There is a great difference between the 2 and each has it’s uses.
Closed cell spray foam is extremely dense, approximately 2 lbs. per square foot., and that density is what makes it such an effective insulation. It blocks moisture, air, and provides a rigidity that makes your building stronger.
Most building applications call for closed cell foam.
Open cell spray foam has a much lower density, anywhere from .4 – 1.2 lbs. per square foot. Due to the lower density it’s r-value is only 3.5 per inch.
Although it is less expensive than closed cell spray foam, more is required to achieve the same insulating value.
Open cell is permeable to moisture vapor, so it might be necessary to employ an additional moisture barrier when using it.
It does however make for an excellent sound barrier, about twice as effective as closed cell spray foam.
Closed Cell Spray Foam Insulation Facts
- Density is approximately 2 lbs. per square foot
- R-value is approximately 6 per inch
- Highly effective air barrier
- Extremely low moisture vapor permeability (perm rating is < 1.0)
- Excellent resistance to water
- Provides optimum insulating and strength characteristics for most building applications
- It is the most efficient insulation available
Open Cell Spray Foam insulation Facts
- Density is .4 – 1.2 lbs. per square foot
- R-value is approximately 3.5 per inch
- More permeable to moisture vapor (perm rating is 16 per 3″ thick)
- Very effective sound barrier – twice as effective as closed cell
- Not for exterior use
- Should not have any direct contact with water
Foam Kit Solutions Products
We offer 2 kinds of all purpose closed cell kits: Our standard closed cell and our E-84 class 1 compliant kit. Our E-84 product has been tested and been certified as a Class 1 Fire Retardant Building Material.
Closed Cell E-84 Class 1 Fire Retardant Kits
If the area to be insulated is going to have exposed insulation it is recommended that you use the E-84 Class 1 Fire Retardant product. With an R-value of 6.8 per 1 inch depth, you are sure to create an extremely well insulated area that is air and moisture impermeable, safe, and will pay for itself in energy savings.
Quick Cure Closed Cell Kits
If your insulation application is going to be covered by drywall you can save a little money and use one of our standard closed cell kits. Although not E-84 Class 1 rated, all of our products contain flame retardants. This product is best used where it will be covered by drywall.
Open Cell Sound Barrier Kits
For a superior sound barrier, use our Open Cell Sound Barrier Foam. It features a Sound Barrier Class Rating of 35 at 3 inches thick, and an r-value of 3.5 per inch.
Other Applications
We offer products for every application including roof patch, and commercial vehicle insulation.
You can see them all in our shop.
If you have any questions we are always ready to answer them. Just give us a call. We have helped thousands of people just like you to make their project a success.
Todd is always happy to answer questions or offer advice. Give him a call at (330) 837-7700.
- Home Depot & Spray Foam Insulation Kits - September 14, 2018
- Product Spotlight: Handi-Foam E84 Class 1 Spray Foam Insulation Kit - April 12, 2018
- Closed Cell vs. Open Cell Spray Foam Insulation - September 28, 2017
We are renovating assisted-living facilities to include demo of legacy bathrooms, to include installation of Sterling/Kohler fiberglas shower surrounds. The stud pocket into which these surrounds have to be installed has been very poorly constructed originally, with as much as three quarters of an inch variability to plumb from top to bottom of the stud pocket for the fiberglass assembly.
In order to reduce labor cost to adapt each unique stud pocket to the standard shower surround using custom cut-scribe stud supplements, which would include either complete demo and reconstruction or extensive custom backing, shimming, etc., our plan is to shim to plumb all around the surround at several points, and then we are thinking we want a closed cell foam product to be applied to fill the void formed by the shower surround and the irregular framing. We are thinking we need four of these filled stud cavities, two on the long dimension and one at each end of the shower surround. We plan on application of the foam through a hole-sawed 1 inch opening high, essentially filling the cavities behind the shower surrounds.
The objective being to provide a rigid foam engagement between the stud pocket and the cross-hatch matrix on the outer surface of the shower surround, thus providing something close to the level of perfectly plumb stud-pocket engagement called for by the shower surround manufacturer. We expect this tactic to reliably fill the cavity and fully engage the shower surround despite this variability to plumb of as much as three quarters of an inch.
After placement and curing we would use soft plastic plugs to plug the 1 inch holes on the shower surround interior.
Please comment on the feasibility of this, recommend your appropriate materials, and recommend application systems. Also comment on VOC/odor effects. We have many buildings where we are doing these global renovations, each with 60 or more shower surrounds, nearly all requiring at least some degree of this problem.
I want to insulate the window weight pockets before the replacement windows are installed. Is the Handi-Foam kit the way to go?
Hi Charles,
We are going to need some more information before we can answer that. Give us a call at (330) 837-7700.