Replies

1. 
   CloudHidden | Dec 18, 2006 09:20pm | #1

   Look here: http://forums.taunton.com/n/mb/message.asp?webtag=tp-breaktime&msg=82446.1

   Read all the way to the end, and then let us know what questions remain.

1. 
   edwin | Dec 19, 2006 03:47pm | #2

   After looking at the string of postings you referred me to,I still have several concerns, they are; If cracking and separations are due to excessive application thickness and consequent heat accumulation when would those anomalies develop? And shouldn't that process have stopped by the passage of 5 weeks? If the problem is due to the mix what is the cure? The cracking continues but will it continue and for how long? I can fill or have the cracks filled but sooner or later I will have to finish the ceilings and walls but I have no confidence that the process will not continue. Also the product in Brent's pics looks much better than in my project. The surface of mine is much rougher and convoluted, and seems to have much less uniformity of thickness. It is also more yellow (probably meaningless). The brand name is Zerodraft.

1. 
   CloudHidden | Dec 19, 2006 04:44pm | #3

   Did you watch the installation? Were they using smallish metal canisters with the raw material, or 55 gal barrels with a hose stretching from a truck? I ask be/c I only saw mention on the zerodraft site of foam kits. All the applicators I know use the barrels with rather expensive nozzles that allow great control in the application of the material.Your applicator needs to return and analyze the problem. Or, another contractor.I can't answer your questions on how long or how bad. It's sort of like asking how long will the contraction crack in a slab be. Well, it depends...Until a foam pro comes along, I'll give you my understanding of foam. A 2-part polyurethane foam develops it's rigidity from the cell structure of the foam. When the two parts mix at the nozzle, a chemical reaction takes place that results in small, closed cells forming from the gases produced by the reaction. The foam is benign very fast, and is chemically stable within minutes. However, the physical stability of the foam depends on the quality of the cells formed. If the foam was applied too thick, it generates excessive heat and can cause cells to be formed improperly--weak cell walls, open cells, etc. So you're left with a chunk of foam that is rigid, but with weak cells. Open cell foam isn't as rigid, so the foam can flex with expansion/contraction, whereas a closed cell foam can split wherever there's a lot of weakness in the cell structure. With a proper installation, it's a non-issue--the structures I design use an average of 20,000 board feet of closed cell foam each--but ours is applied in 1/2" to 1" passes and I've never even once seen a split.Polyurethane foam is a great product and works superbly when properly installed. If someone's trying to rush through the application (time=money, I guess), then they'll do full thickness in one pass. But that's not proper methodology and gives unacceptable results.You need an expert to analyze your wall/roof and advise you. The designer? The GC? An inspector? Not sure who's most appropriate. Depends on how the installer was hired, etc.

1. 
   edwin | Dec 20, 2006 04:57pm | #4

   Thanks for the input. I have contacted an engineering firm for any help they can muster. I have contacted the company and local franchise, and they have agreed to send the applicator back for inspection and repair. But they continue to tell me that there product does not shrink or crack. I think your assessment probably correct, haste. The installer and his helper arrived late on Friday afternoon to start the job (mostly prep work) and returned Saturday morning with there truck, large barrels and heated hose and spray gun. But they were in a hurry to get home (about 100 miles away) and seemed to have some problems with the product they had in the truck.None of this,as yet, addresses the homeowner or my concerns about the future performance of the insulation. As I lean more I will keep you posted.