Healthy Indoors 39
Long-time IAQ industry consultant John Lapotaire
provides a detailed look at the Good, the Bad, and
the Ugly aspects of SPF in the first of his four-part
series for Healthy Indoors Magazine
Spray Poly
Foam
Part-2
ally seal your home with the intent of preventing
air infiltration and exfiltration. Infiltration is the
unintentional introduction of outside air into a
building, typically through cracks in the exterior
walls, ceilings, attics, and through use of doors
and windows; exfiltration refers to unintentional
loss of indoor air to the outside through similar
mechanisms. In layman's terms, SPF helps
prevent unconditioned outdoor air from getting
into your home and conditioned indoor air from
escaping your home. In typical newer U.S.
homes, about one-third of the HVAC energy
consumption is due to infiltration, so reducing
air infiltration saves energy bucks by making it
easier for your home's HVAC system to heat,
cool, and maintain your indoor thermal comfort.
The incurred energy savings are therefore the
direct result of substantially reduced air infiltra-
tion and exfiltration due to the sealing capabil-
ity of the SPF insulation. Your home's HVAC
system now only has to contend with the newly
sealed indoor environment, including the now
"Is Spray Polyurethane Foam
Insulation right for you?"
