Applications & Benefits of Spray Foam Insulation in Commercial Building Use
Some customers have been asking me lately about the use of spray foam insulation in commercial buildings like hotels, office buildings, etc.; and what are the advantages of using spray foam insulation in new commercial construction projects. The first question I get with spray foam insulation and commercial construction in Myrtle Beach, SC, is will I see the kind of energy savings in my office or building, as I would in my home? The answer is yes. There will be a signifigant reduction in energy consumption and capital spent on energy bills; however payback on investment takes a lot longer in most commercial building applications. Spray Foam Insulation is more notable for its use in commercial buildings for other, applications and attributes, then just being a good insulater.
Spray foam insulation is a widely used product all across the commercial construction industry, including South Carolina and North Carolina, the markets in which our company operates. Spray foam insulation in commercial buildings offer many different benefits for a commercial customer, then it usually does for our residential customres. Some of our commercial customers are not even interested in the insulating capacities of spray foam insulation at all, but more in the soundproofing and accoustical qualities spray foam insulation displays in commercial building applications. Spray foam insulation is one of the best soundproofing materials on the market, and often used in adding to the acoustics of movie theaters, musical venues, doctors offices, conference rooms, and more. In most new commercial construction jobs, spray foam insulation is one of the cheaper alternatives when it comes to soundproofing a large commercial building. By spraying instead of fastening the insulation to the walls of the structure, spray foam insulation is at least 80% more efficient in installing then fiberglass or soundproofing vats can be fastened. This cuts down tremendously on labor cost, and gives spray foam insulation a competitive advantage when it comes to commercial applications, after you factor in energy savings resulting even at only 2.5" thick, minimum soundproofing thickness of foam, versus, 5.5" depth for insulation code depth, spray foam insulation R-values still outperform fiberglass by almost double.
The next major spray foam insulation application in commercial building usage that is not generally seen residentially, is on the roof. Many commercial building owners in South Carolina, especially Myrtle Beach, have flat roofs, and in the hot days of summer, these flat roofs get hot, resulting in energy loss and uncomfortable building temperatures. Spray foam insulation is a much better insulation system for flat roofing then traditions 4 x 8 fastened black insulation boards. Spray foam insulation is installed with ease on commercial roofing systems, and have warranties similar to EPDM, PVC, and TPO roofing materials. If your in the market for a new commercial roofing system in the South Carolina area, i'd definitely consider using a spray foam insulation roofing system. The coating, similar to an elastometric coating material, but specially designed for our spray foam insulation and same manufacture, is appllied to the cured spray foam leading to an ultimate watertight roofing system with durability, easy maintanence, and easy repairs.
A few other reasons why commercial builders use spray foam insulation in their commercial building projects, are for structural purposes, fireproofing, air barrier requirements, and vapor barrier requirements, some of the same requirements for residential buildings in South Carolina as well. Often commercial building codes are much more stringent then residential building codes, so the extra structural strength qualities that closed cell spray foam insulation is known for, can get engineers to building specs for strenth requirements, and other factors that come to play for wall and structural strength test. Spray foam insulation can also be made into a fireproofing material, an expensive additive and/or different chemical types, dependinig on chemical manufacturer's. Spray foam insulation makes e a great fireproofing material, because of the ability to fill air voids, thus improving fire ratings for walls in commercial buildings. Last but not least, we are back to the energy saving thing again, and I can promise you this, if there is a constant with spray foam insulation, that is it will save you money on energy bills. Here is a brief list of some of the topics we discussed in the blog about spray foam insulation and its uses commercially.
Commercial Spray Foam Insulation Applications
- Roofing - Excellent Roofing Insulation product reducing heat transfer at the hottest point of flat roofed buildings.
- Soundproofing - One of the best soundproofing products on the market, and fast installation
- Structural - Closed Cell Spray foam insulation has structural strength qualities
- Air Barrier - Just like in residential applications, spray foam is the best air barried
- Moisture Barrier - as with homes, commercial buildings can have areas prone to dampness.
- Fireproofing - though costly for material, can be applied rather quickly
- Energy Efficiency - a standard when it comes to spray foam insulation.
Call Retro-Solutions Construction Company of Myrtle Beach, SC 29577 with any questions, or for a free estimate on spray foam insulation or roofing services needed in North and South Carolina.
Dan - 706-951-0158
