There is a widespread belief that all insulation materials of equal R-value will perform equally. While insulations of equal R-value perform equally in the controlled conditions of a laboratory, they do not all maintain that R-value in the walls and ceilings of a building. Some off gas into the atmosphere and suffer a decline in R-value.
93% of conductive heat flow is already stopped by R-13 insulation. Upgrading from R-13 to R-40 reduces conductive heat flow by only another 5%. R-value measures energy moving in and out of a home through the insulation material (conduction). But the real energy-waster is air leakage (convection) – the cause of up to 40% of a home's energy loss (Source: U.S. Department of Energy).
Icynene® delivers ideal R-value and air-sealing in one step, helping you address the most significant source of energy loss so you can take energy performance beyond R-value.
Icynene® maintains its performance with no loss of R-value over time. It does not shrink, sag or settle. Icynene® adheres to most construction materials and is the perfect insulation for walls, attics, ceilings and floors.
Unlike "loose fill" insulation methods that do not wind proof building cavities, the air sealing characteristics of The Icynene Insulation System® provide virtually the same R-Value in the field as it does in the laboratory where the R-Value is measured. Cold air in winter and hot muggy air in summer just cannot pass through polyicynene foam like it can through most other insulating materials.
Click here for a more detailed analysis of R-Value benefits.