Icynenne insulation

Tonks52

Does anyone have any experience with this? I've found an approved company to install just wanted to see if there were any experiences of the product on this site?

Cheers

Doozergirl

I would not touch spray insulation with a proverbial bargepole and I have never met a building professional that thought it was a good idea.

Building regulations dictate airgaps for ventilation. There are none with spray insulation so it contravenes regulations and runs the risk of causing condensation and rot on timbers.

Roofs are also designed to move - contract and expand with temperature changes and even flex in wind. Spray insulation will inhibit that. Stick it all together and you'll run the risk of stress fractures through the tiles.

Compound that you are taking a risk with installing that simply doesn't come with approved methods of insulating with the fact that if there is a problem it will cost a small fortune and an entire new roof to get rid of it. The foam sticks to everything.

Even if it doesn't go wrong, you've got increased costs of changing the roof when it eventually needs recovering. Again, there simply isn't that risk with solid or rockwool insulation.

Makes it an absolute no-brainer for me.

Furts

There will be new build homes where this type of spray insulation is suitable. These will be stick built, bespoke, homes so this rules out brick and block, and factory made kit homes. Hence we are talking about a tiny number of homes.

Elsewhere when used in roof spaces, or as a coating under roof tiles, the risks of a total disaster area are so significant that any sane, common sense, minded consumer should avoid the product like they would avoid a plague.

Alter_ego

Just used it on the inside of an aluminium boat - Great!

Tonks52

Thanks for the reply.

Does your comment still stand even though icynenne is open celled and breathable, and flexible to move with the property as it moves.

Or is your comment more for foam in general and not related to knowledge of icynenne?

Cheers

brightontraveller

I assume its the same as Icynene?

Personally I’d have know problem with its flexibility been involved with a number of projects in the uk that its been used they’ve tended to be either commercial installation “factory” or in the domestic market “Eco builds” PassivHaus-style would it cause any moisture problems more than say cavity builds I’d say no if the construction as a whole is thought out but the likely hood of that with retro fitting on a building not specifically designed so would be slim to none ,

Would I trust a UK installer to know understand or even care about how moisture from both internal and external matter or that insulation isn’t the only consideration? ? Whilst they may be able to install it correctly that doesn’t mean its installation is the right choice at all ? U value obsessed would disagree no doubt but a lot of the claims of “foams” smack of those of multifoil insulation.

If you wanted to build a specifically designed PassivHaus I’d maybe consider it , But as for retro fitting in a standard UK build I probably wouldn’t use it as better, cheaper alternatives with proven history and less disruption if there is a problem out there ?

Not specific to spray foam but varying construction and vapor

https://buildingscience.com/documents/reports/rr-0410-vapor-barriers-and-wall-design/view

https://buildingscience.com/documents/digests/bsd-106-understanding-vapor-barriers#Quir_1985


Other great Canadian inventions and ideas
http://www.macleans.ca/society/life/9-colossal-canadian-failures/

FreeBear

Tonks52 wrote: »

Does anyone have any experience with this? I've found an approved company to install just wanted to see if there were any experiences of the product on this site?

Approved by whom ?

The National Dederation of Roof Builders do not recommend using spray foam in domestic situations and stress the dangers of trapped moisture promoting rot in the timbers. In the last technical briefing I read, they also point out problems with removal/replacement of tiles & slates and also raise concerns about the higher costs of disposal if/when it is removed.

Other issues to be concerned about - The spray foam will outgas potentially toxic fumes (formaldehyde being one), is highly flammable (giving off cyanide fumes when burnt), and will have a negative affect on your house value.

You might want to look at some of the horror stories coming out from Canada & USA where this stuff has been used extensively - That should put you off from using it in this country. In the meantime - http://www.askjeff.co.uk/the-roofing-job-that-gives-bodging-a-bad-name/