Home Insulation: The Spray Foam Option

The home insulation market continues to grow – thanks to the dual incentive of improving the comfort of the living space and reducing energy bills, it is always an attractive option.

market, there are a range of products to choose from and many companies competing for business. It’s up to the householder to make an informed choice. ECON Polyurethanes is the Irish distributor of WALLTITE, a sprayapplied polyurethane foam insulation product from the mult national chemical company BASF. ECON works with a number of contractors throughout Ireland, all of whom are qualified WALLTITE approved contractors. “Spray foam is a hugely flexible method of providing excellent insulation,” explained Peter Woodcock, of ECON. “It can be used both for new build and as a refurbishment product, but it is particularly useful for refurbishment because it can be applied directly to just about any material used to build a wall or roof.” The principle of spray foam is simple – it is applied in a liquid form that expands immediately on contact to form a rigid and permanent foam layer providing excellent thermal insulation. Because of the way it is applied it will coat any wall – no matter how irregular the shape or surface texture – with a reliable, airtight, high performance layer of insulation. And it can also be injected into cavity walls to provide the best possible cavity fill option. Spray foam insulation materials are not particularly new and their very flexible application characteristics have made them a popular choice in Ireland. However, not all products are the same and not all applicators have the same quality of work. In establishing his relationship with BASF, Peter Woodcock was making a careful choice from a range of possible manufacturers. “BASF is a global company with a global reputation. When you work with them you can be absolutely confident that enough money has been spent on thorough research and development to produce the highest quality products – we knew that there was never any question mark over the product itself.” This confidence is borne out by the range of technical certificates that the BASF products have achieved. WALLTITE has for some years been approved by the BBA in the UK and has now also achieved certification by the National Standards Authority in Ireland. These are both rigorous and internationally recognised independent testing procedures that provide assurance of the quality of the WALLTITE product. However, having a great product is only part of the story and Peter was also attracted to BASF because of its Foam Master scheme. Any contractor wishing to apply WALLTITE must go through the training process provided by BASF in its UK headquarters building. The Foam Master training programme is designed to ensure that every contractor understands exactly what process is needed for each building type or situation they are likely to encounter. Once accredited, Foam Master contractors will also be supported by the technical back-up provided both by ECON in Ireland and the BASF team based in the UK. Help with specification and technical advice on particularly tricky installations are all part of the package. For Peter Woodcock and the team at ECON it is proving to be a rewarding partnership with BASF. “I know that I am providing the best possible product quality and, just as importantly, I know that my contractors are not on their own: they have the back-up of one of the largest companies in the world. It’s a great combination.” Getting the right insulation is the key to a comfortable home with affordable energy bills. Finding the right contractor is also easy – just ask to see the Foam Master card.