.

            Global warming has become a head-scratching fact for infrastructures, commercial buildings and households who use an air-conditioning system. Because of this so-called global warming, different infrastructures will have their air-conditioning system run for almost 24 hours non-stop so as to maintain the required temperature inside their infrastructure or household. And as a result, the cost of electric bills is sacrificed. Cost of electric bills are now somewhat like the concept of entropy that there is no such thing as “decreasing”. It is only either constant or increasing.

              However, with the introduction of a new revolutionary insulation product, ECOFOAM Sprayed Polyurethane Foam, high electricity bills will be lessen. Among the other conventional insulation products in the market nowadays, ECOFOAM Sprayed Polyurethane Foam is the most effective insulation material having the highest thermal resistance (R-value) with a range value of 5.6-8.0 (ft²-hr-R)/Btu. The higher the R-value of a material, the more efficient it is to be used as insulation. ECOFOAM Sprayed Polyurethane Foam prevents or minimizes penetrations of radiant heat into the building. In an air-conditioned system, a certain temperature requirement is maintained. Once it reaches the maintained temperature, the air-condition system will undergo idle. And with just a slight increase in temperature, the air-condition system will then again work its way, consuming much energy to maintain the temperature. The more radiant heat penetrates into a building or infrastructure, the more your air-conditioning system consumes energy, therefore the higher electric bills. 

             However, when ECOFOAM SprayedPolyurethane Foam is applied on the roofs or in the walls of a building, there is less penetrations of radiant and thermal heat coming from the outside. Therefore, the air-conditioning system will have a longer idle time and consumes less energy. And also during the start-up of an air-conditioning system, desired temperature will be achieved in a shorter time since there is lesser infiltration of radiation and thermal heat that will somehow prolong the cooling process, thus consuming not that much of energy, and of course lower electric bills as a whole.

            Clearly, ECOFOAM SprayedPolyurethane Foam helps you achieve a lesser cost environment because ECOFOAMSprayed Polyurethane Foam is an electricity cost saver.

ECOFOAM - Insulation at its best

What is ECOFOAM ?

     ECOFOAM is a two component, closed-cell spray applied polyurethane foam insulation material having the highest thermal resistance value among readily available insulation materials. It is a cost effective and versatile way to insulate all kinds of areas including hard to reach spaces. The polyurethane system is produced directly on the substrate using a spray process forming a continuous, even layer with no joints or gaps, eliminating thermal bridges.

CHEMICAL COMPONENTS

• MDI (methylene di-isocayanate)
• Polyol Blend (polyol, catalysts, surfactants, fire retardant, blowing agent)

Why choose ECOFOAM ?

 

• SEAMLESS – it forms no gaps, no joints and connections when it is applied properly and evenly by spraying or by pouring.
• SELF-FLASHING – it expands and seals multiple penetrations, eliminating the use of additional flashing materials.
• LIGHTWEIGHT – it weighs approximately 1.2 kg per m². Thus it will not add additional stress to the roofing system if applied on roofs.

• EASILY MAINTAINED – can be easily cleaned and maintained. It is easy to repair since damages on the Ecofoam are localized; repair can be done on the damaged part without the need of removing the entire foam system.
• SUSTAINABLE – Ecofoam offers low life cycle cost and offers many years of service life. 
• ENERGY-EFFICIENT – Ecofoam is considered as one of the commercially available foam products to have the highest insulating R-value per inch. With typical values ranging from R 5.6 to R 8 per inch, Ecofoam provides efficient insulation; thus helps in saving electricity cost by maintaining coolness. 
• VERSATILE – Ecofoam can be applied over a wide variety of clean substrates and can conform to any shapes of a substrate. 
• ELIMINATES AIR LEAKS. - Air leakage contributes around 30% of a home's annual cooling costs; also to problems with moisture, noise, dust and pollutants. Ecofoam eliminates air leakage by effectively sealing the building envelope to create an optimal energy-efficient and healthy environment.
• REDUCES WIND UPLIFT. - Ecofoam is self-flashing and offers 100% adhesion. This enables the foam to grip the building walls, thereby holding tight in the face of high winds. Roofs with SPF resists roof uplift during high wind events.
• VAPOR RETARDER. - Ecofoam functions as Class II vapor retarder at greater than two (2) inch thickness. This limits the potential for vapor condensation within walls.
• REDUCES SOUND TRANSMISSION. - When properly installed, Ecofoam forms an air-tight seal, void – free walls that prevents air leaks and greatly reduces noise transmission through walls. The Sound Transmission Coefficient (STC) is 43. This means that loud speech is audible but not understandable; it is an onset of privacy.
• QUICK AND NON-DISRUPTIVE – Ecofoam cures in less than 5 minutes and its spray application could cover a minimum of 150 sq. m. per day per machine. It does not disrupt any on going construction activities especially during above the roof application. 
• WATER DOES NOT MOVE LATERALLY – Ecofoam adheres fully to its substrates thateven if damaged, water can not travel under the foam roof.
• >90% CLOSED CELL CONTENT – Air and water particles cannot pass through the material thus preventing leakage and heat penetration.
• LOWEST THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY – Ecofoam has the lowest thermal conductivity among other insulating materials in the market having a value of 0.019 W/m-K. The lower the k-value the better is the insulating property of the material.
• ADDS SIGNIFICANT STRUCTURAL STRENGTH. Closed-cell SPF in wall cavity applications has increased racking strength by 330-400%.
• INHIBITS MOLD GROWTH. - Mold spores are always in the air and could endanger the structure if allowed to grow. Mold spores require three conditions to grow: Food, Oxygen, Water. Ecofoam inhibits or prevent the growth by removing any one of the conditions. Ecofoam is not a food source; Ecofoam limits air supply; and Ecofoam limits the potential of water condensation within the walls.

 

Comparison of EcoFoam to Other Insulation Materials

As many homeowners and companies are trying to save money, they recognize the amount of money that they lose from energy waste. They also recognize the environmental impact of using non-renewable resources to heat and cool their homes. These changes in the construction industry have made the R-value of a building a much more important factor to consider when constructing and repairing a building.

R-value is a measure of the insulation’s resistance to heat flow based on the material's thickness and thermal conductivity. The higher the R-value of the insulation, the greater energy efficiency of the insulation possesses.

There are varieties of factors that affect the R-value. The type of insulation that is used, the thickness and the density can all impact the R-value. Some buildings and houses feature multiple layers of insulation and this requires adding the R-values of each layer of insulation together with the other layers. Here's the details of comparison of Ecofoam to other insulation materials.

Visit also >>Ecofoam Polyurethane Insulation