Closed Vs Open Cell Spray Foam Insulation

Choosing the right type of foam for your manufacturing application.

Closed vs open cell spray foam insulation.

The cells are pressed together so air and mositure are unable to get inside the foam. Open cell tends to be roughly 0 5 lb cu. When it comes to insulating a home whether that s a roof insulation or floor insulation it is ideal to use icynene open cell spray foam. However both foams are air barriers and it is the air barrier that makes foam such an excellent insulation.

Closed cell foam is much more expensive than open cell foam. Closed cell foam is roughly four times as dense as open cell for insulation applications. Closed cell spray foam exterior applications. Open cell foam is full of cells that aren t completely encapsulated.

A spray insulation is referred to open cell or closed cell because of the difference between the small bubbles cells that make up the foam. This is due to the structural properties of open cell spray foam which enables the foam to encapsulate air and expand. In density or even higher for certain applications. Architectural firms can specify both the building envelope for a total performance option.

When applied on the interior open cell spray insulation provides performance advantages that differ from those of closed cell spray foam used on the exterior. However open cell and closed cell have their different uses. Because open cell foam expands at about 100x its liquid state every crack and crevice is filled creating a very airtight environment and that s really what you re after in applying spray foam. In a broad sense closed cell foam is semi impermeable and restricts the flow of air and is less water absorbent while open cell foam is semi permeable and allows air and water to pass through it.

Closed cell foam is made up of cells that are as the name suggests completely closed. Open cell foam insulation is lightweight pliable and easy to work with whereas closed cell foam is rigid and very dense. Can be applied at very low temperatures as low as 5of. Open cell foam has an r value of about 3 5 to 3 7 per inch while closed cell foam has an r value of about 6 per inch.

In density whereas closed cell ranges from 1 7 to 3 0 lb cu. In other words the cells are deliberatly left open. Closed cell foam is around 6 6 per inch as compared to 3 8 per inch in open cell. To ascertain foam density one cubic foot cu.

Ft of foam material is weighed. For example if you needed to run new wiring open cell spray foam is going to be much easier to work with because it is so pliable. Closed cell foam acts in a similar way expanding roughly 40x its liquid state.