If you’re new to spray foam insulation kits, knowing which product to buy might be confusing. At RHH Foam Systems, we are always happy to spend time on the phone with you talking through your project. But if you want to get up-to-speed quickly on your own, here is a quick start guide to choosing the right VersiFoam® product.
Are you insulating a place that will be inhabited? Inhabited spaces include homes and commercial buildings where people come to work on a daily basis. Inhabited buildings need to be insulated with a Class 1 Formula closed cell spray foam. This formula is flame retardant accordance with ASTM E-84 and will limit flame spread and smoke development if exposed to a fire. All of our closed cell spray foam products are available in the Class 1 Formula. As an added bonus, all of our Class I kits are manufactured with an antimicrobial formula that stops mold from growing on the surface of the foam. This added element provides a safeguard against the growth of the five most common types of fungi found in buildings.
How dense do you want your spray foam insulation to be? VersiFoam’s density ranges from .75 lbs per cubic foot in our open cell spray foam to 2.8 lbs per cubic foot in our high density closed cell spray foam. High density foam is used when you need extra strength for load support, roofing, or exterior applications. Lower density open cell spray foam is more flexible and will adjust itself as your structure settles over time. Standard density spray foam (1.75 lbs per cubic foot) is the most commonly used and will be the best choice for your project if you don’t need either high flexibility or high strength.
What is the size of the space you need to insulate? You want to factor in both square feet and the thickness of your application in inches. Plan to apply 3-4 inches in roof decks and 2-3 inches in the walls. Once you have this information, go to our Spray Foam Insulation Calculator and enter it. It will tell you how many kits you should purchase for each system.
Are you trying to achieve a certain level of energy efficiency in your office space or home? The primary measurement of energy efficiency is R-value which is the capacity of an insulating material to resist heat flow. A higher R-value equals higher resistance to conduction heat transfer.
Do you need to spread your work over several days? All of our spray foam kits can be shut down and used on another day except for the System 1 closed cell formula. It’s designed for smaller projects and needs to be used on the same day that it’s opened.
Are you insulating your personal property? VersiFoam® is an excellent insulator of RVs, buses, trucks, and vans. It’s often used to insulate the sides and bottoms of pools and hot tubs and is very popular for marine flotation as well. If you need the foam to be able to flow into a cavity before solidifying, then consider using the slow rise foam insulation which becomes tack-free in about 3 minutes instead of 30-45 seconds.
We hope this short guide helps you to find the product you need quickly. We also provide detailed instructions on our how-to page and a complete video library in English and Spanish here. If you still have questions about selecting the right spray foam insulation kit, please call us at 1.800.657.0702. We would love to hear from you.
