A Healthier Home

Icynene® insulation and air barrier system creates an airtight seal to reduce random air leakage through the walls and limit the penetration of outdoor allergens and pollutants.  One hundred percent water-blown, Icynene improves the quality of the indoor air you breathe.  It also reduces the number of indoor pollutants to help you breathe easier and is an environmentally-friendly soft foam insulation.  Icynene is a vital component in a moisture management program.  By significantly reducing air leakage (which can account for 99% of moisture migration), Icynene averts airborne moisture from entering the home so that mold growth is less likely to occur.  Combined with proper mechanical ventilation, Icynene helps you keep the indoor relative humidity between 35% and 55% - a level at which the growth of mildew, dust mites and other allergens can be minimized.  Reducing excess moisture also helps to extend the life of your house and the systems within it.  For more information on indoor air quality, moisture management and mold, visit Icynene's resource library.

A Quieter Home

Sleep deprivation, increased stress levels and your overall quality of life can be linked to unwanted noise in the home.  Sound control measures begin with your choice of insulation.  The Icynene Insulation System® significantly minimizes unwanted sounds that can invade living spaces, creating a much more enjoyable indoor environment. Icynene®'s acoustic properties help reduce noise levels that originate from within your home (like home theaters and children's play areas) as well as those that originate from your external environment (such as street traffic or airports).

Icynene® is ideal for applications where quiet is a must. When Icynene® is sprayed into walls, ceilings and floors, building occupants are uninterrupted by airborne sound (human speech, stereos, plumbing runs and outdoor noise) and flanking sound (sound transmitted through the building structure).  Icynene® ensures a haven of peace and quiet by completely filling and sealing every penetration such as cracks around doors, electrical outlets, and plumbing pipes within walls.

To ensure your home is a haven of peace and quiet, minimize the transmission of airborne and flanking sound by using Icynene to seal small openings such as cracks around doors and electrical outlets.  Icynene is also ideal for minimizing noise originating from plumbing pipes within your walls. Running water can cause the piping behind walls and above ceilings to vibrate and transfer that sound into the structure of the house.  Icynene is a flexible, open-celled material that can be applied around these pipes to dampen the vibrations and reduce structure-borne noise.

This unique, soft foam insulation is a proven tool to effectively air-seal and help reduce unwanted noises. Icynene® expands to 100 times its initial volume to seal gaps and holes through which airborne sound penetrates the building.  It reduces airborne sound that originates from the external environment (airplanes, wind and traffic) as well as those that occur in the next room (home theaters and playrooms).  Soft, flexible Icynene not only combats airborne sounds, but it also works to eliminate pipe vibrations caused by showers and toilet flushing.  When Icynene is sprayed around pipes, vibration and sound transfer are significantly reduced.  Whether it is a home or a hotel, Icynene is designed to provide its occupants with a quiet comfort that has a positive impact on quality of life, productivity and peace-of-mind.

An Energy-Efficient Home

Total energy consumption is projected to increase 1.5 percent annually until 2020 (www.eia.doe.gov).  With energy costs taking such a huge bite out of the monthly budget, it's little surprise that energy efficiency is the top consideration among those who are considering insulation options.

Energy conservation is becoming more essential and many trades, design professionals, homeowners and building owners are beginning to adopt a new attitude towards the types of building products being selected to increase energy efficiency.

Using Icynene® soft foam insulation and air barrier system is one of the best ways to improve energy efficiency and thermal comfort.  As a complete insulation and air barrier, Icynene minimizes air leakage in the building structure, which allows for HVAC equipment rightsizing.  This saves dramatically on initial equipment costs and ongoing utility costs - Icynene can save up to 50% every month in energy costs versus traditional energy options.

Icynene® can potentially reduce air infiltration by more than 90% with just the application alone. There is no need for excess sealing material to acquire the airtight thermal envelope necessary for increased energy efficiency.  In one step, it creates a complete insulation and air barrier system to seal all gaps and crevices that compromise air tightness.  Its effective air infiltration control allows for HVAC equipment rightsizing for optimal energy efficiency, thereby delivering energy cost savings of up to 50% versus traditional insulation options.  Homeowners and home improvers in the U.S. can qualify for an energy efficient mortgage.

Visit the FCIC's website for more information.  And for those commercial and institutional buildings that are constructed or upgraded to meet energy performance standards, this translates to as much as a 30% rate of return for a very low risk investment.  From schools and healthcare facilities to hospitality and retail businesses, energy reduction efforts can reap enormous financial and branding benefits.

When taking into consideration all other costs associated with creating an airtight thermal envelope, it becomes obvious why Icynene is the preferred insulation that guarantees increased energy efficiency.  With Icynene's exclusive 31-Day Payback Formula, we can help you calculate the cost of The Icynene® Insulation System versus traditional insulation options.  This formula takes into account all of the variables that impact the efficiency of insulation, so a more accurate comparison can be made.  Contact your local Icynene Licensed Dealer to calculate your energy savings - click here (insert link).

A Durable Home

Ninety percent of all building failures are moisture-related, and 90 times more moisture enters a typical home via air leakage (moisture laden air entering a home through numerous small air leaks) than through vapor diffusion (the slow process of water molecules actually passing through permeable building materials-the process which a "vapor barrier" is designed to control).

We all understand the importance of preventing liquid water from entering a home through proper flashing at key areas such as chimneys, windows, and roof valleys, but until we had the ability to use a spray applied material, such as Icynene, to seal the entire envelope of a home, it was virtually impossible to adequately control airborne water vapor (humidity).  Studies have shown that during a single heating season over seven gallons of water can enter a home through the air leakage of a single electrical outlet.  This moisture can accumulate behind the sheetrock, cabinets, mirrors, and baseboards causing unseen mold growth and deterioration.

Icynene creates a very tight building envelope that gives us complete control over the air entering and leaving a home.  That means we can bring in the right amount of fresh air needed to maintain good indoor air quality and control where that air comes from, how much moisture it contains, and where we distribute it.

An Environmentally Friendly Home

The Icynene Insulation System® is recognized across North America for contributing to improved indoor air quality.  Its “green” properties have drawn much attention with many healthy building initiatives such as the American Lung Association's Health House® projects. This national education program was created by the American Lung Association of Minnesota to raise the standards for healthier indoor environments. As a member of the United States Green Building Council (USGBC), Icynene reinforces its commitment to learning about sustainable building practices so that we are better able to provide a premium insulation that is uniquely suited to meeting your needs.  The USGBC indicates that materials selected in buildings have a tremendous impact on the environment and that there are numerous ways to lessen that impact.

The following is the USGBC's list of characteristics that qualify a building product as “green.”  This chart also demonstrates how Icynene measures against these established criteria:

USGBC “Green” Material Characteristics vs. Icynene “Green” Properties

1.) Use of less resource-intensive building materials/systems.
Icynene is a complete insulation and air barrier system which eliminates the need for excess sealing material.
2.) Use of products that carry minimum environmental burdens.
Icynene expands to 100 times its volume. It is 99% air and 1% material. This dramatically reduces the waste volume in comparison to other materials.
3.) Use of low environmental-impact materials.

Icynene is a 100% water-blown, environmentally-friendly product.

Almost 90% of homeowners are demanding energy efficient features.

Icynene® is the most rewarding insulation option because it offers a constant payback for ongoing energy savings.  Once installed, Icynene continues to work for you by paying you back on your investment.  As a complete insulation and air barrier, Icynene minimizes air leakage in the home, which allows for HVAC equipment rightsizing so you can save on initial equipment costs and ongoing utility costs.  This can result in savings of up to 50% every month in energy costs versus conventional insulation.  The Appraisal Journal conducted studies that demonstrate the increasing value a home garners by becoming more energy efficient. Including energy efficient upgrades as part of your home improvements can increase the value of your home by approximately $20 for every $1 reduction in annual utility bills.

When considering all other costs associated with creating an airtight thermal envelope, you will see that Icynene is the preferred insulation that guarantees a more energy efficient home.