Villa Milano at Rancho Sin Vacas

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Villa Milano at Rancho Sin Vacas
A comparison Between Demilec Spray Foam
Insulation Vs. traditional Fiberglass Batts
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Torino Model
The builder decided to Change the
insulation From traditional batts to Sprayed
Demilec Foam. We selected two homes Where the
Torino model Was built, one with Fiberglass
batts and one With Spray Foam.
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Similarities and Differences

• Both homes shared the same floor plan which
  measured 1995 square feet.
• Both homes had the same material specification
  and are assumed to have similar workmanship.
• Both homes were inspected by Tucson Electric
  Power for the Home Guarantee Program.
• Lot 10 had the spray foam and a doggy door that
  was isolated for testing purposes.
• Both homes had different orientations.

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More details of each home
Lot 42 Villa Milano 7521 N Viale Di Buona
Fortuna Torino Model 1995 Square ft Anderson
windows .33-.35 Uo .24-.26 SHGC R19 batts in
walls R38 Ceiling insulation strapped To roof
deck 8 CFM25 duct leakage at rough in 13 SEER
Heat Pump
Lot 10 Villa Milano 7661 N Viale Di Buona
Fortuna Torino Model 1995 Square ft Anderson
windows .33-.35 Uo .24-.26 SHGC R19 Demilec Spray
Foam R33 Demilec Spray Foam To roof deck 10 CFM25
duct leakage at rough in 13 SEER Heat Pump
Both homes had insulation installed using the
roof deck as the air barrier. Ceiling
temperatures are not reflective of insulation
performance.
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Infiltration Measurements
A blower door was used to measure the
infiltration of each home at completion. The
above table demonstrates the results. The EqLA
is a Calculation of the total leakage area in
square inches. The foam had a Thirty percent
reduction in its infiltration measurement.
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Thermal Imaging
The homes were both scanned with an infrared
camera to compare thermal efficiencies.
Unfortunately, outdoor conditions were very
different as the homes were completed at
different times. For lot 42, the home with foam,
the outdoor temperature was 108 F. For lot 10,
the house with batts, the outdoor temperature was
93 F. It is important to look at the images with
this in mind.
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Lot 10 Thermal images with Foam
Typical wood frame construction would usually
show heat entering At the top plate, particularly
at the Simpson clips at the trusses.
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Lot 10 thermal with foam
Very small areas were observed when looking
toward the rear of the House that went out to a
covered porch.
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Infra Red lot 10 with foam
The majority of the home was performing so well
it was difficult to scan.
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Knee Wall Lot 10 with foam

• The knee wall at the entry did not appear to be
  performing as well as the rest of the house.
  This may be exaggerated due to infiltration
  induced by the blower door.

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Thermal Images of lot 42 with batts
The picture above shows heat that is generated by
a C Channel that is Not insulated properly. SP1
is 79.6 F, ambient is 93F, the average wall
temperature in 75F.
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Lot 42 thermal images with batts
Although the home passed a level 1 grade
insulation inspection prior to drywall, some
deficiencies were found. Sp1 is 83.5 F in this
image.
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Side by Side Top Plates
Batt insulation 93 F outdoor
Demilec spray foam- 108 outdoor
Throughout both homes, it was generally observed
that the foam had a More consistent performance
at top plates and framing details.
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Conclusions

• Regardless of the product choice, it is
  imperative that you have a third party inspection
  to verify that the product is installed correctly
  to insure performance.
• In this single instance, a significant measurable
  improvement was made in the infiltration rate of
  the home. A larger sample of homes would be
  necessary to attribute the reduced infiltration
  to the foam. However, the finding is consistent
  with manufactures claims and inherit
  expectations of the product.
• In this instance, the total area of unwanted heat
  intrusion was significantly less using the foam.
  This would also benefit from a larger sample of
  homes. It will also be reflective of framing
  techniques. Six sided cavities, California
  corners, ladder blocking and engineered 24 OC
  framing will also have an impact on performance.